Gospel Piano Beginner - Lesson 1
Martin Gureasko The Naked Keyboardist
The Basics - Diatonic Harmony The Roman numerals below the chords indicate the chord quality. Uppercase denotes major and lowercase denotes minor. I used Arabic numerals underneath the Roman numerals because I use the Nashville number system. It is a common form of musical shorthand used in the recording studio. It is important to note that the chord patterns and relationships do not change throughout the keys. For example, if you can play a 1-4-5 progression in the key of G, you can then play that progression in any key. This is especially helpful when you are working with singers who want a song in a different key than it was origionally. The important question is, "Where is the 1 chord?" When you establish that, everything else falls into place. Hence, the term diatonic harmony. harmony. The Greek prefix “dia-“ means through, or across (as in the words ‘diameter’ and ‘diagonal’). Diatonic means through a tonal center, or across the notes of a key. key. The "tonic" is the key's center, center, or the 1 chord. If a chord progression is said to be diatonic and in the key of G, all of the notes used to build the chords would come from the notes of the key of G major. Example 1
G
Am
Bm
C
D
Em
F
G
I 1
ii 2m
iii 3m
iv 4
V 5
vi 6m
vii° 7°
I 1
This first example will focus on alternating between the 1 chord and the 4 chord. We We will play the tonic as the root of the chord throughout. The reason this works is that the tonic note is shared by both the 1 chord and the 4 chord. Becoming familiar with the notes that two chords share is important, especially when it comes to p laying chord progressions smoothly. When moving through a chord progression, p rogression, it's much smoother to transition from one chord using as many common notes as possible (this involves cho rd voicing, that is, how to arrange the pitches of the chord). We We will cover chord voicing in another lesson.
Example 2
G
C G
© nakedkeyboardist.com
G
2
Gospel Piano
q = 80
C G
G
Example 3
3
G 3
3
3
Now, I will drop the 7th tone of the scale by a half step. This will give it that "gospel" sound. Please note that by flatting the 7th tone of the diatonic scale, I have added "chromatic" harmony. If I were to use diatonic harmony, the F would actually be F#. (side note: when you add a flatted 7th to a chord, it is called a "dominant" seventh chord. We'll cover the five types of 7th chords in another lesson.) Example 4
1
2
3 C G
G7
Example 5
4
5
G7
3
3
3
3
6
7
b7
F C
C7 3
3
C G
G7
G7
3
D7 3
3
3
3
3 3
C G
G7
G7
3
3
3
3
C7 3
G D
D7 3
3
1
Gospel Piano
3
Here's a little trick that I use all the time. I am adding a grace note (which is the flatted 3rd of the scale. The flatted grace note is played at the same time the chord is played and is "bent" up to the chord tone. This all happens in a nano-second. Example 6
C G
G7
G7
3
3
3
3
Here's another variation of this idea. G7
Example 7
C G
G7
G7
C7
C9 3
3
3
3
3 3
G7
C G
G7
3
D7
3
D9 3
3
3
C G
G7
3
3
G D
D7
3 3
3
C7
3
G7
G7
F C
3
3
G7
3
C G
G7 3
3
G7 3
3
*Again, you can bend the middle note.
Gospel Piano
4
To make it easier for you, I have written out both of these variations in all 12 keys to facilitate your practice. C G
G7
VARIATION 1
G7
3
3
3
3
F C
C7 3
3
G7
G D
D7 3
D A 3
3
3
C G
G7
3
3
3
3
G7
3
3
3
3
3
D 7 3
3
A 7
C G
3
3
A 7
3
G7
3
D7
3
A 7
C7
E 7 3
3
A E
3
3
E 7
G D
D 7
D A
A 7
3 3
3
3
3
3
D A
A 7
A 7
3
3
3
3
Gospel Piano D A
A7
A7
3
3
3
3
5 G D
D7 3
3
A7
E7 3
A E
E B
B 7
3
3
3
A E
E 7
3
3
E B
B7
B7
3
3
3
3
D A
A7
3
F7
3
3
3
3
3
B 7
3
A7
3
3
3
3
3
B 7
3
A7
3
E7
3
3
D7
D A
B F
3
E 7
3
E B
B 7 3
3
3
3
3
F7
E B
B 7
B 7
3
3
3
3
3
E7 3
3
A E
3
3
E7
E B
B7 3
3
3
3
Gospel Piano
6 B7
F 7
B F
3
3
F C
C7
3
3
3
F 7
F7
B F
3
3
C7
G7
3
E B
B7
B7
3
3
3
3
3
C7
3
3
C G
F7
3
F C
C7 3
3
3
3
3
G7
F C
C7
C7
3
3
3
3
3 3
D 7 3
G D
3
D 7
G 7
3
3
B G
G 7
D 7 3
G D
3
3
3 3
D 7
3
3
3
D A
A 7
3 3
A 7
D 7 3
G D
D 7 3
3 3
3
3
3
Gospel Piano C G
G7
G7
3
3
3
3
F C
C7 3
3
G7
G D
D7 3
3
D7 3
G D
7 C7
C G
G7
3 3
3
3
3
3
D7
C G
G7
3
G7
3
3
3
3
3
D7
G7
3
3
C G
G7
D7 3
G D
3
3
3 3
3
3
3
D7
D A
A7
3 3
A7
D7 3
3
3
A E
3
3
E 7
D7 3
3 3
3
E 7
G D
3
D A
A 7
A 7
3
E 7 3
3
3
3
3 3
A E
3
3
Gospel Piano
8 E 7
E B
B 7
B 7
E 7 3
A E
3
3
3
3
A E
3
E7
3
D A
A7
3
A7
E7 3
3
3
3
3
3
E7
E B
B7
E7 3
A E
3
F7 3
3
3
E B
B 7 3
3
F7
F C
C7 3
3
3
E7
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
B F
A E
3
B7
F7
E 7
3
3
E7
3
C7
B 7
B F
F7
3 3
3
3
3
3
B F
F7
3
3
3
F7
3
3
3
3
Gospel Piano B G
G 7
G 7
3
3
3
3
9 E B
B7
B7
G D
D 7 3
3
G7
VARIATION 2
C G
G7
G7
B G
G 7
3
G7
C7
F C 3
C9 3
3
3
3
G7
G7
G 3D
3
A 7
C G 3
3
D7
G7
C G
G7
3 3
3
3
C7
3
3
3
3
D9
D A
3
G 7
3
A 7
3
3
D7
A 7
3
3
3 3
3
3
D 7
3
3
G 7
3
3
3
G 7
B G
3
G7
3
3
3
D 7
D 9 3
G 3D
D 7
A 7
A 7 3
3
3
3
3
D A 3
3
Gospel Piano
10 A 7
E 7 3
A E 9 3E
E 7
A 7
D A
A 7
3
3
3 3
A7
A7
D A
3
3
3
A7
D7
G 3D
D9 3
3
3
D7
A7
3
A7
A
E9
A7
3
3
3
3
B 7
E 7
E 9 3
3
A
E 7
3E
B 7
B 7 3
3
3
3
B 7
A7
3
3
E B
D A
A7 3
3
F7
3
B F
F9
F7
3
B 7
B 7 3
E B
3
3 3 3
3
3
E7
3E
3
B 7
3
3
E7
D A
A7 3
3
B 7
A 7
3
3
B 7
E B
3
3
Gospel Piano E B7 B
B7
B7
E7 3
3
3
3
11 A E9 3E
E7
E B7 B
B7
3
3
3
B7
3
3
F 7
B F
F 9
3
3
3
F 7
B7
B7 3
3
E B
B7
3 3 3
C7
C7 3
F C 3
3
3
C7
F7
B F
F9
3
F7
C7
C7 3
F C 3
3 3
3
3
3
C7
G7
3
C G
G9
3
3
G7
C7
C7 3
3
F C
C7
3 3 3
D 7
D 7 3
G 3D
3
3
D 7
G 7
3
G 9
B G
G 7
D 7
D 7 3
G 3D
3
3 3
3
3 3
3
Gospel Piano
12 D 7
D A 9 A
A 7
A 7
D 7
D 7 3
3
3
3
D7 3
G 3D
D 7
3
3
D7
G 3D
D7
G7
3
C G
G9
3
G7
D7
D7 3
G 3D
3
3 3
3
3
D7
3
A7
D A
A9
A7
D7
D7 3
3
3
3
E 7 3
A 3E
E 7
A 7
A 9
3
3 3
E 7
D7
3
3
E 7
G 3D
3
D A
3
A 7
E 7
E 7 3
3
3
3
3
B 7
E B
B 9
3 3
B 7
A 3E
E 7
E 7 3
A 3E
3 3
3
3
E 7
3
Gospel Piano A E7 3E
E7 3
E7
13 D A9 A
A7
E7 3
3
3
3 3
A7
3
3
E7
3
B7
E B
B9
B7
E7
E7 3
3
B F
F7
B 7
B 9 3
3
3
3
E B
3
B 7
F7
3
C7
C9 3
F C 3
C7
F7
F7 3
3
G 7
G 7 3
B G 3
G 7
3
3
B7
B9 3
3
E B 3
B7
B F
3
F7
3
3
G 7
G 7 3
3 3
3
3
3
F7
B F
F7 3
3 3
E7
3E
3
3
F7
A
3
3
3
F7
A E7 3E
B G 3
3 3
3
Gospel Piano
14 G 7
D 7
D 9 3
G 3D
D 7
G 7
G 7 3
3 3
B G
G 7
3
3
3
It's worth mentioning... The three chords I use here...the 1, 4, and 5...are the foundation for much of the pop, country, gospel, rock, and blues music you hear. In fact, untold scores of songs use only these 3 chords. For example, 12-bar blues songs use nothing but the 1-4-5 progression. Gospel music is essentially an amalgamation of all the aforementioned styles. Here's a little something extra:
