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Jermaine Griggs

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This is our own way of describing strong transitional chords that take you from one degree of the scale to another.

They occur frequently in gospel songs, especially worship and what Jason White calls the “Old School Shuffle” types of songs.

You’ll really find a lot of them in between minor chords (…and if you know anything about the diatonic chords of a scale, you’ll know that the 2nd, 3rd, and 6th tones of the scale are usually minor).

So you can apply what you’re about to learn in between the 3rd and 6th tones of the scale — you can apply it between the 6th and 2nd tones of the scale and you can even apply it between the 2nd and 3rd tones of the scale, although the latter doesn’t give you much “play” room to work with).

Let’s go to the key of Ab major.

And for simplicity’s sake, I’m only going to talk about the “3-6″ walk-up. In other words, that’s a set of transitional diminished chords that take you from the 3rd tone of the scale to the 6th.

(This happens a lot by the way. Heck, any time a progression goes to the 6th degree of the scale, you can “back up” and play the 3-chord to lead you there. You have tons of options and I’ll give you one of them here).

Ab major scale:

What’s the 3rd tone of the scale?

Answer: C

What’s the 6th tone of the scale?

Answer: F

And like I said above and from past lessons, you know that the 3rd and 6th tones of the scale usually associate with minor chords — so let’s play minor 7 chords for both of these tones:

C minor 7

F minor 7

Now, that you have the foundational chords. Let’s change things up a bit and add some “flavor.”

Warning…

We’re going to do some “borrowing” in this strategy. That is, we’re going to borrow some tones from other scales.

This walk up will use a note or two outside of the Ab scale.

Step 1: Regardless of what overall key you’re in, use the major scale of your starting note as the basis for your walk-up.

I know that sounds a little confusing so let me explain.

For this lesson, we’re walking up from C to F right? In other words, from the third tone of the scale to the sixth tone of the scale. So what I’m saying is that you’re going to temporarily be using the C major scale since C is the starting note of your walkup.

So when you walk up from C to F, you’re going to be thinking in terms of C major, not the overall key you’re in.

Because if you were thinking in terms of the Ab major scale, your walk up would include these individual notes:

C — Db — Eb — F

YOU DON’T WANT THESE NOTES! (At least for this exercise).

You want these notes:

C — D — E — F

Look familiar? They should. Because we borrowed this string of notes from the C major scale.

So that’s the first key breakthrough…

To add flavor to your movements, you don’t always have to use the notes of the key you’re in. Walk-ups and walk-downs commonly borrow from other keys.

So now that we have the framework, let’s figure out the diminished chords to play on each of these tones.

(Actually, our “C,” “D,” and “E will get diminished chords but our “F” will be a minor chord like usual).

Step two: Apply the appropriate diminished chords

Bass: C
Chord: A# dim 7 (A# + C# + E + G)

Bass: D
Chord: B dim 7 (B + D + F + Ab)

Bass: E
Chord: C# dim 7 (C# + E + G + Bb)
*Enharmonically, this chord is spelled differently but makes almost the same sound as the A# dim 7 chord (they share the same tones). You can think of this chord as an inversion of the first chord we played because all you have to do is take the first note off the A# dim 7 chord and add it to the end of this chord and you’ll get a C# dim 7. Compare the two chords and that’ll be the only main difference.

Then, we just go to a regular F minor 7 chord.

See how that worked?

Heck, you can even keep the walk-up going even further. I know I’m only focusing on walk-ups between the “3rd” and “6th” tone of the scale but if you recall earlier, I talked about using it between the “6th” and “2nd” tone of the scale. So if you wanted to, you could use the same concept to go from “F” to “Bb.”

How would you do it?

Well, instead of playing a minor 7 chord on F, you would play a diminished chord (just like we did on “C”). So basically, “F” gets treated just like “C” did… since you’re going to keep going and not rest on “F” like you normally would.

And if you remember my rule about borrowing from other major scales… the same applies here.

We’re going to use the tones of the F major scale to walk up to Bb.

F — G — A — Bb

Here are the chords:

*F on bass (my graphic doesn’t have enough room to include all the notes)

*G on bass

*A on bass

…and these take you to a nice Bb minor 7 chord:

*Bb on bass

I know this lesson is a lot to swallow so just go back through it as many times as you need to and feel free to leave any questions below!

I hope you enjoy! (And believe me when I say… “This can be used a lot, especially in gospel!”)

Until next time —

Head over to MinistryMusician.com for all the details

All I can say is you’ll be blessed by this course! Don’t miss out!

Jermaine

Jason White's GospelKeys Ministry Musician Volume 1

This 4.5 hour course aims to teach you how to add your own flavor to hymns, the old school shuffle and how to apply it to old-time devotional songs like "I’m On The Battlefield," worship and "mood" music, choir songs, praise songs, church "bebop," shouting music, and a whole lot more!

Most importantly, you get exposed to the other side of church musicianship and what your role as a musician or minister of music should be. Jason takes literally 20+ years of experience and lays it in your lap in a fun, informative, entertaining way.

Not only will he keep you at the edge of your seat, but he’ll keep you interested and smiling throughout the entire course. You’ll enjoy his occasional singing with the songs he teaches and his "church talk" in between.

If you’ve always looked up to musicians like Jason White and never imagined being able to learn from someone of this caliber, now’s your chance! Click here to learn more | Buy now

You can order this course right now by clicking here!

This is 30 minutes in preview clips (yes… 30 minutes!!!) of a 4.5 hour course entitled “GospelKeys Ministry Musician” Volume 1, which will release on Monday, August 25, 2008! You can pre-order now by calling 1-877-856-4187.

Put your name and e-mail in the box below and get the other 2 clips now!

Winner of “Comment” Contest: Bryan, comment #74 (how we chose the winner)

UPDATE: I’ve added sound clips from 20 albums (out of the many) that Jason has either played keyboard, organ, or produced. Scroll below to see it…

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Michael Bereal has been playing the piano ever since he could spell the word “piano.” For over 25 years he’s perfected his style, which is recognized and referenced by musicians and listeners all around the world.

He’s played piano, organ, synthesizer, and bass for a countless number of gospel artists like Donnie McClurkin, Mary Mary, Bishop T.D. Jakes, Beverly Crawford, Judith McAllister, Tonex, Kim Burrell, Kurt Carr, Renee Spearman, Norman Hutchins, Alaska Mass Choir, Karen Clark-Sheard, Dorinda Clark-Cole, Twinkie Clark, Marvin Sapp, Juanita Bynum, Bishop Noel Jones, Soul Seekers, Smokie Norful, Denetria Champ, Doc Powell, Olivia Williams, Eddie Baltrip, Coko, Bishop Paul Morton, and many more. He has also produced many of their albums.

Michael is also the head keyboardist at West Angeles Church Of God In Christ, where Bishop Charles E. Blake is the pastor and Presiding Bishop over the entire Church Of God In Christ (COGIC) denomination all over the world!

He’s cited on gospel music forums across the net and referred to on video sites like youtube by musicians all around the globe.

I trust very few people over him to deliver fresh, practical, easy-to-understand techniques and principles to playing contemporary gospel music by ear!

Mike Bereal's GospelKeys Master Class Volume 1

In this 3-hour master class series, the legendary Michael Bereal, who has played for just about everyone in the gospel industry (Donnie McClurkin, Mary Mary, Kim Burrell, Judith McAllister, Marvin Sapp, etc), will show you how to spice up various parts of your church service by applying his closely-guarded chords, progressions, "runs," and tricks. By the end of the course, you'll have new and exciting chords and movements to play during worship, praise, shouting, and even "talking" moments of the service.

If you've always wondered how the professionals voice their chords and movements, then you can't afford to miss this master class series! Click here to learn more | Buy now

So let’s get started!

==================================

There’s several ways you can learn this worship progression.

1) You can watch the tutorial first, then return to this newsletter.

2) You can read this newsletter first, then put it all together when you watch the tutorial.

3) You can mix and match. Play the tutorial up to a certain point, then return to the newsletter to see what I have to say about it. Then back to the tutorial. Or you can read my newsletter up to a certain point and then play the tutorial.

Up to you!

Note: There are two tutorials on the same page. I’m only referring to the first one.

==================================

(You may want to print this out)

Let’s start off with the basic chord progression. Just like the video tutorial, we’ll start with the basics and then get into “Mike’s” changes later on in the newsletter.

This progression will be in the key of Db major.

The bass for the entire progression is also Db (the first tone in the scale) so you won’t have to worry about memorizing a super-complicated left hand arrangement… at least not right now.

So let’s focus on the right hand:

(It’s amazingly simple but once you start adding Bereal’s feel to it, you’ll see the power of basic chords arranged in such a way…)

7 Chords (from illustration above)
==================================

Left Hand Bass: Db // Right Hand: Ab + Db + F

Left Hand Bass Db // Right Hand: Db + F + Ab

Left Hand Bass: Db // Right Hand: Bb + Eb + G

Left Hand Bass: Db // Right Hand: Eb + G + Bb

Left Hand Bass: Db // Right Hand: Db + Eb + Gb + A

Left Hand Bass: Db // Right Hand: A + Db +Eb + Gb

Left Hand Bass: Db // Right Hand: Ab + Db + F

So as you can see, the foundation for this progression isn’t very hard. In fact, incredibly simple to be coming from a pro like Mike Bereal right?

Here’s the thing…

Nothing is really that hard. It’s what you do with what you already have that makes the difference, as you’ll soon see below.

So let’s keep it moving…

Recall that the Db major scale is:

Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C Db
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

While our bass is constantly holding down the “1″ (the first tone of the scale: Db), the chords are moving in a particular pattern.

Notice that every two chords, the progression switches scale tones.

In other words, the first two chords are simply Db major chords (one is voiced in second inversion with Ab as the lowest note on the right hand —and— the other Db major chord is voiced in root position with Db as the lowest note on the right hand).

Then it moves to the second tone of the scale, which is Eb.

But what’s so different about this chord is that it doesn’t naturally occur on the second tone of the scale.

If you have our 300pg course or any of our other GospelKeys courses, you’ve probably ran into a chart like this:

So why doesn’t Mike just play a regular Eb minor chord?

Well, first of all, it wouldn’t give him the sound he’s looking for. With the Db constantly held down in the left hand (or by the bass player), an Eb minor chord would produce a TOTALLY different sound… but altering the minor chord to a major chord gives the intended sound he’s looking for during the worship part of the church service.

I could talk all day about secondary dominants but we’ll reserve that topic for another lesson.

For now, understand that when you change a minor chord to a major chord, it CAN work and just may produce the exact sound you’ve been trying to imitate but couldn’t figure out what it was in the past (especially if you’re confident you’ve figured out the bass note but the “normal” minor chord just doesn’t sound right).

So Mike uses the Eb major chord and does the same pattern with it. He goes from the Eb major chord (in second inversion with Bb as the lowest note on the right hand) to an Eb major chord in root position (with Eb as the lowest note on the right hand).

Let’s move on…

Next comes a couple of different chords.

He uses a half-diminished chord on the right hand. This is also known as a minor seventh chord with a flatted 5th tone in it.

He uses an Eb half diminished chord. I know it’s hard to tell because Db is the lowest note of the first one and then A is the lowest note of the next one (…if you haven’t figured it out already, there’s two of each type of chord in this progression… Mike just plays them differently).

But in your mind, temporarily try to look at this chord with Eb on the bottom even though he doesn’t play it that way. It would look something like this:

Eb + Gb + A + Db

(It’s the same notes, it’s just arranged with Eb on the bottom).

Now, try to recall what the regular Eb minor 7th chord looks like:

Eb + Gb + Bb + Db

What’s the only difference?

Well, you tell me!

Eb + Gb + A + Db
Eb + Gb + Bb + Db

The “A” and the “Bb” right?

And since the A is a half-step lower than the Bb, that’s why we call it a “flat 5″ or “flatted 5″ because Bb is the 5th tone in that chord and we’re literally lowering it by a half-step. But that’s just some information about the chord. Let’s get back to the actual progression.

So we’re working with an Eb half-diminished chord (or Eb minor b5… however you want to look at it).

Mike then goes on to do the same thing with this chord. He starts it off in this inversion:

Db + Eb + Gb + A

And he inverts it to:

A + Db + Eb + Gb

(Note that there is no difference in ACTUAL notes played, just a new order).

Then, to end the progression, the very last chord in the series is the SAME as the first chord.

So now you have a great understanding of all 7 chords. Let’s take it a step forward, making some of the changes Mike would make to this chord progression.

Are you ready to review what we’ve covered so far by watching the live tutorial?

==================================

“The next phase”

Did you catch that?

Here are the notes written out:

Left Hand Bass: Db // Right Hand: Ab + F

Left Hand Bass F // Right Hand: Db + Ab

Left Hand Bass: Eb // Right Hand: Bb + G

Left Hand Bass: G // Right Hand: Eb + Bb

Left Hand Bass: Gb // Right Hand: Eb + A

Left Hand Bass: Eb // Right Hand: A + Gb

Left Hand Bass: Db // Right Hand: Ab + F

This is a very popular west coast secret.

What you basically do is take most chords you normally play (especially triads) and take the middle note out of the right hand and play it on the left hand.

So notice that we took the normal Db + F + Ab chord (Db major triad) and took the F out of the right hand (leaving us with Db + Ab) and played it on the left hand.

We did this for every chord. When we got to the four-toned chords, we had to make a decision of which note to move to the bottom (…since those chords had Db in them and we know that the common underlying bass for the ENTIRE progression is Db, there is no need to repeat the Db).

Wait! I can just hear someone getting confused here.

One of the first things I pointed out in this newsletter was that the entire progression is played over a constant Db bass, whether played by an organist or a bass player or occasionally by you in between chords. So that is a given now.

Now that we are actively changing our left hand, we can’t play that constant Db as much as we’d like (you’ll sometimes see Mike playing the deep Db note in between chords when it’s convenient). But it’s still present as the underlying bass note for everything.

So when it comes time to figure out what notes to keep and what notes to omit, always look at what’s already being played as you don’t always need to “double up” notes.

So that’s why this chord:

Db + Eb + Gb + A
(Eb half diminished)

Ended up being:

Bass: Gb /// Right hand: Eb + A

We basically ignored the Db in the chord and proceeded as if it didn’t exist. That would give us:

Eb + Gb + A

We took out the middle note (Gb) and that’s how we got:

Bass: Gb /// Right hand: Eb + A

Same thing for the next chord.

It would have normally been A + Db + Eb + Gb

We left out the Db:

A + Eb + Gb

Then we applied Mike’s special rule and took the Eb out of the middle and put it on the bass. Thus we got:

Bass: Eb /// Right hand: A + Gb

==================================

Can you apply this to virtually all your chords?

The answer is a resounding yes! If you didn’t get the formula, just re-read this section of the newsletter or watch the tutorial.

This is what I call a PRINCIPLE. It is something that you don’t just apply to the situation you’re using it in but it works in MANY situations. It changes the way you think. It’s everlasting. It can work for you many places.

You’ll learn many PRINCIPLES, not just tricks, in the master class dvd releasing on Wednesday, June 18, 2008. More info here.

==================================

Now, I realize this is already a life-changer for someone who wasn’t doing this kinda stuff before (i.e.- omitting notes in the right hand just to play them in the left). The good news is that there’s more!

Changing the order of chords

Realize that you’re only really playing three chords:

Db major >>> Eb major >>> Eb minor 7 (flat 5)

Yes, there’s 7 chords but all the other ones are either duplicates (as in the first chord and the last chord) or inversions (just the same chord played differently).

So Mike invites you to flip the order of the chords to get a different feel.

But you must stay in this MASTER order:

Db major >>> Eb major >>> Eb minor 7 (flat 5)

Here’s an example:

1) Left Hand Bass F // Right Hand: Db + Ab

2) Left Hand Bass: Db // Right Hand: Ab + F

3) Left Hand Bass: G // Right Hand: Eb + Bb

4) Left Hand Bass: Eb // Right Hand: Bb + G

5) Left Hand Bass: Gb // Right Hand: Eb + A

6) Left Hand Bass: Eb // Right Hand: A + Gb

7) Left Hand Bass: Db // Right Hand: Ab + F

In this order, I basically switched every other chord (compare this one to the order above). I chose not to do it to chord #5 and #6 because they were already descending. In other words, before I made this change, our left hand was going from Db UP to F, then from Eb UP to G.

But now, I’ve made the left hand and the chords go from F DOWN to Db, from G DOWN to Eb and since our #5 and #6 chords were already going from Eb DOWN to Gb, it worked perfectly!

You can even mix-match them! What if you went DOWN from F to Db in the first two chords but UP from Eb to G in chords #3 and #4? And then kept chords #5 and #6 the same. Essentially, you’re doing like an “DOWN-UP-DOWN” type of movement.

1) Left Hand Bass F // Right Hand: Db + Ab

2) Left Hand Bass: Db // Right Hand: Ab + F

3) Left Hand Bass: Eb // Right Hand: Bb + G

4) Left Hand Bass: G // Right Hand: Eb + Bb

5) Left Hand Bass: Gb // Right Hand: Eb + A

6) Left Hand Bass: Eb // Right Hand: A + Gb

7) Left Hand Bass: Db // Right Hand: Ab + F

The idea is that you have many possibilities to explore!

Now are you starting to see why some of the best musicians sound so much better than average musicians?

Is it really super-hard chords or is it about being more creative? Even though the first can be true, I believe the latter question can apply to more growing musicians!

==================================

Adding even more “Mike” flavor

You’ll have to see the end of the video tutorial for this one but I just wanted to give you a heads-up.

The last part of the tutorial talks about little “grace notes” you’ll add to your chords both on the right AND left hands.

These little “grace notes” are characteristic of the west coast sound and if you’ve heard the albums Mike has played on, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

For example on this first chord:

Left Hand Bass: Db // Right Hand: Ab + F

You wouldn’t just hit the Ab + F. You’d add a quick “Eb” that won’t stay for long. You’ll just press it very quickly right before you hit the Ab + F. These little “filler” notes are the secret to that contemporary sound you hear on albums.

But for this one, I won’t dare try to explain it with words. Check out the end of the video tutorial for details as he covers grace notes to add to just about every chord in the sequence.

==================================

Well, I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. I didn’t expect it to be this long but I get carried away when it comes to explaining music.

Mike Bereal's GospelKeys Master Class Volume 1

In this 3-hour master class series, the legendary Michael Bereal, who has played for just about everyone in the gospel industry (Donnie McClurkin, Mary Mary, Kim Burrell, Judith McAllister, Marvin Sapp, etc), will show you how to spice up various parts of your church service by applying his closely-guarded chords, progressions, "runs," and tricks. By the end of the course, you'll have new and exciting chords and movements to play during worship, praise, shouting, and even "talking" moments of the service.

If you've always wondered how the professionals voice their chords and movements, then you can't afford to miss this master class series! Click here to learn more | Buy now

Until next time!

Several months ago, I interviewed Mike Bereal over the phone and picked his brain for over 45 minutes!

(This was way before we knew he’d be doing our next dvd).

You have got to stop what you’re doing and listen to this, even if you listen to it in the background. You will be blessed!

Replay:


Download MP3

It covers:

*** What Mike had to learn to go from being an “ordinary” player to a gospel “extraordinaire,” playing for just about every gospel artist you can think of (including the head presiding Bishop over the entire Church of God In Christ denomination… Bishop Charles E. Blake)!

*** How he thinks differently from 80% of musicians out there and how he approaches chords and progressions to spice them up in unimaginable ways!

*** The business side of musicianship and how he failed at it for years, struggling to be equal on both sides of the game…

*** Some insider tips and advice on how to take your contemporary gospel playing to new heights (from someone who’s been on both sides of the fence).

*** And much much more!

Replay:


Download MP3

Mike Bereal's GospelKeys Master Class Volume 1

In this 3-hour master class series, the legendary Michael Bereal, who has played for just about everyone in the gospel industry (Donnie McClurkin, Mary Mary, Kim Burrell, Judith McAllister, Marvin Sapp, etc), will show you how to spice up various parts of your church service by applying his closely-guarded chords, progressions, "runs," and tricks. By the end of the course, you'll have new and exciting chords and movements to play during worship, praise, shouting, and even "talking" moments of the service.

If you've always wondered how the professionals voice their chords and movements, then you can't afford to miss this master class series! Click here to learn more | Buy now

You may have heard of fake books and chord charts where you are given chords to play under various melodies. Jazz standards are usually notated this way.

For example, the chord chart may display a “Cmaj7″ over a particular bar with a melody line beneath it. To some extent, you have to know how to read sheet music (at least to read the melody line).

Harmonizing melodies, to me, is much easier. In fact, I honestly believe it can be mastered in a matter of weeks, if not days, or even hours. Once you know the system, you’ll never forget it and you’ll be able to apply these same techniques to dozens of songs! This is how hymns and popular music are played.

I’ll give you a lot more songs when I revisit this topic in future newsletters, but just to demonstrate my point, let’s take “Mary had a little lamb” since everyone knows this nursery rhyme (…little Jadyn loves this tune).

With this method, if you can sit at your piano and pick out the one-note melody, then you’re 30 seconds from playing it as a full-sounding song.

Because the chords that harmonize notes hardly ever change — only the notes themselves.

So if there are 8 notes in a major scale (really only 7 unique notes but the octave note makes 8) — and you know the “matching” chord for each one of those notes, then you have what it takes to play full-sounding chords in place of your one-note melodies.

Let me explain…

Say, after 10 minutes at the piano, you’ve managed to learn “Mary had a little lamb” (and believe me, it’s not that hard to pick out a melody — small children do it if you leave them at the piano long enough).

It’s not rocket science.

I believe everyone has the ear to sit down and pick out a melody (especially if you know your major scales because most melodies come directly from the scales). So if a major scale has eight notes and most melodies are formed with a combination of passing tones, upper and lower neighboring tones, and chord tones, then it shouldn’t take hours to learn melodies of popular songs.

Passing tones…? Upper neighboring tones…?

Lower neighboring tones? Chord tones? What?

You’re probably wondering what these are.

I discuss these things in detail in chapter 17 of my 300-pg course, but for now, I’ll explain them briefly:

Passing Tones

Melodies include tones that are not a part of the chord used for the harmony. These non-chord tones are called non-harmonic tones. When a melody passes from one chord tone to a different chord tone with a non-harmonic tone (a half or whole step) between, the non-harmonic tone is called a passing tone (pg 252, “The Secrets to Playing Piano by Ear”).

What does this mean?

Simply put, if you were playing the beginning of “Mary had a little lamb” (E - D - C - D - E - E - E) over a Cmaj chord, the ‘D’ notes in this sequence would be passing tones because they are not a part of the C major chord (C + E + G). Notice the ‘E’ and “C’ notes are a part of the C major chord so they are not called passing tones — they are called chord tones.

Neighboring Tones

When a melody passes from one chord tone back to the same chord tone with a non-harmonic tone (a half or whole step) between, the non-harmonic tone is called a neighboring tone.

What does this mean?

Basically, passing and neighboring tones function similarly but have one minor difference — the next note. If the melody is going to a different note and just “passing by” a non-harmonic note (again… simply a note that ISN’T a part of the chord being used with the melody), then it’s called a passing tone. As simple as that.

If the melody is moving from one chord tone to a next door neighbor tone, then immediately back to the original chord tone, the “in-between” tone is called a neighboring tone. If you don’t get this, it’s better illustrated with pictures. I strongly recommend my course if you think this is interesting and want to learn more.

Whether you call them upper or lowering neighboring tones depends on which way the melody is going.

It is an upper neighboring tone when it is above the chord tone and a lower neighboring tone when it is below the chord tone.

Let’s see how well you understand this:

________________________________________________________

Is this an example of a passing tone or neighboring tone?

Chord: C maj (C+E+G)

Melody: C D C

Answer: This is an example of a neighboring tone relationship because the “D” is not a part of the notes of the chord AND because the melody is going from the “D” back to the original “C” chord tone. Whenever the melody uses a note to return back to a previous chord tone, then a neighboring tone relationship exists.

The “D” is specifically an upper neighboring tone because it is higher than the original “C” chord tone.

_________________________________________________________

Is this an example of a passing tone or neighboring tone?

Chord: D min (D+F+A)

Melody: D E F

Answer: This is an example of a passing tone relationship because the E is not a part of the Dmin chord (so it’s non-harmonic) AND because the melody is moving forward to a different chord tone (”F”). For example, if the melody was D E D, then a neighboring tone relationship would have been the correct answer. However, since the “E” is used to move forward to “F”, another chord tone, this creates a passing tone relationship between the “E” and the other chord tones.

How does knowing this information help you to determine melodies?

For starters, it helps you to understand that melodies aren’t just randomly played notes that you have to figure out… they generally use notes that are right next to each other.

Let’s analyze “Mary had a little lamb” to see what I’m talking about:

E D C D E E E (Ma-ry had a lit-tle lamb)

D D D (lit-tle lamb)

E G G (lit-tle lamb)

E D C D E E E E (Ma-ry had a lit-tle lamb, her)

D D E D C (fleece was white as snow)

Now… ask yourself a few questions?

Are these notes randomly spread out or do you see patterns here?

Do you see a bunch of passing and neighboring tones like I do?

Are the notes generally right next to each other (and not more than one note a part when there is a jump like from the E to G in the third line)?

Let’s analyze another easy nursery rhyme / lullaby:

“Are you sleeping”

C D E C (Are you sleep-ing)

C D E C (Are you sleep-ing)

E F G (Bro-ther John)

E F G (Bro-ther John)

G A G F E C (Morn-ing bells are ring-ing)

G A G F E C (Morn-ing bells are ring-ing)

C G C (Ding dong ding)

C G C (Ding dong ding)

So how do I harmonize these melodies … already?!!!

This is where I want to introduce the “harmonization” chart. But first, here are some rules to keep in mind:

1. Every note in a major scale has its own harmonizing chord. Usually this chord features the note of the scale as its highest tone (will discuss more below).

2. Whenever a note is played, simply replace it with its harmonizing chord.

3. When all one-note melodies have been replaced with harmonizing chords, you have a full-sounding basic song.

Let’s take the C major scale (but keep in mind that every major scale has its own harmonizing chords). Try to take my patterns and learn them in the other 11 major keys and you’ll do yourself a great service!

If you noticed that the highest note of the chord always matches the melody note, then you are absolutely correct.

In essence, since you are replacing a melody note with a chord, in most cases, you’ll still want to preserve the melody (… you’ll want to hear the melody clearly) so by playing these particular chords, the highest note of each chord IS ALMOST ALWAYS THE MELODY.

(This may all seem strange because I don’t have lots of room to explain myself with pictures and illustrations. Of course, some people will grasp on right away).

If you’re serious about learning harmonization, visit: http://www.hearandplay.com/special?harmonycourse to check out my course.

So, all you have to do is take the melodies above and replace them with the appropriate chords. I’ll copy the melodies to “Mary had a little lamb” and “Are you sleeping” so that you can try it on your own below.

I’ll also post the answers below to make sure you fully understand this harmonization process.

Mary had a little lamb

I’ll do the first one for you.

E D C D E E E (Ma-ry had a lit-tle lamb)

_____________________________________

G+C+E (Ma)

F+A+D (ry)

E+G+C (had)

F+A+D (a)

G+C+E (lit)

G+C+E (tle)

G+C+E (lamb)

Notice that the original melody note is still on top! That’s the whole point of using the harmonizing chart I’ve created for you above. The song still sounds like “Mary had a little lamb”, the melody is still obvious, but with the addition of full-sounding harmony!

Note: You might find it awkward to play a chord for every single melody note, especially if a particular melody note goes by very fast. It is not necessary to always harmonize every single note. Sometimes, you can play a harmonizing chord — then play the next “single note” of the melody right after it —- then follow up with the next harmonizing chord.

For example, you can play {G+C+E} for the first part of Mary [”Ma”] but only play the single note, “D,” for the second half of Mary [”ry”]. Then, of course, you can proceed to the {E+G+C} chord for the melody note that goes with “had.” The ultimate secret is to rely on your ear to find out what sounds right. If it sounds right, then it works!

Your turn…

D D D (lit-tle lamb)

_____________________________________

________ (lit)

________ (tle)

________ (lamb)

E G G (lit-tle lamb)

_____________________________________

________ (lit)

________ (tle)

________ (lamb)

E D C D E E E E (Ma-ry had a lit-tle lamb, her)

______________________________________

________ (Ma)

________ (ry)

________ (had)

________ (a)

________ (lit)

________ (tle)

________ (lamb)

________ (her)

D D E D C (fleece was white as snow)

______________________________________

________ (fleece)

________ (was)

________ (white)

________ (as)

________ (snow)

If you’ve chosen the right harmonizing chords, then you should have a nice full-sounding arrangement of Mary had a little lamb above. If not, just try it again until it works.

Lastly, try taking “Are you sleeping” and do the same thing you did above. This time, I won’t provide you with a template. You’ll have to do it all on your own:

“Are you sleeping”

C D E C (Are you sleep-ing)

C D E C (Are you sleep-ing)

E F G (Bro-ther John)

E F G (Bro-ther John)

G A G F E C (Morn-ing bells are ring-ing)

G A G F E C (Morn-ing bells are ring-ing)

C G C (Ding dong ding)

C G C (Ding dong ding)

Answers to both songs:

“Mary had a little lamb”

E D C D E E E (Ma-ry had a lit-tle lamb)

_____________________________________

G+C+E (Ma)

F+A+D (ry)

E+G+C (had)

F+A+D (a)

G+C+E (lit)

G+C+E (tle)

G+C+E (lamb)

D D D (lit-tle lamb)

_____________________________________

F+A+D (lit)

F+A+D (tle)

F+A+D (lamb)

E G G (lit-tle lamb)

_____________________________________

G+C+E (lit)

C+E+G (tle)

C+E+G (lamb)

E D C D E E E E (Ma-ry had a lit-tle lamb, her)

_____________________________________

G+C+E (Ma)

F+A+D (ry)

E+G+C (had)

F+A+D (a)

G+C+E (lit)

G+C+E (tle)

G+C+E (lamb)

G+C+E (her)

D D E D C (fleece was white as snow)

______________________________________

F+A+D (fleece)

F+A+D (was)

G+C+E (white)

F+A+D (as)

E+G+C (snow)

“Are you sleeping”

C D E C (Are you sleep-ing)

______________________________________

E+G+C (Are)

F+A+D (you)

G+C+E (sleep)

E+G+C (ing)

C D E C (Are you sleep-ing)

______________________________________

E+G+C (Are)

F+A+D (you)

G+C+E (sleep)

E+G+C (ing)

E F G (Bro-ther John)

______________________________________

G+C+E (Bro)

A+C+F (ther)

C+E+G (John)

E F G (Bro-ther John)

______________________________________

G+C+E (Bro)

A+C+F (ther)

C+E+G (John)

G A G F E C (Morn-ing bells are ring-ing)

______________________________________

C+E+G (Morn)

C+F+A (ing)

C+E+G (bells)

A+C+F (are)

G+C+E (ring)

E+G+C (ing)

G A G F E C (Morn-ing bells are ring-ing)

______________________________________

C+E+G (Morn)

C+F+A (ing)

C+E+G (bells)

A+C+F (are)

G+C+E (ring)

E+G+C (ing)

C G C (Ding dong ding)

______________________________________

E+G+C (Ding)

B+D+G (dong) — use different harmonization type

E+G+C (ding)

C G C (Ding dong ding)

______________________________________

E+G+C (Ding)

B+D+G (dong) — use different harmonization type

E+G+C (ding)

Recap time…

You now have a formula:

A) Determine a melody to any song

B) Replace the melody notes with harmonizing chords making sure to keep the melody note as the highest tone of each chord (see chart above)

C) Add bass (or left hand) — We’ll cover this in another newsletter or you can just get my courses to explore this since I’m running out of space here.

There you have it. I hope you’ve benefited from this lesson. Let me know on my message board.

Shouting music is one of my favorite topics because at the tender age of 8-years old, it was probably one of the few things I had to master very quickly.

By 10, I was playing for several churches (COGIC, Baptist, Apostolic, Pentecostal) and most of them “shouted” for at least 30 minutes during each service.

…So needless to say, I got good very quickly at playing fast left-hand bass runs, right-hand chordal movements, and more!

In this lesson, I’m going to show you some of the essentials to playing shouting music by ear.

If you have no idea what shouting music is or how it sounds, click on the link below to hear a sample:

http://PlayAudio-234.com/play.asp?m=257323&f=KZHHYD&ps=7&p=1

In fact, I’m going to be using the same concepts from GospelKeys 500 for the online classroom lesson below.

The first concept to master is the left-hand bass run because it provides the foundation and rhythm for your shouting music.

Concept #1: Left-hand bass runs

There are tons of bass runs that can be used in shouting music. If you listen to the sample above, you’ll hear a variety of different “runs.” Some runs move downward (from high notes to low notes). Other bass runs (aka “bass lines”) move in an ascending direction.

MAJOR KEY:

We’ll be in the key of Ab major for this lesson.

Let’s learn a few ascending and descending bass runs.

Ascending bass run (1-5):

Ab C Db D Eb F Gb G Ab

Note: These notes are played separately, one after the other (not together)!

Tip: If you were to imitate the sound of a “shout” by stomping your feet and clapping your hands right after (that is: “stomp - clap - stomp - clap - stomp - clap”), your bass notes would be played on every beat, each time you stomp and clap).

Descending bass run (1-5):

Ab Gb F E Eb F Gb G Ab

Notice that I called both of the examples above “1-5″ bass runs.

Why?

Because they focus on the 1st and 5th keys of the scale. Let’s look at the Ab major scale:

Ab major: Ab Bb C Db Eb F G Ab

If you were to place a number (starting at 1) by each of these notes, Ab would have a number “1″ by it and Eb would have a number “5″ by it.

Since the bass runs above are both focused on Ab and Eb, they are called “1-5″ bass runs.

You can also “1-4″ bass runs in shouting music. I’ll give you a few below:

Ascending bass run (1-4):

Ab Bb B C Db F Gb G Ab

Descending bass run (1-4):

Ab Gb Eb D Db F Gb G Ab

Congratulations.

Now you have four bass runs to practice. In GospelKeys 500, you get many more to choose from. If you’re really into this style of playing, I highly recommend it.

So now that you have the left hand taken care of, I recommend that you practice it with a metronome.

Metronomes are little $15 devices that keep rhythm for you at different speeds. You can choose the tempo so you can start off slow and build your speed as you get better.

Also, if you have a keyboard with rhythmic and performing features, you can find “shouting rhythms” to accompany you while you practice these bass runs. The key is having some type of rhythmical device to keep your “timing” as you practice.

Once you’ve mastered the left hand, there’s many things to do on your right hand.

Concept #2: Right-hand chordal movements

While there are tons of things to do on your right hand, understanding how “13th” chords work is essential.

A thirteenth chord is built on the (1), (3), (5), (b7), (9), (11), and (13) tones of a major scale.

In C major, that would be:

C + E + G + Bb + D + F + A (this time, played together).

Now…

Obviously, that’s a lot of notes and most gospel musicians don’t play thirteenth chords like that.

An easier route is to play the C on your left hand and just play the Bb + D + F + A on your right hand. If you can reach, try adding in a high C and playing Bb + D + F + A + (C).

C13 (abbreviated):

C on left /// Bb D F A (C) on right.

Now, let’s bring that formula to Ab major.

Ab13 = Ab on left /// Gb Bb Db F (Ab) on right.

Putting it all together

Playing an Ab13 in a rhythmic fashion over an Ab ascending or descending bass run is the foundation of shouting music.

This combination, alone, can be played the entire time. The only thing is…

…Because shouting music is so repetitive (it’s generally the same bass run over and over), you want to include other things (like variations in bass runs and different right-hand chordal movements and fill-ins) to spice things up. This is exactly the idea of GospelKeys 500 but I’ll show a few concepts below.

Three main parts of shouting music

1) The “Intro”

2) The “Main Loop” Period

3) The “Cool Down”

Part One: The Intro

The Intro is the start of the “shouting” period.

You won’t find full-length ascending and descending bass runs like I’ve posted above.

Instead, you have teasers like:

C — Db — D — Eb. Usually the C and Db are played in pairs and the D and Eb are played in pairs.

That’s your left hand. As for your right hand, as shown in GospelKeys 500, you’ll play something like:

Bb Eb Ab (over the “C” bass from above)

B Eb F Ab (over the “Db” bass from above)

B D F Ab (over the “D” bass from above)

C Eb Ab (over the “Eb” bass from above)

This generally repeats for a good amount of time. The “Main Loop” period will usually follow right after.

Part Two: The “Main Loop” Period

You’ve already learned some things to do during the main loop period (concepts #1 and #2 from above).

This is the moment of your shouting music when the bass run is fully active (unlike the 4-note bass runs used in the “intro”). You’ll use full-powered ascending and descending bass runs along with right-hand chordal movements. For now, you’ve learned that the Ab13 chord can be played on your right while running the bass on your left hand. Other concepts that are covered in GospelKeys 500 are:

- Diminished chord tricks

- Right-hand fill-ins

- More Fill-ins: b3 and b5 fill-ins

- Three “magic” chords

- Pentatonic and blues tricks

- Chromatic drops

and more…

Part Three: The “Cool Down”

The “Cool Down” period is just what it sounds like.

It’s the moment where the shouting music is coming to an end but instead of just abruptly ending, the cool down period allows you to play certain movements that are less active than the main loop period.

More information…

Other sections: “Beyond the Basics”

Other concepts covered in GK 500 “Experiencing Shouting Music”

1) Role Reversal Techniques

2) Stride / Ragtime Effects

3) Linear Shouting Patterns / Vocal Accompaniment

4) Modulation

More information…

I hope you enjoyed this month’s lesson and I’ll be back soon!

Explore these chord types to prepare for the GospelKeys video course:

• Major triads; see pg chapter 5 of 300pg course
• Minor triads; see pg chapter 8 of 300pg course
• Major sixth chords; see pg chapter 13 of 300pg course
• Minor sixth chords; see pg chapter 13 of 300pg course
• Seventh (dominant) chords; see pg chapter 10 of 300pg course
• Minor seventh chords; see pg chapter 10 of 300pg course
• Major ninth chords; see pg chapter 14 of 300pg course

GospelKeys 500: Uptempo Shouting Music

GospelKeys 500 will give you the tools needed to master shouting music by ear.

In this course, shouting music is broken into three key sections: "The Shouting Intro," "The Main Loop Period" and "The Cool Down." You'll explore each part, step-by-step.

You won't find shouting music taught in these 3 steps anywhere else so if you've always wanted to play fast, uptempo music in charismatic settings, then look no further. Click here to learn more | Buy now

If you’ve been following me for some time, you know that I love to teach students how to master systems and patterns.

This lesson is no different.

We’re going to explore various chords from my newest GospelKeys^TM 202 course (…don’t worry if you don’t have this course yet — I’ll post the chords I want to use below).

But first, let me recap what you need to know to understand this lesson.

I believe that “repetition is the mother of skill” and that if you repeatedly hear the same thing over and over, you’ll begin to act on it! So if you’ve heard me discuss the number system in the past, just think of this as a refresher.

I’ll use the key of Db major simply because that’s the major key I focus on in the GospelKeys^TM 202 course:

When I say “number system,” that is simply understanding a major scale like this:

Db major:

Db — Eb — F — Gb — Ab — Bb — C — Db

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

These are also known as “tones” or “scale degrees.”

Basically, the idea is to be able to recall, for example, the “7th scale degree” of Db major in a few seconds! Yes, you want to be that fast with all your major scales.

You don’t want to have to recite your entire scale just to know that the 7th tone of Db is “C.” You should know that without having to remember what comes before or after “C” in the scale. Still following me?

It’s a mind game.

At least if you want to be a fast-learner of songs! You see, like I’ve always said, “learning songs occurs in the mind” and then you just transfer what you’re already thinking to the piano.”

Now, I could go deep into “melodic” and “harmonic” intervals but I won’t cover that here. You can find that in my 300pg home study course or in my newsletter archives at http://www.pianoweekly.com.

Now, that you understand the basics of this numbering system and how to apply numbers to every major scale, we can move on…

Basically, the first disc (1 hour, 25 min) of the worship course covers dozens of chords to play on each tone of the major scale. Since the major scale we are learning in is Db major, the chords taught in this newsletter all center around these seven tones:

Db — Eb — F — Gb — Ab — Bb — C

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Why not 8 tones? Because the eighth tone is Db and those chords are basically the same as the 1st tone of the scale (also “Db”).

So the idea is to be able to take chords from tone #1 and play them with chords from tone #4.

…Or chords from tone (or set) #2 and play them with chords from set #5. Or chords from the 3-group and play them with chords from the 6-group.

Notice that I phrased each example a different way (…”tone,” “set,” “group”). They all mean the same thing in this lesson.

So obviously, in order to make this happen, you have to have knowledge of the chords in each group. That is what I’m going to help you with below.

Traditionally, each tone of the major scale is associated with a certain type of chord.

For example, the 1st tone of the scale is usually associated with the major seventh chord while the 6th tone, for example, is associated with the minor seventh chord.

That is not to say you’ll always play a Dbmaj7 chord and never play a Dbmin7 chord in the key of Db major. You have several options to choose from, depending on the mood and feel of the song.

Below, I’ll list potential chords for each tone of the scale just like I teach it in the GospelKeys^TM 202 course. After that, I’ll show you how to group these chords together to make full sounding progressions (or “chord changes”).

Format: (Chord *right hand* / Bass *left hand*)

1st tone of the scale: Db

Potential chords to play:

Dbmaj triad: Db + F + Ab / Db

Dbmaj7: C + F + Ab / Db

Dbmaj (add 9): Db + Eb + F + Ab / Db

Dbmaj9: C + Eb + F + Ab / Db * more info

2nd tone of the scale: Eb

Potential chords to play:

Ebmin triad: Eb + Gb + Bb / Eb

Ebmin7: Bb + Db + Gb / Eb

Ebmin9: Gb + Bb + Db + F / Eb

Eb9: G Bb Db F / Eb * more info

3rd tone of the scale: F

Potential chords to play:

Fmin triad: F + Ab + C / F

Fmin7: Eb + Ab + C / F

Fmin7 (b5): Ab + B + Eb / F

F7 (#9#5): A + Db + Eb + Ab / F * more info

F7 (b9#5): A + Db + Eb + Gb / F * more info

4th tone of the scale: Gb

Potential chords to play:

Gbmaj triad: Gb + Bb + Db / Gb

Gbmaj7: Gb + Bb + Db + F / Gb

Gbmaj7: Db + F + Gb + Bb / Gb

Gbmaj (add 9): Gb + Ab + Bb + Db / Gb

5th tone of the scale: Ab

Potential chords to play:

Abmaj triad: Ab + C + Eb / Ab

Ab7: Ab + C + Eb + Gb / Ab

Abmin9: Gb + Bb + B + Eb / Ab

Ab13: Gb + Bb + Db + F + Ab / Ab * more info

6th tone of the scale: Bb

Potential chords to play:

Bbmin triad: Bb + Db + F / Bb

Bbmin7: Db + F + Ab / Bb

Bbmin9: Ab + C + Db + F / Bb

Gb maj / Bb: Db + Gb + Bb / Bb * more info

7th tone of the scale: C

Potential chords to play:

Cmin7 (b5): Bb C Eb Gb / C

Cmin11: Eb + G + Bb + D + F / C

Ab maj / C: Eb + Ab + C / C * more info

Moving on…

Now, that you have just a sample of chords to play on each tone of the scale, we can move on to making chord progressions.

Note: If you want ALL the chords for each tone along with 4 more hours of instruction, check out my worship course.

Now, all you have to do is mix and match chords from each group. I’ll demonstrate to you the groups that work best together but feel free to use your practice time to explore this technique!

Did you know that by making different combinations among the chords above, that you have literally hundreds of possibilities?

Let me explain:

What if you took the the first chord from the “Db” group and played it before a chord from the “Ab” group. There’s a combination right there! (… and believe it or not, this progressions is heard in thousands of songs from every genre of music)!!!

Here are the groups that work best together.

===> Try mix and matching chords from group #1 with chords from group #4 and #5. Actually, any group works well with group #1 because of the “home” feeling you get from the 1st group. It’s generally the group of chords that begin and end songs so that’s why it works well with just about any other group. But like I said, the 4th and 5th groups will sound very good played after a chord from the first group.

 

===> Try mix and matching chords from group #2 with chords from group #5. You’ll get a very good connection with chords from these two groups.

 

===> Once you’ve mastered the 1-4, 1-5, and 2-5 group connections, try combining more than one pair. That means, play a chord from group #1 going to a chord from group number 4 — then right after that, play a chord from group #2 going to a chord from group number 5. See how many possibilities can be created? This is just how music works!

 

===> Try mix and matching chords from group #3 with chords from group #6. This creates a very smooth sounding progression.

 

===> Once you’ve mastered the 3-6 combination, try combining a 2-5 pair with a 3-6. For example, play a chord from group #2 to a chord from group #5. Then immediately after that, play a chord from group #3 to a chord from group #6. Then, do it backwards. Play a 3-6 pair immediately followed by a 2-5 pair. Now you’ve created a 3-6-2-5 progression!

===> And the list goes on…

I really wish I had enough time and space to keep going. For those of you who have GospelKeys^TM 202, just pop in disc #1 and you’ll get this entire lecture right on your television. Disc 2 focuses more on where we just left off. It actually demonstrates to you how to combine these chords and what types of sounds various chords make.

If you don’t have this course yet and you’re serious about learning these concepts, I highly recommend that you check it out at http://www.gospelkeys202.com. It is perfect for gospel musicians wanting to learn slower, worshipful music in the process described above!

Shouting / Jubilant Bass Run in Ab Major (again):

Note: Each note below must be played separately and in a rhythmical pattern (kind of like the “Make you wanna shout” laundry detergent jingle … you’ve heard it haven’t you?)

Ab — C — Db — D — Eb — F — Gb — G — Ab

Notice that the bass run above is just a cycle and can be played over and over again. This is the way I like to do it:

a) I play the “Ab” first

b) Then on the “C” right after it, I play that “C” lower than the Ab (not higher).

c) After the “C”, I just work my way back up to the Ab

d) So essentially, the “Ab” is the highest note because I drop down to the “C” and continue every note from there.

e) After you get back to the “Ab”, then continue the pattern back to “C.” This is common in gospel music more than any other style.

f) The faster you play it, the better it will sound!

Does this make sense?

Why don’t you try it and e-mail me if you have any problems, ok?

I ALWAYS (I mean always) play this chord at church when playing during a jubilant period of the worship service. It’s simply a dominant chord with an added “flat 5th” tone. Now … the trick is that you don’t play all the tones of the dominant chord. JUST certain tones sound right and I’m going to show you which ones they are below:

In Ab Major:

Bass: There isn’t a particular bass for this chord. It can be played over a “running” bass if it is being used as a “fill-in” for shouting music OR … it can be played in a blues progression. Keep in mind that this chord is just a “fill in.” Play it when it “feels” right…

Right hand: Ab + D + Eb + Gb

Note: This chord should be played on the upper part of the piano (not too high but definitely not too low). Test it out at different locations for the best possible sound, ok?

Here’s one more trick with the chord above:

If you play the “D” just a split-second before the rest of the chord, it creates a nice “blues” effect. Try it:

Ab + (D) + Eb + Gb

Note: (” “) means to play JUST that one note a split-second before the rest of the chord. It sounds great!

Good luck with this one,

Before I introduce the video clips, it is important that you understand some of the key chords and concepts used in urban worship:

1) Major Seventh Chords

2) Minor Seventh Chords

3) Minor Ninth Chords

and…

4) How to superimpose chords

Past newsletters deal in depth with many the concepts above, but I’ll briefly cover each one below. While the free video clips will keep you busy for a while, knowing these concepts (if you’re a beginner) will assure that you don’t get lost or fall behind like many others.

Major Seventh Chords

Major seventh chords are very easy to form (aka - “maj7, M7). If you know all twelve major scales, then you won’t have a problem knowing major seventh chords.

All 12 Major Scales

C major

 

C - D - E - F - G - A - B - C

D major

D - E - F# - G - A - B - C# - D

E major

E - F# - G# - A - B - C# - D# - E

F major

F - G - A - Bb - C - D - E - F

G major

G - A - B - C - D - E - F# - G

A major

A - B - C# - D - E - F# - G# - A

B major

B - C# - D# - E - F# - G# - A# - B

C# / Db major

Db - Eb - F - Gb - Ab - Bb - C - Db

D# / Eb major

Eb - F - G - Ab - Bb - C - D - Eb

F# / Gb major

F# - G# - A# - B - C# - D# - F - F#

G# / Ab major

Ab - Bb - C - Db - Eb - F - G - Ab

A# / Bb major

Bb - C - D - Eb - F - G - A - Bb

 

You’ve probably heard me say this before…

It’s very important that you understand major scales in a numerical way. What do I mean?

Simply put: Don’t memorize scales like toddlers memorize their ABC’s.

It’s easy to “play” a scale, memorizing note after note, in relation to one another. Here’s something to think about… If you can’t start a major scale from the middle OR have to start from the beginning in order to play it correctly, you probably have the “toddler’s ABCs” issue.

In other words, you only know how to play the scale because your fingers have memorized what to play. While this is good for practicing and fingering, it does you know good when trying to understand how music works.

So how do I learn scales correctly?

By understanding that each tone represents a number in the major scale. The first note is the “first tone” or “first degree” of the scale. For example, here’s the C major scale:

C major: C D E F G A B C

Here’s how you should be thinking of this scale:

C major: C(1) D(2) E(3) F(4) G(5) A(6) B(7) C (the same as “1″)

If I were to ask you: “What is the 2nd tone of the C major scale,” you should be able to answer immediately: “D.”

The sixth tone of Ab? You should be able to answer F

The third tone of D? You should be able to answer F#

You shouldn’t have to “play the scale” in your mind or even use a real piano. Each tone of the scale should be associated with a number and that number should be easily recallable, whenever needed.

Does that make sense? This will really help you to understand all your chords and how chord progressions work.

Forming Major Seventh Chords:

To form a major seventh chord, simply take the first, third, fifth, and seventh tones of any major scale and play them all at the same time.

(I told you knowing the scales as numbers would be helpful … not only now but for a ‘number’ of things).

For example, the C major scale is:

C D E F G A B C

The 1+3+5+7 of this scale is:

C E G B = C major seventh chord

Here are all the other major seventh chords:

All 12 Major Seventh Scales

Cmaj7 = C + E + G + B

 

Dmaj7 = D + F# + A + C#

Emaj7= E + G# + B + D#

Fmaj7 = F + A + C + E

Gmaj7 = G + B + D + F#

Amaj7 = A + C# + E + G#

Bmaj7 = B + D# + F# + A#

Dbmaj7 = Db + F + Ab + C

Ebmaj7 = Eb + G + Bb + D

Gbmaj7 = Gb + Bb + Db + F

Abmaj7 = Ab + C + Eb + G

Bbmaj7 = Bb + D + F + A

Minor Seventh Chords

Once you know major scales as “numbers,” forming ANY chord (whether major or minor) is really simple.

To form any minor seventh chord, simply use this formula:

1 + b3 + 5 + b7

Note: The “b” symbol is used to indicate a note that is flatted or lowered a “half step.“

Let’s look at our C major scale again.

C major: C(1) D(2) E(3) F(4) G(5) A(6) B(7) C (the same as “1″)

Now, take the 1, 3, 5, and 7 tones: C + E + G + B

Since there needs to be a b3 and a b7 in a minor chord, take the “E” and “B” and flat them.

E becomes “Eb”

B becomes “Bb”

Cmin7 chord is: C + Eb + G + Bb

Tip: Another way to find a minor chord is to use the minor scale. When you use the minor scale, you simply use the “1-3-5-7″ formula because the notes are already flatted for you in the minor scale. I don’t want to confuse you or anything, so for now, stick with the method above.

For all twelve minor seventh chords, check out my free chord finder tool at:

http://www.hearandplay.com/pianochords

Minor Ninth Chords

I love talking about minor ninth chords because they require no more work than learning the major seventh chords. In fact, we can form all twelve minor ninth chords (which sound really good and contemporary) by simply knowing maj7 chords.

To use this technique, you’ll need to understand what relative major and relative minor means. These things are covered in my 300pg course on pages 82-83 and 193-214.

For every major key, there is a relative minor key that also shares the same key signature.

To find the relative minor key of C, for example, just locate the sixth note in its major scale. There is more theory behind why “A” (the 6th tone) would be the relative minor of C major and how its called the “Aeolian mode” (but we won’t cover all that right now).

Since “A” is the relative minor of C, then “C” is the relative major of A.

See? It works both ways. One key is the relative major and relative minor of another key. For example:

While “A” is the relative minor of C ———– C is the relative major of “A,” but at the same time, C is the relative ***minor*** of Eb (because “C” is the sixth note of the Eb major scale). Don’t get all caught up with this one. Here’s a chart to help you out below.

The relative minor will always be the sixth note of the relative major key. So, if you ever forget about the chart above, always remember the “sixth tone.”

Forming Minor Ninth Chords:

Here’s the easiest way:

1) Identify the minor chord you want to play (whether ‘Cmin9′ or ‘Bbmin9′, etc)

2) Play the keynote of the minor chord on your left hand (bass). So if you want to play a Bbmin9, then the keynote played on your left hand would be Bb. Another example… if you wanted to play a Cmin9, the keynote on your left hand would be C.

3) Lastly, on your right hand, play the relative major seventh chord. So if you’re trying to form a Cmin9 chord, you would have already determined your bass to be C (in step 2). Now, simply locate the relative major key of Cmin.

What is the relative major key of C minor?

By looking on the chart above, it shows Eb to be the relative major key of C minor.

So, by playing:

C on your left hand (AND) Ebmaj7 on your right hand, you form a Cmin9

Left: C * Right: Eb + G + Bb + D

This also gives you a broad idea about superimposing chords (stacking one chord on top of another).

Ok, so now that you have a crash course on the basic necessities, we can move on to the video clips.

Click to watch this video clip	Video Lesson #1 This clip teaches a nice two-handed run usually used to set up a “2-5-1″ progression. If you’ve never played something like this before, then you’re definitely going to benefit from adding this nice “church walk” to your toolbox. Duration: 0:32
Click to watch this video clip	Video Lesson #2 Watch as Mr. H demonstrates how to use the circle of fifths in contemporary worship settings. Coincidentally, I also used these chords in GospelKeys 202. The general flow is from “Bbmin9 — Eb9/6 — Abmin9 — Db9/6 — Gbmaj9/6 — Cm11 — F7 #9#5 — then repeat the cycle.” If you don’t know what any of that means, don’t worry. Mr. H shows you step-by-step, what to do. Duration: 1:22
Click to watch this video clip	Video Lesson #3 This short clip comes from the “Tricks in F#” segment of the course. Watch closely as he shows you a very easy-to-learn trick that you can start using right away. It deals with simply playing every other black key (two at a time, going down the keyboard). Listen to how it sounds… Duration: 0:25
Click to watch this video clip	Video Lesson #4 You’ll love this urban worship movement. It speaks for itself. It’s in the key of Ab, but if I were you, I’d learn it in all twelve keys. This is a wonderful chord progression to use as you transition from one song to another or towards the end of a particular worship song. Duration: 1:14

Click here for all 8 video lessons (over 10 minutes of content)!

Well… obviously I couldn’t fit all 10+ minutes worth of video clips in this e-mail. But please do yourself a favor and visit http://www.hearandplay.com/gkxclips.html to see all of them and more!

Chords to study for this online classroom:

• Major triads; see pg chapter 5 of 300pg course

 

• Minor triads; see pg chapter 8 of 300pg course
• Major sixth chords; see pg chapter 13 of 300pg course
• Minor sixth chords; see pg chapter 13 of 300pg course
• Seventh (dominant) chords; see pg chapter 10 of 300pg course
• Minor seventh chords; see pg chapter 10 of 300pg course
• Major ninth chords; see pg chapter 14 of 300pg course

Now, don’t get me wrong…

You’ve probably played a major seventh chord time and time again. And you’ll probably agree that after a while, it just becomes a normal chord — if you’re using it redundantly (the same way over and over).

Most musicians, however, fail to realize the power of the “major seventh” chord when used with other chords. In other words, learning how to play two chords at the same time. It may take some getting used to but after a week, any musician should be able to add this to their playing. It is very powerful. Let me explain…

First, let’s cover the major seventh chord.

1) Take any major scale

2) Play the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th tone to create a major seventh chord

3) Invert the chord to create what I call the “next door” effect.

… so taking each step above, here’s how to form an Ab major seventh chord (Abmaj7):

1) The Ab major scale is:

Ab Bb C Db Eb F G Ab (played separately of course).

2) The 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th tones from the scale above are:

Ab C Eb G (played together as a chord).

3) Since all major seventh chords include the 1st and 7th tones, these notes, if played right next to each other will create what I call the “next door” effect. In order to do this, take the chord above (Ab C Eb G) and invert it so that that Ab and C are at the top of the chord rather than the bottom:

Eb G Ab C (… notice that the Ab and C are now on the other side of the chord).

The “G” and “Ab” in the middle appear right next to each other on the piano. That is what we call the “next door” effect and produces a far more contemporary and modern sound than playing the Abmaj7 chord opened like in the previous example. GospelKeys X “Urban and Contemporary Worship” goes into more detail about this technique, but for now, we have enough information to understand this concept.

Now… let’s do the same thing for the Db major seventh chord (Dbmaj7):

1) The Db major scale is:

Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C Db (played separately).

2) The 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th tones from the scale above are:

Db F Ab C (played together).

3) To create the “next door” contemporary feel that GospelKeys X talks about, we want to move the “Db” and “F” from the bottom and put them on the top. The Dbmaj7 chord inverted now looks like this:

Ab C Db F

So now we have two maj7 chords:

Abmaj7 and Dbmaj7

Now, we will turn these two chords into a nice urban movement.

Let’s start with the Dbmaj7 chord (Ab C Db F). We will use that over a Bb bass on the left hand. Theoretically, this makes the chord a Bbmin9. If you don’t know your minor 9th chords, refer to chapter 14 of the 300-pg course.

For the Abmaj7 chord (Eb G Ab C), we will play that over an F bass on the left hand. This is also called an Fmin9 (because of the addition of the left hand “F” on the bass). So another “lesson” inside of this lesson is:

“Major chords combined with certain left hand bass notes also create minor chords.”

So play each of the chords below giving four counts to each:

Bb bass on the left /// Ab + C + Db + F on the right hand.

F bass /// Eb + G + Ab + C on the right hand.

Simply go back and forth between these two chords. This by itself characterizes the urban feel.

But it hardly ends here. This is just the foundation. We’re going to totally change the chords above to create an even more “urban and contemporary” sound.

As your piano playing becomes more sophisticated, you’re going to start playing chords on your left hand. So what we’re going to do now is switch what we were formally playing on the right hand to our other hand.

You’ll see this technique talked about in depth in GospelKeys X “Urban and Contemporary Worship.” Here’s a taste of it below:

Let’s deal with the Dbmaj7 chord first.

Play this on your left hand:

Ab C Db F

Now, to complement this chord, on the right hand, let’s play a regular “Ab” major chord in the second inversion. If you don’t know what “inversions” are, click here.

Ab maj (second inversion): Eb Ab C

Now, here’s something to keep in mind…

You don’t want to be playing your left hand chord too low on the piano or else it will sound distorted. Play your left hand just high enough to create a nice sounding chord. The “Eb Ab C” chord on your right might overlap with your left hand. This is alright. With “Urban and Contemporary Worship,” you’ll do crazy things like this but you’ll produce crazily “modern” sounds… trust me.

So now, you’re playing this:

Left: Ab C Db F Right: Eb Ab C

(If the left hand is bothering you, feel free to leave out the “F”). Keep in mind that taking it out will lessen the “phat-ness” of the sound, but if you are having trouble playing four fingers in your left hand to start, this would be the note to leave out.

We will do the same thing for the second chord. In our left hand, let’s play the Abmaj7 we’d normally play in our right hand.

Left: Eb G Ab C

On our right hand, let’s layer an Eb chord on top of it:

Right: Bb Eb G (don’t be fooled by the Bb on the bottom because this is an Eb maj chord in second inversion).

So, the whole chord is:

Left: Eb G Ab C Right: Bb Eb G

Now play both chords together, repeating back and forth (four counts each).

#1: Left: Ab C Db F Right: Eb Ab C

#2: Left: Eb G Ab C Right: Bb Eb G

Now this sounds a lot better than the former progression. But we’re still not done! In GospelKeys X “Urban and Contemporary Worship,” our aim is to make you sound as modern and contemporary as possible.

Let’s keep going…

Now, going back and forth between the two chords above sounds good. But it gets boring after a while so you’ll want to include passing chords in the progression above.

We will include two passing chords between chord #1 and chord #2 above. These passing chords will further “urbanize” and “contemporize” our chord movement.

Tritones are two-note chords used commonly in contemporary music. I don’t have room in this online classroom to explain them in depth but have discussed them in past newsletters. Feel free to visit the newsletter archives to read about them.

Ok… Ok… I’ll talk about them here just for a little while:

Tritones consist of diminished fifth intervals.

You can also determine the distance of a tritone by simply counting three whole steps up from any note. Thus, the name “tritone.” Counting “C to D” (1), “D to E” (2), and “E to Gb” (3) would be an example. So the beginning and end (C and Gb) is a “tritone.” Now back to the diminished fifth interval concept…

A diminished fifth interval is just what it sounds like. A fifth interval decreased by one-half step. For example a fifth interval is: C to G. To make this same interval a diminished fifth, simply lower the G to Gb.

Now you have: C + Gb. That’s an example of a tritone. So whether you want to use the “diminished fifth” technique or the “3 whole steps” technique, both ways will help you to form tritones.

There are six main tritones:

C + Gb (or Gb + C)

Db + G (or G + Db)

D + Ab (or Ab + D)

Eb + A (or A + Eb)

E + Bb (or Bb + E)

F + B (or B + F)

* Don’t forget these little chords. They are extremely important when it comes to playing contemporary-styled music.

It is common to move from one tritone to another tritone a half step down. This may be hard to understand so let me demonstrate what I mean:

Above, notice the “F+B” tritone. It is common to play the “E+Bb” tritone right after it.

Notice that in order to move from an “F+B” tritone to an “E+Bb,” you simply move both fingers down ONE key — that’s all. These two tritones are a half step apart (one note apart).

…And that is exactly how we’re going to use them. In fact, those are the same tritones we’re going to use. They will become the left hand chording for two passing chords we’ll use to get us from chord #1 to chord #2 above. Is this stuff interesting or what?

Tritone #1: F+B

Tritone #2: E+Bb

(Just a half step apart).

For both tritones, we’re going to play simple major chords in our right hand. If you haven’t realized by now, we aren’t making up new chords. We’re simply manipulating basic major chords to create contemporary-sounding movements.

For the first tritone, we will play an “A major” chord in our right hand.

Left: F + B /// Right: E + A + C# (an “A major” chord in second inversion)

For the second tritone, we will play an “Ab major” chord in our right hand. So basically, this is like the chord right above but a half step lower. You should only have to move everything down one note — that’s it.

Left: E + Bb /// Right: Eb Ab + C (an “Ab major” chord in second inversion)

So the entire “passing chord” movement is:

Left: F + B /// Right: E + A + C#

Left: E + Bb /// Right: Eb + Ab + C

… Now, let’s stuff this “passing chord” movement into the chord progression from the beginning part of this lesson:

Chord #1:

Left: Ab C Db F Right: Eb Ab C

Passing Chords:

Left: F + B /// Right: E + A + C#

Left: E + Bb /// Right: Eb + Ab + C

Chord #2:

Left: Eb G Ab C Right: Bb Eb G

Note: The “passing chords” above are to be played faster than “chord #1″ and “chord #2.” You can find an example of this very progression in the GospelKeys X “Urban and Contemporary Worship” 2 minute trailer video on the website. Just go to the website and click on the “view video trailer” button and you’ll hear this movement throughout the video sample.

To end, you’ll want to “loop” this movement over and over so here’s a perfect transition to get you from chord #2 back to the beginning:

Again, you’ll be utilizing a tritone on your left hand and a regular major chord on your right hand.

Here it is:

Left: A + Eb /// Right: Ab + Db + F (a “Db maj” chord in second inversion).

This chord will take you back to the beginning. So to end, here’s an example of the entire urban movement:

Chord #1:

Left: Ab C Db F Right: Eb Ab C

Passing Chords:

Left: F + B /// Right: E + A + C#

Left: E + Bb /// Right: Eb + Ab + C

Chord #2:

Left: Eb G Ab C Right: Bb Eb G

Final Passing Chord back to beginning:

Left: A + Eb /// Right: Ab + Db + F

Chords to study for this online classroom:

• Major triads; see pg chapter 5 of 300pg course
• Minor triads; see pg chapter 8 of 300pg course
• Major sixth chords; see pg chapter 13 of 300pg course
• Minor sixth chords; see pg chapter 13 of 300pg course
• Seventh (dominant) chords; see pg chapter 10 of 300pg course
• Minor seventh chords; see pg chapter 10 of 300pg course
• Major ninth chords; see pg chapter 14 of 300pg course

Before I introduce the video clips, it is important that you understand the whole concept of learning worships songs (or any song for that matter) by ear:

It all starts with major scales.

You should already know that there are 12 different major scales. When someone is singing, they’ve either knowingly picked ONE of the twelve keys to sing in (which might be their favorite key or a predetermined key for the song they’re singing) OR they have just started singing in whatever range that is comfortable for them. In this instance, they don’t really know their major key and it is your job to figure out what key they’re singing in.

A singer can’t be in two keys at once. At any given time, you will only be in one major key. Songs may modulate or go to another major key, but will only be in one major key at a time.

We focus on Db major in the GospelKeys^TM 202 video course.

I start the course by teaching you several different chords that you can play on each tone of the major scale. Just to break down the concept for you, here is a Db major scale:

Db major scale

Db __ Eb __ F __ Gb __ Ab __ Bb __ C __ Db __

In other words, I teach you several chords to play on each one of these tones. Since every major key on the piano has its own major scale, these same chords can be applied to all 12 major keys! Always transfer what you learn from ONE key to all TWELVE keys. This is a very very smart and effective habit to develop, especially if you’re just starting out!

Also, it is important to understand each note of a major scale by its corresponding number. In other words:

Db = 1

Eb = 2

F = 3

Gb = 4

Ab = 5

Bb = 6

C = 7

Db = 8 (or the same as 1 basically)

Majority of the time, a song is progressing from one of these tones to another. I’d say more than 80% of the time, you’re playing chords that correspond with notes of the major scale.

Yes, there are times when, in the key of Db, you’ll hit a B major chord. Notice that “B” is not a part of the Db major scale. In this instance, “B” is actually the flat 7 note of the scale. “How do you create a flat 7,” you may ask?

Simply go to the 7th note of the scale (which is “C” in this example) and lower it one-half step (or one note). Remember, only lower it one note. Don’t skip any notes, whatsoever. I say that because some people don’t realize that black keys are a part of the piano just as well as white keys. In other words, when you lower a note, don’t skip any black notes.

In this case, since C doesn’t have a black key behind it, you’d lower it directly to B.

B is the flat seventh of Db major. This is just one example where you’d play a note or chord that may not necessarily align with the notes of your major scale. This will happen but not nearly as much as regular progressions within the notes of the major scale.

Most of the time, you’ll be playing from a 1 chord to a 3 chord, or a 1 chord to a 5 chord, or a 3 chord to a 6 chord, or a 6 chord to a 2 chord, just to give a few examples. Most songs stay with the number patterns.

Now that you understand the number system, I can talk in GospelKeys^TM language.

Patterns like “1-3″, “3-6″, “6-2″, “2-5-1″, and others all come from major scales.

Db = 1

Eb = 2

F = 3

Gb = 4

Ab = 5

Bb = 6

C = 7

Db = 8

Just to make sure you understand, let’s take a short quiz:

1) In the key of Db major, a 1-3 progression consists of what two keynotes?

____ (1) **** ____ (3)

2) In the key of Db major, a 2-5 progression consists of what two keynotes?

____ (2) **** ____ (5)

3) In the key of Db major, a 7-3-6 progression consists of what three keynotes?

____ (7) **** ____ (3) **** ____ (6)

4) In the key of Db major, a 1-4 progression consists of what two keynotes?

____ (1) **** ____ (4)

Ok, now grade yourself:

Answers:

1) Db to F

2) Eb to Ab

3) C to F to Bb

4) Db to Gb

Note: Of course, all of these notes will be connected with chords. But for this example, I just wanted you to know the keynotes involved (the title of the chords).

Ok, so now that you have a crash course on what I call “couples” (just another way of saying very small chord progression), we can move on to the video clips.

Click to watch this video clip	Video Lesson #1 This clip teaches a type of voicing that few musicians have ever heard of. It’s called the “Quartal” chord. It creates a very contemporary sound. Do yourself a favor and learn this chord in all twelve keys! Duration: 1:17
Click to watch this video clip	Video Lesson #2 This clip teaches you multiple “2″ chords to play. Remember, a “2″ chord commonly begins what we call a “2-5-1″ chord progression. If you understand anything about these progressions, you know that they commonly end songs. In other words, even an audience knows when to start applauding when a 2-5-1 approaches. Duration: 1:34
Click to watch this video clip	Video Lesson #3 A continuation of clip #2, you’ll learn some more fancy “2″ chords that are sure to spice up your playing. There is one chord I teach in this clip that you don’t want to pass up! It utilizes all five fingers and I warn you — you have to stretch for this one! Duration: 1:15
Click to watch this video clip	Video Lesson #4 This altered chord is probably one of the most commonly played chords in gospel music. From personal experience, I use it in probably 70% of songs I play. Now, keep in mind that I’m referencing the type of chord (7 #9#5) — remember that this chord can be played in 12 different keys! No matter what song you’re playing, it will show up sooner or later! Duration: 1:13

Click here for all 10 video lessons (over 20 minutes in content)!

Well… obviously I couldn’t fit all 20 minutes worth of video clips in this e-mail. But please do yourself a favor and visit http://www.hearandplay.com/gk202clips.html to see all 10 of them and more!

You’ll find clips ranging from chords to chord progressions, from left-hand bass techniques to right hand “licks”, from simple “grooves” to full songs with vocalists, drums, and live accompaniment. It’s worth taking a look at: http://www.hearandplay.com/gk202clips.html

Explore these chord types along with the GospelKeys 202 video course:

• Major triads; see pg chapter 5 of 300pg course
• Minor triads; see pg chapter 8 of 300pg course
• Major sixth chords; see pg chapter 13 of 300pg course
• Minor sixth chords; see pg chapter 13 of 300pg course
• Seventh (dominant) chords; see pg chapter 10 of 300pg course
• Minor seventh chords; see pg chapter 10 of 300pg course
• Major ninth chords; see pg chapter 14 of 300pg course

Well, I hope you enjoyed this month’s newsletter and I’ll be back! Take care!

Explore these chord types to prepare for the GospelKeys video course:

• Major triads; see pg chapter 5 of 300pg course
• Minor triads; see pg chapter 8 of 300pg course
• Major sixth chords; see pg chapter 13 of 300pg course
• Minor sixth chords; see pg chapter 13 of 300pg course
• Seventh (dominant) chords; see pg chapter 10 of 300pg course
• Minor seventh chords; see pg chapter 10 of 300pg course
• Major ninth chords; see pg chapter 14 of 300pg course

Well, I hope you enjoyed my  newsletter and I’ll be back next time! Take care!

Further References “The Secrets to Playing Piano By Ear” 300-pg Course [5] Chords & Progressions: pgs 65-78, 105-130, 147-165, 182-227. Do you know what a “2-5-1” or “3-6-2-5-1“ progression is? Or perhaps the famous 12-bar blues chord progression? In this piano course, you will not only learn how to play gospel, blues, and jazz progressions, but how to recognize them in songs. In addition, you will learn the simple techniques to playing these progressions, hymns, and songs in all 12 major keys! … Enjoy learning: The famous “2-5-1″ Chord Progression: pgs 114-120, 153-156, 208, 235-236. I - IV - I - V - I Chord Progressions: pgs 66-70. I - IV - V - IV - I Chord Progressions: pgs 77-78. Techniques behind the famous “5–>1″ progression: pgs 68-72. I –> IV, I –> V Chord Progressions: pgs 74-75. “Circle of Fifths” Chord Exercises: pg 78. Major and Minor Chord Progressions: pgs 105-130. “6 - 2 - 5 - 1″ Chord Progressions: pgs 121-122, 157-159. “3 - 6 - 2 - 5 - 1″ Chord Progressions: pgs 122-123, 160-162. “7 - 3 - 6 - 2 - 5 - 1″ Chord Progressions: pgs 124-125, 190-191. Gospel Chord Progressions … ranging from “up-tempo praise” chord Progressions to “worship-oriented” chord progressions: pgs 65-78, 105-130, 147-165, 182-227. Various Blues Progressions … 12-bar, seventh chords, diminished chords … and others: pgs 163-165, 192. Jazz Chord Progressions … using dominant ninth, eleventh and thirteenth chords: pgs 193-240 Study the different types of Root Progressions — closing, opening, circular and other types of progressions: pgs 121-122. Study how chord tones and scale degrees relate to each other [which chord progressions are most likely to be compatible]: pgs 122-130. Learn various “turn-around” progressions [used in gospel music]: pg 213-214. If you don’t have the 300-pg Course, click here to read more about it.

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“The Secrets to Playing Piano By Ear” 300pg Course - Learn the secrets to playing literally any song on the piano with a few simple, “easy-to-understand” techniques and principles! Join Jermaine Griggs in learning tons of music theory, concepts, and tricks that will help you to learn piano by ear! Thousands of musicians have already taken advantage of this excellent program … why not you? “The Secrets to Playing Piano By Ear” is full of easy-to-understand tricks, tips, techniques and secrets to playing piano by ear! For this month only, I’ve also been able to throw in a few bonus items (3 additional piano software programs). Click here to learn the secrets to playing absolutely any song on the piano in virtually minutes! You won’t regret it!

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Also, keep in mind that just because the progressions says “6-2-5-1″ doesn’t mean you must only play one chord on the “6,” one chord on the “2,” and so on…

I actually like to play multiple chords on the “6.” Here are some examples below.

From the “1″ chord in Db:

(1) Ab Db Eb F / Db

(6) Ab C Eb G / Bb

(6) Ab B D F / Bb

(2) Ab C Db F / Eb

(2) G C Db F / Eb

(5) Db Gb Bb / Ab

(5) C F A / Ab

(1) Bb Eb Ab / Db

Notice how many chords I used in the above “6-2-5-1″ progression. The first chord of each scale tone was usually more subtle but the second chord of the two would always push us towards the next chord. For example, the first “6″ chord above led to a stronger “6″ chord, which ultimately led us to our “2″ chord. Keep these types of ideas in mind when playing “6-2-5-1″ or any other progressions for that matter!