POP PIANO COURSE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Common Chord Progressions

2. Application of Scales
3. Basics of Chord Inversions / Chord Variations
3.1 Diminished Chords
3.2 Augmented Chords
3.3 Suspended Chords
3.4 Slash Chords
4. Octave Displacement
th th th th
5. 7 , 9 , 11 and 13 Chords
6. Left-Hand Accompaniment
6.1 Block Chords
6.2 Broken Chords

In music, there are 3 broad elements – Melody, Harmony & Rhythm. Unlike
classical piano, pop piano covers the basic skeleton of the song and then
you add the embellishments. You will also be sharpening your aural training
(sense of pitch) as you go through this pop piano course.

How to Find the Key of a Song by Ear:

1. Listen to the music
2. Hum
3. Find the note on your instrument
4. Build the scale: TSTTSTT

The general structure of a pop song: intro-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus-

resolution-outro.

1. Common Chord Progressions

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C-G-Am-F (1-5-6-4) Cant Stop This Feeling – Justin
Timberlake

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 Let It Be – The Beatles
Something Like This – Chainsmokers
Castle on the Hill – Ed Sheeran
Rockabye
Hey Soul Sister – Train
All Time Low

C-Am-F-G Perfect
F-C-G-Am Let it Go – Passsenger

Em-C-G-D / Em-G-D-C Hey Soul Sister – Train

Say Something – A Great Big World
All of Me – John Legend
Avicii – Wake Me Up
G-D-Em-C I am Yours – Jason Mraz
Use Somebody – Kings of Leon
No One – Alicia Keys

E-B-C#m-A Titanium – David Guetta

California King Bed – Rihanna
I am Yours – Jason Mraz
Hey Soul Sister – Train
You are Beautiful – James Blunt
She Will Be Loved – Maroon 5
Take a Bow – Rihanna
Someone Like You – Adele

C#-F#m-A-B Shape of You – Ed Sheeran

2. Application of Scales

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  Major scale: All Whole steps except 3-4, 7-8
 Minor scale: All whole steps except 2-3, 5-6

The relative key is always 3 semitones apart.

 Relative Major: a minor 3rd up

 Relative Minor: a minor 3rd down

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 3. Chord Inversions

Tonic Chord Tonic Chord Tonic chord

st nd
In root position In 1 inversion In 2 inversion
(root in bass) (3rd in bass) (5th in bass)
Roman Numerals Ia Ib Ic

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Some examples:

C5 C & G
Dm/C C D F A
G7/B B D F G
Csus (suspended C F G
chord)
E+ (aug chord) E G# C
Dm (add4) D F G A (Dm chord add 4th note)
Dm7 (b5) D F Ab C (flattened 5th)
Fm6 F Ab C D (add 6th note)
C6 C E G A
C+ C E G#
C9 C E G Bb D

3.1. Diminished Chords

= a stack of minor 3rds

A diminished triad, also known as the minor flatted fifth (m♭5), consists of two
minor thirds above the root — if built on C, a diminished triad would have a
C, an E♭ and a G♭. It resembles a minor triad with a lowered (flattened) fifth.

A diminished interval is one semitone smaller than a perfect interval but two
semitones smaller than a major interval.

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Cdim7: C Eb Gb A
Db dim 7: Db E G Bb
Bdim 7/D: D F Ab B

3.2 Augmented Triads

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An augmented triad is a chord made up of two major thirds
(an augmented fifth). It is a major chord where the top note (fifth) is
raised.

3.3 Suspended Chords [1-4-5]

Some Chord Voicings for Piano (variations if C Chord)

Form 1: Cmaj9 add 13
LH: C, G. RH: A, B, D, E

From 2: C add 2
LH: C, G. RH: C, D, E, G

Form 3: Cmaj9
LH: C, G, B. RH: D, E, G, B

OR LH: C,G,D RH: E, B, E

LH: E, C. RH: G, C, D, G

3.4 Slash Chords (Compound Chord)

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A SLASH CHORD emphasizes a bass note other than the root of the chord. When a
chord is played it is typically assumed the bass will emphasize the root of the
chord. Occasionally, a different note is preferred to stress a particular bassline
in a chord progression.

Slash chords are notated with a chord's standard chord symbol, followed by a
forward slash, followed by the alternate bass note. For example, G/B or D7/F# are
slash chords.

When discussing slash chords musicians will typically say, "Play G slash B," or
"play G over B," or "play G with a B in the bass."

Here again are the inversions of C7 shown in the previous topic, this time
expressed in slash chord notation. If no bass note is specified, the root
position (or the player's choice of inversion) is assumed.

4. Octave Displacement

A technique that places notes in different octaves. You don't have to follow a
particular order; you can experiment with this technique using scales, arpeggios,
licks and even chords. (Helps in creating melodic patterns)

th th th th
5. 7 , 9 , 11 and 13 Chords

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A seventh chord typically means a major triad together with a minor
seventh. It creates the jazzy and R&B voicings. 7th, 9th and 13th are called
extended chords.

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In music theory, a dominant seventh chord, or major minor seventh chord, is
a seventh chord composed of a root, major third, perfect fifth, and minor seventh. It
can be also viewed as a major triad with an additional minor seventh.

Dominant 7th = minor 7th

What is the difference between a Cmaj7 and a C7?

Cmaj7 chord is C E G B.

A C7 chord is C E G Bb. (by nature a dominant/minor 7th)

Whenever you see a chord, the number 7 by itself always means a minor seventh. So,
Cmaj7 means C major plus a major seventh and C7 means C major plus a minor
seventh. C by itself stands for C major.

The important difference between Cmaj7 and C7 is that C7 has the interval of a
diminished fifth inside- E to Bb is a diminished fifth, otherwise known as the “Devil’s
Chord”. This is a very dissonant interval and it gives the dominant seventh chord
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(C7) a unique character. It gives the effect of restlessness- of wanting to resolve to
somewhere more stable. When you've got problems, it feels really good to find a
stable solution to those problems. Then, too much stability gets boring. So, you need
new problems to solve. The stable “solution” to C7 happens to be F. The E moves a
half step to F, the Bb moves a half step to A and the devil has been exorcised, by
contrary motion, no less.

There is a difference between a major ninth chord and a dominant ninth chord. A dominant ninth
is a dominant chord (and minor seventh) with a major ninth. A major ninth chord (e.g., Cmaj9), as
an extended chord, adds the major seventh along with the ninth to the major triad.

This is the same that goes for C9 (C E G Bb D) – flattened 7th and Cmaj 9th ( C E G B
D) chord.

D F# A C E – D9 chord

A C# E G B – A9 chord

What are Dominant 9th chords good for? Happy jazz songs improvisation.

For instance, C chord (2nd inversion, bass is G) – A dominant 9th – D dominant 9th –
G dominant 7th. ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PG9e8oNwfxg)

C – Dmaj 9th – Fmaj 7th – G7 – C progression

The Half Diminished (m7b5)

A simple progression: C-F-Fm (and replace with this Dm7b5)-C

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An eleventh chord is a chord that contains the tertian extension of
the eleventh. Typically found in jazz, an eleventh chord also usually
includes the seventh and ninth, and elements of the basic triad structure. Variants
include the dominant eleventh, minor eleventh, and the major eleventh chord.

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Pentatonic Scales

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Now, draw your own keyboard here:

Now, draw your own keyboard here:

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Half diminished seventh chord = m7b5

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