Play Piano NOW with Cheat Chords

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Basic chords work really well and teach you about chord structure, but they can be frustrating and they’re not going to sound as good because of how far you have to move between chords. There are 2 issues that you’ll most likely deal with… #1 - Your right hand has to come off the piano to get to the next chord. This can be frustrating and make you nervous. #2 - Basic chord transitions stand out for the same reason - because of how far your right hand has to move between chords. But there is a better way! Cheat chords solves both issues. 

Solving Problems!

#1 - Cheat Chords gives you easy inverted chords so that you’re moving your hand as little as possible. You only have to move 2 fingers between both hands. With your right hand, 2 fingers stay in the same place and only your right thumb moves as necessary. With your left hand, you only play 1 finger at a time. This is a great way to play piano quickly and start playing with a band. 

#2 - It sounds really good. Transitions are smooth because 2 fingers are already in place. Part of each chord continues though both chords in the transition. It’s easy to spend a good bit of time trying to get chord transitions to sound good, but Cheat Chords does it for you.

Finding the Notes On the Piano?

Looking at the black keys on the keyboard, you see a pattern of 2 black keys and then 3 black keys. This repeated pattern makes it easy to see the notes repeating over and over again. It goes from A to G and then starts over. The white keys are the regular note names and the black keys are flats (b) and sharps (#). 

Middle C

Locate the 2 black keys closest to the middle and the white key to the left is middle C. You can always walk up and down the keys to find what note you’re looking for or use the cheat sheet with a diagram of the piano keys… Moving right on the keyboard goes up in pitch and forward through the musical alphabet. Moving left on the keyboard goes down in pitch and backwards through the musical alphabet. 

Playing In the Key of C

Place your right hand on the keys. Your pinky goes on the C above middle C. 

Your right hand middle finger goes on the G above middle C. These are the 2 notes that don’t move. Your right thumb is the only note that changes in the right hand.  

For the key of C, your left thumb goes on middle C. This is for the 1 chord. Your left pinky goes on the F below middle C, for the 4 chord. Your left hand will make it sound like a complete chord. If you leave out the left hand, it removes the bass note and will sound incomplete unless other instruments are playing the bass notes.

Is it Root Position?

In basic chords, the right hand is playing in root position, where the lowest pitch played is the chord name. (So if it’s a C chord, then C is the lowest pitch played) It makes it easy to hear where the bass note is. In piano cheat chords, the right hand isn’t focussed on the first note of the chord. The right hand uses inverted chords (which means the first note of the chord is somewhere other than the the lowest pitch played) to focus on efficiently transitioning between chords and the overall sound as you play. 

Makes All the Difference 

Even though you are playing an inverted chord in the right hand, your left hand will make it become root position and resolve any issues with what you hear only using the right hand.  

And it isn’t going to always be root position. If you see G/B, this is an inverted chord. B is the third note in the chord G. G is the chord and B is the bass note. Basically, a G chord “over” B. (G/B) In Piano Cheat Chords, you simply play the G cheat chord in the right hand and play the note B with your left hand.  

In a Band

The Guitar Cheat Chords use the exact same notes and it will always sound better if the different instruments are using the same notes in their chords. Transitions are smooth, it sounds good and the focus isn’t on whoever’s playing the keys.

Cheat Sheets

Check out the Cheat Sheets for Piano Cheat Chords. And let’s play piano NOW!

Have questions? Let us know how we can help!

by Lance Maddox