Becoming A Better Musician

[MMCOGICboy]

Hello LGM Family, my name is Charles and on my way to my junior year in high school. Well, to get to the point last school year before it ended my band director gave a piece of paper that had a lot of chords on it. It had the name of the chord and the formulas to form the chord. The chords were: major, minor, diminished, augmented, dominant 7th, minor 7th, major 7th, major 6th, minor 6th, seventh #5, seventh b5, major 7th b3rd, minor 7th b5th, seventh suspended 4th, ninth, minor 9th, major ninth, all the way to thirteenth b9 b5 in total it was about 27 chords. Well this summer I wrote all the chords out in all the keys and inversions.

Now I need some advice on how to start to implement the various chords into my playing because i want to extend my vocabulary and playing ability. And I also need some advice on how to let my playing ''breathe'' because I want to get out of the habit of over chording on songs and start using different fill-ins and runs because I also have about 10 different sets of scales in ''my pocket'' that I can use.

I thank you all in advance and and ask you to please pray for me that I become a better servant and musician for the Lord.

 :)Have a very Blessed Day!!!

[T-Block]

Now you need to take those chords you have and learn to play them in patterns.  In music, we call those patterns progressions.  Here are some links for you about progressions and other types of chord practice that can help you out:

Basic Chord Fingerings:  http://forums.learngospelmusic.com/index.php/topic,16403.0.html

Basic Chords Practice:  http://forums.learngospelmusic.com/index.php/topic,22023.0.html

Basic Progressions:  http://forums.learngospelmusic.com/index.php/topic,15720.0.html

More Advanced Progressions:  http://forums.learngospelmusic.com/index.php/topic,15731.0.html

Explaining Progressions:  http://forums.learngospelmusic.com/index.php/topic,18550.0.html

Progressions Practice Routine:  http://forums.learngospelmusic.com/index.php/topic,18903.0.html

[MMCOGICboy]

How do I incorporate altered chords(chords with notes sharped and notes flatted in the chord) and  into these progressions, practice routines, and playing in general Bro. T Block and LGM family?

[sjonathan02]

How do I incorporate altered chords(chords with notes sharped and notes flatted in the chord) and  into these progressions, practice routines, and playing in general Bro. T Block and LGM family?

The simplest thing to do is to just make a note sharp or flat. For example:


D/ F A C   (D min 7)

D/ F Ab C  (D min 7 b5)


Just do different like that. Add a sharp to the 5 or a flat to the nine. Or, do both. It all depends on what YOU want to hear. 

[MMCOGICboy]

Bro. sjonathan02 i kinda knew that i was wondering how to incorporate them into progression practice.

[sjonathan02]

Bro. sjonathan02 i kinda knew that i was wondering how to incorporate them into progression practice.

T-Block has given you what you need on that front, Bruh! Just use that. Be Blessed.

[T-Block]

How do I incorporate altered chords(chords with notes sharped and notes flatted in the chord) and  into these progressions, practice routines, and playing in general Bro. T Block and LGM family?

If you go through the progressions posts, you will see that I am using basic and altered chords to play the progressions.  Here is yet another link that may help you with understanding progressions:  http://forums.learngospelmusic.com/index.php/topic,31163.0.html

[MMCOGICboy]

thanks for the info, i appolgize bro. sjonathan02

[MMCOGICboy]

I have a question how do you figure what chords do i sub for the regular chords like plain majors
for example a ----Changing a reg.Cmaj for a Cmaj7b5?

[4hisglory]

I have a question how do you figure what chords do i sub for the regular chords like plain majors
for example a ----Changing a reg.Cmaj for a Cmaj7b5?

Do you know your scales???  If so, you can use your different Scale Degrees to do sub. 

Example:


You can sub the 1 with the 3.  Cmaj can be sub-ed with Em.

[sjonathan02]

thanks for the info, i appolgize bro. sjonathan02

NO need for the apologies, bruh. 

You're hungry, I can recognize that because I'm hungry too. Just tryin' to point you in the right directions. What kind of board is that in your avatar?

[TheVeteran]

I have a question how do you figure what chords do i sub for the regular chords like plain majors
for example a ----Changing a reg.Cmaj for a Cmaj7b5?

Personally If I was in the key of C, I would use an altered chord like that as a passing chord to an F chord.  I really wouldn't want to RESOLVE to an altered chord, but that's just me. I'm going from a C chord to an F chord and I want to use the chord you just mentioned:

Note: I'm an ORGANIST, so that's how I'll write it out.  It will NOT sound as good on a keyboard, but you'll get the theory behind it:

C/D-E/B-D-E-G          CM9

C/F#-B-E/B-C-E-F#   CM7b5  Passing Chord

F/F-G-A/D-F              Fadd6add9

Or you could've gone to the 5, then back to the one THEN to the 4 (F)

But basically, I like to use altered chords on my WAY to a chord and not as my destination. 

Hope that helps. 

[MrTea]

Well, you seem to have all the tools to be a gospel pianist. I would listen to more blues to get more of that traditional gospel feel.  I would also study the blues and pentatonic scales for blues and gospel runs. And study tritones which are dominant chords without the root.  Since you can sight read, well put it to good use and get you some blues books and sheet music and See hows its done.  Jazzbooks.com have a good selection of blues books and DVD's to choose from.  So to play tradional gospel,  just listen to the blues man. That's all it is.


Peace
MrTea

[MMCOGICboy]

Thank you all very much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[riddimriffer]

Do you know your scales???  If so, you can use your different Scale Degrees to do sub. 

Example:


You can sub the 1 with the 3.  Cmaj can be sub-ed with Em.

Then, what about these chords

Play C Major Triad in your left hand.

And play these chords with your right hand:

   Gsus4     G     Gsus2     Emin      C