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How to Master Jazz Chords on the Keyboard or Piano

If you want to play jazz chords on the keyboard or piano, you would probably like to really master those chords. A friend who is a true jazz artist taught me how to study and learn the chords like a pro. Before you begin you need to know how to spell the chords and some basic music theory, but these methods will show you how to turn theory into practice. Here are the tricks he taught me:

Instructions

    • 1

      Practice each chord - for example triad or dominant seventh chord - with hands together in root position, all up and down the keyboard. If this is too hard, you can practice hands separately first, but you soon should be able to do them up and down the keyboard hands together. If you are doing triads, just play C-E-G with the left and the same with the right in the lowest position on the piano. Then move up octave by octave until you are out of notes. Then play them again top to bottom. Continue with triads in each key around the circle of fifths. That means to navigate around the keys going down a fifth each time: the keys of C, F, B- flat, E-flat, and so on through all the keys. Finally go up and down, playing only one chord in each key of the circle of fifths: for example, C chord up to F chord, and so on.

    • 2

      Then practice the jazz chords in the other direction around the circle of fifths. This will help you master jazz chords. Go from C to G to D, and so on. First play each chord (such as C-E-G-B) up and down the keyboard, and then go from key to key, up and down (C chord, F chord, and so on). You should do this with every type of chord, no matter how simple or complex. For example, you can practice minor triads, dominant sevenths, major sevenths, or any type of chord. But this is just the very beginning.

    • 3

      Next practice each chord, hands together, but instead of in root position each time, play through the inversions of each chord. Learning the inversions is crucial to really master jazz chords on the keyboard. For example, instead of just C-E-G all the time, you play first C-E-G, then E-G-C, then G-C-E, then C-E-G and so on, all the way up the keyboard, hands together, and down again. Practice whatever chord you are working on, for example half-diminished chords, in all inversions, up and down. Of course, four-note chords can begin on any of the four notes and have more inversions. Practice the chord you are studying in all keys, around the circle of fifths. Then practice the first inversions, say, in each key around the circle of fifths, up and down the keyboard. But there is still more practice to lead you to true mastery!

    • 4

      Once you have learned the jazz chords in all their inversions, practice each type of chord (major or minor triads, all kinds or sevenths, ninths, and so on) starting in a comfortable spot on the keyboard, hands together. Again work your way both directions around the circle of fifths, but with an important difference. You go from one chord to the next (C7, F7, B-flat 7, etc.) in the smoothest way possible, trying to hardly move your hands at all. Don't skimp on this step! This is the important step that will get good voice leading into your brain and fingers.

    • 5

      Finally, take this finger and brain mastery of the jazz chords and use it at the keyboard or piano in whatever songs you want to play. Your fingers will find the chords easily and naturally, and you will be able to play any chord in any position at any time. You will have mastered the jazz chords and become an accomplished keyboard or piano player!

Music Basics

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