No musician knows every scale and song. That’s why keyboard and chord charts were developed. They are tools that provide musicians of all skill levels an easy reference to expand their knowledge. They have similarities and cross-over points as well.

Keyboard charts will show you how to play a variety of scales and chords. They are a visual display of the keyboard with black dots representing which keys are to be played. For the novice, they are one of the easiest methods of seeing how music is played. You can find any scale, mode or chord using a keyboard chart. Many are freely available online using a simple search.

Chord charts are similar, as they are also sometimes a visual representation of the keyboard. Sometimes they are something entirely different, though, and are handy for performance. Even the most practiced and experienced musicians need to refer to chord charts every once in a while. They’re handy for a few different purposes. The term chord chart means a couple different things.

First of all, a chord chart displays how to play different chords and chord voicings. A chord voicing occurs when you move the notes of a chord into new positions. For example, take an E major triad. The notes are E, G# and B. If you take the lowest note, which is the root note E in this case, and move it an octave higher, the chord now begins on G#. Play the chord with G# as the lowest note to get a different voicing of E.

A chord chart also shows how to play both basic and extended chords. So whether you’re looking for G or G13, you’ll find them on a chord chart. It’s a great way to expand your musical horizons and prepare for any challenging songs.

Another way chord charts are used is to explain the changes in a particular song. When recording his album “Kind of Blue,” Miles Davis provided the musicians with the chord charts for each song, and they began recording without even rehearsing. They’re used by professionals to quickly understand a song. Jazz musicians use them as the basis for improvised solos.

A popular method of arranging chord charts is the fake book. A fake book provides the basic outline of a song with the chords, melody and harmony. There are fake books containing everything from standards of the 1940s to the entire Beatles catalog. Get a fake book if you want to have an easy to use resource handy for parties or performance.

Both kinds of charts are wonderful tools for becoming a more accomplished musician. Don’t be hesitant to find them in order to expand your knowledge. You can find great free resources online. Use a search engine to find many sites featuring charts. Keep them saved in your favorites for easy recall when you’re practicing.

Before long, you’ll have memorized your current charts and moved on to more advanced charts. Soon you’ll be ready create your own charts and have musical friends come over for your own “Kind of Blue” sessions.

A free email newsletter on exciting piano chords and chord progressions from Duane Shinn is available free at “Keyboard Charts & Chord Charts”

Keyboard Chord Books

The Complete Keyboard Player Chord Book: For All Po…

£5.58 End Date: Friday Feb-10-2012 11:36:43 GMT £5.58

Keyboard Chords & Scales Book (Fasttrack Series) Neely,

£7.52 End Date: Friday Feb-10-2012 12:57:54 GMT £7.52

50% OFF SPICKS & SPECKS EASY 4 CHORD KEYBOARD SONG BOOK

£8.29 End Date: Saturday Feb-11-2012 11:16:54 GMT £8.29

Robbie Williams Song Book – Easy Keyboard, Lyrics and Chord Symbols

£11.97 End Date: Saturday Feb-11-2012 16:22:17 GMT £11.97

Taylor Swift Piano Chord Songbook Learn to Play 40 Songs Music Book Keyboard

£8.69 End Date: Saturday Feb-11-2012 18:10:01 GMT £8.69

Gig Bag Book of Keyboard Picture Chords in Color

£13.97 End Date: Sunday Feb-12-2012 12:49:49 GMT £13.97

The Complete Keyboard Player Chord Book: Compact Refere

£5.07 End Date: Sunday Feb-12-2012 14:05:22 GMT £5.07

4-Chord Keyboard Songbook “Beatles” : 9781847724953 NEW Book

£9.62 End Date: Sunday Feb-12-2012 20:15:13 GMT £9.62

Creative Keyboard Christmas Songs Music Book Chord

£7.95 End Date: Monday Feb-13-2012 20:41:37 GMT £7.95

SFX Start Playing Keyboard Music Book Chords

£4.99 End Date: Monday Feb-13-2012 20:41:40 GMT £4.99

Tags: chord charts, keyboard charts, root note, triad

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