The 1 Simple Trick I Use To Make Ordinary Chords Sound AMAZING.

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LESSON SUMMARY
The study of piano chords can be both intriguing and perplexing. Many piano students long to swap out ordinary chords for the sound of rich and complex professional chords. But if you want to play amazing piano chords with a pro sound, then you have to think like a pro when it comes to chords shapes. In today's Quick Tip, Make Ordinary Piano Chords Sound Amazing, Jonny May shows students how to think differently about chord shapes in order to level up their piano sound.

► Learning Tracks:

Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
00:38 - The Problem: How you Understand Chords
01:12 - Isn't She Lovely
01:35 - Finding Color in Your Chords
02:58 - The Better Way
03:28 - The 4 Stock Chord Shapes
06:54 - How to Use these Shapes
09:31 - Isn't She Lovely Full Song with Shapes
11:07 - Isn't She Lovely Full Song with Shapes
12:30 - Conclusion
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Happy practicing!
Jonny May

[PianoWithJonny]

00:00 - Intro
00:38 - The Problem: How you Understand Chords
01:12 - Isn't She Lovely
01:35 - Finding Color in Your Chords
02:58 - The Better Way
03:28 - The 4 Stock Chord Shapes
06:54 - How to Use these Shapes
09:31 - Isn't She Lovely Full Song with Shapes
11:07 - Isn't She Lovely Full Song with Shapes
12:30 - Conclusion

[ripmomcovid]

I played for 12 years, went to college and was sent home, told that I did not know enough, 40 years ago. THIS LESSON IS VERY HELPFUL. I am remembering and learning things and looking to playing some beautiful chords, accompanying myself and playing by ear.

[blehoo]

Thisnis great stuff and thanks for posting. I am a music graduate with piano major and have been teaching high school music for over 25 years as an expat. I consider myself to have a good ear and sense of rhythm and can improvise around chords but have never truly been able to fluently get between all the altered chords and understand what modes to improvise on when the harmonies get more complicated and jazzy. I'm planning my retirement in about one year and thinking you might be able to help me with your system and am looking forward to plugging into your community when I have all that lovely spare time to practice.

[KevinBSelby]

dude that was mind blowing.
the ONLY thing I would suspect other folks might question (including ME!) is why did you start on the THIRD in the very beginning of the video? I usually think of chords in terms of the root note or key but you went straight to E (the third of C). While you then backed it up with tremendously cool voicings and all of that, I'm still left scratching my head in terms of: Do I always have to think "third" to the "root" to start the chord voicing trick or did I miss something?

please don't think I'm being critical at ALL...I'm just puzzled about that?
great work!

[rhaleymusic]

Been messing with voicing for years, but somewhat seeing the logic here. Is the chord extension the determiner of the shape used? For example, should any 6/9 chord I voice use shape 4 - or what other determining factor should I be applying?

[fabiancosster]

This a wonderful trick i have ever seen in my life.Thank you Jonny.Keep coming with these kind of lesson.

[robertsmolin]

Great lesson jonny! Keep up the good work!

[stevehenry]

That number chord progression you showed, might also work on the verse parts of Saturday in the Park by Chicago.
Great lesson, Jonny!
Thank you!

[BillGraper]

Weird how I am using an Am9 chord for the first time ever in one of my songs (end of the chorus), and you used the same chord. I am doing it in its normal setup, so the first time you played it, it sounded exactly like mine. I am going to use this video for chords in my verses. 😎

[lawrencetaylor]

Great video. I'm not quite at this level, but I know a good site when I am.

[vincentmorello]

These are great chords, but one thing confuses me. Isn't the note being played with the pinky of the right hand (the melody note, often), the one to consider most when selecting a chord?

[pyschointellectual]

would have been great to see a whole chord scale with this method.

[romanpryce]

The 1324 shape looks like a pentatonic shape 13223 which can yield a triad, 4th or 7th voicing.. This made me think of Saturday in the park (Chicago).

[ladc]

😮









🎖️Make a complete Chord Guide on 9ths --- on your website!

[fabiancosster]

Ths is what i like a formula to make bigger chords.

[Antonio-tihe]

But in the 3-3-3 you showed EGBD but wouldn't a third from "G" be a B flat and a third from B flat be d flat? It seems you mean 3-4-3 ? Please let me know. Thank you.

[lolabrown]

What I am confused about that some of your thirds are minor thirds, and some are major thirds. How do you know which one to use? You didn't mention this.

[bobbydolan]

Very nice chords but confusing to any beginner or even intermediate, I think.

[Antonio-tihe]

I don't see how in your examples from 5 minutes on line up to what you said.

[datmeme]

Ironically playing the most un-amazing chords in the intro.