A Wallet Of Piano Chords Online Trivia | Musical Instruments

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The C major chord is one of the most commonly used in piano-playing. Formed purely by white keys, the chord can create beautiful yet simple sounds and melodies in a variety of different genres. Three notes must be played to create a C major chord. The first one is a C, but which are the two others?

Answer: E and G

The C major chord is the most basic and common chords in the key of C major. In music theory, it is also known as Chord I (within the C major key). Although the classic C major chord has an order of C, E, and G (as shown in the picture), it can be iterated as E G C or G C E for different purposes. For instance, when I play the first chord of the Beatles' song "Let It Be" (which has a basic progression of C G Am F), I play a chord with E G C instead of C E G to give it a different effect.

This technique is helpful when writing songs as well!

2. The A major chord is different than most major chords in piano, because it contains a black key between two white keys. Which sharp key (recognized for the # symbol) is in the middle of the A chord?

Answer: C#

The A major chord is, naturally, in the key of A major. In music theory, it is also known as Chord I (within the A major key), and can become an A major seventh chord if a G# is added at the end. Typically the order of the chord is A C# E, but it can vary for different purposes. The chord has been used extensively in songs throughout the years. For instance, the chord progression for the classic song "Wonderwall" by Oasis can be played as: Em G Dsus A.

The # symbol means that a note or chord is sharp, which occurs in major keys. The b symbol means that a note or chord is flat, which occurs in minor keys. Technically speaking, the C# note could also be Db in another key.

3. The most common chords are either major or minor; however, there is another interesting type of chord that is symbolized by the letters "dim". For instance, George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord" uses the chord F#dim (F# A C). What does "dim" mean?

Answer: Diminished

Diminished chords or triads tend to be dissonant, which is why they can add a very unique touch to some songs. A chord of this nature will have a minor third and a diminished fifth. Almost always, a diminished chord in piano contains at least one black key.

In addition to "My Sweet Lord", songs that have used diminished chords include "Michelle" by The Beatles and "This Love" by Maroon 5.

4. The chord of D#m (D# minor) consists of the notes D#, F#, and A#, which are all black keys on the piano. To which key does this chord belong? (maybe think of a certain animal that produces honey?)

Answer: B

The D# minor chord is a somewhat rare chord within the B major key, and is known in music theory as Chord iii (within the C major key). The song "We Found Love" by Rihanna is a good example of the use of this chord. If you feel like experimenting, this may be a good chord to use, because it is not as commonly used!

The key of B major starts with a B chord (B D# F#), and two chord progressions that are typically used in this key are B E F# and B G#m E F#. By the way, the animal you were supposed to think of was a bee!

5. This chord is in the key of G minor, and ends with the notes G and Bb. Which of these answer choices is both the first note of the chord, and the name of the chord itself?

Answer: Eb

The Eb major chord is in the key of G minor, which starts with the chord G Bb D. In music theory, it is also known as Chord VI (within the G minor key), and can become an Eb major seventh chord if a D is added at the end. A song where the chord prominently appears is "Clocks" by Coldplay. Even though the chord is part of the G minor key, Eb major also has its own key, where G minor is conversely Chord iii.

6. A quite interesting chord is the slash chord, such as Em/B, which functions through inversions. If you are playing the piano and you stumble upon a slash chord, what should you do with the second letter specified?

Answer: Play the note in the bass

A slash chord is a type of inversion where, instead of playing the original chord, the note indicated on the right side of the chord is played in the bass. For instance, if the Em chord is made of E, G, and B, a piano player who sees Em/B will play the chord in the following order: B E G. Slash chords are good ways for beginner songwriters to experiment with different notes and sounds.

The song "When I Was Your Man" by Bruno Mars, for instance, uses slashed chords like Em/B, C/G, and G/B.

7. The chord of E, or E major, is another chord that is frequently used in songwriting by many artists. If I wanted to use an E major seventh chord, which of these notes would I add at the end of the E G# B chord?

Answer: D#

The E major chord is contained in the G#m key, and is called Chord VI in music theory (within that key). Typically the order of the chord is E G# B, but it can vary for different purposes. Sometimes, songwriters and piano players will add a seventh to a regular triad/chord, as it adds a dissonant yet satisfactory effect.

In the case of E, a D# would be added to complete the E major seventh chord.

8. The Dm chord, or D minor, is a great chord to use in songwriting and performing. The key of D minor also contains chords like F major and G minor. Which of these note sequences correctly fits a Dm chord?

Answer: D F A

The D minor chord is the first one in the key of D minor. It is known in music theory as Chord I within the key, but it also appears, for instance, in the key of F major. Typically the order of the chord is D F A, but it can vary for different purposes. Dm also appears in many different songs across various genres; for example, "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong.

9. One of most common clefs used in music is the treble clef, which helps establish the pitch of notes (when reading music in staff paper). Which of these is another acceptable name for the clef, and a major chord that ends in B and D?

Answer: G

The G major chord is the first one in the key of G major, which is why in music theory it is also known as Chord I within the key. Typically the order of the chord is G B D, but it can vary for different purposes. The G chord can be used for both happy and sad moods; it is a very versatile chord!

The treble clef is the most common G-clef (there is also the French violin clef) that is used at the beginning of most written music to help musicians determine the pitch of the notes. For piano beginners, the treble clef generally means playing with the right hand and the F or bass clef is used for the left hand.

10. Knowing several piano chords allows you to write your own song, which is a very rewarding experience! For example, I just came up with the following chord progression: _______, E, B, F#, which follows the i, VI, III, VII structure. Taking into account the scale of the notes and with the picture's help, which chord would fill in the blank?

Answer: G#m

The G#m (or G sharp minor) chord is in the key of G sharp minor, which starts with the chord G# B D. In music theory, it is also known as Chord i (within the G sharp minor key), and can become a G#m seventh chord if an F# is added at the end. There are several chord progressions that can be used within the key, many of which start with G#m. For example, an i-VI-VII progression would be G#m, E, F#. We could add a little more complexity, like in the progression in the question, and turn it into a i-VI-III-VII (or G#m, E, B, F). Or you could reshuffle those into something completely new! This is what makes songwriting so fun and challenging at the same time.

I absolutely recommend that you try to put some chord progressions together, now that you have this wallet of chords, and figure out a song, no matter what level you are at on piano. The feeling of finishing a successful song after hard work is one of the best there is!

Source: Author Lpez

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor agony before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

A Wallet Of Piano Chords Trivia Quiz

Instead of a regular wallet with money, this wallet contains different piano chords that are useful in both songwriting and performing. Can you identify them? Knowledge of basic music theory may be helpful, but not required! Good luck!

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>