An Introduction to Minor Chords

Now, let’s cover minor chords. These chords sound a bit sadder. Consider the following:

Try playing the above chords one a hand at a time, just like you did with the major chords. The first right hand triad has a root (the C), a third (the Eb) and a fifth (the G). If the third is on the bottom, we call this triad a first inversion triad. If the fifth is on the bottom, we call this a second inversion triad. Here are some recordings so you can learn what the minor chord or triad should sound like. The first one is the right hand and you guessed it, the second one is the left hand.

As a backup, here once again is our picture chart:

In minor chords, the distance between the bottom and the middle note is three semitones. The distance between the middle and the top note is four semitones. Now you have even more POWER to figure out any minor root position chord starting on any piano note. Just remember 3-4 (semitone distances); and please be careful because, as the old saying goes, absolute POWER corrupts absolutely.

Now that you have two types of chords (major and minor) in your arsenal, let’s explore two other interesting chords. You’ll notice that I wrote the word chord and not triad. You see how dangerously we live here at pianolessons101. If you’re brave, go on to the next piano lesson tip that deals with chords.

Go back to the pianolessons101 main page or the piano chords page.