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!

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Let me start by saying that you’ll be shocked to learn that playing more contemporary does not involve making up “new” chords. In fact, in GospelKeys X “Urban and Contemporary Worship,” one of the most commonly mentioned chords is the “major seventh” chord.

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

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In this month’s online classroom, I’m going to share with you a few video clip lessons from the GospelKeys^TM 202 video course. I’ve selectively pulled out clips that I think you’ll benefit from, whether you consider the entire course or not.

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!

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Welcome to this latest newsletter on how to use simple patterns to learn all of your favorite worship songs by ear! You might want to print this lesson out because I reveal tons of information below that you won’t find anywhere else … literally! Ask anyone who learns new songs regularly and they will tell you that the whole process is not about learning new chords or making new discoveries all the time. Why? Simply because chords, progressions, and changes are recycled over and over again in song after song. To know patterns is to know hundreds of songs, whether you realize it or not! I’m talking about patterns like these: 1-4 patterns … 1-6 patterns … 2-5 patterns … 3-6 patterns … 3-4 patterns … and the list goes on and on. (Don’t worry if you don’t know what these numbers mean. I will explain all of this to you in this month’s classroom lesson below). You’ll find patterns like these in hundreds of slow worship songs. And you know what? They’re even found in jazz, r&b, and contemporary music as well! …And by the way, all of this is in the GospelKeysTM 202 video course, which has helped countless numbers of musicians play gospel worship by ear! ———– In this month’s online classroom, I’m going to share with you a few concepts from the GospelKeysTM 202 video course. I warn you beforehand! You probably have never seen anything quite like this before because there’s not a lot of information out there for worship and praise music. What will be covered in Gk202 is the whole concept of “coupling.” A “couple,” as described in the course, is basically a 2-part chord progression. It consists of one chord pulling very aggressively to another chord. You saw them above as you were reading about what the GospelKeysTM 202 will teach you. They look like this: 1-2, 1-3, 1-4, 1-5, 1-6, 1-7, 2-5, 2-6, 3-6, 3-4, 4-5, 4-3, 4-6, 4-7, 5-1, 5-2, 5-4, 6-2, 6-7, 7-3, etc. … and these are some of the many examples of what I call “couples.” Songs are built on progressions like these. Now most of you understand progressions like “2-5-1,” “6-2-5-1,” and “7-3-6-2-5-1″ and I’ve even covered them throughout the year in past newsletters. Click here if you haven’t read my newsletters from January 04 - July 04. “Couples” create these larger progressions. For example, a “2-5-1″ is made up of two small couples: A “2-5″ couple and a “5-1″ couple. Another example would be a “6-2-5-1″ progressions, which is very common in gospel praise songs and even in slower tunes. This larger progressions has three smaller couples within it: A “6-2″, “2-5″, and “5-1″ couple. So by using smaller couples to create larger progressions, the process will not only seem less intimidating but your ear will catch on a lot faster. It’s a lot easier to calculate 2×2 and 3×3, and then add up the resulting numbers, right? 2 x 2 is 4 … and 3×3 is 9. Add them together and you get 13. Learning couples is the same way. You’ll learn how to recognize “2-5″ couples in songs … “5-1″ couples in songs … and “6-2″ couples in songs. Then, when necessary, you’ll have to combine “2-5″ couples with “5-1″ couples to create famous “2-5-1″ progressions. It’s really a simple process and once you get it, you’ll be able to play not only worship songs but all types of songs in different genres (jazz, r&b, blues, pop, etc.). Ok… if you’re new, then you might wonder: “Where do the numbers come from?” I’m glad you asked. Very simply, the numbers come from the major scale of whatever key you’re playing in. So, yes, there are “2-5″ couples for every key — “5-1″ couples for every key — and many many more! Let’s say you’re in the key of Db major. First, you would have to know the Db major scale. Db major scale: Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C Db But memorizing scales alone will not allow you to play by ear. You have to understand the grand scheme of things. The scales provide the numbers and that’s what you need to understand with your eyes closed. Db = 1 Eb = 2 F = 3 Gb = 4 Ab = 5 Bb = 6 C = 7 Db = 8 (same as 1) … Now here is where people go wrong: They learn the scales. They memorize them but they do not know them by numbers! When I say “to know a scale by numbers,” that means that you must know what is the “6″ of Db within three seconds … or the “5″ of Db … or the “2″ of Db. See… you don’t want to know the “6″ of Db by having to start at Db and say the major scale, one note at a time, because when you are doing it that way, you aren’t learning the notes and numbers independent of each other. It’s like not knowing what’s after “J” in the alphabet without having to sing your “ABC’s” from the beginning. You don’t want to know what comes after “J” by having to sing the entire song from the beginning. That’s what slows you down. Playing by ear is all about thinking on your feet and if you can’t think on your feet (with the method I just shared above), then you’ll struggle time and time again. YOU HAVE TO GET TO THE POINT WHERE YOU KNOW THE NUMBERS WITHOUT HAVING TO RECITE THE MAJOR SCALE. Ok… let’s take a quick mental test: If you know your major scales forwards and backwards but can’t answer these questions within 3 seconds, then you still have work to do! Question #1: What’s the “2″ of Ab major? ________ Question #2: What’s the “7″ of G major? ________ Question #3: What’s the “5″ of D major? ________ Question #4: What’s the “3″ of Eb major? _______ Question #5: What’s the “1″ of A major? ________ (you have to know this one within 3 sec!) Question #6: What’s the “6″ of Db major? _______ Question #7: What’s the “2″ of B major? _______ ANSWERS: (Bb, F#, A, G, A, Bb, C#) Once you’ve mastered your scales in this way, the concept of “couples” will appear very easy. For example, here’s the keynotes of a “2-5″ couple in multiple keys. C major: D to G F major: G to C Bb major: C to F Eb major: F to Bb Ab major: Bb to Eb Moving On… Now that you know where the numbers come from, it should be easy to make sense of what the following couples are: A “1-2″ couple means a chord based on the 1st tone of the scale leading to a chord based on the 2nd tone of the same scale. An example in the key of Db would be: Dbmaj9 to Eb9. The Dbmaj9 is a “1″ chord because “Db” is the 1st tone of the scale and the Eb9 is a “2″ chord because “Eb” is the 2nd tone of the scale. A “1-3″ couple means a chord based on the 1st tone of the scale leading to a chord based on the 3rd tone of the same scale. An example in the key of Db would be: Dbmaj7 to F7 (b9). The Dbmaj9 is a “1″ chord because “Db” is the 1st tone of the scale and the F7(b9) is a “3″ chord because “F” is the 3rd tone of the scale. Other couples based on the “1″ chord: 1-4, 1-5, 1-6, 1-7 A “2-5″ couple means a chord based on the 2nd tone of the scale leading to a chord based on the 5th tone of the same scale. An example in the key of Db would be: Eb9 to Ab13. The Eb9 is a “2″ chord because “Eb” is the 2nd tone of the scale and the Ab13 is a “5″ chord because “Ab” is the 5th tone of the scale. Other couples based on the “2″ chord: 2-3, 2-6, 2-7 … And the list goes on and on: 3-4, 4-5, 4-3, 4-6, 4-7, 5-1, 5-2, 5-4, 6-2, 6-7, 7-3, etc. Putting It All Together… Basically the first hour of GospelKeysTM 202 is aimed at teaching you different chords for every tone of the major scale. So, in essence, you’ll learn tons of: “1″ chords “2″ chords “3″ chords “4″ chords “5″ chords “6″ chords “7″ chords For this online classroom lesson, I will give you a sneak-peak of the GospelKeysTM 202 video course by showing you some chords from each tone of the scale. Then after you’ve learned each chord, I will show you how to couple them together to create progressions, which will then create songs! It’s that easy! Key of Db Major: Scale: Db - Eb - F - Gb - Ab - Bb - C - Db #’s: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 An Example of a “1″ chord: Db on left hand / Bb + Eb + Ab on right hand An Example of a “2″ chord: Eb on left hand / G + C + Db + F on right hand An Example of a “3″ chord: F on left hand / A + Db + Eb + Ab on right hand An Example of a “4″ chord: Gb on left hand / F + Bb + Db on right hand An Example of a “5″ chord: Ab on left hand / Gb + Bb + Db + F on right hand An Example of a “6″ chord: Bb on left hand / Ab + C + Db + F on right hand An Example of a “7″ chord: C on left hand / Eb + G + Bb + D * Keep in mind that you will learn several chords for each tone of the scale. Because I have limited space in this e-mail newsletter, I have only included one chord per scale tone. The GospelKeysTM 202 video course will have several. The second hour of the GospelKeysTM 202 video course covers “coupling.” This is where you’d actually take chords from each tone of the scale and combine them together to make small couples. Try doing this with the list above. Take the “1″ chord and “3″ chord and play them one after the other. Then take that same “3″ chord above, add the “6″ chord, and play them one after the other. In this example, you’ve just played a “1-3″ couple followed by a “3-6″ couple. Since the “3″ chords are the same in both couples, if you were to play a “1-3″ to a “3-6,” you wouldn’t have to repeat the “3″ since you’re already playing it. So in essence, when you combine the two smaller couples (which are easier to recognize in songs than huge progressions), you get a “1-3-6″ progression. That same “1-3-6″ progression is used to begin “Thank You Lord”, “I Really Love the Lord,” “Silver and Gold” by Kirk Franklin, “Like the Dew in the Morning,” “Trouble Don’t Last Always,” and a host of other ones! I could literally go on and on and on… 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! If you were intrigued by the online classroom lesson above, then you would definitely benefit from my course! *** “The Secrets to Playing Piano By Ear” 300-pg Course *** With 20 chapters and over 300 pages, the home piano course provides several resources, techniques, tips, principles, and theories to playing the piano by ear. Along with hundreds of chords and scales, you’ll also learn how to turn them into gospel, jazz and blues chord progressions and better yet, how to use them to play ABSOLUTELY any song you want … IN VIRTUALLY MINUTES! Again, don’t miss this opportunity. I’ve even added an additional bonus if you purchase the course this week — You can read more about the course at: http://www.hearandplay.com/course Enjoy this edition? Visit our message board and let us know! http://www.hearandplay.com/board Please Let a friend know about HearandPlay.com! PLEASE FORWARD THIS NEWSLETTER TO YOUR ENTIRE E-MAIL ADDRESS BOOK. Yours Truly, Jermaine Griggs www.HearandPlay.com www.GospelKeys.com 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. “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! Newsletter Archive - Click here or visit http://www.hearandplay.com/newsletters.html

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