How to Play Piano Chords EM & DM

Learning how to play the chords EM and DM on the piano is very easy if you have a person who is at all knowledgeable about the piano on hand to show you where the chords are. Learning how to play them by reading an article is a little trickier, but it can be done.

Provided below in the reference section is a link to a virtual keyboard. Please reference this link as the technique is explained.

When you see a chord chart with any letter written as a capital letter and a capital M next to it, as EM and DM are written, it stands for a major chord. Hence, "EM" stands for "E Major," and "DM" stands for "D Major."

Things You'll Need

• Virtual keyboard link (provided below)
• A real piano or keyboard

Instructions

E Major (EM)

1. Open the virtual keyboard link in a new window.
   Note the arrangement of the black and white keys and the letter names of each piano key.

2. Locate E on the virtual keyboard.
   Locate G# (G sharp) on the virtual keyboard. It is the black key between G and A.
   Locate B on the virtual keyboard.

3. E Major (EM), right hand:

   Find E, G# and B on a real piano
   Play E with your thumb/first finger.
   Play G# with your middle/tallest/third finger
   Play B with your pinkie/fifth finger.
   Play all three notes together at the same time for an E Major chord.

4. E Major (EM), left hand:

   Find E, G# and B again on either the virtual keyboard or real piano.
   Play E with the pinkie/fifth finger of your left hand.
   Play G# with the tallest/middle/third finger of your left hand.
   Play B with the thumb of your left hand.
   Play all three notes together for an E Major chord.

D Major (DM)

1. Refer to the virtual keyboard again.
   Find D.
   Find F#. It is the black key between F and G on the keyboard.
   Find A.

2. D Major (DM), right hand:

   Play D with your thumb.
   Play F# with your tallest/middle/third finger.
   Play A with your pinkie/fifth finger.
   Play all three notes together for a D Major chord.

3. D Major (DM), left hand:

   Play D with your left pinkie/fifth finger.
   Play F# with your tallest/middle/third finger.
   Play A with your left thumb/first finger.
   Play all three notes together for a D Major chord.

References

• Virtual Keyboard