5 Fancy Piano Chord Hacks to Transform a Simple Triad
You can make a plain major or minor triad sound far richer on piano by rolling it like a guitar strum, hammering on from the 2nd to the 3rd, adding double grace notes, using spread, fifth or cluster pop voicings, and slipping in a plagal IV chord over the same bass note.
Key points
- Roll a chord like a guitar strum, but make the top note land exactly on the beat.
- Hammer on from the 2nd to the 3rd (E to F# on D major) in any inversion.
- Spread voicings, right-hand fifth chords and added-2 or added-4 clusters give a modern pop sound.
- Over a long chord, play its IV chord over the same bass, such as D/A over A, then return.
- Practise every technique on many chords, but use them sparingly in performance.
Most pianists learn a C major chord as C E G and its inversions, and stop there. Guitarists, by contrast, have dozens of ways to sound the same triad. In this lesson Jason Zac of Nathaniel School of Music shows five ways to embellish simple major and minor chords so they sound like the playing of professional pianists, and even like guitarists. It suits players who are comfortable with basic triads and want to move to the next level, as well as intermediate players who want a pro sound in country, pop, gospel, rock and folk.
1. The flamenco approach
A guitarist cannot strike all six strings at exactly the same instant, so the chord comes out as a quick strum rather than a single block. On piano you can imitate this by rolling quickly through the notes of the chord, for example C minor (C Eb G) and then F major (F A C).
- The last note of the roll, the top note, must land exactly on the beat. The quick notes before it come just ahead of the downbeat.
- Start with the right hand alone, then let the top note carry a little melody as you change chords.
- The left hand can join the roll, but keeping it to just the root and fifth is usually enough.
The effect recalls flamenco guitar or a harp. Rather than thinking of it as a fast arpeggio, think of it as imitating another instrument.
2. The hammer-on (country) approach
Borrowed from country, Americana and folk guitar, this approach slides from the 2nd of the chord up to the 3rd. On D major, play E and quickly move to F#, so that by the end of the grace note you have landed on a full D major chord.
- It works in every inversion, for example landing on A D F#.
- Unlike a guitar, the piano lets you hold three or four chord notes while you do the hammer-on.
- In a melody, choose an inversion that puts the melody note on top. Jason demonstrates this with familiar tunes such as Amazing Grace and Happy Birthday.
Try it on a simple progression of D, A, G and back to D, and the piano starts to sound melodic, harmonic and rhythmic all at once.
3. The double grace note approach
Here two quick grace notes come before the chord. This works beautifully on some chords but not all. Jason demonstrates it on Eb major in first inversion (G Bb Eb), and also on C major. You can even finish without the Bb to emphasise the strong hit before returning to the full chord. The sound is common in gospel and country, and it combines well with the first two techniques. Each chord and inversion feels different under the fingers, so learn it shape by shape.
4. Pop voicings
Spread voicings
Instead of Eb G Bb close together, play Eb Bb G, with the 3rd moved up. F major can likewise be spread as F C A. The chord is still the same triad, just wider apart, and it sounds great in the low register too.
Fifth chords
Play a power chord (root and fifth) in the right hand and move freely through notes of the scale in the left. This suits rock and pop.
Cluster chords
Add one neighbouring note to make the triad richer and let it ring longer: A major with an added note, B minor with C# (an added 2), or E major with A (an added 4). This is not a suspended chord, because the 3rd is still present.
5. Plagal passing chords
When a chord lasts a while, add its IV chord over the same bass. On A major, go one step anticlockwise on the circle of fifths to D and play D major over an A bass (D/A), then return to A. The bass player still hears A, so it is colour, not a chord change. For E, use A/E. For a darker shade, use D minor over A: the F natural instead of F# fits many raga-based Indian songs and Celtic music.
How to practise
- Slow each technique down until it sounds good, and listen to players who use it.
- When practising, overdo it on every chord; when performing, use it only where it embellishes.
- Start with triads, then try the ideas on richer chords, existing songs and your own compositions.
Questions about this lesson
How do I make a piano chord sound like a guitar strum?
Roll quickly through the chord notes from bottom to top instead of striking them together. Make sure the final top note lands exactly on the beat, and keep the left hand simple with root and fifth.
What is a hammer-on on the piano?
It is a quick grace note from the 2nd of the chord up to the 3rd, such as E to F# on D major, landing on the full chord. It works in any inversion and is common in country and folk styles.
Is an added-4 cluster chord the same as a sus4 chord?
No. A suspended chord replaces the 3rd, while a cluster such as E major with an added A keeps the 3rd and adds the 4th alongside it.
What is a plagal passing chord?
It is the IV chord of the current chord played over the same bass note, such as D major over an A bass while the chart says A major, before returning home. Using D minor over A instead gives a darker colour with F natural.
Practise it
- Voicing RoomA hands-on lesson room for piano chord voicings.
- Cadence LibraryCompare piano cadences across keys and listen to how different chord movements create closure, suspense or a turn in a new direction.
- Piano classes at Nathaniel School of MusicLive online or in Bangalore, with a teacher.
- All free music apps40 practice tools for harmony, rhythm, ear training and more.
Related lessons
- 5 Left-Hand Ballad Arpeggio Patterns for Beautiful Solo PianoFive left-hand ballad arpeggio patterns are low-high-middle-high (LHMH), LHMH with octave displacement, a fifth-plus-off-beat combo, a spread (open) voicing and an extended octave arpeggio, all practised over a chromatic E major progression beneath a fixed right-hand melody.
- How to Play a Melody With 5 Left-Hand Chord Accompaniment Techniques on PianoTo accompany a right-hand melody on solo piano, keep the right hand on the tune and give the left hand the chords, using one of five patterns: block chords on the pulse, eighth- or sixteenth-note arpeggios, broken chords, spread 1-5-3 voicings, or stride (low bass note then a chord near middle C).
- 5 of the Best Left-Hand Piano Accompaniment PatternsFive left-hand piano accompaniment patterns that make simple chords sound professional are spread voicings with the third added, a root-and-fifth toggle, the LHMH magic arpeggio, a tresillo dance groove, and a pedalled deep bass with the chord played higher.
- Amazing Grace Piano Tutorial: Spread Voicing Chords and Melody (Solo Arrangement)To play Amazing Grace as a solo piano arrangement, play each chord low in the left hand as a three-note spread voicing (root, fifth and the third an octave higher, a tenth above the root) in F major and 3/4 time, so the right hand is free to play and embellish the melody.