Gospel Piano (part 3) Chord Voicings

                When voicing chords for gospel piano playing, we have the option of packing the pitches close together or spreading them out in an open voicing.  My former lesson on Close and Open Chord Voicings covered this topic with more simple harmonies.  In gospel music, the harmonies tend to include more color tones.  Traveling gradually from open to close voicings (or from close to open) across a musical line creates a nice effect of contrary motion (parts moving in opposite directions). 

                Most gospel piano chord voicings include two or three pitches in the left hand.  When constructing chord voicings that include the root, it is usually placed on the bottom of the voicing (unless otherwise indicated by the chord symbol).  This leaved one other pitch available for a two pitch left hand voicing.  Which pitch we select depends on what register of the piano or left hand is located in and how open or close the overall voicing is.  A third above the root may sound ok in higher registers, but down low on the piano this interval sounds muddy.  Also, this close of a left hand voicing suggests an overall voicing that is close (which doesn’t sound as good in low registers – also muddy).  So, lower left hand positions lend themselves to other intervals above the root.

                The other intervals available in two pitch left hand voicings are the 5^th, 7^th, 9^th and 10^th.  Most people can’t reach past the 10^th.  The octave is also available, but it sound kind of hollow and ends up doubling the pitch that is already being played by the bass guitar (when playing without a bass guitar this can be used to strengthen the bass line).  These other intervals sound good in most registers of the piano.  However, larger intervals leave less room for the right hand pitches, so they tend to occur more often in lower registers with open voicings.  Fifths work in most situations (low or high).  In high registers they help to create beautiful close voicings.  In low registers they can be used to create a majestic sounding voicing (since herald trumpet playing was based off of open fifths).

                The right hand usual supplies the other pitches of the chord.  In gospel piano, pitches are often doubled to create thick and full texture.  This is opposed to jazz style voicings which tend to avoid doubling in order to stay clean and open sounding.  However, the desired texture is also dependent on the feel of the specific song (or even the moment).  For example, this is a gospel song, but its slow and clean style lends itself to less dense voicings. 

                Capitalizing on common tones is another practice of gospel and jazz musicians.  There will often be one or more pitches that are shared between two adjacent chords.  Maintaining the voicing of these pitches while changing the other pitches usually results in smooth voice leading.

                The chorus is usually the most memorable part of the song.  Sketching the melody of the chorus in our chord voicings can help to emphasize its importance.  Since we are only hitting chords during each chord change (and not every syllable of the melody) we cannot play a complete version of the melody in our chords.  However, we can try to place the melody pitch on the top of our most of our voicings in the chorus to hint at a duplication of the melodic line. 

                Finally, there are times when a gospel piano player breaks away from the chords of the song in order to play melodic fills and runs.  These lines are often played in octaves or split octaves.  In our musical example there is an octave run that leads into the bridge.  Then there is a split octave run on the third line of the bridge.  These runs help to emphasize main lines in the melody, or lead to new parts of the song.

                This Learning Music With Ray video discusses the use of chord voicings typical in gospel piano playing.  In it, I continue with our study of the original song He Makes All Things New.  I play through each section of the song voicing the chords musically (as opposed to using block chords).  I also provide a detailed breakdown of each chord voicing, explaining how they are structured and why they were selected for that musical situation.  I highlight the strategies of contrary motion, common tones, melody sketching and octave runs.

Gospel Piano (part 2) Diatonic Seventh Chords and Upper Extensions:

                Gospel music is composed of various chord progressions that are strung together.  Last week’s lesson discussed how diatonic triads can be used to create these chord progressions.  This week we will extend our musical palette to the use of diatonic sevenths chords and their upper extensions (or color tones when added to triads without a seventh).  

                The diatonic seventh chords in major and minor keys were already discussed in my Chord Progressions lesson.  That discussion was based off of a classical musical perspective.  As we mentioned last week, diatonic triads are viewed through a slightly different perspective in gospel music.  However, this is not true with seventh chords.  Since seventh chords contain four pitches, and they can contain more when upper extensions are added, they are more complex harmonic structures.  The addition of one pitch can change the identity of a chord.  I give several examples of this in the video.  One is the fact that a Cmaj9 chord can be seen as an Em7 once the pitch “C” is omitted.  For this reason, the typical chord substitutions that are used in gospel diatonic triads are not seen as such a standard when dealing with seventh chords.  Beside this difference, the same number system is used, identifying each chord with its corresponding bass note. 

                The 9^th is the most common upper extension added to major and minor seventh chords.  It adds beauty and depth to the chord.  You may also choose to omit the seventh from some of the chords (leaving them in a triad state).  This is most common with triads in 1^st inversion (when the 3^rd is in the bass).  A common way to enhance triads in gospel piano playing is to add the 2^nd to the chord.  In this case, the pitch is viewed as a 2^nd instead of a 9^th due to the fact that the 7^th is not present.  Using the label “9^th” implies that the 7^th is present in the chord, making it unnecessary to include this number in the chord name.  I give a thorough lesson on all of this information in my Chord Color Tones lesson.   

                The dominant seventh chord is able to be ornamented with the greatest variety of upper extensions.  This is due to the dissonant nature of the chord which comes out of the fact that the 3^rd and 7^th form an interval of a tritone.  Often in gospel music, the flatted 13^th, raised 9^th and other altered upper extensions are added to this chord.  However, the musical example in this lesson lends itself to more consonant forms of the dominant seventh chord.    

                The best way to acquaint yourself with common chord progressions is to listen to the progressions used in the music on your playlists.  Listen first to the bass line and use it to determine the roots of the chords.  Then listen for the upper tones to establish the quality of the chords.  In addition, experiment on either a guitar or piano forming various chord progressions.  Listen to the character of each progression and the relationships between the different chords.  Expand your knowledge by developing strategies for connecting progressions.  These strategies can be used to determine the chord changes of any gospel song that you are trying to learn to play.  Most of these songs will contain seventh chords, upper extensions, substitutions and other advanced techniques.  We will cover all of these techniques in future videos.  However, any song can be boiled down to a simplified form using only triads (as demonstrated by the example song in the video).  This is the 1^st step for entering the beginning stages of gospel piano playing.

                This Learning Music With Ray video discusses the diatonic seventh chords use in gospel piano playing.  It is a study in the typical harmonic patterns used when traveling from one chord to the next in gospel music.  I provide a detailed illustration of the diatonic seventh chords, found in both major and minor keys, from both a classical and gospel perspective.  I also discuss the color tones and upper extensions that can be added to these seventh chords.  Finally, I provide an example of an original gospel song written out in both plain seventh chords and also seventh chords with upper extensions.  I give a chord by chord analysis of the song and demonstrate how the diatonic seventh chords discussed earlier in the lesson can be applied to the performance of the song.  

Gospel Piano (part 1) Diatonic Triads:

                Gospel music is composed of various chord progressions that are strung together.  A chord progression is a group of chords that travel or progress through a harmonic sequence.  A progression can vary in size from two to seven or more chords.  They can be either diatonic or chromatic.  There are no set rules for chord progressions, although there are some sequences which tend to occur frequently.  

                The diatonic triads in major and minor keys were already discussed in my Chord Progressions lesson.  That discussion was based off of a classical musical perspective.  

In gospel music, these chords are viewed through a slightly different perspective.  A number system is used, identifying each chord with its corresponding bass note.  At some points within the number system, multiple chords could be used against the same bass note.  For example, the 2 chord can be the typical classical 2 chord (in a Major Key this is a minor triad, in a Minor Key this is a diminished triad) or it could be a V chord in 2^nd inversion (with the 5^th of the chord in the bass).  The most common of these substitutions is found on the 3 and 7 chords.  The most frequent 3 chord substitution in gospel music is playing a tonic triad in 1^st inversion (with the 3^rd of the chord in the bass).  The most frequent 7 chord substitution is playing the dominant in 1^st inversion (with the 3^rd of the chord in the bass).  These changes were applied to the gospel version of the diatonic triads displayed in this video, but other substitutions are also discussed in the lesson.  

                Within the larger scheme of harmonic movement, all songs end on the tonic harmony.  This final cadence is usually achieved by a dominant chord that resolves to the tonic.  The dominant chord is usually approached by either a two or four chord.  Subdominant or supertonic harmony can be approached either directly from the tonic, or by the use of the seven, three or six chords.  This type of large scale harmonic motion corresponds to the names given to each diatonic chord (as listed in the previous paragraph).  An outline of this large scale harmonic typical harmonic motion is provided in the video.

               Small scale harmonic progressions can take on any form.  There are many fragmented chord progression that can precede the main cadence of a piece of music.  This allows for an extensive amount of usable chord progressions. 

                The best way to acquaint yourself with common chord progressions is to listen to the progressions used in the music on your playlists.  Listen first to the bass line and use it to determine the roots of the chords.  Then listen for the upper tones to establish the quality of the chords.  In addition, experiment on either a guitar or piano forming various chord progressions.  Listen to the character of each progression and the relationships between the different chords.  Expand your knowledge by developing strategies for connecting progressions.  

               These strategies can be used to determine the chord changes of any gospel song that you are trying to learn to play.  Most of these songs will contain seventh chords, upper extensions, substitutions and other advanced techniques.  We will cover all of these techniques in future videos.  However, any song can be boiled down to a simplified form using only triads (as demonstrated by the example song in the video).  This is the 1^st step for entering the beginning stages of gospel piano playing.

                This Learning Music With Ray video discusses the diatonic triads use in gospel piano playing.  It is a study in the typical harmonic patterns used when traveling from one chord to the next in gospel music.  I provide a detailed illustration of the diatonic triads, found in both major and minor keys, from both a classical and gospel perspective.  I discuss the large scale harmonic motion that is found in most pieces of music.  Finally, I provide an example of an original gospel song written out in a simplified form containing only triads.  I give a chord by chord analysis of the song and demonstrate how the diatonic triads discussed earlier in the lesson can be applied to the performance of the song.  

Slow Worship Piano Techniques (using the add 9 or add 2)

          When playing slow worship songs, many piano players voice simple triads in their right hand while playing the root (or a root – fifth – root arpeggios) in their left hand. One device that can automatically add color to a simple triad is adding the 2nd to the chord voicing. This color tone sound good on both major and minor triads. In the style of playing described above (chord in right hand and arpeggio in left hand) we can simply add this tone to the right hand chord voicing.

          Some situations also lend themselves to playing seventh chord instead of triads. Since the root is often played in the left hand (or by the bass player in the band), it can be left out of our right hand chord voicings. By moving this pitch down a half step we can turn a major triad into a major seventh chord. Moving the root down a whole step will transform a major triad into a dominant seventh chord, and a minor triad into a minor seventh chord. This substitution of the seventh for the root along with the addition of the ninth (called 9 instead of 2 because the 7th is present in the chord) makes for an even richer voicing.

          The add 2 (or add 9) can also be incorporated in our left hand playing. Our left hand arpeggio of root – 5th – root can extend one more pitch up to the 2nd (or 9th) for added color. We can also use the 2nd to lead further up to the 3rd of the chord as the final pitch of the arpeggio. Finally, we can add the 7th into this mix of pitches to add even more interest to out left hand arpeggios. Any combination of these pitches can be assembled to create left hand arpeggio patterns that fit within the timeframe of the given chords. Finally, left hand movement can be combined (in an alternating fashion) with right hand movement (using the given chord and color tones) to create even more elaborate and expressive patterns.

          These patterns can be practice both in specific chord exercises (like running through the cycle of 5th’s) or by applying them directly to worship songs (both practice techniques are shown in the video). We should start by applying one pattern at a time to the exercise or song until it is mastered. Later on, we can try alternating between two or more patterns. Finally, we can create a song arrangement by establishing a pallet of patterns and planning which one will be applied to each chord. This type of variety also adds to the musicality of our playing.

          When playing with a band, a piano player should always take care to avoid playing left hand pitches that conflict with the bass player’s part. We often use rootless chord voicing in these situations to avoid competing with the roots being played by the bass. However, in slow worship, this style of left hand arpeggios helps to fill in the empty space created by hanging on a chord for several slow beats. In some cases, this fits well with the bass part (depending on what style or pattern that musician is playing). It is also a great style for solo piano worship playing (like playing alone during an alter call or during other quiet parts of the service).

          This Learning Music With Ray video discusses the use of the add 2 (or add 9) color tone when playing slow worship songs on the piano. In it, I explain how the add 2 (or add 9) can be used in the right hand to add color to your chord voicings. I also explain how this pitch can be added to the material played in the left hand. I demonstrate several versions of left and right hand patterns, and discuss how we can alternate between these patterns when creating an arrangement. I demonstrate the application of these patterns to both a cycle of 5th’s chord exercise and the performance of a worship song.

Saxophone Alternate Fingerings and the Chromatic Scale

          As we blow into a saxophone, air travels from the tip of the mouthpiece to the end of the bell. However, there are several tone holes along this path that can either be opened or closed. When these tone holes are opened, they allow air to escape before reaching the end of the bell. This shortens the theoretical length of the saxophone and raises it resonant pitch. Smaller resonating chambers resonate at a higher frequency or pitch.

          Since the saxophone’s pitch selection is based off of this principal of length and tone holes, the fingering pattern follows a natural up and down flow. What I mean by this is that as fingers are added (pushed down) sequentially down the length of the instrument the pitch is lowered. As fingers are raised sequentially up the length of the instrument the pitch is raised. Saxophone players eventually get acquainted with this natural up and down flow of their fingers.

          However, there are two areas on the saxophone where the natural flow of the fingers is interrupted. One is the finger movement that occurs when changing from between the pitches B and C (does not apply to the lowest register – only middle and upper register). We push down the pointer finger of our left hand to play B. Saxophone players consider this to be their highest finger on the instrument. Then, to ascend to the pitch C, we lift the left hand pointer finger and push down the left hand middle finger (moving backwards or down one finger). This backward motion takes some getting used to, and in some cases it causes decreased speed and dexterity in technical passages.

          The same issue occurs when traveling between the pitches F and Gb (or F#) in the low and mid registers of the instrument. The fingering for F requires us to push down the pointer, middle and ring fingers of the left hand along with the pointer finger of the right hand. When traveling to a Gb (or F#), we must lift this right hand pointer finger and push down our right hand middle finger.

          The alternate fingerings for these pitches allow us to maintain the natural up and down finger movement of the saxophone. For C, we keep the B key down (left hand pointer finger) and add the middle of the three side keys near the right hand (the specific key is clearly demonstrated in the accompany video). For Gb (or F#), we keep the F key down (right hand pointer finger) and add the alternate Gb (F#) key (the specific key is clearly demonstrated in the accompany video).

          This technique can be very useful in passages where our fingers need to creep up and down the saxophone quickly with no jarring movements. The primary example of this is the motion found in a chromatic scale. By way of review, the chromatic scale is a scale composed of all half steps. It includes all 21 musical pitches found in Western Music. In the accompanying video, I demonstrate the application of these alternate fingerings when playing chromatic scales on the saxophone.

          Another playing situation in which these alternate fingerings are useful is the trill. A trill is a rapid alternation between two adjacent pitches continued over a measured length of time (a set rhythm such as a half note, whole note, etc. with a trill marking above it). When trilling between B and C, or F and Gb, the reverse finger motion of the primary fingerings limits the achievable speed of the performer. When using the alternate fingerings, the performer can achieve a much greater trill speed.

This Learning Music With Ray video discusses the alternate fingerings for the notes C and F# on the saxophone.  In it, I explain the design of the saxophone and the natural tendency for the pitch to be lowered as keys are pushed down, and raised as keys are let up.  I then explain how the primary fingerings for C and F# go against the natural up and down flow of key movement, and how the alternate fingerings help to maintain this flow.  Finally I demonstrate situations where the alternate fingerings can be applied.