I know this is in the wrong thread, but if you are struggling to find the key/ scale the song is in, this should help you:
Dear GiftedPlayer Family,
Each week I would like to share your questions and my answers regarding your needs and concerns with you gospel keyboard studies. I feel that this information will be benefit as as well as a blessing to the entire GiftedPlayer Family. So what's your question for me. Please respond by email to
greghannon@giftedplayer.com. Below is a question from Larry:
Question
Hello Brother Hannon!
-Question?
-When a Preacher, or Soloist, begins to start up a song (say His Eye Is On The Sparrow, or Jesus Your The Center Of My Joy, etc....), how do you find out what key to get them to, and when you get there....., how do you move through the song say..., if you wind up in E-Flat, B-Flat, etc......
-How do you use the 2-5-1, or other chord progressions to figure out the song?
-Typically, I can find the Key and the first chord but, I don't know how to move through the song after that. How do I know what the next chord is, and the next, and the next.., etc....
HELP!!
Larry
Answer 21
Dear Larry,
There is no straight forward answer to your question. Nonetheless, it's one that I've been asked many times. Each musician that embarks upon this quest to learn gospel music takes a different approach.
Your first question was "how do you determine the key of a song?" Although you stated - typically you can find the key, there is a practical method to determining the key of a song. I teach this technique exclusively in my Contemporary Chord Finder learning system. The short answer is first you must find the "1". See the Eb major scale and the scale tone numbers below:
Eb = 1
F = 2
G = 3
Ab = 4
Bb = 5
C = 6
D = 7
Eb = 8
Notice that the "Eb" is the first note of the scale and also the first scale tone which is referred to as the "1". This scale tone represents the tonal center of the song which is the key. With practice, using the CCF it's not so hard at all.
Your second question was "once you determined the key of the song how do you come up with the rest of the chords?" Let me take a wild guess, you've probably saw other musicians do this and it made you sick on the stomach. "Just joking." The song you mentioned (His Eye Is on the Sparrow and Jesus You're The Center Of My Joy, etc....) are all popular church repertoire that all gospel musicians should know.
Musicians who are at the top of their game not only learn these song, they endure the daunting task of learning them in all twelve keys. This part is known as "shedding."
Shedding is when a musician goes in their own secret place practicing, for hours and hours at a time, perfecting their gift. On Sunday morning you often hear the results of many hours of practicing.
So Brother Larry in answer to your question, start learning songs in all the keys. Although this may require some extensive "shedding" on your part, the results will keep you prepared in the event that some over zealous preacher or singer breaks out with a song.
A good place to start is to take a slow and a fast song you already know. Choose songs with useful chord progressions. Learn them in a different key each week.
In 12 weeks, you should been able to play in all 12 keys. But don't stop there, begin to transpose other songs as well. The two you mentioned above may be a good place to start.
The "Elements of Gospel" and the "Contemporary Chord Finder" are an unbeatable combination with many popular chords progressions, licks, runs and fill-ins that every serious musician should know in all 12 keys.
By the way Family, HAPPY NEW YEAR from GiftedPlayer.com. God is doing an awesome work with gospel music so make 2008 your year of shedding.
Your Teacher,
Greg Hannon, M.M
www.GiftedPlayer.com 
