A lo-fi piano part can feel rich without using many chords. Often, the difference is one extra note, a borrowed chord, or a bass change under a shape your right hand already knows.
This guide works through all seven progressions in Niko Kotoulas’s lo-fi piano lesson. You’ll find the chord names, labeled MIDI notes, keyboard close-ups, and short audio examples, followed by practical ways to build a beat around them.
If ninths and altered chords are new to you, begin with Cmaj9–Fmaj9. Learn those shapes slowly, then come back for the minor and chromatic examples. The notes are written out here; you can play them on a keyboard or draw them into your DAW.
Watch Niko’s complete lesson
The full video shows how Niko builds each chord and rearranges its notes. The diagrams below give you playable voicings with less octave doubling. Their equal-width columns show chord order, not the exact rhythm of his performance.
The seven progressions at a glance
The first pattern centres on A minor. Several others use C major as a starting point and bring in chords from outside it. Treat the chord names as your instructions; you don’t need to assign one key to every note before playing.
| Start here | Chord sequence | What to hear |
|---|---|---|
| 01 · Minor turnaround | Am9 → Dm9 → Am9 → E7(♯5,♯9) | An altered dominant pulling toward A minor |
| 02 · Two-chord rock | Cmaj9 → Fmaj9 | Small movements between major-ninth voicings |
| 03 · Borrowed colour | Fmaj9 → Fm9 → Fmaj9 → A♭maj9 | A major-to-minor shift, then an unexpected bass move |
| 04 · Tense ending | Am9 → Fmaj9 → Dm9 → Fm(maj7) | A minor triad with a major seventh |
| 05 · B-flat detour | Am9 → Gm7 → B♭maj9 → Fmaj9 | The B♭ colour linking two middle chords |
| 06 · Suspended ending | Fmaj7 → Dm9 → Em7 → A7sus2 | A bass substitution and an open final chord |
| 07 · Chromatic walk-down | Em7 → E♭m7 → Dm7 → G13sus4 | Three shapes falling by semitone, then a suspension |
A note on the video’s labels: the fifth example’s heading says B♭maj7; Niko adds the ninth during the demonstration, so the chart uses B♭maj9. The sixth example uses Em7, as shown in its heading and played on the keyboard. We write the final “Gsus13” as G13sus4 and show the specific notes he demonstrates.
Understand the chord names before memorising shapes
A ninth chord adds a ninth to a seventh chord. The ninth has the same letter name as the second scale degree, an octave higher in the basic stack. You can rearrange it into another register when you voice the chord.
| Symbol | Example notes | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Am9 | A–C–E–G–B | A minor triad, minor seventh, and ninth |
| Cmaj9 | C–E–G–B–D | A major triad, major seventh, and ninth |
| Cadd9 | C–E–G–D | A major triad with a ninth; no seventh is specified |
That last distinction matters. Adding B to a plain A-minor triad makes Am(add9). Include G as well and you have Am9. Listen to both versions: the seventh changes how the upper notes sit together.
A simpler way to build the ninth chords
Niko’s main shortcut is to split the chord between a bass note and a familiar upper shape. For Am9, play A beneath Cmaj7: A plus C–E–G–B. For Cmaj9, play C beneath Em7: C plus E–G–B–D. The same method gives Dm9 from D plus Fmaj7, and Fmaj9 from F plus Am7.
In standard interval language, a minor-ninth chord uses a major-seventh shape starting a minor third above its root. A major-ninth chord uses a minor-seventh shape starting a major third above its root. You can use the named notes without doing any counting at all.
The video often counts the keys between two notes. Its “3–2–3” major-seventh recipe means moves of 4–3–4 semitones. “2–3–2” for a minor seventh means 3–4–3 semitones. A semitone is one adjacent-key move, including black keys. A to C is three semitones; C to E is four. This guide uses standard semitone distances and explicit note names.
Read the MIDI diagrams
Read each chart from left to right. Play the bright bass note together with the upper notes in the same column. The upper grid shows pitch; the separate bass strip keeps the low notes easy to read. Use middle C = C4, MIDI note 60. Some DAWs use a different octave label for the same MIDI pitch.
These voicings follow the lesson’s approach, with repeated roots and fifths reduced where helpful. They are a starting point, not a note-for-note transcription of every flourish. Flat labels match the source keyboard: A♭ and G♯ are the same piano key. On a phone, swipe across the chart or open it full size.
01. Am9–Dm9–Am9–E altered: make the return matter
Am9 → Dm9 → Am9 → E7(♯5,♯9)
The Am9 and Dm9 chords establish a gentle minor sound. The altered E chord then gives the loop a sharper edge. When you return to Am9, hear how that tension settles rather than treating the last chord as just another shape.
Hear the two minor-ninth chords followed by the tense E ending. The excerpt contains two passes.
9.6 seconds · Piano excerpt from Niko’s lessonStart with A under G–B–C–E, then D under F–A–C–E. Return to the first shape. For the final chord, put E beneath G♯–C–D–G. The chart’s A♭ label is the same key as G♯.
This is a practical keyboard spelling of E7(♯5,♯9): G♯ supplies the major third, D the minor seventh, and the keys C and G supply the altered fifth and ninth. Niko calls it “E altered” and uses his own shortcut name for the upper shape. Learn the pitches first; the standard chord symbol makes it easier to communicate the sound to another musician.
Give the altered notes somewhere to go
As an added exercise, move G♯ up to A and D down to C when the loop returns. You can keep E or G in another voice. Listen for individual notes finding a destination. This is more useful than playing every chord at the same intensity and hoping the progression will create the phrasing for you.
For a beat, begin with one bass note per chord and a quiet upper part. Give the E chord less time on the first pass, then hold it longer on the second. Both versions use the same harmony, but the longer wait changes the arrival on A minor.
02. Cmaj9–Fmaj9: build a complete idea from two chords
Cmaj9 → Fmaj9
This is the easiest place to practise the lesson’s central idea: keep useful notes nearby. The chart places G and E in both upper voicings. B moves down to A, while D moves down to C. Your bass moves from C to F, but your right hand makes a much smaller journey.
Listen to the repeated movement between Cmaj9 and Fmaj9.
9.7 seconds · Piano excerpt from Niko’s lesson
Make a second phrase before adding a third chord
Play two bars of Cmaj9 and two bars of Fmaj9 as a practice loop. This is an exercise, not the video’s exact timing. In the next four bars, change the attack: roll the notes upward, leave a gap, or let the top E arrive slightly later.
Keep the bass steady while you experiment. If the phrase improves, you’ve learned that arrangement and touch can create variety without more harmony. Try a small melody using G, A, B, and E; give it a clear rhythm and leave space after it.
03. Fmaj9–Fm9–Fmaj9–A♭maj9: borrow a different colour
Fmaj9 → Fm9 → Fmaj9 → A♭maj9
The first change keeps F in the bass and changes the chord quality. In Fmaj9, the important notes are A and E. Lower them to A♭ and E♭ for Fm9, while keeping F, C, and G. Then reverse the move to return to Fmaj9.
Hear the major-to-minor change on F, the return to major, and the A♭ chord.
7.2 seconds · Piano excerpt from Niko’s lessonThe final A♭maj9 supplies another colour: A♭–C–E♭–G–B♭. Its G is a major seventh above A♭, and B♭ is the ninth. Fm9 and A♭maj9 can both be understood as borrowing from C minor when C major is the reference. They introduce accidentals deliberately; you haven’t made a mistake by leaving the white keys.
Let the melody acknowledge the change
Hold C or G in the melody over Fmaj9 and Fm9 to hear the harmony shift underneath a stable note. Then try A moving to A♭ with the chord. One version makes the colour change happen around the melody; the other lets the melody take part in it.
If the loop is too dense, omit a doubled root or fifth before removing the notes that define the chord quality. Keep the bass F, the third A or A♭, and the seventh E or E♭ audible. Those small differences are the point of this example.
04. Am9–Fmaj9–Dm9–Fm(maj7): keep the E natural
Am9 → Fmaj9 → Dm9 → Fm(maj7)
The final chord is easy to misread. Fm(maj7) means an F-minor triad with a major seventh: F–A♭–C–E. The “minor” describes the triad; “major seventh” describes E’s relationship to F. It is different from Fm7, which uses E♭.
A short isolated upper chord: hear the tension between A♭ and E. Use the full video for the entire progression.
1.4 seconds · Piano excerpt from Niko’s lesson
In the chart, E remains in the upper part through all four chords. On Am9 it is the fifth, on Fmaj9 the major seventh, on Dm9 the ninth, and on Fm(maj7) the major seventh. The same pitch takes on a different role as the bass and surrounding notes change.
Compare the ending instead of guessing
Play the last chord as F–A♭–C–E, then lower only E to E♭. Listen to how Fm7 changes the return to Am9. Niko compares these colours and briefly tries Gm7 during the passage. The chart retains the announced Fm(maj7) progression so you have one clear version to practise.
The audio here is deliberately a short chord example. Speech and ad-libs interrupt the longer demonstration, so use the embedded video to hear the complete passage in context.
05. Am9–Gm7–B♭maj9–Fmaj9: take a B-flat detour
Am9 → Gm7 → B♭maj9 → Fmaj9
Gm7 introduces B♭, and the following chord puts B♭ in the bass. That gives the middle of the progression a clear connection. The move from Am9 into Gm7 also makes the change from B natural to B♭ easy to hear.
Follow the changing bass beneath the close upper voicings.
10.7 seconds · Piano excerpt from Niko’s lessonNiko first names B♭maj7, then adds C to make B♭maj9. Its complete pitch set is B♭–D–F–A–C. Keep the A natural: changing it to A♭ would turn the major seventh into a minor seventh and give you a different chord.
Keep the upper notes within reach
The demonstration contrasts nearby voicings with jumping through block shapes. Learn the chart slowly, then find one transition you can make smaller. You can move an individual upper note by an octave while keeping its chord identity.
For an arrangement exercise, let the first two chords use shorter attacks and give B♭maj9 more space. Bring the drums in on Fmaj9. You are choosing phrase lengths and entrances around the harmony, rather than asking the chord loop to provide the entire arrangement.
06. Fmaj7–Dm9–Em7–A7sus2: change the bass, then leave the third out
Fmaj7 → Dm9 → Em7 → A7sus2
Keep F–A–C–E in your right hand. With F below it, you have Fmaj7. Change the bass to D and the same upper shape becomes Dm9. F is now the minor third, A the fifth, C the minor seventh, and E the ninth.
Listen to the bass change from F to D, then the open suspended A ending.
6.1 seconds · Piano excerpt from Niko’s lessonNext, play Em7: E–G–B–D. For A7sus2, put A under E–G–B, or use the chart’s rearrangement G–B–E. The complete chord is A–B–E–G. B replaces the third; there is no C♯ or C in this suspended voicing.
Hear what happens when the third returns
Niko also experiments with A7 and Amaj7. Compare the three endings slowly: A7sus2 uses A–B–E–G; A7 uses A–C♯–E–G; Amaj7 uses A–C♯–E–G♯. Listen to the change before deciding which belongs in your loop. These are alternatives, not interchangeable spellings of the same chord.
When programming MIDI, duplicate the phrase into three clips and change only that ending. Keep the sound, timing, and velocity similar so you can judge the harmony. A pad can make the sustained differences especially clear.
07. Em7–E♭m7–Dm7–G13sus4: walk down, then open out
Em7 → E♭m7 → Dm7 → G13sus4
The first three chords use the same minor-seventh shape, moved down one semitone at a time. Em7 is E–G–B–D. E♭m7 is E♭–G♭–B♭–D♭. Move down again and you get Dm7: D–F–A–C.
Three minor-seventh shapes descend by a semitone. The G chord is a separate excerpt because speech falls between them.
2.8 seconds · Piano excerpt from Niko’s lesson
In your DAW, duplicate an Em7 voicing and move every note down one semitone, including the bass. Duplicate that result and move it down one more. If you move only the bass, you make a different sound. Keep the passing E♭m7 short in one version, then lengthen it in another to hear how its role changes.
Build the suspended G chord from Fmaj7
Put G in the bass and F–A–C–E above it. Relative to G, those upper notes are the minor seventh, ninth, suspended fourth, and thirteenth. This gives you G13sus4 with the fifth omitted. There is no B in this voicing.
Hear the suspended G chord that follows the walk-down.
1.9 seconds · Piano excerpt from Niko’s lesson
G down to F is a whole tone: two semitones. The video’s counting shorthand can obscure that distance. Once you know the two note names, the construction is straightforward: Fmaj7 over G.
Niko connects this sound with a gospel-style resolution and demonstrates it resolving to C. Try adding Cmaj7 after the four-chord pattern as an optional ending. Let F move to E and A move to G while C and E remain available as common tones. You can also stop on the suspended chord if you want the phrase to remain open.
Turn one progression into a lo-fi beat
The following production exercise extends the piano lesson. Choose one progression you enjoy and make an eight-bar idea before learning another. If these voicings still feel too involved, our EDM piano chord guide gives you simpler triads to practise first.
- Choose a sound you can hear clearly. Begin with a plain piano or electric-piano patch you already own. Keep the bass apart from the upper chord. If the low end is muddy, move the upper voicing up before adding effects.
- Make the rhythm intentional. Try one version with held chords and another with short offbeat attacks. Start around 78 BPM as a practice setting, then adjust until the phrase feels right. There is no required tempo for using these chords.
- Shape the velocity. Let a melody note stand slightly above the middle voices. Keep repeated accompaniment notes quieter where that helps the phrase. Randomising every note is less useful than making a clear musical choice.
- Add drums that leave room. Start with kick, snare, and a simple hat pattern. Decide which part provides the rhythmic movement. A busy piano part may need simpler drums; a sustained chord can leave room for a more active groove.
- Add texture after the harmony works. Try gentle saturation, a little filtering, or subtle pitch movement. Compare with the effects bypassed at a similar loudness. If the processing hides the chord changes, reduce it.
- Write a second pass. Change one thing in bars five to eight: a higher melody note, a longer final chord, a missing drum hit, or a brief bass rest. Save a rough bounce so you have something complete to listen back to.
If you use MIDI as a starting point, the notes remain editable while you try different instruments. Our guide to using MIDI packs covers that workflow, and the chord-pack collection offers more material to explore.
Common questions
Do lo-fi chords have to be sevenths or ninths?
No. These extensions are useful colours, not entry requirements. A triad can work well with the right melody, register, rhythm, and sound. Learn what each added note does rather than making every chord as large as possible.
Why doesn’t my MIDI sound exactly like the clip?
The diagrams simplify repeated notes and present one playable voicing. Niko varies octaves, attack, sustain, and rhythm as he plays. Check your chord tones first, then compare the bass register, upper spacing, and note lengths. Equal-width chart columns do not represent a timing transcription.
What is the difference between Fm7 and Fm(maj7)?
Both have F, A♭, and C. Fm7 adds E♭; Fm(maj7) adds E natural. Move that one note while keeping the rest of the chord still. The short example in progression four helps you hear the latter colour.
Can I transpose these progressions?
Yes. Move all the MIDI notes by the same number of semitones, including the bass and the borrowed notes. For example, moving Cmaj9–Fmaj9 up two semitones gives Dmaj9–Gmaj9. Check the new instrument range after transposing.
Where can I practise seventh and ninth chords?
Try Ableton’s interactive seventh-chord lesson, then compare the three main ninth-chord types in piano.org’s ninth-chord reference. For a practical next step, return to one chart, remove its ninth, and add it back. Hearing that difference is more useful than memorising a long list of symbols at once.
Source: 7 Shocking LOFI Chord Progressions You Never Knew Existed, Niko Kotoulas. Screenshots and piano excerpts come from the complete lesson. MIDI diagrams provide source-informed practice voicings; the arrangement exercises are editorial additions. This guide standardises inconsistent chord labels and counting terminology without changing the seven core examples.
