Introduction

Let’s look at how to play piano chord progressions in the key of C major.

Here are the steps we’ll cover:

1. Build the major scale
2. Build the chords for the major key
3. Identify the primary chords
4. Play the chords using inversions
5. Create a chord progression
6. Play the chord progression using inversions
7. Play the inversions using both block and broken chords
8. Add left hand accompaniment

Get a “Learn to Play Chords in C Major” Printable

Before we move on, you’ll want to get a copy of this free “Learn to Play Chords in C Major” printable. The charts in this printable will help you practice the concepts covered here:

1. Build the Major Scale

Our first step in learning how to play piano chord progressions in the key of C major is to build the C major scale.

You can learn how to build a C major scale here.

When we build a major scale, we’re using a pattern of half-steps and whole steps.

A half-step is the distance from one note to the very next, and a whole step is two half-steps.

A major scale is named after the note it starts on, so a C major scale will start on C.

The pattern for building a major scale is:

W – W – H – W – W – W – H

So to build a C major scale, we’ll start on C and find the note one whole step up, which is D, then we’ll find the note one whole step up from D, which is E, then we’ll find the note one half-step up from E, which is F, and continue the pattern until we reach the next C.

So a C major scale is:

2. Build the Chords for the Major Key

Next we’ll need to build the chords for the key of C major.

Learn how to build the chords for the key of C major here.

To build the chords for a major scale, we’ll build a “1 – 3 – 5” chord off each note of the scale, using only the notes of the scale to build the chords.

So we’ll start on the first note of the scale, and build a “1 – 3 – 5” chord, using the notes of the scale to build the chord. When we do this, our first chord is C major:

C – E – G

Then we’ll move to the next note of the scale and build another “1 – 3 – 5” chord off that note, using only the notes of the scale to build the chord. When we do this, our second chord is D minor:

D – F – A

Then we’ll move to the next note of the scale and build another “1 – 3 – 5” chord off that note, using only the notes of the scale to build the chord. When we do this, our third chord is E minor:

E – G – B

Then we’ll start on F and build another “1 – 3 – 5” chord – F major:

F – A – C

Then we’ll start on G and build another “1 – 3 – 5” chord – G major:

G – B – D

Then we’ll start on A and build another “1 – 3 – 5” chord – A minor:

A – C – E

Then we’ll start on B and build another “1 – 3 – 5” chord – B diminished:

B – D – F

The chords for the key of C major are:

C major: C – E – G
D minor: D – F – A
E minor: E – G – B
F major: F – A – C
G major: G – B – D
A minor: A – C – E
B diminished: B – D – F

You may be wondering how we can tell the difference between major, minor and diminished chords. Here are the differences:

Major chords are built using the first, third and fifth notes of the matching major scale.

Minor chords are major chords with the middle note lowered 1/2 step.

Diminished chords are minor chords with the upper note lowered 1/2 step.

Get a Learn Piano Chords Printable

Learn these concepts in each major and minor key with the Learn Piano Chords Printable! This printable shows how to build all the major and minor scales, how to find the chords for each major and minor key, how to play the primary chord for each major and minor key, how to play inversions for major and minor chords, how to build chord progressions in each major and minor key, and more! Get your copy below:

Learn Piano Chords Printable

Learn the concepts for playing the piano with chords with this comprehensive 42-page PDF. These charts will lay a great foundation for you at the piano, and will be referenced again and again!

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3. Identify the Primary Chords

Our next step in learning how to play piano chord progressions in C major is to identify the primary chords for C major.

You can learn how to find primary chords for major keys here.

Each major key has three primary chords. Primary chords are the chords used most often in that key, and they’re built off the first, fourth and fifth notes of the scale.

So the primary chords in the key of C major are built off C, F, and G. These are the first, fourth and fifth notes of the C major scale.

Here are the primary chords in the key of C major:

C major: C – E – G

F major: F – A – C

G major: G – B – D

These three chords combined contain all the notes of the C major scale: C – D – E – F – G – A – B – C. This will also be true of the primary chords used for any other major key.

4. Play the Chords Using Inversions

Now let’s look at how to play these chords using inversions. Inversions are when we rearrange the notes of a chord, so the root note, the note the chord is named after, is no longer at the bottom of the chord. Inversions give us lots of options for playing the same chord in many different places on the piano. They’re also lots of fun to use!

You can learn how to play piano chord inversions here.

When a chord is in “root position”, the root note of the chord – the note the chord is named after – is at the bottom of the chord.

So a C major chord in root position will have the notes in this order: C – E – G

But if we move the root note to the top of the chord, the chord is in “first inversion”.

So a C major chord in first inversion will have the notes in this order: E – G – C

Then if we move the bottom note of first inversion to the top of the chord, the chord is in “second inversion”.

So a C major chord in second inversion will have the notes in this order: G – C – E

If we tried to move the bottom note from second inversion to the top of the chord, we’re back to root position.

5. Create a Chord Progression

Now that we know how to build a major scale, find the chords for a major key, identify the primary chords, and play those chords using inversions, we’re ready to create a chord progression!

Chord progressions are when chords move from one to another.

We’ll use chord symbols to indicate which chords to play for the progression. Chord symbols are abbreviations for chords. An upper-case letter indicates a major chord, so “C” indicates a C major chord. And an upper-case letter followed by a lower-case “m” indicates a minor chord. So “Am” indicates an A minor chord. There are other chord symbols we can learn, but we’ll just focus on major and minor for now.

To create a chord progression in the key of C major, we’ll use the chords from the key of C, focusing on the primary chords. We’ll finish the progression with a C major chord, since the progression is in the key of C major.

Here are some examples of piano chord progressions in C major, when we play the chords in root position:

C – F – C – G – C

Here’s another chord progression we can try in the key of C:

C – Am – F – G – C

Here’s one more chord progression we can try in C major:

C – F – Dm – G – C

There are many other progressions we can create in the key of C major, but these are some examples we can use as we get familiar with playing chords in the key of C.

6. Play the Chord Progression Using Inversions

Now we’re ready to try playing our chord progressions using inversions. We can use inversions to smoothly connect the chords, which makes them easier to play, and also makes them sound more interesting.

Let’s try playing our piano chord progressions in C major using a mix of inversions and root position chords:

C – F – C – G – C

We played the C major chord in root position, the F major chord in second inversion, then the C major chord in root position again, the G major chord in first inversion, and the C major chord in root position.

Playing the chords this way helps us smoothly connect them together, which makes them easier to play, and blends their sounds.

Now we can try playing our second chord progression using inversions:

C – Am – F – G – C

We played the C major chord in root position, the A minor chord in first inversion, the F major chord in second inversion, the G major chord in second inversion, and the C major chord in first inversion.

Now we can try playing our third chord progression using inversions:

C – F – Dm – G – C

We played the C major chord in root position, the F major chord in second inversion, the D minor chord in root position, the G major chord in second inversion, and the C major chord in first inversion.

We can use other inversions to play these different chords, but these are examples of how we can play them smoothly connected.

7. Play the Inversions Using Both Block and Broken Chords

Another layer we can add to our chord progressions to make them more interesting and fun to play, is to play these chords using both block and broken chord patterns.

Block chords are when the notes of a chord are played all at the same time.

Broken chords are when the notes of a chord are played separately.

We can break up a chord many different ways. This could mean playing the first note of the chord and then the last two notes, or it could mean playing the first two notes and then the last note, or it could mean playing the notes one-at-a-time. Learning different ways to break up a chord will make the music more interesting and fun to play as we learn chord progressions.

When we’re first learning to play a chord progression, it’s good to practice playing the chords using root position block chords. This means the root note of the chord is at the bottom of the chord and the notes of the chord are played all at the same time.

But over time, we can start playing the progression using broken inversions. This means we’ll rearrange the notes of the chord so the root is not at the bottom, and then we’ll break up the inversions different ways by playing the notes separately.

8. Add Left Hand Accompaniment

The last step is to add left hand accompaniment. We have several options for how to accompany these chord progressions with the left hand.

One option is to play the matching octave with the left hand. So when the right hand plays a C major chord, the left hand can play a C octave.

Another option is to play a 1 – 5 – 1 pattern with the left hand. This means we are playing the lowest and highest notes of the chord, and then the octave. So when the right hand plays a C major chord, the left hand can play a C – G – C pattern, playing the notes separately.

Usually the left hand is going to bring out more of the root note of the chord, so focusing on ways to bring out the root note works well when playing with the left hand.

Conclusion

Now you have a lot of information to apply to start playing piano chord progressions in the key of C major!

Don’t forget to get your copy of the “Learn Chords in C Major” freebie, so you can use the charts to practice these concepts!

Using chords to learn the piano is a wonderful way to enjoy music. Chords help us see and understand the piano in terms of scales and patterns. When we understand the notes of the scale, and how those notes are used to build different chords, and how we can use those chords to create chord progressions, then a new world of opportunity opens up at the piano!