Things You'll Need:
- Beginner's keyboard book Piano chord dictionary Simple sheet music Music note keyboard chart
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Step 1
Familiarize yourself with the notes on the piano keyboard as they relate to the music staff. You can get a chart at your local music store or find a free one online (see Resources). It's a good idea to start at middle C on the keyboard and work up (higher range) and down (lower range) from there. The white keys are the natural notes and the black keys represent sharps and flats. Following the keys up from middle C (including black and white keys) will give you C, C# (or Db), D, D# (or Eb), E, F, all the way up to the octave C. There isn't a sharp or flat between E and F or B and C. Those are half steps as opposed to whole steps.
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Step 2
Learn chord shapes. Chord shapes remain the same on the keyboard. The only thing that will change is the name of the chord, which is most often determined by the first note in the chord. Once you've mastered finger positions for chords (the shapes), changing the chord name is simply a matter of retaining the position of your fingers and moving to a different root note (usually the first in the chord). Start with major and minor chords, then move on to the more difficult augmented, diminished and seventh chords. Use a piano chord book or an online dictionary (see Resources) and get in the habit of learning one chord shape a day. Your mental chord library will grow quickly.
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Step 3
Practice playing chords and melodies together using a "fake book" arrangement. This type of arrangement shows the chord names above the music staff with the melody notated on the staff. You will need to be able to read basic music notation to do this. Use a notation reference chart to guide you. You can purchase one in a music store or get one online free (see Resources). It's a good idea to keep this handy in front of you until you are familiar with the notes.
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Step 4
Download free simple piano sheet music (see Resources) and practice playing the melody line while backing it with beginning chords. Keep the music simple until you become accustomed to moving your fingers and shifting smoothly between chords, then gradually increase the complexity of the music you play. It gets easier by the day.
