The Great Morning Sun!

Morning Sun

 I must confess, I am an early riser. How about you? One winter's morning I grabbed
my camera and took this photo of the morning sun.

You can purchase the song at Morning Sun

I wanted to share a different song with you that I found online.
The song is called Morning Sun but it is a completely different one
and it's arranged by Engjengneer23. I'm not sure if the site still exists
but if so, you would find the music at www.mypianotranscriptions.com

The song chart looks something like this and I've added notes for you.
You want to be familiar with chords.
Be sure and visit the Chords Collection

Cmaj7 = CGE/GBCE
F = FCA/B
Cmaj7
F
Dm (add 9) = DAF/AE
F = FCA/C
Dm (add9)
G7 = GDB/AC
Cmaj7 = C/GBC
F
Cmaj7
F
Dm (add 9) = D/AE
F
Dm (add 9)
G7 sus = G/FC
G7
Am (add 9)
F
Am (add 9)
F
Dm
F
Dm
F
Cmaj7
F add 9
Cmaj7
F add 9
Dm
F add 9
Dm
F/G = G/AF
G7 = G/FD
Am (add 9)
F
Am (add 9)
F
Dm
F
Dm
F
Cmaj7 = C/GBC
F add 9 = F/BB
Cmaj7
F add 9 = F/BB
Dm (add 9) = D/AE
F add 9
Dm (add 9) = D/AE
G7 sus = G/CC
Am (add 9)
G/F = F/DB
F = F/AC
Am (add 9)
G/F = F/DB
F = F/GC
Dm
F = F/FA
Dm
F
Cmaj7
F
Cmaj7
F = FC/B
G7 = GF/F
Cmaj7 = CC/BE

It's a beautiful, simple song that has tons of broken chords.
Use the sustain pedal often for flowing measures.

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If you are interested in how to save time learning all the essential chords in all 12 keys,
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A new year is just around the corner!







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

Understanding Chords and Progressions

Photo Credit: The Lost Chord-Piano St. Helen's Church

I t is true that when you know your chords, they in turn will make a progression. For example, the I, II and V chords of any key are found in a II-V-I chord progression. This 2-5-1 becomes the most common chord progression played in jazz. Jazz musicians know that the 2-5-1 chords are the modes of the major scale. If you are just starting out on the keyboard, while playing the songs in the Key of C, remember that the II-V-I progression will be Dm7, G7 and C major 7th. The steps of a major scale are numbered from I to vii.

Roman Numeral Chord Notation

C

I	ii	iii	IV	V	vi	vii°
C	Dm	Em	F	G	Am	B dim

G

I	ii	iii	IV	V	vi	vii°
G	Am	Bm	C	D	Em	F# dim

D

I	ii	iii	IV	V	vi	vii°
D	Em	F#m	G	A	Bm	C# dim

A

I	ii	iii	IV	V	vi	vii°
A	Bm	C#m	D	E	F#m	G# dim

E

I	ii	iii	IV	V	vi	vii°
E	F#m	G#m	A	B	C#m	D# dim

F

I	ii	iii	IV	V	vi	vii°
F	Gm	Am	Bb	C	Dm	E dim

B Flat

I	ii	iii	IV	V	vi	vii°
Bb	Cm	Dm	Eb	F	Gm	A dim

The chord progression that moves from the ii chord, that is the 2nd step of the scale, is frequently played like this: D and F (Dm7) which is the ii and then move to the V, GB (G chord).

Here is a chord chart that I use to play this popular progression on the piano:

Dm7 = DC/DF
G = GB/D
C = C/CE

When I'm playing a song in the Key of F, I look for the second, fifth and first note of the F Major Scale.

Here is a rule that will help you remember the pattern in all keys: 

1. The II chord is always a minor 7th chord.
2. The V chord is always a dominant 7th chord.
3. The I chord is a major 7th chord.

So, for the II-V-I progression in the Key of F, you would play a G minor 7, C7 and F major 7th. A good understanding about playing this progression in all keys will help you to be fluent with improvising.

Here is another tip. Play this particular progression with four bars for starters and then stretch the progression to eight bars of music. That means a chord could last a measure or two.
I love jazz and one of my favorites is Duke Ellington. He is considered one of the greatest composers of jazz music. He is famous for his swing music and incorporates the expanded ii V chord progressions in many of his songs.

When I play The Duke Speaks, I use D/DF, then G/GB and finish with C/DEG.

We have just touched upon this chord progression study in major keys. Get comfortable learning the 2-5-1 chord progressions and then move on to the minor keys.

I thank you for the many notes I receive from readers and I regret I am not able to respond to everyone. Many have suggested I post more often, some wanting song charts, worship songs and more theory. Plus, I have received requests for Halloween music... interesting.

Most importantly, do you know your chords? Here are a few resources that I think will help improving your piano playing:

 

Chords 

 

300 pg theory book 

Harmonizing the Melody

Best,

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

Learn How To Play Chord Patterns

Image by Caitlinator via Flickr

I have taken online courses with Jermaine Griggs from HearandPlay.com and also with Willies Myette on jazzpianolessons.com Both of these fantastic musicians and teachers explain the importance of knowing and understanding music theory, especially playing chord progressions or chord patterns. Here are some you need to know that I have found helpful to my piano playing. I share these chord patterns with my piano students to free them up from using and depending so much on sheet music or chord charts.

* CHORD PATTERNS:


I - IV - V - I Chord Pattern

Examples:
Key of C: C - F - G - C
Key of D: D - G - A - D
Key of E : E - A - B - E

I - iii - IV - ii - I Chord Pattern

Examples:
Key of F: F - A - Bb - G - F
Key of G: G - B - C - A - G
Key of A: A - C# - D - B - A

I - vi - ii - V - I Chord Pattern

Examples:
Key of B: B - G# - C# - F# - B
Key of Db: Db - Bb - Eb - Ab - Db
Key of Eb: Eb - C - F - Bb - Eb
Key of Gb: Gb - Eb - Ab - Db - Gb

I - ii - iii - IV - V - I Chord Pattern

Examples:
Key of Ab: Ab - Bbm - Cm - Db - Eb - Ab
Key of Bb: Bb - Cm - Dm - Eb - F - Bb

I - vi - ii - IV - I Chord Pattern

Examples:
Key of C: C - Am - Dm - G - C
Key of D: D - Bm - Em - A - D

1-7-2-6-5 in C

1 – C = CCF
7 – G/B = CCF
2 – Dm7 = D / A D F
6 – Am7 = A / C E G
5 – G = G / B D G


5-1 Walk-up in G minor

E7 = E / D E G# B
D/F# = F# / D F# A
G#o7 = G# / D F G# B
Amin7 = A / E G A C

Other Chords

Fmaj9 = CCF
G#o7 = F# / D F G# B
Amin7 = A / E G A C
C13 = CCF
Fmaj9 = CCF

7-1 in C minor

C#o7 = C# / Bb C# E G
Dm7 = D / A C D F

I = D / D F A
Shall = E / F A D
Re = F / E G C
Co- = G / D G B
ver = A / E G C
It = B / F A D
All = C / E G C

G11 = CCF

* A NICE TYPE OF DISNEY END IN Eb
It is really a 2-5-1 progression with a little bit of the Disney theme song added in.

D/G-B-D-F
G/A-C-D-F-Ab
C/Bb-C-D-F
/G-C-Eb
Bb/F-Bb-D
Eb-Ab-C
G/F-Bb-Eb
F#/F#-A-Eb
F/F-Ab-Eb
Bb/Ab-Bb-Eb-F
Bb/Ab-Bb-D-F
Eb/G-Bb-Eb or Eb-G-Bb

* Note from a Friend:

From time to time, I get a little help from my friends... sounds like a song! lol
A note was posted in the forum by Rueben explaining chord patterns from

http://zone.hearandplay.com

The pattern: you have to establish if it is a repeating pattern like 1st stanza:
Glorify Thy Name
C Dm G C I ii V C
Father I love you I praise you I adore you
C F G G7 I IV V V7
Glorify they name in all the earth
C F I IV
Glorify thy name
E7 Am Fm III vi iv
Glorify thy name
C Em Dm I iii ii
Glorify thy name
G4 C V I
in all the earth

in the second stanza Father is replaced
with Jesus while the third--you use Spirit.
the pattern will be the same in 2nd and 3rd
stanza.
Notice: E7 in glorify thy name is an "altered chord" because diatonic family of C should be Em. The other exception in that line is Fm...the 4th chord should be an F but this one is also an altered chord...an exception because in key of C the diatonic chord family should be C Dm Em F G Am B*..... The III and iv signifies that you are altering that chord.

LadyD, I hope you will now have a clearer picture of what I am saying. It is not the 2-5-1 or 1-4-5 pattern...It is the pattern of the song that you are trying to establish/analyze.
Enjoy....God bless
Ruben

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