Music and Song Requests: No Greater Love and Falling in Love With Jesus

 I'm taking a little break from all of my latest music theory posts to address some special song requests. Remember that you can always modulate up or down a chord if the song I post is not in the key of your choice that fits your voice range. 


* Request #1 - No Greater Love
Lyrics and Chords 

No Greater Love Rachel Lampa G Em C Am - D 1. Before I knew your name, You knew my ev'ry breath. G Em C Am - D Before I found my way, You knew my ev'ry step. C G Am C - D Before I knew everything that I'd need, You gave it all to me CHORUS: G Em C Am - D No greater Love than this.....That you should lay down your life G Em C B7 For someone such as me....I'd spend a lifetime wondering why Em C G Em The beauty of Heaven, Is here in my heart, And I know there can be... C D G Em - C - Am - D No greater love........than this __________ G Em C Am - D 2. I never understood, how merciful love could be, G Em C Am - D Until I felt His flame, light every part of me C G C C - Am And I would give everything that I am, 'Cause I have been saved.... C C - D Yes, I have been saved! CHORUS: G Em C Am - D No greater love than this.....That you should lay down your life.. G Em C B7 For someone such as me, I'd spend a lifetime wondering why Em C G Em The beauty of Heaven, Is here in my heart, And I know there can be C D No greater love....... ENDING - (Easier to sing in same key) G Em C Am - D No greater love than this..... That you should lay down your life G Em C B7 For someone such as me, I'd spend a lifetime wondering why Em C G Em The beauty of Heaven is here in my heart, And I know there can be C - D Em - Am No greater love, for someone like me, No greater C D G love.......than this. ENDING CHORDS: Em - C - Am - D - G 

* Song Request #2


No Greater Love-Key:Bb (maybe you can modulate down 1 whole step)
Chords and Lyrics
 
>C/G-Bb-Eb
>F/A-C-F
>Bb/Bb-D-F
>Ab/Ab-Bb-F
>G/A-C-F
>G/B-D-F
>Db/B-Eb-G
>C/Eb-G-Bb
>F/Eb-G-Bb
>F/C-F-A
>Bb/Eb-Ab-C
>Bb/D-F-Ab-C
>E/D-Gb-Bb
>Eb/G-Bb-D
>D/F-A-C
>G/F-Bb-D
>G/F-A-C
>G/F-Bb-D
>C/G-Bb-Eb (1st ending)
>F/G-Bb-Eb (1st ending)
>Bb/F-Bb-D (2nd ending) {play these note seperate:Bb-A-Bb; There is no}
>C/Eb-G-C
>C/Bb-Eb-G
>C/Bb-Eb-G
>C/D-G-Bb
>F/C-F-A {play these notes separate: Bb-A-G; There is no}
>Bb/Bb-Eb-G
>Bb/C-F-A
>Bb/Bb-D-F
>Ab/Ab-Bb-F
>G/G-B-D
>G/G-B-D
>G/G-C-Eb
>G/B-D-F
>F/Eb-A-C {play these notes separate:Eb-D-C; No great-er}
>Bb/F-A-C
>Bb/F-Bb-D
>F/Eb-Ab-C
>Bb/D-Ab-C
>Eb/G-Bb-D
>D/F-A-C
>G/F-Bb-D
>Db/E-Eb-G
>C-G/Bb-D-f
>F/Bb-Eb-F
>F/A-Eb-F
>Bb/C-Eb-G-Bb
>Bb/D-F-Bb
>E/D-Gb-Bb
>
>Verse:
>For God so loved the world, that He gave His only son
>The Son shed His life on Calvary, so that U & I might be free
>No greater love, no greater love than a man lay down his life for his
friend
>No greater love, no greater love than a man lay down his life for his
friend
>
>Chorus:
>There is no greater love, there is no greater love, there is no greater
love,
>no greater love.
>
>Jesus went to Calvary, to save a wretch like U & me. That's love, that's
love
>They hung Him high, they stretched Him wide. He hung His head, for me He
died.
>That's love, that's love 


* Fred Hammond


No Greater Love:

Hammondman Midi 


Piano Tutorial

“No Greater Love” song – Don Moen

Lyrics:-

You loved me,
When I was so unlovely,
You sought me
When I was lost;

You showed me
How much You really loved me,
When You bought me
At the highest cost

There’s no greater love than this,
There’s no greater love than this,
That a man would give his life for a friend;
There’s no higher sacrifice
Than a man would give his life,
You have paid
A precious price for me

You chose me,
When I was so unworthy
You cleansed me
With Your own blood;
You clothed me
With righteousness and mercy,
And You crowned me
With Your steadfast love

There’s no greater love than this,
There’s no greater love than this,
That a man would give his life for a friend;
There’s no higher sacrifice
Than a man would give his life,
You have paid
A precious price for me   (2)

You have paid
A precious price for me…

Don Moen Midi 

* Song Request #3

No Greater Love
by Steven Curtis Chapman

Capo on 4
intro and verse chords:
-E-        -C#-      -D-        -B-
EADGBE    EADGBE    EADGBE     EADGBE
079xxx    046xxx    057xxx     024xxx

play 2x

E        C#m               D         B
Man of courage with your message of peace

E             C#m          D      B
What is that look in your eyes?

E             C#m          D        B
Why have you come to this far away place?

F#m            E              D            
What is this story you would lay your life down to tell?

F#m           E            G
What kind of love can this be?

Chorus:

         A           E         F#m
There is no greater love than this

         A           E               F        G
There is no greater gift that could ever be given

         A        E       F#m    
To be willing to die so another might live

         F           G                E  C#m  D  B
There is no greater love than this.


Verse 2 (same chords)
Broken hearted from all you have lost
How can you sing through your tears?
What is this music that can bear such a cost?
What is this fire that grows stronger against the wind?
What kind of flame can this be?

Chorus:

         A           E         F#m
There is no greater love than this

         A           E               F        G
There is no greater gift that could ever be given

         A        E       F#m    
To be willing to die so another might live

         F           G          F#m
There is no greater love than this.


Bridge:

             F                         A
This is the love that God showed the world

F#m                  F
When He gave us His Son

             G
So we could know His love forever


Beyond the gates of splendor


Chorus

* Song Request #4


Falling In Love With Jesus by Jonathan Butler (arr. drummerboygil)


Key of Db (Song is really in A)
LH/RH


Intro:


F#//F#-Bb-Db
Ab/Ab-C-Eb
Bb/Bb-Db-F
Ab/Ab-C-Eb
Db/F-Ab-Db


Verse 1


Db/Ab-Db-Eb-F     Falling in love with Jesus
Db,C,B,Bb             (Bass run filler)
Bb/F#-Bb-Db-F     Falling in love with Je-
A/A-Db-Eb-F#, F  sus
Bb/Bb-Db-F           Falling in love with
Bb,A,Ab,G(bass)    Je-
G/G-Bb-Db-Eb       sus
                                was the
F#/F#-Bb-Db          Best
Ab/Ab-C-Eb           Thing
Bb/Bb-Db-F            I've
Ab/Ab-C-Eb           Ever
Db/F-Ab-Db           Done.


This is pretty much the all the chords to the song. Here are the rest of the lyrics:


In His arms, I feel protected
In His arms, never disconnected
In his arms, I feel protected
There's no place I'd rather be.


Ending to the song:


                         There's
F#/F#-Bb-Db    No
Ab/Ab-C-Eb     Place
Bb/Bb-Db-F     I'd
Ab/Ab-C-Eb      Rather
G (bass note)
Bb/F-Bb-Db       Be
G/G-Bb-Db-Eb (filler)
(Repeat 3 times then end with these chords)


Eb-Bb-Eb/F#-Ab-Bb-Db-Eb
Db-Ab-Db/F-Ab-Bb-Db

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Augmented and Diminished Chords

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Augmented and Diminished Chords

These chords are more ornamental than fundamental, yet they are widely used in many kinds of music. We have already seen the augmented chord used as a variation of a seventh chord. Augmented chords almost always can take a dominant seventh (b7) with good results. When substituting augmented chords for sevenths, take care that the melody note is not the natural 5 of  the chord as it will clash severely with the raised 5 of the augmented chord. Augmented chords are found often in music of the 30's and 40's and in contemporary gospel piano.

Diminished chords are often used as passing chords. They can serve as a bridge, for instance, between two chords whose roots are a whole tone away. If a song has a C to Dm change, try sneaking in a C#dim chord between. It may or may not work. If it does, you have a nice little chromatic progression:
C, C#dim, Dm. Another possibility is putting an F#dim between F and G7, yielding F F#dim, G7.


One interesting anomaly. A diminished seventh chord does not contain a seventh as we know it. A Cdim7, for example, is a Cdim triad with the addition of the 6th or A (CEbGbA). If your music calls for a plain diminished triad, it will almost invariably sound better if you play the diminished seventh instead.

Caug (C+) = CEG#


Caug7 (C+7) = CEG#Bb


Cdim (Co7 = CEbGbA


Cm7b5 (Cm7b5) = CEbGbBb


Augmented and Diminished Chords


Augmented = 1 3 #5   ((C  E  G#)


Augmented 7th = 1 3 #5 b7  (C  E  G#  Bb)

Diminished = 1 b3 b5  (C  Eb  Gb)


Diminished 7th = 1 b3 b5 6  (C  Eb  Gb  A)


Half Diminished = 1 b3 b5 b7  (C  Eb  Gb  Bb)


Half Diminished is also referred to as a minor seven flat five, e.g. Cm7b5 or Cm7-5. This is often used in jazz as an alternative to a plain minor chord.


* * * * * * *  



*How do I find time to practice?
*How can I get better at playing in different keys?
*How do I decide/recognize what the left hand chords are in a piece of music?
*How can I play and read sheet music faster?
*How do I decide on proper fingering?
The answer to these and many other piano playing questions can now be yours.
Step-By-Step Piano DVD Course Helps You Become A Better Piano Player
www.LearnPianoTips.com






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Slash Chords

Slash chords


The left side of the slash, the numerator if you will, represents the chord. The right side of the slash, the denominator, represents a single note, usually played deep in the bass. Here's some examples:


C/G = CEG/C


C/E = CEG/E


Bb/C = BbDF/C


Here's a chord progression with an independent bass line. The gospel piano style typically features a separate bass line such as this:


C = CEG/C


G7/B = DFGB/B


F/A = CFA/A


C/G = CEG/G


F = CFA/F


C/E = CEG/E


G7/D = DFGB/D


C = CEG/ Low C


This next example shoes how much this bass line can influence a chord. Without the bass line all we have are five Cm chords and a G7. With the bass line added the sound really changes. This chord progression is found in such songs as "Blue Skies", "Feelings", "This Masquerade", and the introduction to "Michelle."


Cm = CEbG/C


Cm/B = CEbG/B


Cm/Bb = CEbG/Bb


Cm/A = CEbG/A


Cm/Ab = CEbG/Ab


G7 = DFGB/G


Often times the lowest note surrounded should be considered the root of the chord even when it may not seem logical. For example an F/G would function more like a G11 than it would any kind of F chord. An Am/D is really a D9 (with the F# missing.) Exceptions to this concept occur when the bass note is part of the chord.


Dvd resource: Jazz 101



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Voicing

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 Voicing:

We've already seen how some of these chords have created problems when we try to play them. A chord of five or more notes is difficult to play with one hand and will sound muddy. We solve these problems through proper voicing. Usually voicing means either you split the chord between two hands or else you eliminate certain nonessential notes. The following examples illustrate both techniques.


Perhaps the easiest voicing maneuver is to play the chord's root with the left hand while playing the rest of the chord with the right. In some cases we see some interesting patterns when we break up a chord this way.

Cm7 =  C/Eb G Bb (Eb major)


Cmaj7 = C/E G B (Em)


Cm9 = C/Eb G Bb D (Ebmaj7)


C7-9 = C/E G Bb Db (Edim7)


* Alternate Voicing for seven flat nine:


C/Db E G Bb (Db dim7)


* Seven sharp nine (Best Voicing) 


C7+9 = C/E Bb Eb


* Possible Voicings for the Csus4, Csus7, or C11:


C/Bb D F (Bb major)


C/G Bb D F (Gm7)



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Most Common Variations on the Seventh Chord

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Most Common Variations on the Seventh Chord:

* All these chords are possible substitutions for the plain sounding seventh chord, although not every alternative works in all situations. This leaves experimentation up to you.

* All the chords in the group below contain the flat seven (Bb).


* An understanding of these C7 chord types will lead to mastery of the corresponding chords in other keys. Figure them out, write them down, practice them, and memorize them.


C9 = C E G Bb D


Caug7 = C E G# Bb


C7-9 = C E G Bb Db


C7+9 = C E G Bb D#


Csus4(7) = C F G Bb


C11 = C E G Bb D F

Exercises on C Am Dm G7

This simple four-chord progression contains major, minor, and seventh chords. Thus, it makes a wonderful basis for an exercise witht the chord substitutions. Practice using all the substitutions we have learned in this pattern until your hands are familiar with the chords and your ears are familiar with how they sound.


C = C E G

Am = A C E


Dm = D F A


G7 = G B D F

Scale-tone 7th Chords

The Scale-tone 7th chords of the major scale are formed in the same way as the scale-tone triads . For the 7th chords four notes of the major scale are used instead of three.

1. By stacking three alternate notes of the C major scale on top of the tonic C, a C major 7th chord is formed : C - E - G - B
2. Stacking three alternate notes of the C major scale on top of D produces the second scale-tone 7th chord, this time Dm7 : D - F - A - C
3. Stacking three alternate notes of the C major scale on top of E produces the third scale-tone 7th chord, Em7 : E - G - B - D and so on.

Repeating this process for each note of the C major scale produces seven scale-tone 7th chords.

For the major scale in any key :

the I Chord is always a major 7th chord

the II Chord is always a minor 7th chord

the III Chord is always a minor 7th chord

the IV Chord is always a major 7th chord

the V Chord is always a dominant 7th chord

the VI Chord is always a minor 7th chord

the VII Chord is always a half diminished chord

Learn about nearest notes and common notes:
Seventh Chords


Here's a review on altered chords, chord substitutions, secondary chords:
http://mugglinw.ipower.com/chordmaps/part4.htm
 
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Most Common Variations on the Minor Chord

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 Where do chords come from? We know that chords come from scales. 

Here's the most common variations on the Major Chord:


Cmaj7 = C E G B


C6 =  C E G A


Cmaj9 = C E G B D

C6/9 = C E G A D


Notes:


* All chords contain 1,3,5, the basic major triad.
* Five note chords can be handled by spreading the notes between both hands. Usually the left hand gets the root (1) with an optional addition of the 5 or the 7. Eliminate non-essential notes in the chord (usually 5, perhaps 1).

 Most Common Variations on the Minor Chord

Cm7 = C Eb G Bb

Cm9 = C Eb G Bb D


Cm6 = C Eb G A


Cm maj7 = C Eb G B


Notes:


* All these chords contain 1 b3 5, the basic minor triad.
* The last 2 examples (Cm6 and Cm maj7) would work best in songs in minor keys where the chord is tonic. In other words Cm6 works best as a substitution for the Cm chord in the key of C minor. The minor major seventh could be used in the same situation. However, it is very dissonant and should be used with care.


Right now HearandPlay is offering a sale on their great Theory Book called the 300 page course book. There is lots of information on Major and Minor chords in the book. You might want to check it out: 300 Page Course Book

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Song Endings

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Here are some endings that I am familiar with. What has been your experience with ending one of your favorite songs?

A.   Amen Ending

This is appropriate mostly for hymns.

F/FAC   C/CEG

B.   Simple Seventh Chord Endings

C/CEGBb       C/EGBbD     C/EABbD

C.   Seventh chord with Chromatic Walkdown

C, E, F, CEG/C   E, BFG/C   D, C,   DbDb/FAbB   CC/EGBb

“                  “        “         “       “          DbDb/FabBEb     CC/EGBbD

“                  “        “         “       “          DbDb/FbbCbEb    CC/EABbD

D.   Blues Scale Ending

Plain descending

C/ C, Bb, G, Gb, F, Eb, C then G/G to C/CEGBb

The chromatic seventh chord endings can be useful, too.

L.H. single notes C, E, F, F#, G

R.H. single notes, C, Bb, G, Gb, F, Eb, C  then G/G to C/CEGBb

E.   Chord Progression Endings

Play the last measure of a song C/CEG then add these four chords:

A/AC#EG  D/DF#AC   G/GBDF    C/CEG

With a left hand walking bass:

C, B, Bb/CEG  A/AC#EG  D, E, F, F#/DF#AC   G, A, A#, B/GBDF  C/CEG

“Fancy Intro” Ending … Simple.

C/CEG  F/FAC  F#/F#ACD#  C/CEG  A/AC#EG  D/ACDF#  G/GBDF  C/CEG

With a left hand walking bass.

C/CEG  F/FAC  F#/F#ACD#  C, B, Bb/CEG  A/AC#EG  D, E, F, F#/ACDF#   

G, A , A#, B/GBDF  C/CEG

F.   Special Endings

Count Basie Ending

R.H.  FC then F#C to GC

Lawrence Welk Ending

Triplets with same single notes in each hand.

C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#, A, A#, B, C, G, C.

 A great resource I ask my students to buy is a course that HearandPlay offers on playing chords for the beginner and intermediate player. It's an audio course and Jermaine Griggs is an excellent teacher on this subject of chord playing. I recommend it for learning those piano chords!
Chords Audio Course

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Part Four: Chord Progression Intros

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Over the past few days I've really enjoyed sharing information on piano intros. Here's my final post:


 1. The "Amen" Intro


C                 F                C               G7
C/CEG        F/FAC        C/CEG      G/GBDF

2. "Heart and Soul" Intro
These six variations are all based on the familiar "Heart and Soul" chord progression (C AM Dm G7). 
Note the following  possibilities for variations.
* The A and D chords can be either minor or seventh.
* The C chord can be played Cmaj7 to achieve a more modern sound.
* The G7 chord can be any of the variations previously discussed.
* The last example uses special jazz substitutions for these chords.


Play these octaves in your l.h. while you play the chords in your r.h.


CC/CEG    AA/CEA      DD/DFA        GG/DFGB


CC/CEG    AA/CEA       DD/DF#AD  GG/DFGB


CC/CEG    AA/C#EGA  DD/DFA        GG/DFGB


CC/CEG    AA/C#EGA  DD/DF#AC   GG/DFGB


CC/CEGB  AA/CEGA   DD/DFAC      GG/DFGB


CC/CEGB   EbEb/EbGBbDb    DD/DFAC    DbDb/DbFAbB


3. "Inkspots" Intro
A great little intro from the 30's and 40's


C/CEG    C#/C#EGA#   D/DFAC   G/GBD#F


4. Fancy Lead In


This intro starts on the F major chord, goes then to F#dim and then goes to the "Heart and Soul" progression.


F/FAC  F#/F#ACD#   C/CEG   A/AC#EG   D/ACDF#   G/GBDF


Improvising


If you are comfortable with the idea of improvising, you can play any of these chord progressions with the left hand while you improvise something with the right hand. How do you improvise? That's a complicated question. There is no easy correct answer. You can start by making up simple right hand melodies whose notes don't conflict with the chords. It may not sound like much at first if you're new to the idea of improvising, but keep at it. Experiment. It's the only way.


Turnarounds


Sometimes you can use intros in the middle of a song. They make for good material when connecting the end of one verse of a song to the beginning of the next verse, for example. When used in this fashion, these intros are referred to as "turnarounds". Practice using turnarounds in your everyday playing. Like the intros, turnarounds can add a lot of interest to your performance.


I hope you enjoyed the intro study. Let me know what you think! :)


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Part Three: Last Phrase as Intros

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 When I'm looking for an introduction to play of a particular song, I always look at the last line of the song. Play the final phrase of your song, and then go to the V (dominant) chord or any of its variations. Try this with the endings to the following songs:


"You Are My Sunshine"


Please don't take my sunshine away (lyrics)


Melody Line (play single notes):


C, D, E/C, F, D/G7, D, E, C/C (then play G7 arpeggio here)


"Silent Night"


(lyrics) Sleep in heavenly peace


C, G, E, G, F, D, C (G7 arpeggio  here)


* Frankie and Johnnie
Melody line, play single notes,
E/C, E, E, D/G7, G, G, G,  A, G, E, C/C (G7 arpeggio here)



* Related Resources:


Sometimes you can use material that already exists for an intro... the first line of the song.
Intros, Tags, Fillers


James Stevens Intros
Previous Post


* Recommended Songs
Songs with Impressive Introductions


* Intro to Beatles Song
How To Play Let It Be Intro by The Beatles


Final part on intros with lots of info coming in the next post... stay tuned. Perhaps will do a brief study on"endings" soon. In the meantime, choose one of your favorite songs to play and start it off with the last line of the song, add your V chord and you're on your way!


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Part Two: Intros with Arpeggios

Not familiar with broken chords? The definition for piano arpeggios can be found here answers.com

 In music, an arpeggio is Italian for broken chord where the notes are played or sung in sequence, one after the other, rather than ringing out simultaneously. This word comes from the Italian word "arpeggiare" , which means "to play on a harp". These are formed from scales, the arpeggio is based on the relative scale playing the "key" notes or those affected by the key signature.

 This arpeggio passage progresses from G to G7, Am, D7, G, Em, and D7 before resolving to G in the following melody. (The first D7 could be F#dim.)
It is one of the easiest for beginning pianists to learn, because beginning with the F of the G7 broken chord each group of six notes simply begins on the next lowest note in the scale.

* Arpeggios


1. Straight hand-over-hand arpeggios.

This method works best with chords of four notes or less.


2. Split arpeggios.


This works best with the more complicated five-note chords.
Left hand plays root. Hold sustain pedal. Right and left hands play remaining notes of the chord
hand-over-hand in a repeating arpeggio.


* Here are some examples:


G9 = Low G (l.h. and pedal) + Bm7(b5) arpeggio B D F A (right and left hand-over-hand).


G7b9 = Low G (l.h. w/pedal) + Bdim7 arpeggio B D F Ab  (right and left hand-over-hand).


Sometimes inverting chords leads to a more comfortable fingering. Here's a more practical way of playing the above example:


G7b9 = Low G (l.h. w/pedal) + Bdim7 arpeggio D F Ab B (right and left hand-over-hand).


Use this pattern with any variation of the dominant chord. Try these in a few other keys.

Related Resources:

Walking bass lines with arpeggios

Piano practice with arpeggios

Piano Hand Coordination

Let me know how your piano practice with arpeggios progresses. Broken chords can be played as an intro to set up a song or definitely close out a song. Yes it's true, synthesizers have their own built in arpeggiators! lol

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I hope you enjoy your stay at LadyD Piano.

Part One: Intros with Dominant Chords

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 Much of what happens musically in introductions revolves around using the dominant chord. This is sometimes referred to as the V chord (pronounced "five chord"). This chord varies according to what key you play the songs in. I will keep my examples in the key of C major because it is simple to understand. In the key of C the dominant chord is G7. I'll list the dominant chords for all the other keys later.


There are many variations on the basic dominant chord. Here are a few of the most common ones. You'll see them presented first in a straightforward theoretical way, and then you'll get a chance to learn them from a keyboard player's point of view. Most of the intro examples you'll see here are based on this dominant chord.


G7 = GBDF  and GG/GBDF


Gaug7 = GBD#F


G9 = GBDFA


G7b9 = GBDFbA


G9 = Bm7(b5)/G and it looks like this: G/ BDFA


G7b9 = Bdim7/G looks like: G/BDFAb


Bdim7/G means right hand plays Bdim7 chord while left hand plays single (or double) G note in bass.
G seven flat-nine could be written as either G7b9 or G7-9.


* List of Dominant Chords around the Circle of Fourths:


KEY     DOMINANT CHORD


C          G7


F           C7


Bb        F7


Eb        Bb7


Ab        Eb7


Db        Ab7


Gb        Db7


B          F#7


E          B7


A          E7


D          A7


G         D7

You might want to check out Karen's teaching video to clear up some music points for a refresher course: Dominant and Playing By Ear


 Related Topics:


Dominant Chord 

Definition: Dominant Chord 

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I hope you enjoy your stay at LadyD Piano.

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• Chords and Harmony (pianodiana.blogspot.com)

Tips for Piano Performance - Altered Chords

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One of my favorite songs that I've had the opportunity to play in public for many different occasions is "Amazing Grace." Do you have a popular set of songs that you perform well?
Below the following tips I have posted chords and altered chords to Amazing Grace.

Tips for Playing the Piano in Public 
  1. Develop an area of specialty and play what you love the most. You can play a wide range of music styles but your own specialty will provide you with a focus that will set you apart from the crowd.

2. Have a few “show-off” pieces that are impressively arranged for crowd pleasing.

3. Try to memorize at least one new song a week that you really like. That way, you’ll have less music to tote around.

4. By memorizing a song, you’ll have more fun when your eyes aren’t glued to the sheet music.

5. Do type a list of songs alphabetically that you play by memory. While you’re playing one song, you can scan the list to determine your next selection.

6. Once you purchase sheet music, organize your notebook with songs alphabetically that you’ll be playing that are not memorized.

7. Fake books are great to use but make sure you’ve practiced the songs privately before playing in public. Sometimes you’ll find that fake books can have a mislabeled chord.

8. Strive for balance in your playing sequence. If you play ten ballads in a row or perhaps seven classical pieces consecutively, it might be boring for the listener’s ear.

9. When you’re playing for your audience, “play” for them. People enjoy being able to recognize and remember songs that they’re familiar with.

10. On the other hand, don’t be afraid to play a new song that is not generally known.

11. THIS TIP IS IMPORTANT: Allow your personal style to emerge, but don’t let it take over to the point that everything you play sounds the same. A good way to avoid this is to study songs in their original arrangements.

12. On the other hand, don’t be timid about experimenting. Sometimes a rock song can work as a lush ballad.

13. Constructing medleys is fun. People seem to enjoy medleys.

14. Often you’ll get requests at your live gig. If you don’t know a particular song, just hand them your play list. They’ll probably recognize a song on your list that they would love to hear.

15. If someone requests a song, let’s say “The Girl From Ipanema” and you don’t know it well enough to play from memory, make a counter offer with a song that you do play well and ask them if they would like to hear it.

16. Even if someone requests a song that you don’t especially like, just play it anyways because the song is usually related to a special moment for them.

17. Play every song with passion, from your heart, as if every song is your favorite because boredom is easily spotted.

18. If you draw a blank and space out during a performance, you have several choices here. You can flow into another song or you can improvise until you figure it out and get back on track. Sometimes I have found that playing the same song at the beginning of my set sets me at ease for what is to follow.

19. If you botch a song beyond redemption don’t panic. One time I recall playing Ave Maria for my mom’s friends. I modulated to another key and couldn’t remember the chords in that new key. (It happens to the best of us). So, I just smiled, laughed out loud, played “Mary had a Little Lamb” and went back to Ave Maria and played it well that time!

20. You are playing the piano, not working the piano. So play with feeling and emotion. Knowing the lyrics to a song in your head enhances the feeling your fingers are trying to convey. Remember to share your love for music with the world. (Your family, friends and audience).

Am     C                D   F        
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
     Am      C           Em
That saved a wretch like me....
  Am       C        D      F        
I once was lost but now am found,
    Am         Em     Am
Was blind, but now, I see.

          Cmaj         Fmaj   Cmaj        
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
     Am      Cmaj/D    Dminor      Gmaj
That saved a wretch like me....
  Am       Cmaj7        D      Fmaj        
I once was lost but now am found,
Cmaj    Am      C/G   Dm/G     Cmaj
Was blind, but now, I see.

Am     Cmaj         F9       Cmaj E7(b9#5)           
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
     Am9      D9           G13
That saved a wretch like me....
  Am       Cmaj        F9      Cmaj E7(b9#5)       
I once was lost but now am found,
    Am9         Cmaj/G  G9   Cmaj
Was blind, but now, I see.

* G maj to G13:
V13 chords are great chord substitutions for V7 chords. 
* It is common  to play the IV# diminished chord right after a IV chord (especially when the IV chord resolves back to the I chord).


These full sounding polychords (above) sound bluesy compared to simple arrangements.

C/D   G      G/D   D7   Em   C   G           G        G/D   D/C  G/B 
A----mazing grace! How sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me! 

C/D  G         G/B      C    C   G     G/B Em     G/D G/D  D7  G
I--  once was lost but now, I'm found. Was blind, but now  I  see.

* This is one of my favorite jazz arrangements for guitar

GM7      Bm7          CM7      Am7
Amazing grace how sweet the sound
       GM7     Bm7           Am7  D9
That saved a wretch like me
GM7         Bm7      CM7      Am7
I once was lost but now I’m found
        GM7       Bm7      CM7 – Bm7 – Am7 – GM7 
Was blind but now I see

I look forward to posting more on using altered chords in 7-3-6-2-5-1 progression.


Thanks for stopping by.
I hope you enjoy your stay at LadyD Piano.