Learn › Advanced Piano Chords, Level by Level
New Released in April 2026
Advanced Piano Chords, Level by Level
Advanced piano chords add colour to the basic triads: 7ths, 9ths, 11ths, 13ths and altered chords. Learn them in order, intermediate first, then advanced, then pro, and practise each family in all 12 keys until it is as easy as a C major chord. Here are the chords of each level, on the keyboard.
No account, no download. The demo has limited content. Advanced features are in ChordRunner Premium.
- MIDI keyboard
- Digital or acoustic piano
- Guitar
- Computer, phone or tablet
Intermediate piano chords
Sus chords and 6ths: one note changed or added, a whole new sound.
Advanced piano chords: 7ths and 9ths
The colours of pop, soul and jazz. Learn the three main 7ths first.
Pro chords: 11ths, 13ths and altered
Full stacks shown here; pianists usually leave out the 5th (and the 11th on 13th chords) and split the rest over two hands.
How to learn advanced chords
- Know the formula: a 7th adds the 7th step of the scale, a 9th the 9th; b and # move a note one key down or up. The piano chord chart lists every formula.
- One family at a time: all 12 keys of maj7 before moving to m7.
- Mixed order: random chords, not the same sequence, so recall becomes automatic.
- Use voicings: shells, inversions and rootless shapes count as the same chord. See jazz piano chords.
Practise advanced chords as a game
ChordRunner has intermediate, advanced and pro chord sets, in all 12 keys.
Any voicing counts
Close, open, inverted or rootless: the right notes are enough.
MIDI keyboard or microphone
A USB MIDI keyboard is detected automatically; an acoustic piano works through the microphone.
Adaptive
The next chord family comes in when your hit rate goes up.
Common questions
What are advanced piano chords?
Chords beyond the basic triads: 7th, 9th, 11th and 13th chords, half-diminished and diminished 7ths, and altered chords such as 7b9 or 7#9. They add colour and tension, especially in jazz and soul.
Which advanced chords should I learn first?
The three main 7ths: major 7th, dominant 7th and minor 7th, in all 12 keys. Then half-diminished and diminished 7ths, then 9ths, and 11ths and 13ths last.
Do I have to play every note of a 13th chord?
No. Pianists usually leave out the 5th, and the 11th on a 13th chord, and spread the rest over two hands. The 3rd, 7th and the top extension carry the sound.
How can I practise advanced chords?
One family at a time, in all keys and in mixed order. In ChordRunner the advanced and pro chord sets do exactly that on a MIDI keyboard or a piano into the microphone, and any voicing counts.
Your instrument is the controller.
ChordRunner is a browser game that teaches piano and guitar chords: a chord appears on screen, you play it on a real instrument, and your runner jumps. MIDI keyboard or microphone, both work.
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