From Mel McIntyre,
Your Guide to Piano.
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You can play a lot of songs using just the standard 3-note solid chords also known as triads. These chords are formed by combining the 1st, 3rd and 5th degrees of the scale. In C major, that would be the notes C, E and G.

Below you can see the three notes that make up the C chord, C, E and G. The picture on the left shows where they are on the keyboard, while on the right you can see what the C chord looks like in musical notation. Middle C is shown with a red dot so you know exactly where to place your fingers.

Try playing this chord on your piano a few times before continuing.