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Author Topic: Need help to add flavor to my playing! ANY tips appreciated!  (Read 2412 times)

Offline brizzy

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Need help to add flavor to my playing! ANY tips appreciated!
« on: November 10, 2011, 12:30:55 PM »
Hello everyone, I have been browsing these forums for over a month now and have decided to join!

What brings me to this section is that I have realized that I am not doing the keyboard justice with my playing. I am stuck playing 1 + 3 + 5 Chords in my right hand, and playing the bass with octaves in my left.

This playing is very repetative, and I play this way for EVERY song we play at my church. I want to go to the next level in my music ministry and improve how I play. I am simply asking for any kind of tips you may have to help me add flavor and depth to the songs I am playing.

I have added a video, just incase my explanation wasn't clear;)


Stuck..fitting songs into same ol' box.


Thanks everyone at learngospelmusic.com, I know this is a helpful community!

Offline T-Block

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Re: Need help to add flavor to my playing! ANY tips appreciated!
« Reply #1 on: November 10, 2011, 01:22:54 PM »
A simple chord substitution for major chords is the add9 chord. Basically, add the 9th (2nd) scale degree to the chord.

C major = C-E-G
Cadd9 = C-D-E-G

Another thing you can do is play little melody lines on top of your chords. You can mirror the melody of the song, or create your own. I would also suggestion using different chord inversions. Use the improvised melody lines to lead to other chord inversions.

A couple other simple techniques:

Arpeggios: http://www.learngospelmusic.com/forums/index.php/topic,49349.0.html

6ths / 3rds Improv. Technique: http://www.learngospelmusic.com/forums/index.php/topic,51440.0.html
Real musicians play in every key!!!
Music Theory, da numbers work!

Tiptip357

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Re: Need help to add flavor to my playing! ANY tips appreciated!
« Reply #2 on: November 10, 2011, 01:28:44 PM »
All I have to add is...

Welcome, Brizzy!  :)

Great first post! Even added a video...schweet!

Offline GospelEngineer

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Re: Need help to add flavor to my playing! ANY tips appreciated!
« Reply #3 on: November 10, 2011, 03:21:47 PM »
Instead of octaves in the left I like to play the root and the fifth:

E-B, D-A, and C-G


In the right hand I do like T-Block suggests and add the 9th(2nd). So instead of E-G#-B I play E-F#-G#-B


For this specific song I'd play something like the following:

LH/RH

E-B / E-F#-G#-B

D-A / C#-E-F#-A

C-G / B-D-E-G

D-A / D-E-F#-A


Offline brizzy

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Re: Need help to add flavor to my playing! ANY tips appreciated!
« Reply #4 on: November 10, 2011, 08:55:19 PM »
@T-block: Thanks for those links..I will try to incorporate those into the songs we are playing now!

@TipTip: Thanks bro!

@GospelEngineer: Thanks, I read somewhere to play the fifth in the bass as well, thanks for the tips!



Does anyone else have anymore tips to add? Any tips on maybe some online courses to purchase that will help?

Offline floaded27

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Re: Need help to add flavor to my playing! ANY tips appreciated!
« Reply #5 on: November 10, 2011, 11:00:48 PM »
1) rhythm - if you have a bass player and a drummer, its NOT your job. so....that gives you freedom to vary the rhythms and timings in which you play the chords. you wont believe how much variety THIS alone will provide you.

2) arpeggios - dont always play block chords every time. stagger the notes and after you hit the chord, you can melodically play the individual notes within the chord

3) extended chords - add that b7 to minor chords Dmin (D-F-A) => Dmin7 (D-F-A-C) (you can play as a F major triad with D in bass, so you can still take advantage of the triads), use that 7 or b7 for your majors Cmaj (C-E-G) => Cmaj7 (C-E-G-B) (or Emin triad with C in bass), add that 9 Cmaj9 (C-E-G-B-D) Dmin9 (D-F-A-C-E)

4) other chords - use those sus2 and sus4 chords Csus2 (C-D-G) Csus4 (C-F-G)

5) passing chords - toss in those diminished chords or use the 5th of the chord Cmaj -> Dmin => Cmaj -> C#dim -> Dmin OR Cmaj -> Amin7 -> Dmin (1 - 6 -2 ) OR Cmaj ->A7 -> Dmin


Theres more,  but those will keep you busy for a bit
For my God... let "Golden Axe" prevail.

Offline SoundofJoy

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Re: Need help to add flavor to my playing! ANY tips appreciated!
« Reply #6 on: November 10, 2011, 11:45:56 PM »
Can you play the melody line of the song? Or post a video of the song being played by your band. If you change up your chords then you'll have to teach them the new chords you'ved learned.
I love music, any kind of music.

Offline musallio

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Re: Need help to add flavor to my playing! ANY tips appreciated!
« Reply #7 on: November 11, 2011, 04:22:21 AM »
is there a server misconfig?  I lost everything I typed..
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Offline brizzy

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Re: Need help to add flavor to my playing! ANY tips appreciated!
« Reply #8 on: November 11, 2011, 01:54:02 PM »
Thanks alot guys.. So I will try to add these to my triads.. If I change the Cmajor to a Cmajor7, would it still fit with the band without clashing? Also, how can I stop being so rhythmic with the piano and have the bass/guitar lead more of it?

Offline under13

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Re: Need help to add flavor to my playing! ANY tips appreciated!
« Reply #9 on: November 11, 2011, 02:18:18 PM »
Thanks alot guys.. So I will try to add these to my triads.. If I change the Cmajor to a Cmajor7, would it still fit with the band without clashing?

You just gotta use trial and error. Major7's don't work all of the time, so you just gotta use your ears to let you know when it sounds good and when it does not.

Offline SoundofJoy

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Re: Need help to add flavor to my playing! ANY tips appreciated!
« Reply #10 on: November 12, 2011, 01:18:20 PM »
Jonathan Butler - Gonna Lift You Up


Ok, if this is the song I hear tons of chords in there. The piece you played needs to be where it is, and far as the rest of the song you have space to explore chords and rhythmic chord patterns.
I love music, any kind of music.

Offline meelaje1981

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Re: Need help to add flavor to my playing! ANY tips appreciated!
« Reply #11 on: November 17, 2011, 05:30:15 PM »
Can I just say I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THIS WEBSITE!  Sooo many talented musicians on here and everyone is here to be a truly help one another.  Build up and be blessing to some of us novices on here - I am way excited!  Big ol' Thank you!! 

That is all...:)

Offline T-Block

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Re: Need help to add flavor to my playing! ANY tips appreciated!
« Reply #12 on: November 17, 2011, 10:45:55 PM »
I concur mz. meelaje1981, glad you're enjoying it.
Real musicians play in every key!!!
Music Theory, da numbers work!

Offline blessed-drummer

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Re: Need help to add flavor to my playing! ANY tips appreciated!
« Reply #13 on: November 18, 2011, 08:32:22 AM »
I hope this helps!
Flavor Piano
be blessed

Offline heaven_keys

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Re: Need help to add flavor to my playing! ANY tips appreciated!
« Reply #14 on: November 18, 2011, 01:17:04 PM »
this website is really helpfull wow God is good...i learned a lot real talk...i wanted to asked that question but i never remembered to :D

Offline brizzy

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Re: Need help to add flavor to my playing! ANY tips appreciated!
« Reply #15 on: November 25, 2011, 04:39:40 PM »
Sorry for the late reply, but thank you everyone that has helped! I am practicing these tips! Thanks for the vid Blessed-Drummer!

Offline blessed-drummer

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Re: Need help to add flavor to my playing! ANY tips appreciated!
« Reply #16 on: November 26, 2011, 08:22:42 PM »
No prob! Just trying to help.
be blessed

Offline PianoWizard

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Re: Need help to add flavor to my playing! ANY tips appreciated!
« Reply #17 on: November 27, 2011, 04:27:14 PM »
this website is really helpfull wow God is good

I agree 100%. This site has truly helped me move to higher levels in my playing and I'm sure this site helps many musicians around the world.

PianoWiz...

Offline DAK23

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Re: Need help to add flavor to my playing! ANY tips appreciated!
« Reply #18 on: November 27, 2011, 04:58:43 PM »
Aman To That,
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