Block Chord

A block chord is a chord whose notes are all played at exactly the same moment, so you hear them as one solid sound. On the staff its notes are stacked on a single stem (or, for whole notes, directly above one another). Some teachers call it a solid chord. Its opposite is the broken chord, whose notes are played one after another.

▶Block0:07▶Broken0:07

Where you hear them

• Hymns and chorales move in block chords, one chord for each melody note (four-part harmony).
• Pop and rock piano parts often play block chords in a steady rhythm, and a strummed guitar does much the same.
• Beginner piano books use block chords in the left hand because they are the clearest way to learn chord shapes, such as I, IV and V7 in their closest positions (primary chords).
• Jazz pianists have a "block chord" style, also called locked hands, in which both hands move together in close harmony under the melody.

Playing block chords well

1. Land all the notes together. Drop the hand from a little height with a relaxed wrist rather than pressing each finger separately.
2. Balance the notes. Let the top note, often the melody, sound a little stronger than the others; see voicing.
3. Release together, unless the music asks for one note to be held.
4. Move to the nearest position for the next chord, so the hand changes as little as possible (see voicing and voice leading).

Block chords as a learning tool

Even when a piece breaks its chords up, playing them as blocks first is one of the fastest ways to learn it. You see the harmony, your hand learns the shapes, and you can practice the changes before adding the rhythm. Primary Chord Patterns gives you the basic block-chord changes, and Block & Broken Chords shows both styles side by side.