Alfred's Teach Yourself Keyboard Chords: Keyboard/Piano Book

Like finally having the instruction manual you didn't know you needed. The book builds from solid ground (what is a chord, really?) toward genuine capability, making each new chord type feel like a logical discovery rather than an arbitrary rule.

Self-taught keyboard players at any stage who want to move beyond hunting and pecking to understanding chord structure and application. Pianists already familiar with reading staff notation who are ready to add harmonic knowledge to their foundation. Private teachers looking for a clear, self-guided resource that students can work through between lessons.

• Spend time with the fundamentals review before jumping ahead; understanding intervals and basic theory transforms how you read the chord abbreviations that follow.
• Use the major scales chart alongside chord lessons to see how each chord relates to its parent key; this connection deepens retention and helps with transposition.
• Practice voicing each chord type in multiple positions on the keyboard rather than memorizing a single fingering; this flexibility builds genuine fluency.
• Return to the master chord chart regularly as a reference during practice; treating it as a tool you consult (not memorize) keeps your focus on playing.

Assign this as independent study for piano students who are ready to think harmonically but haven't had formal theory training. Use it alongside repertoire study to give students tools for understanding and improvising within pieces they're learning. Incorporate the chord charts into technique rotations so students build chord fluency the same way they build scale fluency.

• Reading chord symbols and abbreviations
• Building major, minor, diminished, and augmented triads
• Constructing seventh chords and extended harmonies
• Understanding chord construction through intervals
• Transposing chords across the keyboard
• Voicing chords in multiple positions
• Recognizing chord function within major and minor keys