Play ChordRunner

Learn › Easy Piano Chords for Beginners

New Released in April 2026

Easy Piano Chords for Beginners

The easiest piano chords for beginners are the major and minor triads: three notes, one finger each, the same shape in every key. Learn C, F, G, Am, Dm and Em below and you can already play most simple songs. Then practise them by playing on your own piano or MIDI keyboard.

Play the demo

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
ChordRunner running on a phone next to an acoustic guitar, above a piano being played

8 easy piano chords for beginners

Yellow keys are the notes. Play them together with fingers 1, 3 and 5 of your right hand.

C C E G
F F A C
G G B D
Am A C E
Dm D F A
Em E G B
D D F# A
A A C# E

How easy piano chords are built

Every major chord uses the same recipe: start on the root, count up 4 keys (black and white) for the third, then 3 more for the fifth. A minor chord swaps the counts: 3 keys, then 4. That is why C, F and G look the same on the white keys, and why D and A need one black key.

ChordNotesRecipe (keys up)
C majorC E Groot, +4, +3
Am minorA C Eroot, +3, +4
Caug augmentedC E G#root, +4, +4
Cdim diminishedC Eb Gbroot, +3, +3

Basic piano chords: a beginner plan

  1. Week 1: C, F and G. Switch between them until each change is clean.
  2. Week 2: add Am, Dm and Em, the minor chords of the same family.
  3. Week 3: the left hand plays the root note low while the right hand plays the chord.
  4. Week 4: D, A and E majors, with one black key each, then all 12 keys.

Play the chords in a mixed order, not always C F G. In real music chords come in any order, and your hands should find each one without looking at a chart.

ChordRunner on a tablet next to an acoustic guitar, with hands playing a chord on a piano below

Practise easy chords as a game

ChordRunner starts beginners on exactly these chords: major and minor, then augmented and diminished, in all 12 keys.

A chord appears, you play it

The game hears your piano and tells you at once if the chord was right.

MIDI keyboard or microphone

A USB MIDI keyboard is detected automatically; an acoustic or digital piano works through the microphone.

It grows with you

When the easy chords are automatic, sus, 7th and 9th chords come in, up to the 13ths pros use.

Play the demo

Common questions

What are the easiest piano chords?

C, F and G major, then A minor, D minor and E minor. All six sit on the white keys and use the same three-finger shape, so one hand position covers every one of them.

How many piano chords does a beginner need?

Six to eight chords: C, F, G, Am, Dm and Em, plus D and A. With them you can play a large share of simple songs, then add the other keys one at a time.

Which fingers do I use for piano chords?

For a right-hand triad, use the thumb (1), middle finger (3) and little finger (5). The left hand uses 5, 3 and 1 from the bottom, or just plays the root note.

How do I practise easy piano chords?

Play them in a mixed order every day with instant feedback. In ChordRunner a chord appears and you play it on a MIDI keyboard or an acoustic piano into the microphone.

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.

Try the demo

Keep learning

Learn Chords: Piano and Guitar, Beginner to Pro

Learn chords in 4 levels, from major and minor to 13ths: what to learn first on piano and guitar, how to learn…

Piano Chord Game: Learn Chords by Playing

A piano chord game in your browser: a chord appears, you play it on your piano or MIDI keyboard and the game h…

Master All 12 Major Chords on Piano

Every major chord on piano with notes and fingering, plus an interactive game that drills all 12 until they ar…

Master All 12 Minor Chords on Piano

All 12 minor chords on piano, how they differ from major, and a game that trains instant recall with your MIDI…

Chord Training That Feels Like a Game

Interactive chord training in your browser. Play major, minor, 7th and extended chords on a MIDI keyboard or a…

Dominant Seventh Chords Explained

What dominant 7th chords are, why they drive harmony, and how to play all 12 fluently with instant feedback fr…