What are pivot chords?

Pivot chords are chords that help music smoothly move from one part to another, like a bridge connecting two islands.

Imagine you're playing with building blocks. You have a red block tower and a blue block tower next to it. To get from the red tower to the blue tower, you might use a yellow block as a step, it helps you move easily between the two towers. That yellow block is like a pivot chord.

Think of music like a journey with different stops. A pivot chord is like a special train that can go from one stop to another without making you get off the train. It fits both places, so the music flows smoothly instead of jumping around suddenly.

For example, if your song is in C major and it wants to move to G major, a F chord can be the pivot. The F chord connects C and G, helping the music move gently from one key to another, just like that yellow block helped you go from red to blue.