• Why the circle of fourths is so important when learning major scales

    circle of fifths smallThe “circle of fourths,” aka “circle of fifths” is great for illustrating how music flows and how real songs are created. But few have used the circle to actually learn (or “re-learn”) their scales and unravel the relationships between the various major keys…

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    Do you use secondary dominant chords?

    secondary dominantNo doubt, you’ve probably heard of the “dominant” of a key. But have you heard of “secondary dominants” before? In this post, I give you a very detailed introduction to secondary dominants and how to use them in your real playing.

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    The “What Key Am I In” Game 1

    How good are you at analyzing major keys? Can you tell what key a song is in just by what chords occur? Put your skills to the test in my “What Key Am I In” series of posts.

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    Don’t be “skerrrrred” of diminished chords

    scary diminished chordsDiminished chords are not only great in horror scenes. You’ll find them all throughout contemporary gospel music, jazz, blues, and other styles. Learn how to play and use them…

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    How to Instantly Figure Out Chords to Simple Melodies

    Before I teach you the secrets to instant harmonization of melodies, check out these 2-minute audio examples I created back in December 2003 before the release of my GospelKeys 101 course. These demonstrations will give you a good understanding of the 3 steps and what you’ll be trying to accomplish after reading this newsletter. Harmonizing […]

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    How to Correctly Identify Intervals Part 2

    Last month, you learned the fundamentals to determining the name of an interval. Just to recap, here’s the chart I posted in my last online classroom lesson.     Number of letters counted Generic interval name 1 unison 2 second 3 third 4 fourth 5 fifth 6 sixth 7 seventh 8 octave (eighth)     […]

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    How to Correctly Identify Intervals Part 1

    I’ve seen this subject taught by many people. Sometimes, it gets confusing for the starter. Sometimes, it makes perfect sense.   As always, it is my goal to break down this concept so clearly that EVERYONE will be able to understand it with minimal questions.     First, let’s define the term “interval.”   What […]

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