In playing specific instruments, it’s essential to learn how to play the chords. Of course, notes make the flow of any piece or song, but without the chords, it’s like a river running but not on its bed. But the question is, are piano chords and guitar chords the same? If you play the chords of the piano, can you use the same chords on a guitar?
The short answer is yes and no. In this post, we are going to dissect both instruments’ chords and see where they are different and where they are similar.
Are Piano Chords And Guitar Chords The Same?
Do both piano and guitar need chords? Yes. So we can use the same chords for both instruments, then? Well, here’s where the confusion begins. Just because both have chords – which are technically similar – you can’t use them to achieve the same sound just like that. It’s not about the specific notes to play, because both can be the same with the piano and guitar. The difference is in the position of how you play them.
Another thing to know is that you can’t just transfer the same chords from the guitar to the piano and vice versa. This is because the color of the tone differs from instrument to instrument. Lastly, you can play a number of multi-chords in the piano – a feat not available on a guitar.
To summarize the answer, yes, piano chords and guitar chords are the same, but they are played differently to achieve the same result.
How To Match The Piano To The Guitar
Many musicians say that once you know how to play the piano, you’d know how to play the guitar and vice versa. And that’s basically true – mainly because once you learn music and music theory on one instrument, it’s much easier to learn another instrument. But for you to be able to match piano and guitar chords, here is some information you should know. We’re not going to give out too much detail on this one in the hopes of making it a separate post.
You Need To Understand Basic Music Theory
You need to have an idea of the music alphabet/scale as well as the 12 different notes in music. First, the music scale is Do-Re-Mi, or in Alphabet Scale notation from A to G. And the 12 unique notes are A, A#, B, C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#. Musical theory is understood by people all over the world and is used to play virtually all instruments. But of course, that’s not just what covered in Music Theory. To help you know more about this topic, you can read some books and websites about it. More info when you click the link.
Know How To Read Piano Notes And Guitar Fretboards
Learning how piano notes and guitar frets work together can help you match up chords between the two instruments. Why? Because the patterns used on the piano are the same patterns that are used on the musical alphabet. On the other hand, the guitar fretboard is an artistic tool that beginners think of as complicated. But, basic knowledge on how to read it can make it easier for you to match piano chords. Click on the link to learn more about guitar fretboards.
You also need to know what the groups of notes are to achieve a specific chord on the piano. Meanwhile, you should know what the string combinations to play music on the guitar are. Always remember that in piano, no two notes have the same sound while on the guitar, you can play a chord using different strings.
And when you learn these things, it’s much easier to be able to musically match the piano to your guitar. If you want to know more piano information, check our weekly blog, or learn how to play piano with us in our piano classes. Click here for more info.
