How to Add Piano Chords to any Melody

Chords can come unexpectedly and rapidly and most of them are indeed complicated to pronounce or intimidating to most people. The sad part is that this is often not true. Chords are really fun and usually add color and expression to everything.

If there are two hands doing different things (usually) th left hand is taking care of the chords. For experimentation purrposes or for coordination development or what is also known in some songs is that the right hand takes care of the chords.
If chords are known, most common chord progressions can be used for a wide range of songs. I-V (the first major or minor chord and the fifth major chord of the scale) are used. So if I was in the scale or key of c, m chords would be c major (or minor) and G major.
When playing chords with the melody for just one hand, it is necessary to consider that chords are highly dependant on what melody notes are being used and so a fine understanding of theory is needed. Generally, if for example the notes of the melody are (on the key of c) g, f, e or d, and the left hand is on the fifth chord, the notes b, d, g, or f can be used interchangeably. Chord inversions are used when the chords on the song do not change. Thus, depending on what notes are used (g or a) then the second inversion of the c chord would accompany this group. If the notes are b thorugh d, then the fundamental or root position of the chord is used. If, however, the higher notes (e, f, or sometimes g) are used, the first inversion is played.