• Essential Chord Progressions For Intermediate Gospel Keyboardists

    in Piano

    If you’re interested in learning essential chord progressions for intermediate gospel keyboardists, this lesson is for you.

    As an intermediate keyboard player, you’ve gone past the beginners and although you’re NOT yet a pro, you’ve skipped the baby steps and you should be happy about that and I know you are.

    As an intermediate musician with a level of experience and expertise, there are certain chord progressions you can’t do without; especially if you’re a gospel musician and we’re covering them in this lesson.

    A Short Note On Essential Chord Progressions

    There are seven unique tones in every major or minor key. In the key of C major:

    …there are seven unique tones: C, D, E, F, G, A, and B.

    Each of these tones are root notes of scale tone chords. The chord of the first scale tone (which is C):

    …is the C major triad:

    …and is considered as the 1-chord.

    The D minor triad:

    …is the 2-chord.

    The E minor triad:

    …is the 3-chord, and every other chord: the 4-chord, 5-chord, 6-chord, etc.

    The movement between scale tone chords produces chord progressions.

    Chord progressions can be notated using the scale tone chords involved. For example, the chord progression in the key of C major):

    …from the 1-chord (the C major triad):

    …to the 4-chord (the F major triad):

    …is considered as a 1-4 chord progression and this is because of the scale tone chords used: the 1-chord and the 4-chord.

    “What Are Essential Gospel Chord Progressions?”

    Although there are so many chord progressions in gospel music and they are important as well, there are certain chord progressions that are particularly essential more than the rest and this is because they can be used to connect scale tone chords.

    For example, the 2-5-1 chord progression is used a lot in gospel music as a progression that leads to the 1-chord. So, instead of playing the 1-chord, the 2-5-1 chord progression is used to add more momentum and energize the flow.

    In addition to the 2-5-1 chord progression, there are other chord progressions that are important to gospel musicians which include (but is NOT limited to) the follow :

    The 2-5-1 Chord Progression

    The 3-6-2 Chord Progression

    The #4-7-3 Chord Progression

    The 5-1-4 Chord Progression

    The 7-3-6 Chord Progression

    …and we’ll be breaking them down right away.

    Essential Gospel Chord Progressions In The Key Of Db Major

    In the key of Db major:

    …there are seven unique tones and they are as follows:

    Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb and C

    Let’s go ahead and learn 5 essential  gospel chord progressions in the key of Db major.

    Submission: Although the examples in this lesson can be given in the key of C major, I decided to take it to the key of Db major because every intermediate keyboardist should going beyond learning and mastering the key of C major into learning other keys as well.

    The 2-5-1 Chord Progression

    The 2-chord:

    The 5-chord:

    The 1-chord:

    For more information on how these chords can be applied in your favorite worship songs, click here.

    The 3-6-2 Chord Progression

    The 3-chord:

    The 6-chord:

    The 2-chord:

    For more information on how these chords can be applied in your favorite praise songs, click here.

    The #4-7-3 Chord Progression

    The #4-chord:

    The 7-chord:

    The 3-chord:

    For more information on how these chords can be applied in your favorite worship songs, click here.

    The 5-1-4 Chord Progression

    The 5-chord:

    The 1-chord:

    The 4-chord:

    For more information on how these chords can be applied in your favorite worship songs, click here.

    The 7-3-6 Chord Progression

    The 7-chord:

    The 3-chord:

    The 6-chord:

    For more information on how these chords can be applied in your favorite praise songs, click here.

    Final Words

    The chord progressions we just covered are very important in gospel music and the chords can be used as passing chords and here’s how it works. In the 2-5-1 chord progression, the 2-chord and the 5-chord can be used as passing chords to the 1-chord.

    Keep up the great work and don’t forget to practice in all the keys on the keyboard.

    All the best.

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    Chuku Onyemachi

    Head of Education at HearandPlay Music Group
    Onyemachi "Onye" Chuku is a Nigerian musicologist, pianist, and author. Inspired by his role model (Jermaine Griggs) who has become his mentor, what he started off as teaching musicians in his Aba-Nigeria neighborhood in April 2005 eventually morphed into an international career that has helped hundreds of thousands of musicians all around the world. Onye lives in Dubai and is currently the Head of Education at HearandPlay Music Group and the music consultant of the Gospel Music Training Center, all in California, USA.




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