I know a few chords: what can I play with them?

C, Am, F and G are often the first chords people learn, and they are enough for a lot of music. In the groove and the song below, the right hand keeps them close to middle C, so it moves by a key or two from one chord to the next; the guide on changing chords smoothly shows how to find these shapes. Here they are, with a bar under the root, the note that names the chord.

The first piece is calm: the left hand holds one chord per bar, low and soft, and the right hand plays a simple tune above it. The order is C, Am, F, G, then back to C to finish. On the strong beats the tune uses notes of the chord underneath, which is why it sits so easily on top.

The left-hand chords stay between C and B below middle C and move very little, so you can play them without looking. Learn them alone first, then add the tune at a slow tempo.

Same chords, very different energy. This time the order is Am, F, C, G, and the right hand strikes each chord several times per bar, short and detached. Count “1, 2 and, 3 and, 4”: the chord sounds on 1, on 2, on the “and” just after, on the “and” after 3, and on 4. The left hand plays the root on 1 and on the “and” of 3.

Rhythm does most of the work here. Learn the right hand alone, on one chord, until the pattern feels automatic; only then change chords. Lower the tempo as much as you need.

A song is often built from parts that come back. The verse tells the story; the chorus is the part that returns, usually a little stronger. Here the verse holds one chord per bar, Am, F, C, G. The chorus uses the groove on C, G, F, G.

The order of the parts matters as much as the chords. The verse ends on G, which leads well into the chorus on C. The chorus also ends on G, so it calls for something next: the verse again, or a last C to finish. The full version plays verse, chorus, verse, chorus, then that final C.

• The shapes of the four chords: your first piano chords.
• Changing chords in time, at a slow tempo and in a loop: your first chord progression, then smooth chord changes.
• The left hand, from one held note to moving patterns: what to play with the left hand.
• Why these chords fit together: why do these chords go well together?

None of the three pieces needs a new chord. Once they feel comfortable, mix them: the ballad’s left hand under the song’s verse, the groove’s rhythm on the ballad’s chords. The four chords stay the same; how you play them is where the variety comes from.