The History of Reading Music Notes

 So often I am asked if I would teach students online how to read music notes. I have done a few posts on the subject but oh my goodness... it would take a little awhile of repetitive teaching to go over the lines and spaces of the treble and bass staff. Then the rest is up to you to learn with practice over time. For some, especially with adults, you'll be a quick learner.

Anne Crosby is one of my favorite online teachers. These next charts are from http://pianoanne.ca/

• Treble Clef Space Notes: F - A - C - E (I Look At You And I See Your FACE)

•  Treble Clef Line Notes: E - G - B - D - F (Every Good Boy Does Fine)

• Bass Clef Space Notes: A - C - E - G (All Cows Eat Grass)

• Bass Clef Line Notes: G - B - D- F - A (Good Boys Do Fine Always)

There are so many free and low cost apps/games online for you to use on reading notes. The old fashioned way is to make or purchase flash cards. I love these powerful learning resources through repetition. If you're online a lot of the time and you are a visual learner, check out these great sites.

If your curious about the history of reading music notes, wikipedia offers some valuable information:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical_notation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_history
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shape_note

 Online Links

1. http://www.musictheory.net/exercises/note

Great in identifying notes for older students.

 

2. http://musicteachersgames.com/linesSpaces

Simple and advanced reading of the staff notes.

3. http://www.musictechteacher.com/music_quizzes/quiz_word_warrior_treble.htm

Identifying words by answering the music notes.

4. http://www.teoria.com/

5. http://www.emusictheory.com/

Hope this is helpful in kick-starting your journey to reading music notes on the staff.

You may be interested in, Musician Transformation 44pg Guide (Free Download)

If you enjoyed this blog post, please consider following on Bloglovin' Keep in touch with me on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, YouTube and Pinterest, too!

"The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you." B.B.King

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The Chords C, F and G

English: Major chord in root, first and second inversion. Category:Music images sr:Слика:Major chord root and inversions.PNG Category:Monochrome images (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The first thing you will need to know to start playing the keyboard is some chords.
There are many different types of chords, the most common being the major chord.
All major chords contain three notes, taken from the major scale of the same letter name.
These three notes are the 1 (first), 3 (third) and 5 (fifth) notes of the major scale, so the chord 
formula for the major chord is: 1 3 5

The C Major Chord

The C major chord is constructed from the C major scale. Using the above chord formula on the
C major scale, you can see that the C major chord contains the notes C, E and G.

C Major Scale

C  D  E  F  G  A  B  C
1   2   3  4   5   6   7   8
C       E      G

The chord symbol for a major chord is just the letter name of the chord. Ex., the chord symbol
for the C major chord is C. It is common to practice to refer to a C major chord as the C chord.
This abbreviation applies to all major chords.

Play the three notes of the C chord with the first, third and fifth fingers of your right hand, individually, and then together as shown below.

                                                 G
 C  E  G = Arpeggio                 E  = C Chord (Blocked or Solid Chord), played at the same time.
1   3  5  = Fingering                  C


When playing a chord one note at a time it is referred to as arpeggio.

The first note from the major scale (and hence the first note of the major chord) is called the
root note. When playing chords with the right hand, the left hand often plays the root note.

Example using broken and solid C chords in the right hand with single bass note, C in l.h.:

C/ C, E, G, E

C/ CEG,  C/ CEG

C/ C, E, G, E

C/ CEG

Chord shapes can be illustrated by using chord diagrams.

Db Eb Gb Ab Bb C D E F G A B C

The G Major Chord

The G major chord is constructed from the G major scale. Using the major chord formula
on the G major scale below, it can be seen that the G chord contains the notes G, B and D.


G Major Scale

G  A  B  C   D  E  F#  G
1   2    3   4   5  6   7    8
G        B        D

Db Eb Gb Ab Bb C D E F G A B C

Db Eb Gb Ab Bb C D E F G A B C

Play the three notes of the G chord with the first, third, and fifth fingers of your right hand,
individually, and then together as shown in the following example.

G Bass note-l.h. G/GBD - right hand (fingering 1-3-5)

Once you are confident you know the G chord, practice changing between G and C.

G/GBD  G/GBD

G/G,B,D,B

C/ CEG  C/CEG

C/C,E,G,E

G/GBD

G/G,B,D,B,G

C/CEG  C/CEG

C/C,E,G,E,C

The F Major Chord

The F major chord is constructed from the F major scale. Using the major chord formula on
the F major scale below, it can be seen that the F chord contains the notes F, A and C.

F Major Scale

F  G  A  Bb  C  D  E  F
1  2   3   4     5   6  7   8
F       A         C

Db Eb Gb Ab Bb C D E F G A B C

Db Eb Gb Ab Bb C D E F G A B C

Play the three notes of the F chord with the first, third, and fifth fingers of your right hand,
individually, and then together as shown in the example below.

F/FAC

Once you are comfortable with the F chord, try combining it with G and C.

F/F,A,C,A

F/FAC

C/C,E,G,E

C/CEG

G/G,B,D,B,G

F/F,A,C,A,F

C/C,E,G,E,C,E,G,E

C/CEG

I hope this helps for the beginner piano players to find their way around some basic piano chords.
If your interested in learning more, visit Chords.






"The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you." B.B.King

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Whitney Houston: Saving All My Love For You

So, time has passed and along side millions of viewers, we said our good byes
to Whitney Houston. Her memorial service was very moving and indeed, it
is truly evident that she loved the Lord. Perhaps she is singing in the angels choir.
I believe so. With Whitney's God-given gift, her beautiful voice, we continue to
play and sing her songs and her gift goes on! Do you have a favorite? I would like
to post some of Whitney Houston's songs and perhaps you will find one to play.

Saving All My Love for You (Music by Michael Masser ©1978)

Intro
G maj7    Em7               Am7             D11
G maj7    Em7               Am7             D11                     
A few stolen moments is all that we share

G maj7    Em7               Am7             D11                     
You've got your family and they need you there. 

Em7                 A7               Em7            A7
Though I try to resist being last on your list. 

Em7 Em7/D  C  G/B  Am7    D11
But no other man's gonna do.

       C     Bm7    Am7 D11  G maj 7  Em7 Am7 D11
So I'm saving all my love for you.

 
It's not very easy living alone. 
My friends try and tell me. 
Find a man of my own. 
But each time I try I just break down and cry.
Cuz I'd rather be home feeling blue. 
So I'm saving all my love for you.


B                Bb dim              B
You used to tell me we'd run away together.
D                               A             D Dmaj7 
Love gives you the right to be free. 

F#7                                      B7
You said, be patient, just wait a little longer. 

       A9    Am9         Am7 sus 4    D11 D
But that's just an old fantasy. 

I've got to get ready .
Just a few minutes more. 
Gonna get that old feeling. 
when you walk through that door. 
Coz tonight is the night. 
for feeling alright. 
We'll be making love the whole night through. 
So I'm saving all my love. 

Yes I'm saving all my love. 
Yes I'm saving all my love for you. 

No other woman is gonna love you more. 
Coz tonight is the night.
That I'm feeling alright. 
We'll be making love the whole night through. 
So I'm saving all my love. 
Yeah I'm saving all my love. 
Darlin', yes, I'm saving all my love for you. 
For you. 
For you. 
For you 

Higher Praise.com 

I'd like to share these chords I'm using in the Key of A

Saving All My Love For You

Whitney Houston

Intro

Amaj7  F#m7  Bm9  D/E  Amaj7  F#m7  Bm9  D/E

	A	maj7	F#m7	Bm9	D/E
	A	few stol	en moments is all	that we share

	A	maj7	F#m7	Bm9	D/E
	Yo	u've got	your family and t	hey need you the	re.

	F#m7	B/F#	F#m7	B/F#
	Though I try to resi	st being last on	your list.

A		F#m7/		G#m7		C#7
	But	no othe	r m	an's	gonna d	o.

	Dmaj7	C#m7	Bm7	D/E	A	maj	7	F#m7	Bm9	D/E
So I'm	saving	all my	lov	e for	y	ou.

It's not very easy living alone.

My friends try and tell me.

Find a man of my own.

But each time I try I just break down and cry.

Cuz I'd rather be home feeling blue.

So I'm saving all my love for you.

	G#m7	C#7	F#m9	Bm9
	You used to tell	me	we'd run away tog	ether.

	E7	Amaj7
	Love gives you the right to be f	ree.

Eb7sus4	Ab7	Dbmaj7
	You said, be patient, just wait a little	longer.

	F#m7		B7	Dmaj9/E
But tha	t's ju	st an old fa	ntas	y.

I've got to get ready .

Just a few minutes more.

Gonna get that old feeling.

when you walk through that door.

Coz tonight is the night.

for feeling alright.

We'll be making love the whole night through.

So I'm saving all my love.

Yes I'm saving all my love.

Yes I'm saving all my love for you.

No other woman is gonna love you more.

Coz tonight is the night.

That I'm feeling alright.

We'll be making love the whole night through.

So I'm saving all my love.

Yeah I'm saving all my love.

Darlin', yes, I'm saving all my love for you.

For you.

For you.

For you

Music Chord Breakdown

Amaj7 = A/C#EG#

F#m7 = F#/AC#F#

Bm9 = B/DF#AC#

D/E = E/DF#A

B/F# = F#/D#F#B

G#m7 = G#/D#F#C#

C#7 = C#/BD#G#B

Dmaj7 = D/F#AC#

C#m7 = C#/ EG#B

F#m9 = F#/EF#B

E7 = E/G#DF#

Eb7sus4 = Eb/DbEbAb

Ab7 = Ab/CEbA

Dbmaj7 = Db/AbCF#

Dmaj9/E = E/F#AC#E

Awhile back I wrote about bass lines. They are definitely in this song,
Saving All My Love For You.

Did you know that Errol Garner, the jazz pianist, was left-handed? So, I got to thinking about left-hand parts on the piano and how much time I have invested in piano practice to improve and strengthen my bass lines in music.

I've always been comfortable playing a melodic line with my right hand but when it comes to playing Alberti bass or Waltz bass, I seemed to need the extra practice, playing left hand notes separately until they were polished and then adding both hands together to hear a more balanced sound.

To achieve this, let's take a look at music and see how a composer will write harmony parts in many different ways.

1. Block chords look like all of the notes are stacked together, like a snow- man, and you play them together at once. You will find many blocked chords for your left hand in rock and roll and hymns, too.

2. Broken chords are when the left-hand plays the notes of a chord but one at a time. You can approach this by playing oom-pah rhythm or some say, boom-chick, like a repeated pattern of a single note followed by a chord. You will hear this in Ragtime in Scott Joplin music.

3. Arpeggiated chords make up notes of a chord that are played one at a time, like an arpeggio. They are found in Classical piano music and Pop music.

4. Alberti bass is when the notes of each chord is played starting with the bottom note, on to the top note, middle note and then up to the top note again.

5. Waltz bass is where the first note of the chord is on the down beat, the first beat of the measure and followed by the other notes on beats 2 and 3. It is played with a strong beat in a 3/4 time signature. This ballad style allows your right hand the freedom to pull out the melody line and just let it flow.

This is the basic introduction to left-hand movement. More advanced rhythmic patterns would include off-beats, swing and slow jazz waltz, to name a few. Plus, there is Latin rhythm to learn, such as Bossa Nova, Mambo Tango, Cha Cha, Rhumba and Samba.

No matter what level you are on, with many of the left-hand parts listed above, you can incorporate them into your music for rhythm practice.

You might be interested in this music resource if you're a singer:
Vocal Mastery System  (affiliate link)

"The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you." B.B.King

Voicing 7th Chords

 A little bird told me you wanted to learn voicing 7th chords. Thanks for your emails.

 Here is what I have learned from Noah Baerman on voicing 7th chords.

7th chords open up a whole new world of possibilities. It is funny to think that just
one extra note per chord can greatly alter the sound, but dealing with 7th chords does
just that. Voicing becomes much more important now that we are using 7th chords.
More notes create more voicing possibilities. As jazz keyboardists, we strive to learn
what those possibilities are, how to execute them and what impact each one may have
on the overall sound.

Voice Leading

Here are two examples of voicings for a ii-V-I in Bb Major.

1. C/ CEbGBb
  
    F/CEbFA

    Bb/BbDFA

2. C/CEbGBb

    F/FACEb

    Bb/BbDFA

The first example makes more sense. Each voicing flows smoothly to the next one,
and the hands have to move very little to play the progression. In the second example
the sound is broken up, and the right hand has to jump around to play the chords.
The difference is that the first example uses good voice leading. Voice leading is the
smooth movement of voices (notes) from one chord tot he next. If your hands are
jumping all over the place, you're probably not using good voice leading, and the
music is unlikely to sound smooth or cohesive. To voice lead well, your hands should
use the least possible amount of energy. Imagine that, the easier it is to play, the better it sounds!

3. Example of a iii-vi-ii-V-I progression in F Major with good voice leading.

A/GACE (Amin7)

D/FACD (Dmin7)

G/GABbD (Gmin7)

C/GBbCE (C7)

F/FACE (FMaj7)

Each of the four voices in the right hand moves very little as the chords change.
Just like the individual singers in a choir, who can't jump around too much without 
getting tired and confused, the voices in a chord should avoid leaps whenever possible.
The bass notes move around more but that's inevitable when the roots are moving in large
intervals like 4ths and 5ths. Since the left hand is playing one note at a time, it is not
difficult to play.

We have more freedom with voicing when the left hand plays the roots. So far, we've
been playing four notes at a time in the right hand whenever we play 7th chords.
Now that we're getting  the hang of them, we can eliminate one of those notes.


4. The right hand can play the 3rd, 5th, and 7th of each chord. The left hand can take 
care of the roots.

D/FAC (Dmin7)

G/DFB (G7)

C/EGB

With this kind of voicing, the sound becomes more open. We don't lose the fullness
because all four notes of each chord are still being played. WE still use the same method
of voice leading, simply omitting the root from the right hand. Let's take the following
progression in B minor.

5. Roots in l.h. and 3rds, 5ths and 7ths  in r.h. with smooth voice leading.

B/ADF# (Bmin7)

E/BDG (Emin7)

B/ADF# (Bmin7)

G/BDF# (GMaj7)

C#/GBE (C#min7b5)

F#/A#C#E (F#7)

B/ADF# (Bmin7)

If we begin the progression with a different voicing for the first Bmin7 chord,
then the voice leading will naturally lead to other voicings for the rest of the chords,
since other voicings will be within easier reach.

6. Here's another way of voicing the same changes with the same technique.

B/DF#A (Bmin7)

E/DGB (Emin7)

B/DF#A (Bmin7)

G/DF#B (GMaj7)

C#/EGB (C#min7b5)

F#/C#EA# (F#7)

B/DF#A (Bmin7)


Hope these are helpful examples. You may want to visit these resources.

Advanced Gospel Courses

Gospel Core Essentials


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All the best,





"The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you." B.B.King

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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