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+---- Thread: Chord Fingering TYPE and using a Left Hand Chord (/Thread-Chord-Fingering-TYPE-and-using-a-Left-Hand-Chord)
Chord Fingering TYPE and using a Left Hand Chord - Hugh Wallington - 04-01-2026
Chord Fingering TYPE and using a Left Hand Chord
When you use a Left Hand Chord the ‘notes’ you hear are the actual notes you play to form your chord. This is not the case when the keyboard is identifying your chord notes in order to play a STYLE accompaniment. Whatever inversion of the chord you are playing, the keyboard recognises the chord and plays the corresponding STYLE backing .. so what you hear is the same regardless.
Usually, when I play using a STYLE I have a Left Hand Voice allocated. And because of this, the inversion of the chord I play (and where I play it) is really important as it creates the ‘harmony’ behind what you hear.
I would normally set my keyboard up for FINGERED chords ...
Chris Harding has mentioned that he uses SINGLE FINGER Mode when he plays ..
https://chellos-keyboard-players-club.com/Thread-Playing-By-Ear-Mostly-Black-Keyes?pid=32913#pid32913
Now this has got me wondering .. what happens with the Left Hand Voice in this situation? If it plays the actual notes you play for your chord, then in SINGLE FINGER mode you would be just playing the note of C for C major; C and a white note below it (eg. B) for C7; and eg. C with a white and a black note below it for Cm7. And what a mish-mash that would sound!
Listen to this DEMO below.
First, in FINGERED Mode, I have played some inversions of the C chord .. CEG; EGC; GCE; and CEG (which is an octave higher than the first one) so you can hear how those harmonies sound as you move progressively up the keyboard (just with the Left Hand Voice selected .. no STYLE).
This is followed, in SINGLE FINGER Mode, by C (major .. ie. just playing the note of C); C7 (ie. playing C and B, the white note below it); then Cm7 (ie. C, B and Bb .. “just 3 fingers, all close together” as Chris puts it).
I have then gone back to FINGERED Mode and played those same combinations of notes I played above.
https://app.box.com/s/i1bhohmdp6exde9601c8fpfghjokzbuy
In the second part of the DEMO (SINGLE FINGER Mode) it is quite clear to me that Yamaha have not played back at me the actual notes I have played .. but first have created the correct harmony for the ‘shortcut’ way of producing the chord. That is very reassuring! So we can use a Left Hand Voice even when playing in SINGLE FINGER Mode.
The last part of the DEMO I played those same ‘shortcut’ notes, but this time in FINGERED Mode. And you can hear quite clearly that that is picking up the actual notes I played.
Hugh
RE: Chord Fingering TYPE and using a Left Hand Chord - Hugh Wallington - 04-02-2026
Chris (Harding) .. you have made some interesting comments about playing keyboards!
https://chellos-keyboard-players-club.com/Thread-Playing-By-Ear-Mostly-Black-Keyes?pid=32919#pid32919
As we have moved away from the original Thread (ear players playing mostly the BLACK keys) I will continue my thoughts here.
You said:
Very interesting concept, and yes there is a difference (in the chord inversions you have played) but I'm wondering if we actually notice it when we play, simply because we are not just playing individual notes and nothing else, but the full style backing kicks in so it's less obvious to our ears.
When the full style backing kicks in, one of the PARTS (the one called PAD) usually has a ‘continuous sound’ in it, so is a bit like a ‘left hand voice’. I normally turn PAD ‘OFF’ as whatever instrument they use for it more often than not ‘clashes’ with the one I am using for my Left Hand Voice. Also, the notes played in PAD are programmed in by Yamaha, and as it’s part of the STYLE you get the same ‘repeated’ pattern every few bars. When playing chords, I like to have the sound of the ‘third’ or the ‘7th’ or the ‘root’ as the top note of the chord, as your ear picks up the highest note of any harmony. Also, I can ‘move about’ with that top note to make a little counter-melody.
Click the below to hear how a Left Hand Voice can sound.
I have a STYLE playing (Waltz); and the harmony you hear in the backing is from the two VOICES I have chosen for my Left Hand Voice.
https://app.box.com/s/du8lzstioafp54hgbj7g85892614p15p
Using a Left Hand Voice with the STYLE in this way adds another string to your bow when creating your music.
Listen to the DEMO below .. Beautiful Dreamer.
The first part has just the STYLE as accompaniment.
The rest has a LEFT HAND VOICE (AccompOoh from CHOIR) and the STYLE, playing together.
https://app.box.com/s/1vhqj6gu06pwmqdkvn823xn4p1nhn22d
I often wonder what people listen to when they listen to music. Is it just the melody? When I listen to something its mostly the harmony I listen to. If there is no harmony, or the song doesn’t have the harmony I’m expecting to hear, then I can’t relate to the music.
Below are two very different jazz versions of the same song.
The first has no harmony I can relate to; and the second has all the harmony I’m hoping to hear.
On The Sunny Side Of The Street - Jazz Lag
Swedish Swing Society - On The Sunny Side Of The Street
You said:
If I play a sequence of chords using SINGLE FINGER it's very obvious to the ear that I'm using an auto chord generation as it does sound a little strange if you play only the chords without the backing .. but with the full style backing you seldom notice it!
Your explanations in this Thread would be very interesting if you did a comparison using a full blown style and half way changed from SINGLE FINGER to FINGERED chords. Would the change be as obvious? Great post from you and it opened my eyes to taking to "easy route".
And that is exactly what I shall attempt to do.
When I play Sunny Side Of The Street, these are the chords I play.
VERSE
/C - - - /E7 - - - /F - - - /G7 – G#dim7 - /
/Am7 - - -/D7 - - - /F6 – G7 - / C - - - /
For starters, with SINGLE FINGER Mode you can only play Major, 7th, Minor and Minor 7th chords. After the G7 chord I need a G#dim7 chord. With your SINGLE FINGER Mode I will have to play a G7 twice .. and musically that just does not sound right!
And although Yamaha puts in notes for my Left Hand Voice for the short cut way of forming a chord (so at least it's in harmony), they are not the 'inversions' I use when playing in FINGERED Mode (when you hear the actual notes I play to form the chord). So the difference between listening to a piece being played in FINGERED Mode and SINGLE FINGER Mode is going to sound completely different.
So I'm doing a DEMO recording for you.
My problem?
I said that I have no problem forming any inversion of chords in the keys of C, F and G (and quite a few other chords as well .. including diminished 7th chords .. there are only three!) as I have been playing these for over 70 years. But getting my head round your SINGLE FINGER system of short cut chords is a nightmare. I now know how someone new to playing keyboards feels when they are learning to play chords for the first time.
Click the LINK below to hear the result of what I have put together.
First, played without a STYLE so you can hear the harmony of the chords I am using (particularly the G#dim7 after the G7).
Second .. playing in FINGERED Mode. And these are the chord inversions I am playing.
C – GCE; E7 – G#BDE; F – ACF; G7 – GBDF; G#dim7 - G#BDF; Am7 – ACEG (remember, I have my SPLIT POINT on G, not F#); F6 – ACDF .. surprise, surprise .. my keyboard tells me this chord is Dm7. So that’s OK for SINGLE FINGER Mode!
Third, playing in SINGLE FINGER Mode .. with the G7 being played twice in succession.
https://app.box.com/s/2an4zba71pw3i0wdc5ontos51pfoixh5
Chris .. you said:
Would the change be as obvious?
Well, I reckon the answer is NO .. as there is so much to listen to, detail like the things we have been talking about doesn’t stand out.
Hugh
RE: Chord Fingering TYPE and using a Left Hand Chord - ChrisHarding - 04-03-2026
Hi Hugh
Something of interest now! I was having my morning cuppa and thought I would have a quick listen to your 2nd demo so I wasn't fully concentrating on the sounds and as a "casual listener" I found both the 2nd and third section to be identical. Yes you used fingered chords and it took me a couple of plays to actually notice the diminished chord so unless one is really listening for a correct version I very much doubt whether Mr Average would be able to notice any difference. Technically yes. if you listen really hard with no exterior distractions you can hear the difference but I feel that for most people it was simply a well played melody!
I always remember when I was playing bass in a trio a long while back the pianist started the song in a different key and (for once) I was in the correct key yet the people on the dance floor just continued to enjoy themselves and never once did anyone query our out of key error. The reason was mainly if one is playing live you never stop playing but correct the error en route and nobody will notice or care! The Beatles used pretty complex chords in a few of their songs and I wonder if a dominant series of chords (diminished, augmented etc etc) would be more noticeable??? Indeed an interesting subject and yes technically I SHOULD be using fingered chords to be correct.
Chris