Norman86 wrote: Hi guys...

Okay, so, is there a relation between the chords?
Meaning, are they the same? do the same notes make up the same chord?
or are they different?

The chords are made up of the same notes. A C major chord is made up of C, E and G on any instrument (well, any instrument that allows chords to be played). A D minor is always made up of D, F and A.

What you have more options with on the Joanna are inversions - when you play the chord other than in the sequence root, third, fifth. If you think about an open Dm on guitar it's played root, fifth, octave, flat 10th rather than the root, flat third, fifth that you can easily play on the piano.

What you have more options with on the Joanna are inversions

I'm assuming Joanna means guitar. I have to disagree there, inversions are just as common on the piano, because the root is often in the RH and also just because pianists fingers are not so narrow that they can only play in thirds.

inversions -when you play the chord other than in the sequence root, third, fifth

The definition of an inversion is if the chord starts on the Third or Fifth, which are first and second inversion respectively. When it starts on the root you are in root position regardless of the order after that.

The notes (letter names) are the same on the two instruments, although "middle C" on the piano sounds an octave higher than on the guitar. If you read notation and play middle C on your guitar and then on the piano you will observe that.

To clarify (or confuse) further, chords can also be more loosely constructed with only the third and root being necessary to identify the chord and there may be other notes such as passing notes that are part of the melody and not the chord. This is true for both the piano and guitar.

The important difference between the chord structure of a guitar and piano is that you can REPEAT THE SAME NOTE on the guitar in different places, a piano has only ONE physical representation of a note.

I guess you're asking whether the Emaj chord you play on the guitar can be replicated note for note on the piano, the short answer, yes.

+1 Viccy

Yeah Viccy well put.

I've read a bit on chord structure and I find knowing what notes make up what chord helped me a lot in my lead and bass playing.
For instance the band could be playing a C major, and your lead or bass line could make it a 7th, or 9th on the whole.

+1 Viccy
I have a piano in my teaching area and sometimes have to resort to showing dom guitarists how chords work in one key using the piano because it is more visually obvious

Joanna is a term for piano though, isn't it?? So you're all actually agreeing with each other. ?

Joanna is a term for piano though, isn't it?? So you're all actually agreeing with each other. ?

Allrighty, but then this doesn't make sense:

If you think about an open Dm on guitar it's played root, fifth, octave, flat 10th rather than the root, flat third, fifth that you can easily play on the piano.

I understand what Bob might want to say, is that there are more notes on the piano, it has a larger register and that's how more options are available for voicing the chord.

"Joanna" is rhyming slang for "piano". You need to imagine an unsophisticated cockney pronouncing it "pi-yan-er"

Hence the lines from th chorus of that Scissor Sisters song
"I don't feel like dancin'
While the old joanna plays"

Yeah, I was going to say something about a pee-yanna, but thought people might think it rude.

Thanks guys.... seems i will have to do more homework and not just play chords, but learn their structure too!!
More PT, but needed if i wanna play piano hey! Oh well! Nothing in life is ever easy!

Sorry about bringing this thread up again, but i just wanted to add to what Viccy & Rene posted.
On the piano, it is much easier to see chordal relationships i.e. difference between a major and a minor, where is a 7th, 9th etc., because it's all linear. Music theory & notation are pretty much the same for most instruments, except embellishments such as a glissando - which can be executed on a guitar or a trombonbe but can't be done on a piano (unless it's got one of those pitch bend keys).
Viccy is spot on about inversions.