Nathaniel School of Music

Make the Simplest Piano Chord Sound Unique: From Power Chord to Rich Harmony

To make a plain left-hand 5th chord sound rich on piano, keep the root and 5th (G and D for G major) and let your thumb float to colour notes from the scale, such as the 9th (A), 10th (B), major 7th (F#) or major 6th (E), instead of the octave.

Video lesson by Jason Zac · Intermediate · 9 min

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Key points

This lesson from Jason Zac at Nathaniel School of Music shows how to embellish a simple major or minor chord in your left hand. It suits beginner-to-intermediate pianists who already play melody with harmony and want a left hand that runs on autopilot, so the right hand is free for melodies, embellishments and improvisation.

Start with the 5th chord

The usual left-hand accompaniment uses the root, 5th and octave of a chord. For G major, that is G, D and G. Full triads tend to sound muddy low on the piano, clash with other musicians in a band and cause problems in a recording mix, so this clean root-5th-octave shape works well over almost any music.

You can move it between chords in a song, for example from G major to C major. It sounds functional because you are playing the roots, but there is a catch: the 5th and the octave are plain, vanilla intervals. They add no emotion, and colour and storytelling are what chords are really for.

Let your thumb float

The key idea is to focus on your thumb. Your little finger is already playing the root (G), so the thumb does not need to double it an octave higher. Instead, try other notes from the G major scale on top:

All of these notes are diatonic to G major, which is why they sound good. Each one is a different interval, so each gives a different flavour, while the guitarist can keep holding an ordinary G major chord and the singer does not need to change the melody.

Build a signature pattern

Once you know these colour notes, build a rhythmic pattern that moves between them while the root and 5th stay in place. The aim is to put a stamp on your chord rhythm so listeners remember the song for the way the chords are played, not just the lyrics. Jason points to the guitar part of The Police's Every Breath You Take as an example of a pattern that is instantly recognisable.

Count steadily in eighth notes (1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &) and play the shape as an arpeggio. Including the 10th (the 3rd) is especially effective: a G with only the 5th has no colour, but adding the 3rd brings plenty of it. These moving colour notes can even inspire a vocal melody. When the chord changes, carry the same idea to the new chord.

How to practise it

  1. Play G, D and G in the left hand until it feels relaxed.
  2. Replace the top G with A, then B, then F#, then E, listening to the mood each creates.
  3. Arrange a few of these notes into a repeating arpeggio pattern counted 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &.
  4. Move the pattern to another chord in your song.
  5. Add something very simple in the right hand, such as a single note, then try right-hand octaves throughout while the left hand handles chords, rhythm and colour.

Treat your favourite patterns as templates. Bank them in your subconscious through repetition so you can reuse them across many songs, covers and compositions in different genres.

Questions about this lesson

Why not play full triads in the left hand?

Triads low on the piano sound muddy, clash with other instruments in a band and can cause problems in a recording mix. A root-5th shape stays clean.

Which notes can I add to a G 5th chord in the left hand?

Keep G and D, then use your thumb for the 9th (A), the 10th (B), the major 7th (F#) or the major 6th (E). All are in the G major scale, so they sound good over a normal G major chord.

Will these colour notes clash with the guitarist or singer?

No. Because the notes are diatonic to the key, the guitarist can keep holding a plain major chord and the vocalist can keep the same melody.

What should my right hand do while the left hand plays these patterns?

Keep it simple, such as playing the melody, a single note or octaves throughout, because the left hand is already covering the chords, rhythm and colour.

Practise it

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