• The “Shouting” Chord

    in Gospel music

    “The Shouting Chord” (More information at: www.gospelkeys.com)

    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,

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    Hi, I'm Jermaine Griggs, founder of this site. We teach people how to express themselves through the language of music. Just as you talk and listen freely, music can be enjoyed and played in the same way... if you know the rules of the "language!" I started this site at 17 years old in August 2000 and more than a decade later, we've helped literally millions of musicians along the way. Enjoy!




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