A Dozen Chords In Your Favorite Key (Intermediate Keyboardists Only)

If you’re interested in learning how to play a dozen chords in your favorite key, this lesson is for you.

Attention: This lesson is adapted to provide help to intermediate players who are interested in learning how to play seventh and ninth chords in their favorite key.

Submission: I honestly am not in for or against you if you have a favorite key on the piano and this is because piano playing means many things to many people. Depending on your musical goals, you can either have a favorite key or not. However, I recommend that you learn how to play in all the keys and vast majority of scholars will do the same.

There are valid reasons why an intermediate musicians have their favorite key(s) and I’ll tell you that in another lesson. Statistics have shown that there are four major keys that are a comfort zone for so many musicians: C, Db, F, and Gb.

I’ll be showing you a dozen chords in each of these keys. Ready?

A Dozen Chords In The Key Of C Major

The key of C major:

…has the following scale tones:

C (is the first tone):

D (is the second tone):

E (is the third tone):

F (is the fourth tone):

G (is the fifth tone):

A (is the sixth tone):

B (is the seventh tone):

Let’s take a look at the scale tone and passing chords in the key of C major.

Scale Tone Chords

The 1-chord:

The 2-chord:

The 3-chord:

The 4-chord:

The 5-chord:

The 6-chord:

Passing Chords

The passing chord to the 1-chord:

The passing chord to the 2-chord:

The passing chord to the 3-chord:

The passing chord to the 4-chord:

The passing chord to the 5-chord:

The passing chord to the 6-chord:

A Dozen Chords In The Key Of Db Major

The best way to start is by refreshing our minds on the Db major scale:

In the Db major scale above:

Db (is the first tone):

Eb (is the second tone):

F (is the third tone):

Gb (is the fourth tone):

Ab (is the fifth tone):

Bb (is the sixth tone):

C (is the seventh tone):

Having refreshed our minds, let’s go ahead and explore the scale tone and passing chords in the key of Db major.

Scale Tone Chords

The 1-chord:

The 2-chord:

The 3-chord:

The 4-chord:

The 5-chord:

The 6-chord:

Passing Chords

The passing chord to the 1-chord:

The passing chord to the 2-chord:

The passing chord to the 3-chord:

The passing chord to the 4-chord:

The passing chord to the 5-chord:

The passing chord to the 6-chord:

A Dozen Chords In The Key Of F Major

I hope it’s safe to assume that you are already familiar with the F major scale:

F (is the first tone):

G (is the second tone):

A (is the third tone):

Bb (is the fourth tone):

C (is the fifth tone):

D (is the sixth tone):

E (is the seventh tone):

Below are the scale tones and passing chords in the key of F major.

Scale Tone Chords

The 1-chord:

The 2-chord:

The 3-chord:

The 4-chord:

The 5-chord:

The 6-chord:

Passing Chords

The passing chord to the 1-chord:

The passing chord to the 2-chord:

The passing chord to the 3-chord:

The passing chord to the 4-chord:

The passing chord to the 5-chord:

The passing chord to the 6-chord:

A Dozen Chords In The Key Of Gb Major

The key of Gb major:

…has the following scale tones:

Gb (is the first tone):

Ab (is the second tone):

Bb (is the third tone):

Cb (is the fourth tone):

Db (is the fifth tone):

Eb (is the sixth tone):

F (is the seventh tone):

Let’s take a look at the scale tone and passing chords in the key of Gb major.

Scale Tone Chords

The 1-chord:

The 2-chord:

The 3-chord:

The 4-chord:

The 5-chord:

The 6-chord:

Passing Chords

The passing chord to the 1-chord:

The passing chord to the 2-chord:

The passing chord to the 3-chord:

The passing chord to the 4-chord:

The passing chord to the 5-chord:

The passing chord to the 6-chord:

Final Words

I believe you love those scale tone and passing chords we just covered. I hope the common chords in the key of C major and F major didn’t escape your notice as well.

Do you have a favorite major key that is not in my list, C, Db, F, Gb?

If you do, then kindly tell me in the comment section what key it is, how you started playing in that key, and why you prefer playing in that key.

All the best and see you in another lesson.

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Chuku Onyemachi

Head of Education at HearandPlay Music Group

Onyemachi "Onye" Chuku is a Nigerian musicologist, pianist, and author. Inspired by his role model (Jermaine Griggs) who has become his mentor, what he started off as teaching musicians in his Aba-Nigeria neighborhood in April 2005 eventually morphed into an international career that has helped hundreds of thousands of musicians all around the world. Onye lives in Dubai and is currently the Head of Education at HearandPlay Music Group and the music consultant of the Gospel Music Training Center, all in California, USA.

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