Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 22 hours ago
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Most adult piano students memorize chord shapes and never learn what is actually inside them. Here is the one rule that unlocks every major and minor chord on the piano, taught the way I teach it in my new Smooth Piano Jazz course.
"This is, you know, like a college course here. I'm not skirting around. I'm not trying to get done. I want you guys to know."
Every three-note chord is a root, a third and a fifth. The outside two notes never move. The MIDDLE note is the only thing that decides whether the chord is major or minor.
"So D, F, A is your minor. If I made F a sharp, it would be a major chord. In its raised position, it's major. Lower position, it's minor. D, F, A."
That is it. That is the whole rule, and it works on every chord in every key. It is not about black keys versus white keys - it is about where that middle note sits.
Then the seventh: a D minor seven is just D, F, A with a C added on top. And once it is there, look at what appeared inside the chord you already know:
"And in that D minor seven, can you also see an F, A, C chord? F, A, C. D, F, A. And those, those jingles start to come out and you just start to recognize them after a while."
That is the secret of jazz piano chords. They are not exotic new shapes to memorize - they are simple three-note chords stacked on top of each other. Once you can see the little chords hiding inside the big ones, jazz chord symbols stop being intimidating.
WHAT THE SMOOTH PIANO JAZZ COURSE COVERS
- A complete smooth jazz piano arrangement, taught 12 measures at a time, one page per lesson
- Seven eight-bar jazz chord progressions - a half note chord, then two beats left blank for you to improvise over
- 51 original right-hand jazz licks I wrote myself, specifically for teaching
- Live backing tracks with real bass and drums so you can practice in time
- Jazz chord spelling and voicing: maj7, m7, m9, m11, 13 and slash chords explained in plain English
This is smooth jazz piano for adult piano students, returning pianists and worship and church players who want to understand chords instead of memorizing shapes. Learn what is inside the chord and you can play any chord chart you are handed.
Try every lesson for $1 for 7 days: webpianoteacher.com/subscription/offer
👍 Try 1,000 free lessons today on webpianoteacher.com ✅ Learn to play piano with Shawn’s revolutionary method
Read Google Reviews by Shawn’s actual students google.com/search?sca_esv=5009c1303de011b0&sca_upv=1&rlz=1CDGOYI_enUS1008US1008&hl=en-US&q=web+piano+teacher+reviews&uds=ADvngMgvgkdrPGdvQSDLpEVP-ZodsumYvHbzDCPdZxu7y1dxdo5qqAYWcbG74nStvB1P7oPuKgMFxvRIzd_DZN3tMyxEyrPXSMvg62M7DhKnaOoXRrvMRlR2qOzpuVB5MFvbzhVxfpnLmeUii_UEMspRA9Sb2_UNlNmYcxD8gSa_9Y-ZrAhmC7PMo4dC-3yAW2NaRCTwbTkIJFF0zACFe0MmWygbXUnSyy4URj5yYn7f6Y92qL5F7C65sP-AwHchpQ_w3yruheB24nu-AvcfFQo-ckINkBqWAeio4R0dm9r8cmVn2A7RlUhPAPOZyHpYJ2DontEmnoCi9_eEmhwW9RpGrsajaR7u8_U58p0eD_M4AQtnaQce2g4_3U4ECJVG1OOQrlRFwR4byywOQYKXK-PF9b_wDOJ4wtlppDpfX1FhULjD2H_jbmF3keFLT-JjbHx5mU1wYAbm&si=ACC90nwjPmqJHrCEt6ewASzksVFQDX8zco_7MgBaIawvaF4-7tVxiqnhHYhqKwDDsP2tv6FAZ1fBoW06Zy-5I4bv_4sVUMNgTvp0JS4qCRvaokEGreiT-RV-opIxhvzKSE6856yE4kgwpddtdtU31HEpdWwEdq8gXg%3D%3D&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwik1uakreOIAxVxKkQIHU2mGhQQk8gLegQIKRAB&ictx=1&biw=390&bih=657&dpr=3
🎹 #learntoplaypiano #learnpiano #pianocover #pianolessons #pianoteacher #pianotutorial #easypiano #howtoplaypiano http:webpianoteacher.com
🎹 Testimonials from Shawn’s actual students: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCmQmIKv8_bI83Iun0tmCk-4IOSVAxm6S
🔥Billy Joel Song Lessons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCmQmIKv8_bKGJ1HDqNoqdQ02-o579MQk
🔥Elton John Song Lessons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCmQmIKv8_bJV-8LhjXDcX5W4XRLhFhQZ
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Try every lesson for $1 for 7 days: webpianoteacher.com/subscription/offer
Most adult piano students memorize chord shapes and never learn what is actually inside them. Here is the one rule that unlocks every major and minor chord on the piano, taught the way I teach it in my new Smooth Piano Jazz course.
"This is, you know, like a college course here. I'm not skirting around. I'm not trying to get done. I want you guys to know."
Every three-note chord is a root, a third and a fifth. The outside two notes never move. The MIDDLE note is the only thing that decides whether the chord is major or minor.
"So D, F, A is your minor. If I made F a sharp, it would be a major chord. In its raised position, it's major. Lower position, it's minor. D, F, A."
That is it. That is the whole rule, and it works on every chord in every key. It is not about black keys versus white keys - it is about where that middle note sits.
Then the seventh: a D minor seven is just D, F, A with a C added on top. And once it is there, look at what appeared inside the chord you already know:
"And in that D minor seven, can you also see an F, A, C chord? F, A, C. D, F, A. And those, those jingles start to come out and you just start to recognize them after a while."
That is the secret of jazz piano chords. They are not exotic new shapes to memorize - they are simple three-note chords stacked on top of each other. Once you can see the little chords hiding inside the big ones, jazz chord symbols stop being intimidating.
WHAT THE SMOOTH PIANO JAZZ COURSE COVERS
- A complete smooth jazz piano arrangement, taught 12 measures at a time, one page per lesson
- Seven eight-bar jazz chord progressions - a half note chord, then two beats left blank for you to improvise over
- 51 original right-hand jazz licks I wrote myself, specifically for teaching
- Live backing tracks with real bass and drums so you can practice in time
- Jazz chord spelling and voicing: maj7, m7, m9, m11, 13 and slash chords explained in plain English
This is smooth jazz piano for adult piano students, returning pianists and worship and church players who want to understand chords instead of memorizing shapes. Learn what is inside the chord and you can play any chord chart you are handed.
Try every lesson for $1 for 7 days: webpianoteacher.com/subscription/offer
👍 Try 1,000 free lessons today on webpianoteacher.com ✅ Learn to play piano with Shawn’s revolutionary method
Read Google Reviews by Shawn’s actual students google.com/search?sca_esv=5009c1303de011b0&sca_upv=1&rlz=1CDGOYI_enUS1008US1008&hl=en-US&q=web+piano+teacher+reviews&uds=ADvngMgvgkdrPGdvQSDLpEVP-ZodsumYvHbzDCPdZxu7y1dxdo5qqAYWcbG74nStvB1P7oPuKgMFxvRIzd_DZN3tMyxEyrPXSMvg62M7DhKnaOoXRrvMRlR2qOzpuVB5MFvbzhVxfpnLmeUii_UEMspRA9Sb2_UNlNmYcxD8gSa_9Y-ZrAhmC7PMo4dC-3yAW2NaRCTwbTkIJFF0zACFe0MmWygbXUnSyy4URj5yYn7f6Y92qL5F7C65sP-AwHchpQ_w3yruheB24nu-AvcfFQo-ckINkBqWAeio4R0dm9r8cmVn2A7RlUhPAPOZyHpYJ2DontEmnoCi9_eEmhwW9RpGrsajaR7u8_U58p0eD_M4AQtnaQce2g4_3U4ECJVG1OOQrlRFwR4byywOQYKXK-PF9b_wDOJ4wtlppDpfX1FhULjD2H_jbmF3keFLT-JjbHx5mU1wYAbm&si=ACC90nwjPmqJHrCEt6ewASzksVFQDX8zco_7MgBaIawvaF4-7tVxiqnhHYhqKwDDsP2tv6FAZ1fBoW06Zy-5I4bv_4sVUMNgTvp0JS4qCRvaokEGreiT-RV-opIxhvzKSE6856yE4kgwpddtdtU31HEpdWwEdq8gXg%3D%3D&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwik1uakreOIAxVxKkQIHU2mGhQQk8gLegQIKRAB&ictx=1&biw=390&bih=657&dpr=3
🎹 #learntoplaypiano #learnpiano #pianocover #pianolessons #pianoteacher #pianotutorial #easypiano #howtoplaypiano http:webpianoteacher.com
🎹 Testimonials from Shawn’s actual students: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCmQmIKv8_bI83Iun0tmCk-4IOSVAxm6S
🔥Billy Joel Song Lessons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCmQmIKv8_bKGJ1HDqNoqdQ02-o579MQk
🔥Elton John Song Lessons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCmQmIKv8_bJV-8LhjXDcX5W4XRLhFhQZ
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