Play Piano by Using Chord Improvisation Techniques

• 1). Study a variety of music scales. Play scales that have plenty of flats or sharps. Mastering the scales can help you learn chords better and find accidentals (sharps and flats) quicker. Two examples of scales that have many flats or sharps are F# Major or D Flat Major.
  
  
• 2). Memorize the circle of fifths before you try to improvise or use colorful chords with music. The circle of fifths is a complete circle with the order of accidentals (flats and sharps) within a major and minor scale.
  
  It's easy to learn scales and understand chords with the circle of fifths. For example, if you want to know how many sharps are in a B Major scale or key, start at the top of the circle of fifths and use C, which has no sharps or flats. From C, go clockwise to G, then all the way to B. the key of B has five sharps (F, C, G, D and A).
  
  You need to know how many accidentals are in a B Major scale because it helps you to play the right keys when you play a B Major scale. Five sharps as a key signature on a piano piece of music also indicate you are in the key of B Major.
  
  
• 3). Study a variety of music chords. Learn triad chords first before you try difficult chords such as seventh chords. Triad chords are a group of three notes that are stacked in thirds on a staff from the lowest note (the root), third and then a fifth (the highest note). A G major triad consists of G, B and D. Between G and B is Major 3rd and between G and D is a fifth interval or perfect fifth. Another example is C Minor; C to E flat is a Minor 3rd while C to G is a perfect fifth.
  
  
• 4). Improvise your music to give it some flavor. There is no wrong or right way to improvise music. However, there are several ways you can implement it in your music. An example of improvisation in music is how Silent Night can be improvised in the following example:
  
  Silent Night is played in C Major (CEG) chord which is a basic chord with no flats or sharps.
  
  One way to play an improv of Silent Night is to play left hand slowly in block, or separate in the same key while your right hand is playing the melody of Silent Night. If you are advanced, switch keys to make it more complex and more colorful. Another way to play Silent Night is by improvising with the right hand and then the left hand once you get the hang of playing scales. Watch the YouTube video to see how that pianist improvised on Silent Night.
  
  
• 5). Play block chords or arpeggios either with your right hand while playing the melody with your left hand or vise versa. Arpeggios are notes of a chord that are played separately rather than together when the notes are played one after the other.
  
  Block chords are notes that are played together with a lock hand position instead of playing a broken or separate chord.