This week’s gospel music lesson is a spin off of the last blog post. It’s about how to incorporate jazz licks into gospel music. Hope you enjoy it and can apply it to your music right away!
The Evolution of Gospel Music
May 10, 2012 1 Comment
Gospel music in my opinion is the greatest music in the world because of the message behind the music. I do believe many times that people consider gospel music to be gospel music because of how it sounds. I am of the opinion that gospel music can have a vast range of possibilities in terms of the sound, chords, progressions, rhythm, and etc. The world around us is constantly changing and so is the music that we play.
For example, what one considers to be gospel music now does not sound like what people expected gospel music to sound like 100 years ago.
CLICK HERE to hear what at one time was considered modern music. “Wade In The Water”
I believe that there are so many relevant styles and approaches to music that can be applied to gospel music. I was a jazz major in college and I learned about so many different jazz artists that helped to shape the genre of music in which they were classified. One common denominator among musicians that made a huge impact in music was the fact that those musicians were always looking for something fresh and new. These people caused the music to evolve and change. Many times people didn’t like change and rejected the new styles and sounds that these musicians were introducing. Below is the same song “Wade In The Water” with a more modern arrangement.
Music is constantly changing and evolving.
I am an advocate for studying various styles of music and incorporating different sounds and approaches to gospel music. I would like to reiterate that I believe what makes gospel music gospel music is the message of the music, not necessarily the chords or the beat of the song.
As time continues to go by the chords and beats that we use will evolve as musicians explore various ways of playing and arranging music to the message of the gospel that we love.
I would encourage you to think outside of the box and explore various styles of music for the sake of educating yourself about how the music works and what makes it sound the way that it does. I am a big jazz fan and I would like to share with you some of the people that I have studied over the years that I believe has helped to shape my playing and my personal approach to gospel music.
In no particular order:
Bill Evans – Piano (Chord Voicings, Chord Progressions)
Oscar Peterson -Piano (Improvisation)
Phenias Newborn Jr. – Piano (Improvisation)
James Williams – Piano (Chord Voicings)
Art Tatum – Piano (Stride Rag Time Piano)
Mycoy Tyner – Piano (4th Chords, Playing Outside of Keys)
Herbie Hancock – Piano (Dissonant and Abstract Chord Voicings)
Charlie Parker – Saxophone (Improvisation)
Cannonball Adderley – Saxophone (Improvisation, Articulation, and Tone)
Stretch yourself and reinvent yourself musically. There is so much to learn, so why not get started today! I would encourage you to check out some of my favorites on Youtube.
I would love to continue this discussion further. Make a comment or ask a questions.
KH
Gospel Music Lesson of the Week – Expanding Dominant Chords
May 5, 2012 1 Comment
This weeks gospel music lesson was a real pleasure to put together. It is how to take a dominant chord and explore different sounds and possibilities with the chord. Enjoy and pass along to a musician friend. Also make sure to check out the HMPI Store for additional resources and to get yourself ready to perform for mom on Mother’s Day.
When I See Jesus by Alabama A&M Video Song Tutorial
May 3, 2012 Leave a Comment
Price: $4.97
Quickly and easily learn to accurately play the song “When I See Jesus” by Alabama A&M. You will receive an organ video tutorial with an up close view with the notes spelled out so that you can quickly and easily learn the song. This tutorial contains several chord progressions and movements that are broken down and explained. Download Now and get started right away.
Click here to view a demo of “When I See Jesus”
Draw Me Nearer by James Fortune Organ Video Tutorial
April 28, 2012 Leave a Comment
Price: $4.97
Quickly and easily learn to accurately play the song “Draw Me Nearer” by James Fortune. You will receive an organ video tutorial with an up close view with the notes spelled out so that you can quickly and easily learn the song. Download Now and get started right away.
Click here to view a demo of “Draw Me Nearer”
Gospel Music Lesson of The Week
April 25, 2012 1 Comment
Gospel Piano and Organ Chord Voicings
April 18, 2012 1 Comment
One thing that I love to hear when listening to an organist or pianist is when the musician really knows how to voice their chords.
A chord voicing is referring to how you arrange the notes within a particular chord. For example I can play a C major chord several different ways.
right hand CEG
left hand C
right hand E C
left hand C G
right hand GCG
left hand CGE
There are so many different ways you can voice a particular chord. Here are a few tips to follow when you are trying to figure out how to voice a particular chord.
- Know or identify what specific notes make up a particular chord
For example a C major chord is comprised of 3 notes which are C, E and G
Now I know that C, E, and G are the notes that I have to work with. Now I will try to arrange these 3 notes to get the best possible sound.
I can use a particular note of the chord only once in my chord voicing. I can also use a particular note of the chord more than once in my chord voicing. Let your ear be the judge of what is the best chord voicing
- Look for the sweet spot
Take the notes that make up a particular chord and try to arrange them so that they sound just right.
You don’t want your notes to be too low (played to far to the left) which will make your chords sound muddy or cloudy. You also don’t want to play the chord too high (played too far to the right) which will make the chord sound thin.
You want to find what I call the sweet spot, which is the ideal place on the keyboard for the chord that you are playing. Sometimes a combination of high and low works well. Sometimes a very close voicing works well. (Where the notes a very close to each other)
Sometimes an open voicing works well. (Where the notes have larger spaces in between them)
Experimentation is the key!!! You will be surprised at the great things you can find from just experimenting with different chord arrangements.
- Use Voice Leading
One thing that makes your chords sound good is good voice leading. Voice leading is how smooth the particular notes within a chord move to the notes in the very next chord.
You don’t want to jump around a lot when playing your chords. Many times the notes within a particular chord don’t have to move more than a half step, whole step, or a third. This gives you a flowing and connected sound when you play your chord progressions. This sounds pleasing to the ear. When you move from one chord to the next some of the notes may stay the same. Some may go up and some may go down. This is voice leading. The notes of your chords are the voices and you want them to move smoothly to the next notes of the chords.
I also like to think that the notes in my chord are like individual people singing in a choir. When someone is singing in the choir, the notes that the person sings does not have huge jumps and spaces in them. (Jumping from a really high note to a really low note)
That would sound unnatural and would be difficult to sing. Think of your fingers like little singers and you want each finger to move easily and smoothly from one note to the next note within a chord progression.
These are just 3 tips to think about when voicing your chords. I would love to hear your comments. Please let me know if you have any questions or want me to go into greater detail in any of the above mentioned tips.
KH
Gospel Music Lesson of the Week – Pedal Points
April 13, 2012 Leave a Comment
“The Little Things That Are Not So Little”
April 12, 2012 Leave a Comment
I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to work with and play with all kinds of musicians and musical artists. I have been blessed to play with some of the best musicians anywhere. After awhile you start to see commonalities among musicians that are very successful. Also people consistently call upon these kind of musicians because they enjoy working with them.
These are things that I have noticed about very successful musicians.
****THE LITTLE THINGS****
1) They arrive early for engagements and performances
2) They come prepared knowing the music and ready to play
3) They have positive attitudes with those whom they are working with
4) They don’t allow their egos to get the best of them (They can easily follow directions)
5) They leave their personal feelings out of the music and they don’t allow their feelings to affect the way that they play.
Everyone wants to be successful in what they do and musicians practice for years to develop their skills to get to a certain point in their playing.
Always keep in mind that only 50% of your success is how well you can play. The other 50% consists of much of what I mentioned above. The LITTLE THINGS – That really are not so little.
By all means PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. Practice is necessary to succeed. It is no getting around it. You have to practice. Developing yourself musically is essential for success but don’t neglect the LITTLE THINGS.
It is quite possible that your talent can open doors for you that your character can’t keep you in.
Be the total package and succeed as the kind of musician that you have always wanted to be and that people love to work with.
KH
Leave a comment. I would love to hear your thoughts on this issue
Lesson of The Week -Praise Chords in F
April 1, 2012 Leave a Comment
Hallelujah To The Lamb by James Hall – Organ Video Tutorial
March 24, 2012 Leave a Comment
Here is a great opportunity to quickly and easily learn the song “Hallelujah To The Lamb” by James Hall from the organist perspective.
Lesson of The Week – Overcoming Key Changes
March 23, 2012 Leave a Comment
I would encourage you to take this key changing technique and try to apply it to all 12 keys. It is good to think about the number and type of chord that you are playing in songs. The 2 most important things you must be able to do in order to effectively use this technique is to know all 12 major scales and know your basic chords. These are very fundamental skills that will in the end make a huge difference in your playing. It really does take the frustration and anxiety out of playing in every key evenly.
Click Below To Hear The Song
If you like this lesson then don’t be shy. Help us spread the free lessons. Share with a friend.
Thanks,
KH
VH1 Save the Music
March 21, 2012 2 Comments
Music has always been an essential part of my life. Giving back is also a central theme of my life. I’m happy to be able to combine the two. Today, I am proud to announce that HMPI will be partnering with The VH1 Save The Music Foundation in support of their mission to restore instrumental music education in America’s public schools, and to raise awareness about the importance of music as part of each child’s complete education.
Effective immediately a portion of the proceeds from sales of all HMPI products and services will support this incredible charity that provides brand-new musical instruments to each school that benefits. Since 1997, VH1 Save The Music has provided $48 million worth of new musical instruments to more than 1,800 public schools in more than 100 cities around the country, impacting the lives of more than 1.8 million public school students.
We are excited to join in and help with their mission. You can also feel good knowing that when you make a purchase from HMPI you will be contributing to the greater good and will be helping keep music in our schools.
You can learn more and at http://vhisavethemusic.com and follow on twitter @vhisavethemusic
“I Believe God” by Kurt Carr Video Tutorial
March 19, 2012 Leave a Comment
We have done the video tutorial for the great song “I Believe God” by Kurt Carr from the Just The Beginning album. It is a great song with several great chord progressions. You receive a video tutorial, midi file, chord chart, and a mp3 audio demo of the piano part being played.
This is an excellent way to easily, accurately and quickly learn the song, chords, and licks.
Music Lesson Of The Week – Minor 3rd Modulations
March 16, 2012 Leave a Comment
This week’s music lesson is about being creative with keys and modulating songs. This is the kind of thing that makes being a musician fun. Please post a comment below with your questions and comments.
Please share on Twitter and help HMPI serve more musicians.
Also check out this great video tutorial and midi of the song “I Believe God” by Kurt Carr that uses the minor 3rd modulations. This is a great song to learn.
“Let The Church Say Amen” feat. Marvin Winans – Video Tutorial
March 11, 2012 Leave a Comment
By special request we have made available as a video tutorial digital download the hit song “Let The Church Say Amen” featuring Marvin Winans from the Andrae Crouch’s The Journey album.
This video tutorial was demonstrated on the organ. Learn to quickly and easily play this great song.
DOWNLOAD NOW
Lesson of the Week – Organ Chord Inversions
March 9, 2012 6 Comments
Welcome to HMPI’s Music Lesson of the Week. There have been several requests for an organ lesson so I put together a great lesson for players of all skill levels around Organ Chord Inversions. I hope you enjoy. Please comment below with any questions and/or requests for future lessons. We’ve also just launched a digital download section in our store that has more complete organ lessons.
And don’t be shy, share with a friend via email, facebook, or twitter.
Playing Chords With Flavor
March 6, 2012 4 Comments
We all love to hear rich and full sounding chords when people play. It seems like some guys know just what to play, and how to play to really play with a lot of flavor.
Here are a few tips that I use to add more flavor to my chords.
- Find The Sweet Spot
I look for the place on the piano or organ that is the optimum place for a particular chord. Doing something as simple as moving a chord up or down an octave can dramatically enhance the sound of a chord that you are playing. I look for the place or area on the keyboard where the chord is not too high, or too low but rather just right. If you play your chords too far to the left your chords can start to sound muddy and if you play your chords too far to the right they can start to sound thin. I love for chords to sound rich, full, clear,
- Try Different Chord Inversions
Experimenting with chord inversions is another way to really enhance the sound of your chords. An inversion of a chord is to change the position of the notes of the chords while still playing the same note names.
The notes are the same but you change the arrangement or position of those particular notes.
A good rule of thumb is that how ever many different notes you have in a particular chord, then that is at least how many different positions that you can play that particular chord.
- Adding Notes To Chord
Another effective thing to do in order to really add more flavor to your chords are to add additional notes to your chords.
For example: If I am playing a C major chord which are the notes C -E -G.
I love to add the second scale degree of the chord to add a bit of flavor to the chord.
C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C
C is the root or 1st scale degree
E is the 3rd scale degree
G is the 5th scale degree
The second scale degree for the C major chord is the note D.
So I would play:
C-(D)-E-G
Adding the 2nd scale degree is an easy way to add flavor to most chords (not every chord)
The 6th scale degree is another note that works well in adding notes to chords (not every chord)
Experimentation is really the best way to discover what works and what does not.
- Study Other Musicians
I have learned so many wonderful and flavorful chords from other musicians. I am a big advocate for studying great musicians. Learn what they do and how they do it.
This is not to try to copy the person but rather learn how they think about playing. You can learn the concepts that they are using and can apply those concepts and come up with your own unique approach to it yourself. Or if you really love how they play then copy them. It will be okay. lol But in the process look for your own style and voice when you play.
If you like this post please share it with a friend.
Thanks
KH
