Rhythms, Beats, Quarter notes
Step 4: Write down (in pencil) the basic notes which best fits each marked location
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LESSON 21: Harmony: Understanding Chords
As you listen to more songs, you’ll notice with time, that the keyboardist hardly plays melody notes. This is because the vocalists (singers) are doing that already.
If he or she does, there would be very few.
You’ll realise that most of what the keyboardist plays sounds just like the bass notes being played with the bass guitar.
This is because the keyboard now plays the bass note with both hands.
The Three Voices
In contemporary music, there are three (3) common voices under which choristers are grouped.
These are:
Soprano (main melody note)
Alto
Tenor
Hymn ministrations also add bass vocalists
The soprano vocalists sing the actual melody notes of the song.
The Alto and Tenor vocalists add a certain sweet touch to the song.
Adding the Alto and Tenor notes produces what we call a chord or triad.
When all three notes are played simultaneously, you still hear the main soprano note The sweet sound produced is called a harmony.
We are going to hardly play melody notes in the future...we’ll actually stop We’ll play the bass notes with their corresponding chords with the right hand.
75 | P a g e 21.1 The Three (3) Common Types of Chords
As mentioned earlier, chords are centred around one main bass (melody) note.
The bass note on which the chords are played is called the root note.
There are three (3) common types of chords under which are played in contemporary gospel music.
These are:
The Root Chord
The 1st Inversion
The 2nd Inversion
What differentiates these chord types is the arrangement of the notes.
We’re going to learn about them and how to use them in the next few lessons.
We’re going to learn these chords in the key of C.
Identifying the Notes in Diagrams
The root notes will be highlighted with an orange circle as follows:
The other accompanying notes will be highlighted with a light green square:
If you’ve printed a grayscale version of this manual, you can use the shapes instead.
Before we begin, let your keyboardist play the chords for the following songs below. Someone should sing along:
Surround Me
Light of the World
Lord Prepare Me, To Be A Sanctuary
Come Holy Spirit, Let Your Fire Fall
76 | P a g e 21.2 The Root Chord
The root chord is arranged as follows:
Root Note is played with finger number one (1)
The second (2nd) note is two (2) common notes away from root note, played with finger number (3)
The last note is also two (2) common notes away from the 2nd note, played with finger number (5)
Below is the root chord for “do”
The root note, is “do” played with finger number 1 The 2nd note is “mi” played with finger number 3 The last note is “so” played with finger number 5
do re mi fa so
1 2 3 4 5
1
3
5
77 | P a g e Below is the root chord for “fa”
The root note, is “fa” played with finger number 1 The 2nd note is “la” played with finger number 3 The last note is “do” played with finger number 5
Exercise 21A
Figure out the root chords for the following notes 1. so
2. la
1
3
5
fa re la fa d o
1 2 3 4 5
78 | P a g e Below is the root chord for “so”
The root note, is “so” played with finger number 1 The 2nd note is “ti” played with finger number 3 The last note is “re” played with finger number 5
so re ti fa re
1 2 3 4 5
1
3
5
79 | P a g e Below is the root chord for “la”
The root note, is “so” played with finger number 1 The 2nd note is “ti” played with finger number 3 The last note is “re” played with finger number 5
la re do fa mi
1 2 3 4 5
1
3
5
80 | P a g e 21.3 Root Chords of “Amazing Grace”
Sometimes the best way to teach something in music is to give a practical. We’re going to play the chords for “Amazing Grace”.
First, let’s construct the structure (melody notes with corresponding bass notes) of the song using all the steps we’ve learn previously.
do do fa do
A – maaaaaaa, zing – graaaace ||||| how – sweeeeeet ||||| the – sound
la fa so
That – saved, a – wretch ||||| like – meeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
do
do
fa
do
I – once, was – lost, ||||| but – now ||||| am – found;
fa so do
Was – blind, but – now, ||||| I – seeeeeeee
81 | P a g e Chord Construction of “Amazing Grace” using Root Chord
do
A – maaaaaaa,
do
zing – graaaace
do re mi so fa
1 i
2 3
5 4 do
1
do re mi so fa
1 i
2 3
5 4 do
1
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fa
how – sweeeeeet
do
the – sound
fa re la do fa
1 i
2 3
5 4 fa
1
do re mi so fa
1 i
2 3
5 4 do
1
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la
That – saved
fa
a – wretch
la re do mi fa
1 i
2 3
5 4 la
3
fa re la do fa
1 i
2 3
5 4 fa
1
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so
like – meeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
do
I – once,
so re ti re fa
1 i
2 3
5 4 so
5
do re mi so fa
1 i
2 3
5 4 do
1
85 | P a g e
do
was – lost
fa
but – now
do re mi so fa
1 i
2 3
5 4 do
1
fa re la do fa
1 i
2 3
5 4 fa
1
86 | P a g e
do
am – found
fa
Was – blind,
do re mi so fa
1 i
2 3
5 4 do
1
fa re la do fa
1 i
2 3
5 4 fa
1
87 | P a g e
so
but – now,
do
I – seeeeeeee
so re ti re fa
1 i
2 3
5 4 so
5
do re mi so fa
1 i
2 3
5 4 do
1
88 | P a g e 21.4 Inverted Chords
Sometimes, the notes in a root chord need to be re-arranged so you can get a better sound.
A chord with the notes re-arranged in order of appearance is called an inverted chord.
21.4A First Inversion
The root note, is moved One (1) Octave Higher
The other notes maintain their positions, but are played with different fingers:
2nd Note is played with finger number one (1)
3rd Note is played with finger number five (5)
Below is the first inversion for “do”
do re mi fa so
2 1 4 2
1
2
5