If you analyze a piece of music and the notes are based on the C major scale, then the piece of music will be in the key of C major. On the piano, we play the scales with both hands simultaneously. What Is a Scale?Ī scale in music is a collection of notes that represent the same key. They begin on what is called the ‘Tonic’ note, or the key note. Each scale represents a key. This way you’ll combine theory and practice. We assure you: If you practice all the major and minor scales on the piano you will greatly improve your overall skills. Just implement them in your piano warm-up.

Scales are a vital part of learning the piano and developing your skills, whether you are struggling with your improvisation skills, or simply want to learn the theory behind the music. Let us walk you through each scale and determine how it’s best played on the piano. You can hear a diminished chord used in this way in the song “God Only Knows” by The Beach Boys.Are you trying to learn all the major and minor scales on the piano but find the whole matter confusing – all those sharps and flats? Well, it’s not really hard once you grasp the concept of it. The most common use of a diminished chord is to transition between two other, more stable-sounding chords. Are diminished chords used in rock songs?ĭiminished keyboard chords are less common than major and minor chords, but are still frequently used in rock and pop songs. To find the notes of a diminished chord, count a step-and-a-half from the root to the third, and then a step-and-a-half from the third to the fifth. The diminished triad uses a minor third, and a lowered fifth, called a “diminished fifth.” A diminished fifth is three whole-steps, or six half-steps, above the root note. The third interval in a minor chord is called a “minor third.” The fifth interval in a minor chord is the same as in a major chord, the interval of a “perfect fifth.” Most rock and pop songs use a mixture of major and minor piano chords.

“Comfortably Numb” is an example of a rock song that begins with a minor chord.

Minor chords are also very common in rock and pop music. From the third, count two whole-steps (or four half steps) to find the fifth. To play a minor chord, select any root note, then count three half-steps up to the third. Minor chords, like major chords, contain three basic keyboard notes, a root note, third, and fifth.

D flat minor piano scale