How to Play Piano Chords That Sound Full and Pro

To make basic piano chords sound full and professional, embellish each triad with sus2 and sus4 suspensions, plagal (IV–I) cadences, arpeggio fills at the ends of phrases, melodic passing notes between vocal lines, and a left-hand bass line that walks towards the next chord's root.

Video lesson by Jason Zac · Intermediate · 17 min

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This lesson from Jason Zac at Nathaniel School of Music shows how to take a plain progression of major and minor triads and make it sound rich and finished. It is mainly an accompaniment lesson, for pianists backing their own voice, a singer, a band or a choir. The right hand plays the chords and the left hand handles the bass. The ideas work on other instruments too.

The problem it solves is simple. If you play chord one, then chord two, then chord three, each repeated for four or eight beats, the music feels static even though time is moving. The five techniques below help you travel from one chord to the next instead.

1. Suspended chords (sus4 and sus2)

Stay on the written chord but decorate it with suspensions. Taking Eb major (Eb G Bb) as the example:

• Sus4: replace the third G with Ab (Eb Ab Bb), then resolve back to G.
• Sus2: replace the third with F (Eb F Bb).
• Sus2 sus4: use both F and Ab together (Eb F Ab Bb).

Moving between these shapes and the plain major chord sounds melodic. It can follow the melody line, or move against it. It works especially well when the singer is holding a long note, because you can glide through the suspensions underneath.

2. Cadences as passing chords

A cadence is a short, familiar two-chord movement. The lesson focuses on the plagal cadence, IV to I, heard a lot in pop-rock piano players such as Elton John and known in church music as the Amen cadence.

While the chart says Eb major, briefly slip to its IV chord, Ab major, and come back to Eb. The written chord has not changed. You have only added a passing chord. You can do this on almost any chord:

• Bb major with its fourth, Eb major
• C minor with F minor

Try it over the progression Eb, Bb, Cm, Ab (I V vi IV in Eb), adding a plagal movement inside each chord. The result is far more colourful.

3. Arpeggio chord fills

Contrast block chords with arpeggios. In the example progression G, C, G, D (I IV I V in G), play the block chords on the beat. Then, at the end of the bar, break the chord into an arpeggio as a fill.

Fills belong where the singer has finished a line. Do not arpeggiate every chord, because that is overdoing it. Use arpeggios here and there to spice up the normal chords.

4. Melodic passing notes

Over a progression such as Bm, A/C#, D, let the chords sit under the melody first. When the singer finishes a phrase, play a short run on the scale. This creates call and response: the voice calls and the piano answers. You can also echo the last two or so notes the singer sang.

Passing notes can also connect one chord to the next. If you use a lot of them, the piano becomes very melodic. That suits an intro, an interlude, or a section where the vocal melody is sparse. Aim for a middle point that is catchy but never overshadows the singer.

5. Bass movement in the left hand

Passing notes can go in the left hand too. Take the climbing progression A, A/C#, D, E (I, I with C# in the bass, IV, V in A). Play it first with plain root notes. Then add connecting notes that guide the bass towards the bass note of the next chord.

In many songs this kind of bass line becomes part of the song's identity, and you can even build it into a riff.

How to practise

1. Choose one simple four-chord progression.
2. Add one technique at a time: suspensions, then plagal passing chords, then arpeggio fills, then passing notes, then bass movement.
3. Sing or hum a melody over it, and place fills only where the melody rests.
4. Finally, combine the techniques sparingly, so the accompaniment supports the lead rather than competing with it.

Questions about this lesson

What is a sus2 sus4 chord?

It is a chord where the third is replaced by both the second and the fourth. Over Eb, that means playing Eb F Ab Bb before resolving to Eb G Bb.

How do I use a plagal cadence inside a chord?

While the chart shows a chord such as Eb major, briefly play its IV chord (Ab major) and return to Eb. It works as a passing chord, and the written harmony stays the same.

When should I play arpeggio fills or piano runs?

Play them at the end of a bar or phrase, when the singer has finished a line. Use them here and there rather than on every chord, so they create call and response without crowding the vocal.

What makes a good bass movement?

Find connecting notes that lead from the current chord's bass note towards the bass note of the next chord. One example is walking through A, A/C#, D and E.

Practise it

• Cadence LibraryCompare piano cadences across keys and listen to how different chord movements create closure, suspense or a turn in a new direction.
• RunwayExplore runs, fills and licks with a chosen start and landing note.
• 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

• Make Chord Practice Fun With the Circle of Fifths (Part 1)To practise major chords around the Circle of Fifths, play all 12 triads moving clockwise (the plagal direction) and anticlockwise (the authentic direction), keeping the common note and sliding the other two notes, then turn it into a rhythm workout by shrinking the arpeggio cycle from 8 beats down to 3 while the metronome stays at the same tempo.
• 3 Easy Ways to Make Your Piano Arpeggios Sound ProTo make piano arpeggios sound professional, shape the volume with dynamics guided by your breathing and the singer, use the sustain pedal while lifting it just before each chord change, and accent the notes that fall on the snare drum beats, usually beats 2 and 4.
• How to Use Suspended Chords Creatively on PianoSuspended chords replace the third of a chord with the second (sus2) or fourth (sus4), and on piano you can use them to add tension inside a progression, over a moving bass line, or as melodic fills between a chord and its resolution.
• Piano Ballad Accompaniment: Block Chords, Broken Chords and Arpeggios (Creep Progression)To accompany a ballad on piano, play the I–III–IV–iv progression (G–B–C–Cm in G major) with smooth inversions in the right hand as block chords, broken chords or 16th-note arpeggios, while the left hand plays root octaves as whole notes, minims, toggles or soft ghost-note eighths.