TABLE OF CONTENTS
Decoding Piano-by Fretboard Toolbox
Major Key
Toolbox Instructions
Number of sharps (#’s) or
flats (b’s) in key
Relative minor key
Chord Jig Explained
Chord Progressions & Grand Staff Jig
Keyboard Layout Explained
Page #
2
3
4
C Major
0 sharps/0 flats
A minor
5
G Major
1 sharp
E minor
6
D Major
2 sharps
B minor
7
A Major
3 sharps
F# minor
8
E Major
4 sharps
C# minor
9
B Major
5 sharps
G# minor
10
F# Major
6 sharps
D# minor
11
C# Major
7 sharps
A# minor
12
Gb Major
6 flats
Eb minor
13
Db Major
5 flats
Bb minor
14
Ab Major
4 flats
F minor
15
Eb Major
3 flats
C minor
16
Bb Major
2 flats
G minor
17
F Major
1 flat
D minor
18
Chord Toolbox
Learn more at www.fretboard-toolbox.com
Chord Toolbox Explained
19
Chord Toolbox
20
11
© Scott Sharp 2012
Chord Jig Explained
(Chord Jig shown is from the “Key of G Major & E minor” page)
What is a Decoding Piano book?
book? This book is not designed to be a stand-alone instructional method, but rather a quickquick-reference
tool that lets you visualize the notes needed to build chords, make chord progressions, and see scales for soloing, for each Major &
relative minor key,
key, together on one page. Sheet music can tell you which notes to play, but Decoding Piano books tells you why!
To see ideas in this book explained in lots more detail, check out our free videos at www.youtube.com/fretboardtoolbox.
Key to the Chord Jig belowbelow- match the numbered explanations with the numbers on the Chord Jig at the bottom of the page.
1
The chords G Major (G
G), A minor (Am
Am),
Bm),
C), D Major (D
D), E minor (E
Em), and F# diminished (FF#dim)
Am B minor (Bm
Bm C Major (C
dim
are the seven chords that make up the keys of both G Major and E minor. Notice how any note letter by itself represents a Major1
chord (“G
G” = G Major chord), while notes followed by an “m” represent minor chords (“Am
Am”=
Am A minor chord). This column (on pp. 518) shows important chords that are often arranged together in songs, in each of the 14 Major & relative minor keys.
In this book, each chord is given one bold Roman numeral for its place in the Major Key, and a plain (non-bold) Roman
numeral for its place in the minor key. Capitalized Roman numerals signify Major chords, while lower case Roman numerals
signify minor chords. Roman numerals that are italicized signify commonly played chords from outside the Major or relative minor
key. Check out several ways these chords can be arranged in Major & minor keys in the “Chord Progressions Boxes” on pp. 5-18.
2
3
The numbers 1, 2, b3, etc. represent the notes that you’ll need to make each chord. Major chords use notes from the 1, 3,
and 5 columns (e.g. G Major (G
G) chords use the notes G, B, and D), while minor chords use notes in the 1, b3 (read “flat-3”), and 5
columns (e.g. A minor (Am)
Am) chords use the notes A, C, and E). “Diminished-7” chords use notes from the 1, b3, 5, and bb7 (read
“double flat-7” columns). “ ½ diminished” chords use notes from the 1, b3, 5, and b7 (read “flat-7”) columns. In this book, notes
notes that
are part of each Major and relative minor key are in bold font,
font while commonly used notes from outside of those keys are italicized.
See pp. 19-20 to see how to build just about any chord you could want!
.
Chords from outside of the key a song is in, (“rule-breaking” chords), can add extra “flavor” to songs. Common examples
include playing the ii,
dim)
VI playing the viio (dim
ii iii,
iii and/or vi chords as Major chords (II, III, and/or VI),
dim chord as a bVII “flat-7” chord,
iv)
and playing the IV chord as a minor (iv
iv chord. These “rule-breaking” chords use one or more of the Chord Jig’s italicized notes.
4
The notes in the b7 column are used to make “dominant 7” chords like G7,
G7 which is made of the notes G, B, D, and F, and
“minor 7” chords like Bm7,
Bm7 which is made of the notes B, D, F#,
F# and A. Dominant 7 chords are used all the time in popular music!
“Major 7” chords like GMaj7 (or GM7),
G, B, D, and F# notes).
GM7 often found in jazzy songs, use notes from the 1, 3, 5, and 7 columns (G
5
This box shows you which columns from the Chord Jig are used to make several types of chords. For example, G Major
chords are made of the notes G, B, and D. A minor chords use the notes A, C, and E. An Em7 chord uses the notes E, G, B, and D.
F#dim7 chords use the notes F#,
F# A, C, and Eb.
Eb THE BEST PART: CHORDS ARE BUILT THIS WAY ON ALL INSTRUMENTS!
6
Use notes from these columns to build any chords I- vii°
vii from the key
of G Major, and any chords i-VII from the key of E minor.
Chord Names and
Roman Numerals:
Major
Major / relative minor
1
2
G MAJOR (G)
2
b3
3
4
5
b7
7
F
F#
3
I / III
G
B
D
1
A minor (Am)
6
(bb7)
ii / iv
5
A
C
C#
Chord Jig
Chord
Type
Use notes
from columns
6
Major--------------------1,3,5
E
G
7, dom7--------------1,3,5,b7
Major7, Maj7---------1,3,5,7
4
B minor (Bm)
iii / v
B
D
D#
F#
A
C MAJOR (C)
IV / VI
C
Eb
E
G
Bb
B
D MAJOR (D)
V / VII
D
F#
A
C
C#
vi /
E
G
G#
B
D
½ dim, ø, m7b5---1,b3,b5,b7
F#
A
E
dim7, °7-----------1,b3,b5,bb7
E minor (Em)
F# diminished (F#dim)
i
vii°/ ii°
minor-------------------1,b3,5
min7, m7-----------1,b3,5,b7
Learn more at www.fretboard-toolbox.com
C
2
Eb
dim--------------------1,b3,b5
© Scott Sharp 2012
Chord Progressions & Grand Staff Jig
Decoding Piano - by Fretboard Toolbox
Chord
Chord Progressions BoxesBoxes- See pp. 5-18 for these same Roman numeral chord progressions in each Major & relative minor key.
1
To play the first chord progression in this box, a I-V
V-II progression, play a G (G
G Major)
Major chord, followed by a D chord, and
then return to a G chord. Capitalized Roman numerals represent Major chords and lower case Roman numerals represent minor
chords. All Roman numerals and chords played with songs in Major keys are shown in bold font (“Chord Progressions” boxes 1 and 2
below). All Roman numerals and chords played in minor keys (“Chord Progressions” box 3) are shown in plain (non-bold) font.
2
This box has some progressions that use chords from outside of each “song’s” key. These “rule-breaking” chords, which are
italicized throughout this book, often add some great flavor to songs, and can do a lot to enrich your playing! If you know the Roman
numerals for a chord progression in one key, then you can flip to any other key in this Toolbox and play the chords with the same
Roman numerals to get a similar sound in that key. This is called “transcribing” songs, and it’s really easy with a Fretboard Toolbox!
3
The box on the right shows some common minor chord progressions. Play these and you’ll notice that songs in minor keys
have “sadder” sounds than songs in Major keys. In minor keys, the “ v” chord (minor) can also be played as a “V” chord (Major).
2
1
3
Some G Major Chord Progressions
More G Major Chord Progressions
Some E minor Chord Progressions
I-V-I----------------------------G-D-G
I-IV-V--------------------------G-C-D
I-V-IV--------------------------G-D-C
I-vi-IV-V-----------------G-Em-C-D
I-vi-ii-V----------------G-Em-Am-D
I-ii-IV-V-----------------G-Am-C-D
V-IV-I--------------------------D-C-G
I-iii-ii-V----------------G-Bm-Am-D
i-v-i----------------------Em-Bm-Em
i-VII-v---------------------Em-D-Bm
i-VII-i----------------------Em-D-Em
i-V-i------------------------Em-B-Em
i-iv-V-----------------------Em-Am-B
i-VII-VI-V----------------Em-D-C-B
i-iv-VI-V----------------Em-Am-C-B
ii-V-I-------------------------Am-D-G
I-VI7-ii-V7------------G-E7-Am-D7
I-II-IV-V-------------------G-A-C-D
I-III-IV-iv----------------G-B-C-Cm
I-III7-VI7-II7-V7-----G-B7-E7-A7-D7
Grand Staff JigJig- Using your Chord Jigs (pp. 5-18), together with this Grand Staff Jig, lets you see which notes make up each of the
14 Major and relative minor keys, and where those notes are found in sheet music.
music To play a piece of sheet music, look at the number
of sharps (#’s) or flats (b’s) in the key signature (next to the treble or bass clefs) and then use your Table of Contents page (p. 1) to see
which Major or relative minor key the song might be in. For example, a song with one “#” in the key signature is either in the key of
G Major or E minor. If the song has a “happier” sound overall, and often comes back to G Major chords, then the song’s probably in
the key of G Major. If the song has a “sadder” sound overall, and often comes back to E minor chords, then it’s probably in the key of
E minor. It’s important to know that notes can be played as flat (b), natural (♮), or sharp (#) notes. Looking at which note lines or
spaces the #’s or b’s are on in the key signature shows you how to play each note, or you can also use the Chord Jigs and Keyboard
Layouts of this book (pp. 5-18) and see right away which b/♮/#notes make up each key. Often notes are played from outside of
the key you’re in- in sheet music, these “accidentals” have a b, ♮, or # symbol next to the note that’s modified. Learn more on p. 19!
Grand Staff
Jig
Treble
Clef
G
E
C
A
Fine
Does
Boy
Good
Every
Middle “C”
A
B
Bass
Clef
Learn more at www.fretboard-toolbox.com
C
D
E
Middle “C”
3
F
G
E
C
Apart
Fall
Don’t
Burritos
Good
E
C
A
F
F
D
B
Grass
Eat
Cows
All
F
D
B
G
E
A
F
D
B
G
E
C
A
F
D
B
G
© Scott Sharp 2012
Keyboard Layout Explained
Decoding Piano - by Fretboard Toolbox
Scale BuilderBuilder- The Scale Builder for each Major and relative minor key can be found on pp. 5-18. The Keyboard Layouts in this book
highlight the notes that make up each Major and relative minor key with circles. Notes outside each key are italicized.
Complete Major scale
scalecale Complete Major scales use the notes in the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 columns from the “Scales for songs in
G Major” Scale Builder below. These notes are shown in circles and written in bold font on each key’s Keyboard Layout. You can solo
and play melodies with this scale in lots of Major key songs. These notes are also needed to build the chords I-viio in each Major key.
Major pentatonic scale
scale- The Major pentatonic scale uses notes in the 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 columns from the “Scales for songs in
G Major” Scale Builder below. This is a great “go-to” scale for songs in Major keys, and it’s played on stringed instruments all the time!
minor/Blues
minor/Blues scalescale- The minor pentatonic scale uses the 1, 4, and 5 notes from the Major scale, plus the “b3” (flat-3) and “b7” (flat-7)
notes, which are both italicized on each key’s page. The Blues scale just adds the “b5” (flat-5) note. Both of these scales, when used to
solo with Major key chord progressions, give songs really cool, bluesy sounds! You can also turn each note of the minor pentatonic notes
into Major chords and make dark, blues-rock chord progressions like G-Bb-F- C and solo with the minor pentatonic scale.
natural minor scalescale These notes are also shown in circles and written in bold font on each key’s Keyboard Layout. This scale sounds
great with lots of minor key chord progressions. These notes are also needed to build the chords i-VII in each minor key.
harmonic minor scalescale This scale is just like the natural minor scale, except it replaces the note in the b7 column with the note in 7
column. This scale sounds great with any chord progressions that have a V (Major V) chord , like an Em-B-Em progression in E minor.
minor pentatonic scalescale This is a great “go-to” scale for songs in minor keys, and it’s also played on stringed instruments all the time!
Note the special borders around the Major & minor key root notes. Solos with
with songs played in Major keys often keep returning
returning to the
Major root notes in solos & melodies, while songs played in minor keys often keep returning to the minor root notes.
Scales for songs in G Major
1
2
3
4
Complete G Major scale --- 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 notes
G
A
B
C
G Major pentatonic scale ------ 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 notes
G
A
B
G minor pentatonic scale --- 1, b3, 4, 5, b7 notes
G
Bb
C
G Blues scale -----------1,1, b3, 4, b5, 5, b7 notes
G
Bb
C
Scales for songs in E minor
E natural minor scale --- 1, 2, b3, 4, 5, b6, b7 notes
1
2
b3
4
E
F#
G
E harmonic minor scale ---- 1, 2, b3, 4, 5, b6, 7 notes
E
F#
E minor pentatonic
pentatonic scale ------- 1, b3, 4, 5, b7 notes
E
b3
b5
b6
5
6
D
E
D
E
b7
7
8 (1)
F#
G
G
D
F
G
Db
D
F
G
b5
5
b6
A
B
C
G
A
B
C
G
A
B
3
6
b7
7
D
8 (1)
E
D#
D
E
E
Building chords with the Keyboard Layouts
Layouts- A chord is simply a group of notes played at the same time. The Chord Jigs on each page
show you the notes you need to build chords for each Major & relative minor key. Using the G Major Chord Jig from page 6, you’ll see
that G (Major) chords are played using combinations of the notes G, B, and D. These notes can be played in any order, and repeated as
many times as you’d like. For example, if a songs calls for you to play D and G notes with your left hand, and B, D, and G notes with
your right hand, you’re still playing a G (Major) chord since you’re only using the notes G, B, and D! Remember that all of the notes that
make up each Major and relative minor key are shown in circles on the Keyboard Layouts. However, songs often use notes that are
technically outside of the key a song’s in, and in sheet music, these “accidental” notes are shown with b, ♮, or # symbols next to the
note that’s modified. Any note you’d need from outside of the key you’re in are shown in italics on each key’s Keyboard Layout.
Keyboard Layout: Notes that make up the keys of G Major & E minor are shown in circles.
Accidentals (notes outside these keys) are italicized.
C#
Db
B#
C
C
D#
Eb
D
D
G#
Ab
F#
F#
E
E#
F
G
G
C#
Db
A#
Bb
A
A
B
B
Learn more at www.fretboard-toolbox.com
B#
C
C
D#
Eb
D
G#
Ab
F#
F#
E
E
E#
F
G
G
4
A
A
B
B
C
Major Key Root:
For songs in G Major
E
Minor Key Root:
For songs in E minor
D#
Eb
C#
Db
A#
Bb
G
D
D
E
E
© Scott Sharp 2012
Keys of G Major & E minor (1
(1 sharp)
sharp)
Decoding Piano - by Fretboard Toolbox
Use notes from these columns to build any chords I- vii°
vii from the key
of G Major, and any chords i-VII from the key of E minor.
Chord Names and
Roman Numerals:
Major / relative minor
1
G MAJOR (G)
I / III
G
A minor (Am)
ii / iv
A
B minor (Bm)
iii / v
C MAJOR (C)
D MAJOR (D)
E minor (Em)
F# diminished (F#dim)
b3
2
3
4
6
5
(bb7)
b7
7
F#
Chord Jig
Chord
Type
Use notes
from columns
B
D
F
C
C#
E
G
7, dom7--------------1,3,5,b7
B
D
D#
F#
A
Major7, Maj7---------1,3,5,7
IV / VI
C
Eb
E
G
Bb
B
V / VII
D
F#
A
C
C#
vi /
E
G
G#
B
D
½ dim, ø, m7b5---1,b3,b5,b7
F#
A
E
dim7, °7-----------1,b3,b5,bb7
Major--------------------1,3,5
minor-------------------1,b3,5
min7, m7-----------1,b3,5,b7
i
vii°/ ii°
Eb
C
dim--------------------1,b3,b5
Some G Major Chord Progressions
More G Major Chord Progressions
Some E minor Chord Progressions
I-V-I----------------------------G-D-G
I-IV-V--------------------------G-C-D
I-V-IV--------------------------G-D-C
I-vi-IV-V-----------------G-Em-C-D
I-vi-ii-V----------------G-Em-Am-D
I-ii-IV-V-----------------G-Am-C-D
V-IV-I--------------------------D-C-G
I-iii-ii-V----------------G-Bm-Am-D
i-v-i----------------------Em-Bm-Em
i-VII-v---------------------Em-D-Bm
i-VII-i----------------------Em-D-Em
i-V-i------------------------Em-B-Em
i-iv-V-----------------------Em-Am-B
i-VII-VI-V----------------Em-D-C-B
i-iv-VI-V----------------Em-Am-C-B
ii-V-I-------------------------Am-D-G
I-VI7-ii-V7------------G-E7-Am-D7
I-II-IV-V-------------------G-A-C-D
I-III-IV-iv----------------G-B-C-Cm
I-III7-VI7-II7-V7-----G-B7-E7-A7-D7
Scales for songs in G Major
1
2
Complete G Major scale --- 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 notes
G
G Major pentatonic scale ------ 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 notes
G
G minor pentatonic scale --- 1, b3, 4, 5, b7 notes
G
Bb
C
G Blues scale -----------1,1, b3, 4, b5, 5, b7 notes
G
Bb
C
Scales for songs in E minor
1
2
b3
4
E natural minor scale --- 1, 2, b3, 4, 5, b6, b7 notes
E
F#
G
E harmonic minor scale ---- 1, 2, b3, 4, 5, b6, 7 notes
E
F#
E minor pentatonic scale ------- 1, b3, 4, 5, b7 notes
E
b3
3
4
A
B
C
A
B
b5
5
b6
6
D
E
D
E
b7
7
8 (1)
F#
G
G
D
F
G
Db
D
F
G
b5
5
b6
A
B
C
G
A
B
C
G
A
B
3
6
b7
7
8 (1)
D
E
D#
D
E
E
Keyboard Layout: Notes that make up the keys of G Major & E minor are shown in circles.
Accidentals (notes outside these keys) are italicized.
C#
Db
B#
C
C
D#
Eb
D
D
G#
Ab
F#
F#
E
E#
F
G
G
C#
Db
A#
Bb
A
A
B
B
Learn more at www.fretboard-toolbox.com
B#
C
C
D#
Eb
D
E
E
E#
F
G
G
6
A#
Bb
G#
Ab
F#
F#
A
A
C#
Db
B
B
C
G
Major Key Root:
For songs in G Major
E
Minor Key Root:
For songs in E minor
D#
Eb
D
D
E
E
© Scott Sharp 2012
Decoding Piano- by Fretboard Toolbox
chord--building, chord progressions,
This Decoding Piano book highlights chord
and common scalescales-all on one page for each Major and relative minor key!
Understand which chords make up each Major and relative minor key,
and what the Roman numeral names are for each chord in each key.
See exactly which notes make up the chords you want to play.
Train your ear by learning and practicing all kinds
kinds of common chord
progressions in each of the Major and relative minor keys.
Visualize complete and pentatonic scales for each Major and relative
minor
minor key, and start training yourself to solo with just about any song!
Use this book’s Chord Jig to see how chords fit together in each of the 14
most common Major and relative minor keys, and visualize the ideas that
allow great musicians to figure out chord progressions and improvise solos
on the spot. Be one of those piano players who “know how to play chords”!
Use the Grand Staff Jig to see where the most commonly played notes are
found on a Grand Staff- with practice these become second nature!
Use the Keyboard Layout to see the where the notes from each Major key,
and its relative minor key, are located on your piano Using the Keyboard
Layout along with the Chord Jig, you can build all of the most commonly
played chords in each key, and be able to visualize the notes in an instant!
Use the Chord Toolbox to see how chords are built, from simple “G Major”
and “E minor” chords, to chords as complex as “F#m7b5” and “Ebsus4”!
Decoding Piano books are made entirely of heavy card stock, and are
spiral-bound so they stay open unlike way too many other music books!
Other books from Fretboard Toolbox are available in an ever-growing
library of editions for guitar, mandolin, C-G-D-A instruments (mandola,
tenor banjo, tenor guitar, etc.), 5-string banjo, ukuleles, and more!
To learn more,
more, go to www.fretboardwww.fretboard-toolbox.com.
toolbox.com. Be sure to check out the
free Toolbox lessons on YouTube:
YouTube: www.youtube.com/ fretboardtoolbox.
fretboardtoolbox.
.
© Scott Sharp 2012