The Most Beautiful Piano Chord, the Heaven Chord

The Heaven Chord is a chord that you can use as a substitute for a major chord. For example, instead of playing a C Major with the notes C, E, and G, ... 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Email* Whatdoyouthinkthemostbeautifulpianochordofalltimeis?Somepianistswouldarguethatthemostbeautifulpianochordissomecrazyjazzchordwithlot’sofstrangenotesinit.Buttome,themostbeautifulpianochordisonethatcanbeusedonthesimplestchordprogressions.Infact,thischordcanbeusedinplaceofaregularCMajorchord.Therefore,myall-timefavoritepianochordisextremelyusefulbecauseyoucanuseanytimeyouwouldotherwiseplayasimplemajorchord.Intoday’spianolesson,youwilllearn: TheHeavenChord(TheMostBeautifulChordofAllTime) ATricktoQuicklyRememberingtheChord TheHeavenChordConstruction UsingHeavenChordonMultipleChords HeavenChordinPianoProgressions AccompanimentwiththeHeavenChord UsingtheHeavenChordasanIntro Whetheryouarejustgettingstartedasapianistoryouhaveexperienceaccompanyingatthepiano,you’llfindthetechniquesfromthislessontobehighlyuseful.Areyoureadytotransformyourpianoaccompanimentskills?Let’sdivein! TheHeavenChord,theMostBeautifulPianoChord Whenitcomestothemostbeautifulpianochord,there’snonamemorefittingthantheword“Heaven.”Tome,theword“Heaven”encompassesabeautythatIoftenseektocreatewhenIplaythepiano.Therefore,IgavethischordthenameHeavenbecauseitisthemostbeautifulpianochordinmyopinion. WhatistheHeavenChord TheHeavenChordisachordthatyoucanuseasa substituteforamajorchord.Forexample,insteadofplayingaCMajorwiththenotesC,E,andG,youcanusetheHeavenChord. CHeavenChord,themostbeautifulpianochord Doesn’tthatpianochordsoundbeautiful?!?Laterinthislesson,I’llexplainexactlywhatyouareplaying.However,beforewedothis,Iwanttoexplainaquicktricktorememberingthischord. HeavenChordQuickTrick HowtoyourememberthenotesofaCHeavenChord?Well,youcanthinkofthischordasa2ndInversionGMajorTriadinyourrighthandplayedoveraCMajor1stinversioninyourlefthand.Inotherwords,yourlefthandwillplayEGC,whichisafirstinversiontriad,andyourrighthandwillplayDGB,whichisa2ndinversionGMajorTriad.Now,whenIplaythischord,IliketoremovetheGfrommylefthandsothatthisnoteisnotdoubledintherighthand. Ifyoudon’tknowyourmajorchordslikeGMajor,itwillbeastruggleforyoutoplaythesechordsinotherkeys.Inthiscase,Irecommendlearningall12majorandminorchordsinourLevel1FoundationsLearningTrack. Next,you’lllearnhowtheHeavenChordisconstructed. BeautifulHeavenChordConstruction TheHeavenChordisconstructedbyplayingaCMajorTriadandstacking2morethirdintervals.Forexample,ifyouplayaCMajorTriad,youhavethenotesC,E,andG.Ifyoustackathird,youhaveaB,andifyoustackanotherthird,youhaveaD.Therefore,whenyoucombineall5ofthesenotes,youhavewhatiscalledaCMajor9chord: CMajor9chordconstructiononpiano Whatwedidaboveis“color”ourCMajorchordwith2additionalnotes.First,weaddedtheBtothechord,whichiscalledthe7thofthechord.Next,weaddedaDtothechord,whichiswhatwecallthe9thofthechord,ora“chordextension”.Ifyoudon’tknowyour7thchords,youcanlearntheminourMajor7ChordTheory&ApplicationCourse.Ifyoudon’tknowyourChordExtensions,youcanlearntheminourPianoChordExtensionsCourse. ACMajor9isthe“technical”nameforwhatIamcallingtheHeavenChord.However,forthechordtosound“heavenly”,thereare2essentialcriteriathatneedtobemet: 2EssentialCriteriaforHeavenChords Youwanttoplaysomeofthenotesclosetogethertocreate clusters.Forexample,noticethatontheCHeavenChordthatyoulearnedatthebeginningofthislesson,thereisaCandDveryclosetogether.Thisisa“cluster”,andithelpsgivethechordawarm,lushsound. Youwanttoinvertthechordsothatthe3rdofthechordisonthebottom.Forexample,noticethattheEisthebottomnoteofthechordinsteadoftheC.Asaresult,thisgivesthechordalonging,unresolvedsound,whichisessentialtoHeavenChords. Next,let’spracticeaHeavenChordonanFMajorchord. HeavenChordonanF IfyouwanttoplayanFHeavenChord,it’sasasimpleasfollowingtheHeavenChordQuickTrickImentionedearlier.Firstly,playa1stinversionFMajorChordinyourlefthandwiththenotesA,F,andC.Secondly,playa2ndInversionCMajorChordinyourrighthandusingthenotesG,C,andE. FHeavenChord,themostbeautifulpianochord Rememberthatyoucan omittheCfromthelefthandsothatyoudon’tendupdoublingthatnoteintherighthand.Doesn’titsoundamazing?IencourageyoutopracticeHeavenChordsinotherkeys.Ifyoudon’tknowhow,youcanchangethekeyofthislessonwiththeclickofonebuttonwithourSmartSheetMusic. Nowthatyou’velearnedyourHeavenchordsinCandF,nextyou’lllearnhowtousethesechordsinachordprogression. UsingHeavenChordsinAChordProgression HowdoyouuseHeavenChordsinachordprogression?Thesimpleansweristousethesechordswheneveryouwouldseeamajorchord.Forexample,ifyouhadaprogressionthatwentCMajortoFMajor,youcouldplayittheordinaryway: CMajortoFMajorchordsonpiano Or,youcouldplayitwithbeautifulHeavenChords,whichwouldsoundlikethis: CHeavenChordtoFHeavenChordonpiano Tome,theHeavenChordssoundmuchmoreinterestingthantheordinarymajorchords.Next,let’slookat3examplesofhowtouseHeavenChordswithamelody. HeavenChordsExample1 It’snicetoaddsomenotesin-betweenyourchordssothatyouhaveamelodyinadditiontotheharmony.Hereisanexampleofamelodyyoucanusebetweenthechords: Example1–HeavenChordsinacontemporarypianochordprogression–usefulasanaccompanimentorintro Theabovemusiccanbeusedasanaccompanimentwithasinger,oritcouldbeusedasanintrotoasonginC.Next,let’slookatanotherwayyoucoulduseHeavenChordsinaprogression. HeavenChordsExample2 Inexample2,wewilluseHeavenChordsinadescendingmotion.Checkitout: Example2–HeavenChordsinacontemporarypianochordprogression–usefulasanintro ThisparticularexampleworksverywellasanintrotoasonginthekeyofC.Trycreatingyourownintrousingthisdescendingidea. Now,youmightbethinking,“Jonny,thissoundsgreat.ButcanIusetheseHeavenChordsonotherchordsbesidesCandF?”.TheanswerisYes,andinthenextsection,I’llshowyouhow. HeavenChordsExample3 Inourfinalexample,wewillexploreHeavenChordsonchordsotherthanCandF.SomethingthatisverynicetodoistoplaymelodiesdownaCMajorScaleandharmonizethetopnotewithHeavenChords.Howdoyoudothis?Well,youtakewhatevernoteyoulandonanddeterminetheHeavenChordbyusingtheQuickTrickformulaIdescribedearlier.However,thistimewewillneedtothinkbackwards,startingwiththetopnoteandworkingourwaydown.Forexample,hereisamelodythatusesHeavenChordswhileworkingdownthenotesprimarilyfromtheCScale: Example3–HeavenChordsusedtoharmonizeprimarilynotesofCScale Doesn’tthatsoundgreat?Astheaboveexampledemonstrates,youcanuseHeavenChordstoharmonizeanymelodynoteintoaMajor9thchord. FinalSteps NowthatyoucanplayHeavenChords,what’snext?IrecommendthatyoupracticethischordsoverotherContemporaryChordProgressions.Forexample,youcanapplythesechordstotheprogressionsinourContemporaryProgressionandImprovCourses(Beginner/Intermediate,Intermediate/Advanced). YoucanusethesechordsovertheLoveProgression,whichyoucanlearninourLoveProgressionCourse. YoucanalsousetheseprogressionsovertheOneChordWonderprogressions,whichyoucanlearnintheOneChordWonderCourse. Finally,toseehowIusethesechordsinanarrangement,checkoutmyperformanceofAndSoitGoesbyBillyJoel. That’sitforthisweek’spianolesson.SeeyouinthenextQuickTip! Yourteacher, JonnyMay MoreFreeLessons TopPianoChordInversionExercise QuickTip Level1 Level2 Learntomasterpianochordinversionsinweeksinsteadofyearswiththe21InversionExercisecontainingalldiatonicchordsinallinversions. ChickCorea:aLegendofCreativityandJazz QuickTip Level1 Level2 Level3 Thismonth,wearefeaturingChickCorea,aprolificjazzpianistandinnovativecomposer,whoseducedthepublicwithhiscreativityandverve. FatsWallerAndHisContributionsToStridePiano QuickTip Level1 Level2 Level3 Thismonth,we'lllearnaboutthecharismaticjazzmusicianFatsWallerandhiscontributionstothefunstridepianostyle. Lookingfordownloads? 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