Piano Guidance
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What is the 3 chord trick?

Known as a I-IV-V (one-four-five') progression, or 'three-chord trick', the chords are built on the first, fourth and fifth notes of the major scale. Learn the scales to find out the chords.

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Guitar lessons (opens in new tab): You’ve probably heard jokes about acts such as Status Quo (opens in new tab) or Chuck Berry writing songs with three chords. Well, it’s no joke – and they’re not the only ones taking the easy road: this staple jam session progression is heard throughout rock, blues, folk, and more. Get the chords down and you’ll have thousands of songs to try. Known as a I-IV-V (one-four-five’) progression, or ‘three-chord trick’, the chords are built on the first, fourth and fifth notes of the major scale. Learn the scales to find out the chords.

One-four-five progression in C C D E F G A B C

There are seven notes in the key of C major (or eight, if you count C twice). It’s easy to see that the chords of a one-four-five progression in C must be C, F and G.

One-four-five progression in G G A B C D E F# G

This should be easy, by now. Obviously a I-IV-V in G major uses G, C and D chords. It’s really easy to play because you can use open chords.

One-four-five progression in E E F# G# A B C# D# E

E major is hard scale to remember, thanks to the sharp (#) notes. Still, it’s one of the more common scales for guitarists so try to remember the E-A-B progression.

One-four-five progression in F G A B♭ C D E F

These chords are tough, but useful. Tough because you have to play barre chords. Useful because you can move the shapes anywhere on the neck to a different pitch.

Audio: A classic I-IV-V progression in a basic blues style

Five classic songs that use the I-IV-V progression

1. Led Zeppelin – Rock And Roll A D E

2. Stevie Ray Vaughan - Pride And Joy E♭ A♭ B♭

3. Bob Marley - Three Little Birds A D E

4. George Ezra – Budapest F B♭ C

5. Chuck Berry – Johnny B Goode B♭ E♭ F

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How do I start learning music?

Practice playing notes, chords, and scales on your instrument. After you've mastered the concepts of notes, chords, and scales, learning how to produce these sounds with your instrument is the first step to learning how to play music. Start by practicing notes first, then move on to scales, and finally to chords.

This article was co-authored by Michael Noble, PhD . Michael Noble is a professional concert pianist who received his PhD in Piano Performance from the Yale School of Music. He is a previous contemporary music fellow of the Belgian American Educational Foundation and has performed at Carnegie Hall and at other venues across the United States, Europe, and Asia. This article has been viewed 65,298 times.

Article Summary

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If you want to learn music, choose an instrument that you enjoy playing, which will give you a motivation to learn. To get started, learn to play single notes on your instrument, like A, B, or C. Once you’ve mastered this, move on to learning scales, which are a sequence of notes in the same key. Afterwards, try to get to know the most commonly used chords, which are three notes of the same pitch played at the same time. If you want help to learn, book lessons with a music teacher who has a music degree or teaching experience. You should also make a daily practice schedule, since learning music requires a lot of dedication over an extended period of time. For tips on how to learn to read sheet music, read on!

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