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UdemyPianoPaid courseIntermediate levelCertificate

Piano Chords (Udemy.com)

Learn to interpret chord symbols at the piano, using classics such as "Hallelujah", "Always On My Mind", etc.

Created by: Benedict Westenra

Last updated June 2021

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What you will learn

  • Interpret basic chord symbols, including major and minor triads, sus chords, and 7th chords
  • Have multiple ways of playing the same chord, so that you can choose the one that sounds best

How it compares

Against the other 45 rated Udemy courses in Piano on CourseDuck:

  • Rating4.8 out of 5higher than 82% of them
  • Reviews804#13 of 46 by number of reviews
  • Length6.2 hourslonger than 71% of them
  • Last updatedJune 2021more recently than 53% of them

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Course Description

"After buying loads of books on piano chords nothing has come close to this excellent course … it has to be the best on Udemy" - Michael Fallon

"Even if you already know your scales and chords, this course brings you through the variations so that you can do more than just play a triad each and every time." - Richard

This course teaches you how to interpret basic chord symbols at the piano, and explains them:

  • at the keyboard
  • in a visual and intuitive way
  • using real pieces of music

I'll teach you concepts using original techniques that I've tested on hundreds of students over a decade, including signed artists and other industry professionals. By the end you'll know many ways of playing any chord symbol that's likely to crop up in popular music. (I'm working on a follow-up course that teaches more advanced chords that you find in jazz.)

What this course is

This course shows you many ways of playing:

  • major triads (e.g. C, Eb, F#)
  • minor triads (e.g. Dm, Fm, G#m)
  • sus chords (e.g. Esus, Gsus, Bbsus)
  • 7th chords (e.g. F#7, Am7, Cmaj7), and
  • slash chords (e.g. Ab/Eb, Bm/E, Dmaj7/E)

so that you can:

  • read a "lead sheet" (a score with a melody and chord symbols but no LH)
  • accompany yourself singing using just chord symbols, and
  • understand how the chord symbols fit a score

I'll show you many ways of playing each chord so that you can not only work out what chord to play but also turn it into a complete accompaniment.

What this course isn't

This course doesn't teach you how to play the piano - it assumes you know how to play the piano already. And the pieces used are mostly extracts that are designed to illustrate certain types of chord, so the goal isn't to play complete pieces but to acquire skills that you can apply to other pieces.

Also, this isn't a music composition course: I don't talk very much about why certain chords sound good together. However, if you are interested in learning about chord progressions this is a good starting point.

In conclusion

So, if you've ever wondered what Dm7/G means then give this course a try! You can always get a refund if you decide it isn't for you.

Best of luck on your musical journey,

Benedict

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Instructor Details

Benedict Westenra

I'm a London-based piano coach with over 10 years of teaching experience. Students include signed artists, senior record executives, and other industry professionals.

I'm currently workshopping a musical which I wrote the book, music, and lyrics to, and which I was invited to play to Stephen Sondheim, plus I've also worked as an official arranger for Beyoncé, Michael Bublé, Cher, and others.

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Reviews

4.8

804 ratings on Udemy

Select a bar to show only those reviews.Select the bar again to show every rating.

By Gary Sze on 12/2/2025

I have finished several piano courses on Udemy and this is the one I enjoyed most! Not only do you get excellent explanations of how the chords are constructed (that is expected for a course on this topic) , you will get step-by-step instructions of how to arrange the chords for piano and practice with many many beautiful songs examples from all genres. A must have if you are learning to play piano with the chord method.

By Anthony Distasio on 11/10/2020

Yes, this is the information I needed.

By Howard Donohue on 10/27/2020

Seems easy to follow so far - very interesting.

By Helen Raymond on 9/8/2020

I'm about half way through this course and it's quite good. I've been playing for a long while but started learning from the start of this course. A good teacher, nice and clear. will post another rating when I finally finish

By Derya Kibar on 8/13/2020

Yes excellent teacher with a very comforting way of teaching and his perfect tone of voice...

By Beyhan Bengu on 8/7/2020

good

By Sren Bech Hansen on 8/7/2020

So far, the course is much simpler than what I expected, reading the course description. This, of course, might change, which I hope for.

By Wendy L Demmler on 7/20/2020

Cant always see his fingers what note he is using

By Søren Bech Hansen on 7/19/2020

So far, the course is much simpler than what I expected, reading the course description. This, of course, might change, which I hope for.

By Audrey Vickerman on 7/12/2020

Very good. Playing la Valse d'Amelie was difficult as never transposed a tune into different keys before. some tips on doing that if possible would be helpful.

By Krishnendu B Sarkar on 7/1/2020

Good

By Arturo Leyva on 7/1/2020

The explanations are succinct and easy to execute.

Showing 12 of 153 reviews

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Quality Score

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Overall Score : 96 / 100