3 Secrets To Play Chords That ACTUALLY Sound Good

[@CharlesCornellStudios]

There are just a few hours left to get the most INSANE deal we've ever offered on the Cornell Music Academy! It's my ENTIRE course library for $99 and you can also get access to the incredible community we're building over on Circle! Get it here- cornellmusicacademy.com/blackfriday

[@adamkinney527]

Just found your channel could you please do a video on a game called killer instinct the sound track is amazing I’m sure you would like this also killer instinct gold all of the soundtracks are insane

[@adamkinney527]

Also donkey Kong country you may enjoy Super Nintendo game music

[@adamkinney527]

Xmen 2 clone wars sound track another awesome one sorry for the spamming just finding so many good 80’s-90’s game soundtracks that are intense

[@screw_tape]

charles really is one of the best music channels on the platform rn

[@danielevers887]

exacly and he posts regularly aswel

[@ObamasLeftNut]

The best!

[@anorthkey]

Him plus david brennet piano are ruling on the music theory's side of ytb, they're so good

[@Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaapj]

​@@anorthkeywad about to say the same

[@breqbs]

the best

[@suzanneroyce9300]

Thanks!

[@metashrew]

A few things that weren't mentioned, but that I apply when I'm playing: - it often sounds better to have the notes further apart the lower you go on the piano. Putting them close together there will make them really rub against eachother, which may or may not be what you want. - usually when adding notes to a chord, the option that tends well in many cases is the 9th. On a C chord for example that would be D. - experiment by putting different bass notes at the bottom. Try putting the 3rd or 5th in the bass for example, and notice how it feels similar, but less resolved. This makes it feel like it still has to go somewhere, which can work well as a transition to another chord

[@jackaguirre8576]

Your first point was my first thought! It has to do with the overtone series; since the overtones on lower notes land in the middle of our hearing range, we can hear more overtones from lower notes. However, while higher notes produce the same amount of overtones, those overtones exist outside our hearing range. This means that lower notes a Major 3rd apart sound muddier and messier than higher notes that are also a third apart. Both instances involve a "consonant" (harmonious) interval but it somehow sounds more dissonant with lower notes. The overtone series is why. So long story short: when composing or improvising or whatever, aim for more spread out intervals in the base while using more close intervals in the higher registers. This goes for any instrumentation.

[@05degrees]

@@jackaguirre8576 There are even two more effects in play: (2) Even for pure sinusoidal sounds, lower frequencies (let’s say < 200 Hz or so IIRC) just need more “frequency space” to themselves before they become jarring against each other, this is psychoacoustic effect due to how our ears work. (3) Specifically for pianos (more for upright pianos, less for grand pianos) their lower notes are pretty inharmonic, and pianos are tuned with stretched octaves to counteract harmonics not matching as they would if a piano would be completely harmonic-but this inharmonicity can still add a weak effect to the muddiness of closely spaced low notes. The (3) isn’t probably too pronounced, but the point (2) should be on par with your first point.

[@05degrees]

@metashrew I also like ninths, they are so sweet and somehow simple. Maybe because M9 is just two P5 stacked together, which are more or less plain in sound, but it’s still way more dissonant, so it has color despite of that. And I very much join with this overal advice (saying this for other comment readers passing by): these points are essential knowledge to not overlook and a good start in adding flavor to harmony. Also maybe suspended chords! sus2 is just an add9 with no third, and sus4 is both one of its inversions and has its own peculiar quality.

[@chesneyallen4244]

This is ACTUAL gold. I don’t play jazz piano but have always wanted to learn and this video just opened it up for me (I play classical piano but jazz theory intimidates me). Makes sooooo much sense. Thank you!

[@daltonlee9591]

I hope you get into it. I can't play it but it's fun to understand even a small amount

[@Timmakesmusic]

Great advice! I learned about the importance of chord spacing through choral and a cappella music. You can literally feel the resonance emerging from a well-spaced chord when you're singing with a good choir!

[@Kringlord97]

The whole idea of a “compound chord” is so simple it makes me wonder why years of music education never taught me about it

[@Stan_sprinkle]

13:12 this is it. This is the thing that has been blowing my mind about piano. It’s what’s always been hard for me to “see” on guitar, but piano being linear lets you see it

[@leaveitorsinkit242]

He needs to make more videos about this concept.

[@b0unce805]

Super simple stuff here, but it’s always a complete mystery when you’re starting out on piano or music in general. Great video Charles!

[@kjmav10135]

Yes! I have always just picked out whatever the sheet music said, and I never knew anything about this stuff! I am so excited! Thanks for giving space to us newbies!

[@b0unce805]

@@kjmav10135 of course! Hope you’ve been practicing well! You never stop learning as a musician

[@justgif]

Holy Moly... I knew about slash chords and multiple chords stacked on top of each other, but thinking about chord extensions as chords on top of other chords is such a simple, elegant and mind blowing concept... Thank you so much, Charles 🙏

[@cvallager]

your playing is what made me fall back in love with jazz. most people think of jazz as random notes being played. the level of complexity within the chords, movement, melodies, etc. that make it amazing.

[@ARINOXMUSIC]

1:48 this keychange tho then with the next pivot chord to go back to the original key is the cherry on top 🎯

[@LeoDurman11]

Howdy Charles, awesome video like always! You were the reason I got into jazz harmony and theory. keep it up!

[@Marc.22.]

same

[@westonkenyonmusic]

The first method where you transpose the third of the chord up an octave is literally what I do with every progression because it makes them sound way better.

[@Phil_529]

Chord inversions.

[@inkyoggy]

charles i just wanted to say that you're an amazing guy. your passion for music and teaching shines through in every video and it is very infectious! thank you for doing what you do!

[@llvkey]

Thank you so much Mr. Cornell, I’ve been trying out ways to voice my “inner chords” in real time and I think chord stacking and rhythm changes will really help me progress, thank you again. 🙏🙏😌

[@marshmallowsandtrash]

This is the exact video i needed rn. 2nd year of my 4 year music degree and i feel so deflated playing the same 4 chords. Trying to spice things up!

[@kjmav10135]

As someone who has picked out tunes, and played the chords on the sheet music for years and years, I am just catching on to actually playing the piano! IpUnless I was some fancy jazz musician, it never occurred to me that there was more to it than reading the music and counting the beat. I feel like Helen Keller discovering water! A whole new world! Cool!

[@thomasbrotherton4556]

13:07 I was thinking of it as a C with a B minor 7 on top. Changing F# back to F creates a B diminished (half diminished?), which is why the sharp works better.

[@danielcoppens5684]

Charles your enthusiasm on something to you, I am guessing is a basic principle is so wonderful. Thank you.

[@SALOway]

I don't have any instruments, so I use FL Studio and a keyboard. And yes, for someone with no music experience, it's quite challenging. For some reason, only now did I realize that three notes of the same chord sound different when transposed by octaves, not only in terms of pitch but also in terms of 'richness.' At the very least, I can already say that this video is helpful

[@TheFerdi265]

Thank you! I have always struggled with chords on the piano, and even though I learned a lot about music theory the last few years, having all of this put together in one simple video, even if it wasn't anything new to me, just having all together at once, is really eye-opening and reassuring! Also, thanks for putting such videos out in the open to watch for free!

[@rubenbest1]

I really need to save up and buy one of your courses. I feel so stuck with getting creative and taking that next piano leap. I love how you break complicated things very simply. I also love how you explain music theory in a way that is almost designed for us "by ear" players. Love you videos man, keep up the good work.

[@BIGREDSETHJONES]

Cmaj9#11 is one of my favorite chords 8:40

[@kenmohler4081]

I know nothing about music but I am interested in the physics of it. Charles’ presentations fascinate me. I love how he presents the theory in a way that makes sense to me.

[@MYNAME_ABC]

Putting the 3rd in a mayor chord up one octave sounds definitely more natural, since it's own harmonics get shifted by that octave too. In any note, one of the main harmonics is its triple frequency (amplitude of the 3rd harmonic depending on the timbre of course). Triple frequency for E is B (half step below C). Shifting up that mayor third one octave will also shift up its own triple frequency harmonic, thus the disharmonics C-B get shifted more into the treble area, where they sound more "natural", less disturbing. C in that case being the natural octave (2fold, 4fold or 8fold.... frequency) of the fundamental C. That is why I do not recommend ever putting the "3rd" (E in C mayor) at the lowest. Just always keep the fundamental the lowest note, as it's harmonics will fit perfectly into the sound.

[@JoseVGavila]

I have just got the bundle. Thanks for extending it, it was just 2 hours left when I got it!. I already play on a band, but want to improve. Looking forward to learn !!!

[@launchtik]

nice.

[@tommytam100]

Thank you. More videos like this please

[@JLFamilySong]

My brother owned a recording studio. He would get groups complaining that they couldn't hear their instrument. My brother would have to do on-the-spot arranging and open up the cords like you showed in this video. These were professional musicians who needed to watch your channel!

[@sameoldtunes7110]

Excellent video as always. Very relaxing and informative. I always like videos that you don’t have to watch, you can just listen to if you want.

[@LoudLin86]

Your enthusiasm always wants me to go and improvise, it always excites me about all the possibilities 🎉 you love music so much ❤

[@Stan_sprinkle]

Holy shit I was literally sitting at my piano an hour ago wondering about this. I’m a long-time guitar player who’s been slowly picking up piano in my free time for the last year. Because I know loads of songs, it’s easy for me to play basic chords and I know enough to play root bass notes with left hand, and tend to default to the 3rd or 2nd position of chords to make myself feel better like I’m not being too basic. Such a great video

[@marktyler3381]

This was really good. As a beginner you could apply this for the first couple of years doing nothing else, and you'd be nifty at reading chord charts, and that's not a bad thing. Great explanation, and it's not specific to piano - the stacked chord approach is really useful for horns, for instance. But this was great for me, because I've been stuck in ploddy reading of chord charts. Really brought it home to me, just think of the scale.

[@matthewkenyonmusic]

Can you do an analysis on "Purpose Is Glorious" by Natalie Holt from Loki Season 2 Finale?

[@zachfrickel]

As someone getting back into playing keys after a 10-year hiatus, and playing with a band solely with chord charts, this is very helpful! I will use these techniques to help improve the quality of my sound.

[@forestwolf4732]

Simple masterclass, thanks Charles🙌

[@aydenwoyus7943]

This video is invaluable and very helpful to my playing

[@ApocalypseofMichael]

Stacking those long named chords! Brilliant! You have a great energy to educate chap! Congratulations 🎉🎶✨👊

[@Lucky7d4]

Charles Cornell, you’re my hero 🥲

[@dylanhath]

Love the video! Keep up the great work. This is stuff that I teach my students and it’s great to hear a different perspective on the topics. A few quick questions (semi-unrelated): - What software do you use to get the piano graphic at the bottom of the screen and have it highlight the notes you are playing on your piano? - What video software do you use to get the chord names and chord staffs up on the screen when you play them? Any help would be so appreciated. Thank you!

[@vinaygalipelli7475]

Beautifully Explained, Such a great video for chords

[@balavinayb8643]

This video has changed the musical wiring in my brain about the orchestration and piano playing .. Just Dope.. Thank you so much.. ❤

[@supertrombone5014]

4:21 i was NOT expecting to get G noted in a Charles video 😭 but in all honesty i love this type of content and would love to see more!

[@kozmobluemusic]

WHEN I WAS A YOUNG BOY

[@SirNintendo28]

This is one of my new favorites from you! So clear and helpful, thank you

[@Toasted_bread37]

I believe this is something I’ve been doing for a while, and although I’ve been for quite a bit, I haven’t progressed exponentially and consider myself at a beginner level, These though, are great tips. Thank you!

[@genuinefreewilly5706]

Really enjoy your approach along with Kent Hewitt's channel on jazz history and theory

[@E_rich]

Thank you so much Charles, this is a good one. I also think a video on chord progressions would be huge for this channel

[@robertginsburg8113]

Your approach to a more complex chord being made out of two triads reminded me of an interview with Paul McCartney talking about the early days when he was figuring out R&B songs with no formal training. He would hear intervals in the chord so he figured when you added two seperate intervals you could make some interesting chords. He didn't even know what a dominant, major or minor 7 chord was even called but he knew two pairs of deperate intervals could make a more complex chord. John also talked about when he first learned what a dominant 7 chord was by taking the bus across town to guy who knew what it was and showed it to him. 😊

[@Harriet-Jesamine]

Thank you Charles..I have learned an INCREDIBLE amount of useful stuff from your youtube videos.. I am at that really weird intermediary stage Musicians go through where I would say that 'I am not Good'...but I am also 'Not Bad' 😅 it is a strange kind of nowhere land...as a totally self taught piano player, which is the cause of both my Strengths and also my many Weaknesses...(don't mention notation🙄) will my brain ever be able to process it??? i sometimes wonder. But practically everything I've watched from you has provided some additional insight. this video is a case in point.

[@prakarnp.645]

this is fricking AWESOME man. THANKS!!! I always want someone to add tips and those and that!!

[@GrassLion85]

I needed this right now. Thank you, Charles!

[@joelalderson4910]

Thank you! Amazing video Charles, I love these tutorial style videos, and you explain the material so well!

[@danedelprincipe9809]

Charles, your approach to music and chord structure is way cool. I am a guitar player who survives on using chord substitutions rather than the long flowery names of extended chords. Thanks for doing what you do. 😊 You should do a video, if you haven’t already, about the relationship between dom7b5 and Dom7b9 chords and the various directions to which they can lead. Thx dude.

[@johnrubensaragi4125]

13:36 So the jazz musicians were thinking of chords stacked on top of another instead of that? Game changer.

[@romeofthewing9626]

I'm really loving your youtube videos. Well done!

[@sjoetube]

Wonderful! Very well explained! In particular, I recognize the 'chord stack' approach. I found it kinda 'unexperienced' from my end, but hearing it from you, I realized I'm probably not the only one 🙂 Thanks a lot for this video @CharlesCornellStudios ! Looking forward to the next one.

[@airpls2822]

WOAH my brain POPPED OPEN when you started to get into your stacked chords explanation. That's so COOL!!

[@MrOwl1985]

Charles, you are teaching teachers with every new video you make.

[@depotshredder6938]

12:00 is SO reminiscent of Ryo Fukui’s cover of Soultrane, it’s driving me crazy in the best way

[@yesthatkarim9601]

Non-piano player here 🙋‍♀️😜 and I also rarely leave comments, but I just want wanted to say, besides giving me insight into music theory in general, your videos are HILARIOUS. 🤣 For this one I had to rewind and replay the “They ask you how you are” meme reference. 😂 so funny. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and skills and sense of humor with us! 🎼🎹🙏

[@Wonder01]

Bro last point open me a world, thx cause I don’t study music theory at all, a part from your videos and others… so helpful ❤

[@victorialynn7183]

Thank god for you 👏🏼 such a useful video

[@PiecesofCak]

Charles, I think a lot of people would love a rundown on Hozier's Movement. It's got some funky key changes that would be really sweet to see broken down.

[@CounterRhythms]

I was coincidentally messing around with Lydian like that today. It's such a beautiful sound.

[@Sunday3448]

10:06 bro that's gorgeous and feels like heaven chord

[@lastnamefirstname8655]

this is great, thanks charles!

[@drummerguy789101]

I kept wondering why the 4 is the "avoid note" but now I'm seeing that adding 9 and 13 turn the triad into the pentatonic scale. So it makes a bit more sense. I hope we get more videos about how to improve our voicings and when to raise or lower extensions.

[@kenroy916]

Really it's because the 4 is a half step up from 3 which sounds dissonant when played together. Whether you abide by that is totally up to you. It's more about just being aware of it so that you're not accidentally making dissonance where you didn't intend it.

[@youtubecommenter7476]

say ur making a c major 7 so u would want to avoid the 4 because if you have the cmajor 7 and play the 7th note and the 4th note individually it makes a very dissonant sound (tritone) so in a cmajor 7 context u should always avoid it

[@mekoskim1]

Basic chords are constructed through the alternation of major and minor thirds. By ascending in this manner, adding notes through alternating major and minor thirds, one does not encounter the 11th. Instead, one arrives at the sharp 11th.

[@starvzy9696]

​@@mekoskim1 From the ninth to the eleventh is a major third, so in C for example is D to F#, so going on and alternating from major to minor third, the minor third from F# is A, however if we keep going, now the major third from A is C# which does not go back to C as expected lol

[@Dinis_Brito]

Hey charles I know im just one person but would you be interested in making videos about classical music like stuff from around 19th 20th century? A lot of it has really insteresting harmonies Some examples are: Rach 1 Rach 2 (prob would do a good video) Bortkiewicz piano concerto no.1 (oh its so good) Or even a Gershwin concerto Gershwins preludes would also be an interesting video

[@jazzew]

That's so cool!! I haven't touched a piano in a while, but trying such things if I sing harmonies would be awesome, too! Sometimes I imagine a line what chords and keys, where it's horizontal for chords like Cmaj or Am. Then sometimes it's diagonal when it's D, like going up the Cmaj chord progression. It helps me think of when I want a chord to "lean" or perch (like a singular E in C major scale--the line is vertical).

[@gregpepper6053]

Great tip I’ve gotten was to play root and fifths in the left hand and the thirds, sevenths and other color tones with the right hands. Great approach to playing alone, but need to be careful when playing with the bass that you’re not taking up their space.

[@eveh4837]

This is such amazing content again. Thank you for being so generous

[@rainshadow378]

I’m not even a pianist, but my god these videos are still outrageously entertaining and like actual good educational for my musical knowledge

[@abrahampena1681]

Amazing tips like always!

[@Michael_Underhill]

Great video as always, Charles. I was thinking how great it would be if you took a look at Phantom Thread's soundtrack. Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead crafted a beautiful classical score largely centered on piano. It has some very interesting harmonies that I think you'd find pretty neat

[@SimonMarseille]

Thank you so much for this.

[@erz6306]

i love looking at this, although i don't understand a lot of it, actually nearly nothing to be honest. respect to those who can. keep it up

[@abecadlo6556]

playing like 11:52-12:03 like an improvisation is my dream!!!

[@minuspi8372]

For those compound chords like C7 with D, what about a notation like C7\D? Note the distinction from C7/D

[@wlovas]

Would be interested in hearing your thoughts on when to use more open voicings and when to use more closed ones, depending on the context of a given chord progression..

[@dhpbear2]

Nice 'modulation' there at 0:16 :)

[@StephenSecretSSmith0007]

That was so INTERESTING! Made things feel so much more Possible. 🤔 💯👍

[@Utuberj0sh]

I liked this lesson a lot!

[@ND62511]

One thing I’m surprised you didn’t mention is that voicing chords in a similar manner to how they line up on the Overtone Series of their given root note makes them sound SUPER sonorous. It’s why F# felt so much more natural of a choice than F; in the overtone series of C, F# is the 11th harmonic. Granted, it’s quite out of tune compared, but it’s a lot closer than F. It’s also why wider voice spacing in lower frequencies is preferred and why you can have closer intervals up high: the overtone series at the bottom has wider intervals like octaves and perfect fifths, while higher harmonics differ by things like whole tones and thirds. I often find that lining up voicings with the Overtone Series is a nice go-to voicing that always sounds nice. Additional fun fact, if you were to take the first 11 harmonics of a tune and build a scale out of them, you get something that is very close to Lydian Dominant, only without its 6th. It’s for that very reason that Lydian Dominant is one of my favorite scales

[@tntwashpro3863]

I would like to take your course, but I'm having second thoughts. How independent do you go in helping your subscribers understand music? I would like to not only understand theory, but I would like to know how to add and substitute chords, etc... is your course a systematic way to learn?

[@viggohoejer5972]

thank you man

[@SharifSourour]

I've known these things in practice but didn't have the connections in theory. For example on guitar I would learn chords and hear things like major 7 and so on not knowing what it meant other than how to do that chord and how it sounds. In production on the keyboard I would use basic chord roots and do exactly what you teach here to compose and arrange the music and melodies in my beats and productions but I didn't know where the chord types connect in terms of the names because I was employing those concepts through self learning without knowing their names. This is even though I know how to read sheet music from playing trombone in a school and community band. That's why your videos are cool for allowing me to know how these are supposed to be communicated traditionally in music.

[@CatherineGolioto]

Please do a video discussing the Bluey Theme Song and the show’s music!!

[@rimmersbryggeri]

I cant play piano but I developed an exercise where I arpeggiated allinversions of chords and arpeggiated them. With hours of practice that might really help find voicings .

[@Martin-no7dc]

Thank you for this Great Video❤

[@fgblvn7696]

I love your content

[@michellemonet4358]

Thi❤❤❤❤s is awesome.❤❤❤❤ Running to my piano now.

[@TheDeadKingsRaven]

The chord stack concept makes so much more sense to me.

[@claytonvisker]

can you make a whole video of that last concept you covered with chord stacks - what are all your combos? I know some, but I would love to know more because that's how I think about it also

[@Marc.22.]

13:37 This chord reminds me of Red Garland's version of Stompin' at the Savoy

[@PolyphonicSpr33]

Hey Charles, really enjoy your content and been a viewer for a while. I'd really love it if you did a short video about the song "Memories of Green" from Chrono Trigger. It's short but there is soooooo much emotion, longing and nostalgia and hope. I'd just really enjoy hearing you unpack all of that. Thanks again for all the great content.

[@brucemyers5913]

Great advice for high school student musicians taking elective music.

[@nikcatanzaro9899]

So I just watched you Pokémon diamond music analysis video from a couple weeks back and just thought I’d recommend looking into the Pokémon black and white sound track they did some really cool things within that game musically! For example the first town you travel to has npcs you can interact with to change the music in the town. And may of the routs you travel through have extra percussion/effects as you move through them! I think it’s definitely worth checking out if you have the time!

[@paulromsky9527]

Great video. At 4:25 the 3 notes you are playing with your left hand are more than an octave from pinky to thumb. One has to, as you did, stretch your fingers apart and hanging off the keyboard to reach the lowest and highest keys. I see you cut your hands out of the frame doing that - almost like you didn't want us to see that. In other parts of the video we can see your hands and the MIDI notes. I could see as you talked about playing this chord you were slowly setting up your fingers to play it. I never like doing that. It's hard to get your fingers to that as you sight read in real time. We are not all virtuosos. In fact many will end up hitting notes adjacent to the lowest and highest notes and doing that just adds a lot of dissonance. I consider this "hanging" to reach notes poor form, but many of the masters did it, so many think it is ok. In fact, in this case I would consider the piece more for organs and the lowest note played with a pedal. A lot of organ music is arranged for piano and this is often overlooked. I think it is just too showy (needlessly difficult) for no real harmonic gain. I would move the C up and octave and get all 3 notes within an octave, no hanging, no ridiculous stretching, no "showyness". I have seen many masterful pianists see that "overstretched interval" and not play the low C or move the C up in real time or play the 3 as an arpeggio. Why risk it for almost no harmonic gain and possible wrong notes when playing the C higher is just as harmonic and obtainable. Many of the masters wrote pieces so only the very, very most skilled could play it, that is just arrogant. Also, doing this in the treble stave is done much less often, why? Because that low note on the bass stave is really for a pedal.

[@terry-]

Great!