Made New Chords: Lincoln Brewster

From the new album, Oxygen, here'a a great song that I love by Lincoln Brewster. Maybe it's the high energy of the song or the repetition of a few chords... but I hope you like it as much as I do. Have fun playing the song. If you're not familiar with this way cool song, listen to it on YouTube. I think you'll agree, it rocks!

Made New (Chords & Lyrics)

Josiah James Meeker, Lincoln Brewster & Colby Wedgeworth

Key: Bb
Time: 4/4

Intro

Gm7  Fsus4  //  Bb  Eb  // Gm7  Fsus4 //  Bb  Eb //

                                                                Gm7             Fsus4         Bb  Eb

You're calling me over

Gm7            Fsus4  Bb Eb

You're pulling me close

Gm7  Fsus 4                  Bb Eb
With love You surround me

Gm7       Fsus4  Bb  Eb Gm7 Fsus4 Bb Eb
You give me hope

Gm7  Fsus4  Bb  Eb

You're taking me deeper

Gm7  Fsus4  Bb  Eb
You're making me whole

Gm7  Fsus4  Bb Eb
With grace You redeem me

Gm7  Fsus4  Bb  Eb Gm7  Fsus4  Bb Eb
You restore my soul

F         Eb

Now I'm made new

F           Eb
Because of You

Chorus

Gm7  Fsus4  Bb Eb
You hold my head up

Gm7  Fsus4  Bb Eb
You remind me who I am

Gm7  Fsus4  bb Eb
You hold my head up

Gm7  Fsus4  Bb  Eb
I'm alive in You again

Gm7  Fsus4  Bb  Eb
I'm made new

Gm7  Fsus4  Bb  Eb
You're making me stronger

Gm7  Fsus4  Bb  Eb
You're healing my heart

Gm7  Fsus4  Bb Eb
With Your hands You hold me

Gm7  Fsus4  Bb  Eb
And You set me apart

Bridge

F  Gm7
You are my salvation

Eb
I will not fear

F         Gm7
You're the strength of my life

Eb
I won't fear

©2014 Integrity Worship Music / Integrity's Praise! Music /Worldwide Echoes/Adm. by CapitolCMGPublishing.com

Chord Breakdown

Gm7 =  GBb/FBbD and GBb/DFBb and G/BbDF

Fsus4 =  Bb/FAC and FBb/FBbC

Bb = Bb/BbDG and Bb/BbFBb and Bb/DFBb

Eb = Eb/EbGBb and Eb/BbFBb and Eb/BbEbG

Bridge

Gm7 = G/BbFBb and G/GBbF

F = F/ACF

Eb = Eb/EbGC and Eb/BbEbG

Did you know that Hear and Play offers a guitar course, too? Yes, not only for the musician who plays the keys but the company offers resources for you to own while learning the guitar. Check out:

Guitar 301

*affiliate links in post*

All the best,

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

Songs of Peace with Three Primary Chords

Words: Edward H. Bickersteth, Jr
Music: "Pax Tecum," George Thomas Caldbeck



Peace, Perfect Peace
C       G7      C        F    G7            C
Peace, perfect peace, in this dark world of sin?
C7  F     D7 C  G  C   F    C     G7   D   
The blood of Jesus whispers peace within.


Peace, perfect peace, by thronging duties pressed?
To do the will of Jesus, this is rest.

Peace, perfect peace, with sorrows surging round?
On Jesus' bosom naught but calm is found.

Peace, perfect peace, with loved ones far away?
In Jesus' keeping we are safe, and they.

Peace, perfect peace, our future all unknown?
Jesus we know, and He is on the throne.

Peace, perfect peace, death shadowing us and ours?
Jesus has vanquished death and all its powers.

It is enough: earth's struggles soon shall cease,
And Jesus call us to heaven's perfect peace.

Words and music: Carey Landry



Peace I Leave
C       Dm          F         G
Peace I leave with you, my friends:
           Em        Dm     F
Shalom my peace, in all you do.
C       Dm          F         G
Peace I leave with you, my friends,
          Am              Dm      F       C
I give to you, so you can give to others, too.

C              Dm      F       C
To share God's love is why I came,
                 Em    Dm     F
To show God's kindness to the world
C         Dm          F      C
Go now my friends and do the same,
         Em   Dm-G
Until I come again...

Take my hand and be at peace,
The spirit of our love I send;
And with this love you will be free,
Until I come again...

With this love you all will know,
That loneliness is at an end,
Rejoice my people though I go
For I will come again...

Red Foley- Peace in the Valley

G                                      G7
Well  I'm so tired and so weary
       C              G
But I must go alone 

Till the lord comes and calls
D
Calls me away, Oh yeah
      G                          G7
Well the mornings so bright
             C             G
And the lamp is a light
                          D                              G
And the night, night is as black as the sea
G                          C                               G
And there will be peace in the valley for me someday 
                                                        D
There will be peace in the valley for me, Oh lord I pray
G                                  G7              C
There"ll be no sadness, no sorrow, no trouble I see
G                                       D             G
There will be peace in the valley for me
G                               G7
Well the bear will be gentle
            C                      G
And the wolves will be tame
                                             D
And the lion shall lay down, with the lamb, Oh yeah
G                                  G7
And the beast from the wild 
           C             G
Will be led by a child
                             D                                           G
And I'll be saved, saved from this creature, that I am

Chorus:


Peace Like a River

   G
I've got peace like a river,
 G7   C  G
I've got peace like a river,
         Em7  A7     D   A7  D
I've got peace like a river in my soul.
(repeat)

D7   G
I've got love like an ocean,
G7   C
I've got love like an ocean,
         A7    D7    G  C   G
I've got love like an ocean in my soul.
(repeat)

I've got joy like a fountain,
I've got joy like a fountain,
I've got joy like a fountain in my soul.
(repeat)

So, I've written two music articles for you regarding chord study...




How do you go about harmonizing a melody? 


It helps to know that in any key there are three chords that are

especially important. Those are the chords built on the first, fourth,

and fifth notes of the scale.

Another way to say it is that Primary and Major Triads are the most

important triads of a key built on the 1st, 4th and 5th scale degrees of

the major scale. They are called the Primary Triads or Primary Chords of

the key and are identified by the Roman Numerals I, IV, and V.

These three triads contain every tone in the major scale. For example, the

C Major Scale is: C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C. Out of these 8 notes (ex-cluding the

perfect octave; C), 3 of them are Primary or Major Triads. In the scale of

C Major the roots of the three primary chords are I, IV, and V, which are C

(CEG), F (FAC) and G (GBD). As you will learn later, the other notes of the

scale are associated with other types of chords, like minor and diminished.



The Primary chords are Major chords because they consist of the root, a major

3rd, and a perfect 5th.

So, here is a formula to remember:



Major Third + Perfect Fifth = Major Chord

Why are major scales important in understanding primary Chords? If we had

not known the C Major scale, how would we have known that E is the major

third and G is the perfect 5th of C major?

Well there are two ways of forming a major triad:

First select the 1st, 3rd, and 5th notes of a major scale. This is the

easiest way if you know your major scales. In the Key of F Major, F is the

1st note, A is the 3rd note and C is the 5th note. F, A, C make up the F Major

chord. The same rule applies to all 12 keys.

Secondly,another way of forming a major chord (triad) is to add the interval

of a minor 3rd on top of a major third. If you know that a minor 3rd equals 3    half steps and a major third equals 4 half steps (or 2 whole steps), you are

on your way to applying music theory.For example, from C to Eb (minor third) is 3half steps. C to C# = 1 half step. C to D = 2 half steps and C to Eb = 3 half

steps. So to make a major chord, just put a minor 3rd on top of a major third.

Here is the secret:



Let us say you want to build a G Major chord. Start at G (the root) and

add a major third (4 half steps), G + B then add a minor third (3 half steps)

on top of that (from B), G+B+D. From G to B is a major triad and from B to D

is a minor third. This makes a G Major Chord.

Songs that start with major chords are Mary Had a Little Lamb, Are You Sleeping?,and Go tell It on The Mountain. In major keys the chords built on I and IV are

major chords. The chord on V can be either major or a dominant seventh. So, the

three primary chords in C major: C major (CEG), F major (FAC) and G7 (GBDF).

Those three chords will be enough for the harmonization of many simple tunes.

In many others they serve as the backbone of the harmony. It is not possible

to lay down hard and fast rules for harmonizing a melody. Many times your ear

must be your guide. But ordinarily the main notes of the tune are present in

the chords that accompany them. What I do is play the chords in my left hand

and put chord tones in my right hand, underneath the melody.

Because the I, IV, and V7 chords are so important, it is very worthwhile to

become familiar with their positions on the keyboard. If you practice this

exercise in all major keys you will be taking an important first step in

developing the ability to harmonize melodies at the keyboard.

If you read chord charts, you would harmonize the melody like this:

C/ EGC

F/ FAC

G/DFGB

C/EGC

C/GCE

F/ACF

G/DFGB

C/GCE

C/CEG

F/CFA

G/BDFG

C/CEG






Constructing Simple Chords




A chord is a group of notes played or sung simultaneously. In popular music the chords are usually represented by symbols that appear over the vocal line like C,Am, Dm, and G7. The letters refer to the chord "roots", the notes on which the 

chords will be constructed. The C Chord is formed from three of the keys in the Cposition: C E G. The bottom note names the chord in the left hand as well as the right hand. When you play all three notes of the chord at the same time it is 

called a solid or block chord. A broken chord or arpeggiated chord is where the 

notes are played one at a time.



Now the three notes in the chord are root, 3rd, and 5th. 

Measure the intervals from the bottom note to the middle note (3rd), then from

the bottom note to the topnote (5th).

So above those roots the chords are built up in "thirds." A third is an interval that spans three letter names. For example, the interval C-E is a third because  it includes the letter names C, D, and E. There are two kinds of thirds: major

and minor. They can be defined in terms of the "half-step"-the distance between

two adjacent notes on the piano. The major third consists of four half steps and the minor third consists of three. C-E is a major third, since it includes the

half steps C-C#, C#-D, D-D#, and D#-E. The minor third D-F consists of the half

steps D-D#, D#-E, and E-F.

When a chord symbol consists only of a letter name, a "major" chord is indicted. The major chord is made up of a major third and, above that, a minor third; so

the C Chord includes the intervals C-E (major third, four half steps)and E-G

(minor third, three half steps). The abbreviation "min", after a chord, root or

simply a lower case "m", stands for a "minor" chord. Here the lower interval is a minor third, and the upper is a major third, so an A minor chord includes the intervals A-C (minor third) and C-E(major third).

The numeral "7" after a chord root stands for a "dominant seventh" chord. This is a four-note structure, consisting of a major third, a minor third, and then another minor third. The G7 chord is made up of the intervals G-B (major third), B-D (minor third) and D-F (minor third).

Try building major and minor thirds on all twelve tones of the chromatic scale. Then go on to construct major, minor and dominant seventh chords on each tone.

Soon you will become so familiar with these intervals and you will be able to

pick them out right away. Eventually the chords themselves will become second

nature to you.
An additional music resource to add to your library may include the Hear and Play300pg Home Study Course. It's a great music theory book you'll refer to often in learning how to construct chords.


Wishing you all the best in your chord studies. These 3 primary chords played in any key is a good start for putting together progressions that make familiar

songs for you to play for your enjoyment.




P.S. My apologies on the text format. Something has gone kooky in blogger!

I'll look into it... 

Blessings,

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

Taylor Swift: Begin Again

I love the PianoGuys rendition of Taylor Swift's Begin Again!
Here's the chord chart to this popular song.

Intro- G


G                             
Took a deep breath in the mirror
He didn't like it when I wore high heels 
    Cadd9
But I do
G/B
Turn the lock and put my headphones on
He always said he didn't get this song
    Cadd9
But I do  
   
I do


 G


G
Walked in expecting you'd be late
But you got here early and you stand and wave
  Cadd9
I walk to you
G/B
You pull my chair out and help me in
And you don't now how nice that is
    Cadd9
But I do


Cadd9                                            Dsus4
 And you throw your head back laughin' like a, little kid
Em7                            
I think it's strange that you think I'm funny cause,
G
He never did
Cadd9
And I've been spending the last eight months
Dsus4
Thinkin' all love ever does is 
G      D/F#      Em7
Break, burn, and end
Cadd9                            Dsus4
But on a Wednesday in a cafe
            
I watched it begin again


 G


G
He said he never met one girl who
Had as many James Taylor records as you
    Cadd9
But I do
G/B
We tell stories and you dont know why
You're comin' off a little shy
    Cadd9
But I do

[ Tab from: http://www.guitaretab.com/t/taylor-swift/329058.html ]
Cadd9                                            Dsus4
 But you throw your head back laughin' like a, little kid
Em7                             
I think it's strange that you think I'm funny cause,
G
He never did
Cadd9
And I've been spending the last eight months
Dsus4
Thinkin' all love ever does is 
G      D/F#      Em7
Break, burn, and end
Cadd9                            Dsus4
But on a Wednesday in a cafe
I watched it begin again


G    


       Cadd9                         Dsus4
And we walk down the block to my car
And I almost brought him up
    Cadd9                           Dsus4
But you start to talk about the movies 
                         Cadd9
That your family watches, every single Christmas
           G/B
And I will talk about that
            Cadd9                    
And for the first time, what's past is past

(picking)

Cadd9                                              Dsus4
 Cause you throw your head back laughin' like a, little kid
Em7                            
I think it's strange that you think I'm funny cause,
G
He never did
Cadd9
And I've been spending the last eight months
Dsus4
Thinkin' all love ever does is 
G      D/F#      Em7
Break, burn, and end
Cadd9                            Dsus4
But on a Wednesday in a cafe
                        G D/F# Em7 
I watched it begin again


Cadd9                           D
But on a Wednesday in a cafe
I watched it begin again


Free Piano Quick Riff Download:

Begin Again 

Interested in learning other Taylor Swift songs? Visit these posts, if you like:

Fifteen

Our Song

Teardrops On My Guitar

Love Story

My piano students really enjoy playing Taylor's music. Have a favorite?

Take Your Piano Playing To The Next Level With These Courses

Source: vectorstock.com via Anna on Pinterest

LadyDpiano wishing you and yours, Happy Valentine's Day!




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

All Through The Night (Basic Chords)

 So on Friday's I review the week of email that comes
in from my readers and decide on what to share with
you, especially since Friday's post is for the beginner.

Once you've learned a few chords in the Key of C,
it's time to add in some minor chords, especially Am
and Em. For the following easy song, your left hand
chords  will be on the white keys, except for the D chord.

For the bass walk down C, goes to B note and lands 
on  Am. Have fun with the song.

Midi to All Through The Night 


Piano Chords to All Through The Night.

 C        Am        D     G

Sleep my child and peace attend thee 

 
 F        G       C
all through the night 

 
 C        Am      D        G
Guardian angels, God will send thee, 

 
 F    G            C
All  through the  night. 

 
F    Em   Dm Em  F    Em   Dm  Em
Soft the drowsy hours are creeping, 

 
Dm                D       G
Hill and dale in slumber steeping, 

 
C      Am         D        G
I, my loved one, watch am keeping, 

 
F    G           C
All through the night.  

C chord = CEG


Am = ACE


D = DF#A


G = GBD


F = FAC


Dm = DFA


Em = EGB
Become A Better Church Pianist Now!
Learn How To Play Hymns Using Color Chords
& Exciting Runs & Fillers

www.PianoArrangement.com






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

How To Play Color Chords

To get a really full sound in your right hand, try putting in not only the notes of the chord under the melody, but also try to incorporate a color tone of some kind, such as a 6th, 7th, major 7th, or 9th. You can overdo it, of course, but this short video demonstrates how it is done.

Use thirds, sixths and full chords to your melody. Major 7th and  Major 9th's are called color chords, adding motion to your sound. This is one of the best instructional videos I have found online by Duane.


Piano Lesson on YouTube

To identify interval sounds in a song, I think I have found another great tool 
for you, Interval Song Examples Chart

Here's an example of descending Major 6th in the left hand. 

Intro Chords:  E  E   E   E

Verse 1
A                      D
Where it began I can’t begin to know it
A                                  E
But then I know it’s going strong
A                       D
Was in the spring, and spring became a summer
A                                               E
Who’d have believe you’d come along

Chorus
A         Amaj7
Hands         touching hands
E                       D                           E
Reaching out touching me  touching you

A               D                                E
Sweet Caroline  Good times never seemed so good
A            D                                  E
Im inclined to believe there never would
D   C#m  Bm
But now I’m

Verse 2
Look at the night and it don’t seem so lonely
We fill it up with only two
And when I hurt Hurting runs off my shoulder
How can I hurt when holding you

Warm touching warm
Reachin out touching me touching you

Chorus
A         Amaj7
Hands         touching hands
E                       D                           E
Reaching out touching me  touching you

A               D                                               E
Sweet Caroline  Good times never seemed so good
A            D                                  E
Im inclined to believe there never would
D   C#m  Bm
Oh no no

Intro Chords

Chorus

Understanding the Power of Intervals in Jazz Music

By now, you probably already know what whole 

and half steps are.

To review:

Half Step (h) - From key to key (no keys in between).

Whole step (w) - Every other key (one key in between).

Here are some things to keep in mind:

2 Half Steps = 1 Whole step

2 Whole Steps = 4 Half Steps

1 Half Step = 1/2 Whole Step

Examples:

C to E = 2 whole steps or 4 half steps

F to F# = 1 half step

G to C = 5 half steps

Intervals 

Intervals are important. They form major, minor and 

other types of chords. Do you know what an interval is?

An interval in music, is the distance in pitch between 

two notes. (major, perfect, melodic, harmonic, minor, 

augmented, diminished, etc.)

Major Third:

Is the distance between the root and the (3) degree 

of a major scale.

For example, in C Major, the root is (C) and the (3) 

degree is E.

C and E played together is classified as a major third.

This is the beginning of a major chord.

Perfect Fifth:

Is the distance between the root and the (5) degree of 

a major scale.

For example, in C Major, the root is (C) and the 5th 

degree is (G).

C and G played together is classified as a 

'perfect fifth'.

As you will learn, these two intervals combine to make 

up the major chord.

Try to figure out the major third and perfect fifth 

intervals in all 12 keys.

If you want to learn more on intervals, order Jermaine Grigg's 

300 Page Course Book

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

Related articles

• Monday Music Quote: Dave Brubeck (pianodiana.blogspot.com)
• I Know You Know by Esperanza Spalding (pianodiana.blogspot.com)
• The Minor Ninth Chord in Db (pianodiana.blogspot.com)

Learn To play: Meet With Me by Lamont Hiebert (Ten Shekel Shirt)

Lamont Hiebert
Originally uploaded by b_salvig

If you're looking for an easy worship song to play, I think I may have found it for you.

All you need to do is recycle the piano chords and play them over and over. If you're not familiar with the band Ten Shekel Shirt, here  is some information from Wikipedia.

"Ten Shekel Shirt is a rock band based in New Haven, CT. The band was founded by Lamont Hiebert, and currently consists of Hiebert along with Jonny Rodgers, Colin Meyer and Tim Sway.

In 2000, Hiebert wrote, recorded and co-produced the album Much. Before releasing the album Hiebert recruited Austin Morrison (drums) and Tommy Lee (bass) to fill out the band. The independent release of that album sparked the attention of Integrity Music who then signed Hiebert. Much sold 130,000 units, was nominated for a Dove Award and featured the #1 hit "Ocean".

While recording the band's second album, Risk, Hiebert co-founded a charity called Love146 [1] to help combat child slavery and exploitation. Soon after Risk was released (2003, INO Records), Hiebert put his music career on pause to focus on the charity.

In 2008 Hiebert re-launched his music career and signed with the Boston-based label Rounder Records.[1] Ten Shekel Shirt's latest album Jubilee was released August 19, 2008.

In December 2008, Lamont Hiebert and Rounder Records agreed to part ways after budget constraints prevented adequate promotion of Jubilee. Lamont was given all the rights back to his recordings and is rumored to be working on a solo project to coincide with a "best of" Ten Shekel Shirt album."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Shekel_Shirt



Meet With Me by Ten Shekel Shirt



The whole song is G, C, D, G

G/B C D G G/F#
I'm here to meet with you
G C D G
Come and meet with me
G C D G
I'm here to find you
G C D G
Reveal yourself to me

CHORUS:
G/B C D G G/F#
As I wait, you make me strong
G C D G
As I long, you draw me to your arms
G C D G
As stand, and sing your praise
G C D G
You come, you come and you fill this place.

(Guitar Solo)
Em C G/B D
Em C G/B D
Em C G/B D
Em D Bb2 C

Lyrics only to the whole song just follow chords above:

I'm here to meet with you
come and meet with me
I'm here to find you
reveal yourself to me

As I wait, you make me strong
As I long, draw me to your arms
As I stand and sing your praise
You come, you come and you fill this place
Won't you come, Won't you come and fill this place

I'm here to meet with you
Come and meet with me
I'm here to find you,
reveal yourself to me

As I wait, you make me strong
As I long, draw me to your arms
As I stand and sing your praise
You come, you come and you fill this place
Won't you come, Won't you come and fill this place

I'm here to meet with you
Come and meet with me



Meet With Me by Lamont Hiebert

Lamont Songs



Intro: A/C# D E A F# C

A/C# D E A
I'm here, to meet with you,
A/C# D E A
Come and meet with me
A/C# D E A
I'm here, to find you,
A/C# D E A
Reveal yourself to me

Chorus
A/C# D E A
As I wait, you make me strong as I long
A/C# D E A
Draw me to your arms as I stand
A/C# D E A
And sing your praise
A/C# D E A
You come you come and you fill this place


Bridge (Instrumental)


F#m D A/C# E F#m D A/C# E

F#m D A/C# E F#m E C D


* * * * * * * * * * * *


Intro: E A B E

E/G# A B E
I'm here, to meet with you,
E/G# A B E
Come and meet with me
E/G# A B E
I'm here, to find you,
E/G# A B E
Reveal yourself to me

Chorus
E/G# A B E
As I wait, you make me strong as I long
E/G# A B E
Draw me to your arms as I stand
E/G# A B E
And sing your praise
E/G# A B E
You come you come and you fill this place

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Intro: D G A D

D/F# G A D
I'm here, to meet with you,
D/F# G A D
Come and meet with me
D/F# G A D
I'm here, to find you,
D/F# G A D
Reveal yourself to me

Chorus
D/F# G A D
As I wait, you make me strong as I long
D/F# G A D
Draw me to your arms as I stand
D/F# G A D
And sing your praise
D/F# G A D
You come you come and you fill this place






Piano Tutorial... very easy for beginners.






Thanks for stopping by.

I hope you enjoy your stay at LadyD Piano.
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Learn To Play Piano By Ear Harmonizing Melodies With Chords

Here 's my review for HearandPlay's GospelKeys 101 Dvd

Great Beginning- GospelKeys101

I love GospelKeys101!!!Here's an outline of the Dvd:

1. How To Instantly Figure Out Chords To Simple Melodies
(How to put chords behind certain notes)
A. Determine The Melody
B. Harmonize The Melody
C. Adding The Bass

2. Songs You'll Be Playing Right Away
A. Kumbayah, Jesus Love Me
B. Wheels On The Bus, Mary's Lamb

3. Inversions
(Different Ways To Play Chords

4. Primary Chords
( I IV V )

5. Exercises

6. Bass Techniques

I highly recommend this Dvd for those who want to play without sheet music!

http://zone.hearandplay.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Review&file=index&req=showcontent&id=187

This Dvd will teach you everything you need to know to get started playing basic hymns and congregational songs by ear. If you're a beginner and would like your very own gospel piano teacher on dvd, this course is definitely for you! This dvd course moves at a very comfortable pace and leaves no questions unanswered.

Step One: Determining the Melody

Step Two: Harmonizing the Melody

Step Three: Adding the Bass

These three steps are not super complicated theories that require several years of experience. In fact, they were designed for the total beginner with absolutely no musical experience.

What most people don't understand is that most songs follow patterns. If you've been mistakenly learning songs, one by one, you're only exercising your ability to MEMORIZE chords --- and that's exactly why it takes SO LONG to learn just one song.

BUT...

If you concentrate on LEARNING PATTERNS, you'll never go wrong because songs are built on repeating patterns. You should NEVER
EVER have to memorize over 100 songs when they all share the same exact CHORDS, PROGRESSIONS, AND PATTERNS.

Click Here, GospelKeys101

* Learn To Play Piano By Ear Harmonizing Melodies With Chords



This harmonization scale technique that I've learned from this "Gospel Keys 101" DVD has helped me A LOT to instantly play songs by ear. Anyone can pick up a melody, but learning how to harmonize it with chords. After I learned the "Harmonization Scale" from this video, I was surprised how quickly I put chords and bass to the melody, resulting in full-sounding songs. This Harmonization Scale is also taught in their best selling 300 pg piano course:

Click Here, 300 Page Piano Course


* Gospel Keys 101: The Secret To Playing Hymns!



The GospelKeysTM 101 Series dvd course will teach you everything you need to know to get started playing basic hymns and congregational songs. I will show you, step-by-step, how to harmonize every single tone of the major scale. AND since songs are based on melodies (and melodies are based on major scales), you'll be able to harmonize MOST songs.

Learn Big, Rich Jazz Piano Chords

Understanding Jazz Chords

Jazz piano chords can sometimes be confusing at first glance. In this article, I am going to explain how jazz players usually interpret chords and pick tensions to create lush chords. Bear in mind, every musician has their own "tricks" that they use to form their chords. However, there are some basic harmonic concepts that you need to understand and I'll cover some of them in this article.

If you are looking for an instructional course on creating full chords at the piano, I'd suggest the JazzPianoLessons.com Piano Chords bundle. This three-DVD set covers both basic seventh chords along with advanced quartal voicings, tensions, alterations, upper-structure triads, rootless voicings and more.

Learn more about Jazz Piano Chords

Let's begin with a basic seventh chord for D-7. Example A is what a typical voicing of a D-7 chord might look like.

Example A



O.K., that's pretty simple, right? Now take a look at example B. Does this still look like a D-7 to you?

Example B

Labeling Chords

You might look at this chord and think F Maj7 or D-9. We can rule out F Maj7 because the root is a D. However, why didn't I label this chord D-9?

I did not label the chord as D-9 because it is common for jazz players to automatically add tensions to the chords that they are playing. Jazz players know which available tensions each chord can utilize. Personally, I'd rather see a chord written as D-7 than D-9 or D-9 (add 11). I think that many (not all) pianists would agree with me because as jazz players, we are accustomed to working from a "shell".

Basically, when I see D-7, I already know that the 9th and 11th are probably available to me. When looking at a lead sheet, especially in a low-light gig situation, I want the lead sheet to be as un-cluttered as possible.

The "Right" Tensions

You might be wondering, which tensions are the "right" tensions for a particular chord? Well, let's go through the three basic chords: Major, minor and Dominant 7th chords.

Major 7th available tensions are: 9, #11 or 6 (usually replaces the 7th)
Minor 7th available tensions: 9 and 11. 6 would replace the 7th.
Dominant 7th available tensions: b9, 9, #9, #11, b13 and 13.


Chord Type Available Tensions
Major: 9, # 11 or 6 (usually replaces the 7th)
Minor: 9 and 11. 6 would replace the 7th
Dominant: b9, 9, # 9, #11, b13 and 13

So, looking back at the D-7 chord in example B, you'll notice that I am adding the 9th to the chord. This is just one of many different voicings that I cover in the Piano Chords bundle.

Dominant 7th Tensions

I want to draw your attention to the Dominant 7th available tensions. Once again, they are b9, 9, #9, #11, b13 and 13. Let's go through the notes for a C7 chord.

C7 chord tones are: C-E-G-Bb

Available tensions are: Db-D-D#-F#-Ab-A

You'll notice that the only two notes left that are not represented are F and B. F would be a sus4 and B would change the C7 to a C Maj7 chord.

I like to bring this up because remember, when you improvise, you can use any chord tones or available tensions in your solo. So, on a Dominant 7th chord, there are really only two notes that you would try to avoid. This also means that when you play a Dominant 7th chord, you can add almost any note as a tension. Well, let me put it this way, you have a 10 out of 12 chance of hitting the "right" note!

The Million Dollar Question, "Why 13 and not 6?"

I have been asked this question for years! It is a difficult question to answer because it is like asking why does 2+2=4? However, I do have my explanation. Let's take the C7 chord as an example again.

The chord tones (notes that are found in the chord and not tensions) are C-E-G-Bb for a C7 chord. The C is the root, E is the third, G is the fifth and Bb is the flatted 7th.

It is perfectly reasonable to think of D, F# and A as two, sharp four and six. However, we would call D the ninth, F# sharp eleven and A the thirteenth. You might be asking, "Why?"
Since chords are predominantly formed by "stacking" thirds, we would consider the D-F# and A as being "upper structures" of the chord.

Learn more about Jazz Piano Chords

http://www.LadyDpiano.com

== SUSPENDED CHORDS ==

Suspended chords leave you hanging in mid air. They create suspense or anticipation. They sound and feel as though they should be resolved.

A suspended chord (or a chord suspension) is usually made by holding one of the tones of a chord a tone higher, then resolving it to its resting place. This can be done with any tones of a chord, but one of the more common suspensions is to manipulate the third of the chord, by first playing the fourth, and resolving it to the third. So a C suspended chord has the tones of the root, the fourth and the fifth:

A C suspended chord of this type is often shown in chord charts as either a "Csus", or a "C sus4". "Sus4" means that the third is initially played as a fourth, and resolved to a third.

In "real music", let's suppose you're playing a simple tune which uses three chords, C, F, and G, then returning to C. Try adding a little flavor to the mix: turn that final chord into two chords. Make it a suspended C chord, followed by a C chord.. Your chord progression would look like this: C - F - G - Csus - C. You can try this on a guitar or a piano.

Experiment with other suspended chords. Put them in places where you need a bit of emotion in your music. Might be just what you're looking for. Take a Christmas carol book (one that has chord symbols in it is good for this purpose), and try adding suspensions to dominant or tonic triads.

In the Key of C:

Sus 4 chords- Formed by raising the 3rd of the chord you are playing by a half step.

C-E-G is your basic major triad C chord. The E in bold is your 3rd.
C-F-G: The F in bold is your suspended 4th. Notice that the distance between E to F is a half step. This chord now becomes your suspended 4th chord. If you play a I IV V progression, the IV is the best chord to play as a suspended 4th.

Sus 2 chords- Formed by lowering the 3rd of the chord you are playing by a whole step.

C-E-G This is your basic major triad C. The E in bold is your 3rd.
C-D-G The D in bold is your suspended 2nd. Notice that the distance between E to D is a whole step. This chord now becomes your suspended 2nd chord. I hope this helps! ~ LadyD

http://www.LadyDpiano.com