Improvisation Using Chords

Block, Broken, and Marching Chords: Let’s Explore!

By now, you’re used to seeing the Red, Blue, and Yellow triangles your Let's Play Music teacher uses. Each triangle has 3 corners to remind us that our primary chords are each made up of 3 notes.

Block Chords

One way to play our primary chords is by pressing all the notes at once. This creates a block chord. Block chords can sound powerful, loud, and rich.

One thing we love about Let's Play Music is when the 5-year-olds play Old Paint in 2nd Year. It’s their first time on the piano, and already they sound amazing—rich and complex—because they’re playing chords while singing. It’s super motivating to produce a full musical experience and makes them want to play more!

In 1st Year, we use chord maps where we tap each triangle while playing the chord. We also use block chords on the harp, where students strum all the notes at once.

Block Chord Ear Training:

Listen to this block chord sample. The first activity helps students identify chord changes, similar to what we do in class. The second activity trains them to recognize chords in a pattern. Ear training improves their ability to hear cadences in everyday music!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWWGI0TMuaA

Reading Block Chords:

Music is read left to right, so stacked notes are played together. Recognizing block chord shapes and training hand muscles to play them quickly is a key skill all Let's Play Music students master. Musicians often view notes and chords in chunks—focusing on one note for accuracy, then letting the chord shape guide the rest!

By graduation, students will easily play block chords across the keyboard, like these.

3rd Year students, what color are these chords? (notice the root!)

(Answers at the end of the post!)

Broken Chords

When the three notes of a chord are played one at a time, they are called broken chords. Broken chords can create a delicate, lilting feel when played softly and smoothly, or a sharp, spicy effect when played loudly and staccato!

A great word for a "broken chord" or notes played in sequence is arpeggio. Nothing beats having your five-year-old approach a guest and announce, "I'd like to play you some arpeggios on the piano, for your listening pleasure."

In the 1st Year of Let's Play Music, we used songs like On Top of Spaghetti and Chords in Pieces to practice broken chords. While using a chord map, we tapped each triangle corner to highlight the separate notes in the chord.

Arpeggio Ear Training:

Broken chords (arpeggios) are used in Let's Play Music ear training just as much as block chords. It's often easier for students to identify a chord when they hear the notes individually. If they can't identify a block chord, I'll play it broken, and they usually recognize it. Can you identify the chord in each track?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKjmnBQqhBA

Reading Broken Chords:

Just like reading a book left-to-right, you play notes one at a time from left to right. Songs like Brahms' Lullaby are perfect for practicing arpeggios. Composers often use an arpeggiate symbol next to block chords to indicate they should be played one at a time, but each note is played much quicker than a quarter note. A downward arrow signals a top-to-bottom arpeggio.

Try experimenting with fun variations now to enhance your music improvisation skills! After playing the 3 notes of a chord, try repeating the first note an octave higher and play the arpeggio both up and down. It's a fancy touch!

(Tip: Use fingers 1-2-3-5 for this—it's a bit tricky!)

Want to add a fourth beat? Play the broken chord, then repeat the middle note. It adds a fun twist to the accompaniment!

Here's an example with Red, Blue, Yellow, and Red chords in broken style:

Why settle for a boring quarter note rhythm? Add a dotted calypso rhythm to these notes and elevate your composition! That's the fun twist you'll find in Tinga Layo in the Yellow Arrows semester.

Marching Chords

In Let's Play Music, we introduce another fun way to improvise using chords: Marching style! It’s a mix of block and broken chords. Play the lowest note of the chord first, then follow with the remaining notes on the next beat. Marching chords are ready to go!

Experiment with marching rhythms by mixing up patterns or repeating low/high notes for unique sounds. In third year, we’ll alternate hands for a true marching feel. Can you play this cool composition made entirely of red chords?

Have Fun with Chords!

Now that you know how to play block, broken, and marching chords, you can make any song sound super cool! You are improvising!

In Let's Play Music, we teach you how songs are made, how to change up your playing, and how to create your very own music!

So go ahead—have fun improvising with chords and make something awesome! 🎉🎵

Block Chord Reading Quiz Answer:

These chords are in different inversions: Red, Red, Red, Blue, Blue, Yellow, Yellow, Red. Or you could say I, I, I, IV, IV, V, V, I. (Make sure to check the key signature to confirm the first chord is I!) Our 3rd Year students are so smart!

Our Classes