So You Want To Learn How To Play Chords?

Congratulations on finding this page!

I'm Robert Nissim, founder of Musilogic.com. We specialize in figuring out better ways to make and teach music!

"How does one play chords?" is a question I've been asking myself for the last 40 years.

Well, there's no simple answer because the question is too broad. It's like asking "How does one go shopping?". It depends on so many factors: whether you have a car, what you want to buy, how many people you're shopping for, etc. Same thing with chords. We have to know what style of music you play, what instrument you play, what size of band you play in, etc.

I want to help people reach their musical goals, mainly by putting them in touch with the right resources. I have had the good fortune of meeting many exceptional musicians, mainly in the classical and jazz worlds. Which means I have access to information about how to learn essential music skills. But first I must understand your goals!

Playing chords is one of the most basic skills needed to play an instrument...and there are hundreds of ways to play chords. Listen to some examples of styles in which a few chords can be played:

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Now choose the style which most attracts you. The following table shows which style of music each selection belongs to and how to start learning to play chords in that style.

 

Choice	Style	Recommended Study
1) 3) 8) 9) 10) 11) 12)	Classical	If you know nothing about music theory, start with www.mymusictheory.com Once you know some theory, practice creating chord progressions with www.harmonybuilder.com
2) 4) 5)	Rock, Folk, Pop	I recommend Band In A Box, available here: www.pgmusic.com/bbwin.htm
6) 7)	Jazz, Brazilian	If you play piano, take this 21 week jazz harmony course: www.jazzpianomastery.com

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