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How to Play Piano Chords EM & DM

Learning how to play the chords EM and DM on the piano is very easy if you have a person who is at all knowledgeable about the piano on hand to show you where the chords are. Learning how to play them by reading an article is a little trickier, but it can be done.

Provided below in the reference section is a link to a virtual keyboard. Please reference this link as the technique is explained.

When you see a chord chart with any letter written as a capital letter and a capital M next to it, as EM and DM are written, it stands for a major chord. Hence, "EM" stands for "E Major," and "DM" stands for "D Major."

Things You'll Need

  • Virtual keyboard link (provided below)
  • A real piano or keyboard
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Instructions

  1. E Major (EM)

    • 1

      Open the virtual keyboard link in a new window.
      Note the arrangement of the black and white keys and the letter names of each piano key.

    • 2

      Locate E on the virtual keyboard.
      Locate G# (G sharp) on the virtual keyboard. It is the black key between G and A.
      Locate B on the virtual keyboard.

    • 3

      E Major (EM), right hand:

      Find E, G# and B on a real piano
      Play E with your thumb/first finger.
      Play G# with your middle/tallest/third finger
      Play B with your pinkie/fifth finger.
      Play all three notes together at the same time for an E Major chord.

    • 4

      E Major (EM), left hand:

      Find E, G# and B again on either the virtual keyboard or real piano.
      Play E with the pinkie/fifth finger of your left hand.
      Play G# with the tallest/middle/third finger of your left hand.
      Play B with the thumb of your left hand.
      Play all three notes together for an E Major chord.

    D Major (DM)

    • 5

      Refer to the virtual keyboard again.
      Find D.
      Find F#. It is the black key between F and G on the keyboard.
      Find A.

    • 6

      D Major (DM), right hand:

      Play D with your thumb.
      Play F# with your tallest/middle/third finger.
      Play A with your pinkie/fifth finger.
      Play all three notes together for a D Major chord.

    • 7

      D Major (DM), left hand:

      Play D with your left pinkie/fifth finger.
      Play F# with your tallest/middle/third finger.
      Play A with your left thumb/first finger.
      Play all three notes together for a D Major chord.

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