Piano Chord Chart: Hear and Play Chords in All 12 Keys
Pick a root note and a chord type. The keys light up, the notes are listed below, and you can play the chord on a real piano sound right here in your browser. No download, no sign-up.
Root note
Chord type
C major (C)
Notes: C E G · Formula: 1 3 5
How are piano chords built?
A chord starts from a root note and stacks other notes above it at fixed distances, counted in semitones (one key to the next, black keys included). Because the distances stay the same, one pattern works from any root: learn the shape once and you can play it in all 12 keys.
- Major triad: root, then 4 semitones up, then 3 more. The formula is 1 3 5. C major is C, E, G.
- Minor triad: root, then 3 semitones up, then 4 more. The formula is 1 b3 5. C minor is C, Eb, G.
- Diminished triad: two stacked 3-semitone steps, so it sounds tense and unresolved. The formula is 1 b3 b5.
- Augmented triad: two stacked 4-semitone steps, which gives an open, unsettled sound. The formula is 1 3 #5.
What are suspended and seventh chords?
A suspended chord swaps the middle note of a triad for its neighbour: sus2 uses the note two semitones above the root, and sus4 uses the note five semitones above it. Both leave out the major or minor third, so they sound neither bright nor dark.
A seventh chord adds a fourth note on top of a triad. A major 7th adds the note one semitone below the octave, a dominant 7th adds the note two semitones below it, and a minor 7th is a minor triad with that same lower seventh.
This chart covers nine chord types, all in root position. It does not include inversions, ninth chords or other extended chords.
Full piano chord chart for every root note
Each cell lists the notes of the chord from the root upward. Black-key roots are shown with both of their names, and the chart uses the spelling that is easiest to read.
| Root | Major(no suffix) | Minorm | Diminisheddim | Augmentedaug | Suspended 2ndsus2 | Suspended 4thsus4 | Major 7thmaj7 | Dominant 7th7 | Minor 7thm7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | C E G | C Eb G | C Eb Gb | C E G# | C D G | C F G | C E G B | C E G Bb | C Eb G Bb |
| C#/Db | Db F Ab | Db E Ab | Db E G | Db F A | Db Eb Ab | Db Gb Ab | Db F Ab C | Db F Ab B | Db E Ab B |
| D | D F# A | D F A | D F Ab | D F# A# | D E A | D G A | D F# A C# | D F# A C | D F A C |
| D#/Eb | Eb G Bb | Eb Gb Bb | Eb Gb A | Eb G B | Eb F Bb | Eb Ab Bb | Eb G Bb D | Eb G Bb Db | Eb Gb Bb Db |
| E | E G# B | E G B | E G Bb | E G# C | E F# B | E A B | E G# B D# | E G# B D | E G B D |
| F | F A C | F Ab C | F Ab B | F A C# | F G C | F Bb C | F A C E | F A C Eb | F Ab C Eb |
| F#/Gb | F# A# C# | F# A C# | F# A C | F# A# D | F# G# C# | F# B C# | F# A# C# F | F# A# C# E | F# A C# E |
| G | G B D | G Bb D | G Bb Db | G B D# | G A D | G C D | G B D F# | G B D F | G Bb D F |
| G#/Ab | Ab C Eb | Ab B Eb | Ab B D | Ab C E | Ab Bb Eb | Ab Db Eb | Ab C Eb G | Ab C Eb Gb | Ab B Eb Gb |
| A | A C# E | A C E | A C Eb | A C# F | A B E | A D E | A C# E G# | A C# E G | A C E G |
| A#/Bb | Bb D F | Bb Db F | Bb Db E | Bb D F# | Bb C F | Bb Eb F | Bb D F A | Bb D F Ab | Bb Db F Ab |
| B | B D# F# | B D F# | B D F | B D# G | B C# F# | B E F# | B D# F# A# | B D# F# A | B D F# A |
Which four chords should I learn first?
In the key of C, the chords C, G, A minor and F fit together. They are made almost entirely of white keys, and many songs are built from this kind of progression. Select each one above, play it, and then play them in order: C E G, G B D, A C E, F A C.
To practise on the full keyboard, open the ScreenPiano virtual piano, open the Sheet rack and choose the Chord Drill. The keybinds chart shows which computer key plays which note. If you would rather start with a melody, browse the easy piano songs with letter notes.
Piano chord questions
What is a chord on the piano?
A chord is three or more notes played at the same time. Most beginner chords are triads: a root note plus the notes a third and a fifth above it.
What are the notes in a C major chord?
A C major chord is C, E, G. On this page you can select C and Major to see those keys light up and hear them together.
What is the difference between a major and a minor chord?
Both have the same root and fifth. The middle note decides the mood: a major chord uses a note four semitones above the root, and a minor chord lowers it by one semitone, to three.
How do I play chords with my computer keyboard?
Open the piano on the home page and press several keys at once. On the default layout, the keys T, U and O together play a C major chord. Hold Shift with a key to play the black key above it.
Why do some chords use unusual note names?
Textbooks sometimes spell a note with a double sharp or a double flat, for example C double sharp in an F sharp augmented chord. This chart replaces those with the same key written more simply, so that chord reads F#, A#, D.