The Minus-One Chord (Chord -I)

I have said before that mine is a not-so-conventional theory. That’s one reason why this site is called Piano Cheats at the first place. You probably have not heard and will not hear of any chord called “minus-one” anywhere else.

What exactly do I mean by a minus-one chord. In my definition, it is a chord that is one full tone down from the 1^st chord or Chord I. For example, in the key of C, the minus-one chord is the B-flat (Bb) chord. And in the key of G, the minus-one chord is the F chord.

I have no idea and I don’t really care what that chord is called conventionally, but it is easier for me to recognize, identify and locate it on the keyboard by thinking it as one step down (full tone) from Chord I (rather than 6.5 or 7 steps up from Chord I). That’s the reason I call it minus-one. It can’t be Chord Zero, right? If anything should be known as Chord Zero (which usually refers to the baseline in any field), it should be the 1^st chord of the key rather than this chord. So, there is no Chord Zero in this theory.

One may ask, “So, in the key of C, the C chord is Chord I, and the Bb chord is Chord –I, what do you call the B Chord?” The answer is, you probably never play a B chord in the C key. So, there is no need to give it a name. (Actually, when you do play a B note as the bass in the C key, you will play a G chord with your right hand. But that is another topic we will cover later.)

Below are some illustrations of Bb chord (i.e., the minus-one chord, or Chord –I, of the C key):

Figure 1: Bb Chord (root position, i.e., Bb-D-F notes)

Figure 2: Bb Chord (1^st inversion, i.e., D-F-Bb notes)

Figure 3: Bb Chord (2^nd inversion, i.e., F-Bb-D notes)

And of course, it’s up to you which of the above inversions you prefer depending on which one of them you find easier for you to play.

As for the left hand, just play the Bb note, or a Bb octave as shown below (Note: Just the thumb and the little finger are playing. The other fingers aren’t pressing any key):