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Welcome to Rocket Piano’s Introduction to Gospel,
Spirituals and Hymns!
A personal message from me
In this book you will learn what constitutes Gospel tunes, Spirituals and Hymns. You will find out what each type of music contains and how they relate to each other. More importantly you will be playing a whole lot of these tunes yourself.
This book follows on nicely from the first book in the Rocket Piano series but is valuable at any level. The information in the book is relevant to anyone interested in the Gospel, Spirituals and Hymns. By the end of the book the tunes get more and more complicated and thus more rewarding.
This book gives you a very straight forward introduction to Gospel songs, Spirituals and Hymns. It introduces a couple of new scales, new key signatures, plus some new notes to show you how most Gospel, Spirituals and Hymns are made up melodically, harmonically and rhythmically. These three aspects also serve to link each style to one another. This book will be perfect for those of you who want to play in church, sing along to your own playing, or accompany someone else. This is also for anyone who just wants to learn more songs.
Each type of music has very interchangable aspects and their styles sometimes blend. Some songs that might be considered spiritual may also sometimes be considered or played as gospel tunes, and the same goes with hymns.
This is partly because in the history of the respective styles the lines where one style ends and the other begins are naturally quite blurry. More on that later.
For the purpose of this book some songs may be considered as either types of genre.
Table Of Contents
Welcome...3
A.personal.message.from.me...3
Table.of.Contents...4
Rocket.Piano.Progress.Tracker...5
Chapter one. A brief history of Spirituals ....6
Chapter two. Spirituals, three main types ...7
The.Ballad...7
Faster.tempo.syncopated.tunes...8
Chapter three. Spiritual melody ...9
Major.pentatonic...9
Minor.Pentatonic...12
D.minor.pentatonic...14
‘Blues’.pentatonic...16
‘Blues’.pentatonic.tune...18
Chapter four. Dotted 8th notes ...20
Dotted.8th.note.tune...22
Here.are.a.few.more.Spirituals...23
More.spirituals...24
Chapter five. I, IV, V in spirituals ...26
Chapter six. Gospel songs ...33
A.brief.history...33
Gospel.songs...34
Chapter seven. E major...36
I,.IV,.V.progression.in.E.major...37
Chapter eight. Hymns ...43
A.brief.history...43 Amazing.Grace...44 Battle.hymn.of.the.Republic...46 Hark.the.herald.angels.sing...48 Holy,.holy,.holy...50 Joy.to.the.world...52 Conclusion...54
This Progress Tracker has been specifically designed for you to keep a record of each individual skill, concept and technique that you learn in the Rocket Piano course. By the end of this book you will be able to pin point exactly how far you’ve progressed in becoming a skilled pianist and a knowledgeable musician.
Once you have mastered a lesson or skill tick it off on the Progress Tracker, and move on to the next lesson! Commit yourself to ticking off the skills you learn as you go and see your improvement instantly!
Lesson or Skill
Page # Date Signature
Call and response
... ... ...
Ballad
... ... ...
Faster tempo syncopated tunes
... ... ...
Major pentatonic
... ... ...
Minor pentatonic
... ... ...
D minor pentatonic
... ... ...
Blues pentatonic (b5)
... ... ...
Dotted 8th notes
... ... ...
I IV V chord progression
... ... ...
E flat major scale
... ... ...
I IV V progression in E flat major
... ... ...
Rocket Piano Progress Tracker
Chapter one. A brief history of the Spirituals
It’s hard to exactly pin-point the period in which the African American spirituals assumed a particular type of character. This is partly because there were no attempts to acquire any of the spirituals before 1840. It is thought that spirituals appeared as early as the 1600s.
These spirituals cannot be associated with any particular authors but are instead attributed to the African American people and their musical abilities. The songs were learned and handed down through oral tradition and preserved that way through the generations. Music played an important role in African life and culture. When they were removed from Africa and placed in a foreign land under the hostile conditions of enslavement, these terrible circumstances inspired the spiritual songs. With the roots of African musical ideas infused with this new culture and religion, these new songs emerged.
The songs are called “Spirituals” because the authors of the songs used lyrics inspired by biblical stories and ideals and they believed the Spirit of God was the source. When they felt moved and inspired by the Spirit of God that was when they sang, prayed and conceived the songs.
They drew the content and lyrics from the Bible and applied their African style of singing. They sung of their circumstances and experiences. They sung of their yearning for freedom and justice. They also felt a great kinship with the similarly enslaved Hebrews of ancient Egypt.
The African-American slaves also used the spirituals as codes to communicate and express their hopes and desires for freedom. Also contained in the coded spirituals was information on secret meetings and escape plans. So through the songs they resisted and fought their enslavement. Such songs like “Swing low sweet chariot”, “Go down Moses” and “Steal away” all had incrypted meanings about the underground movement for slave abolitionism and the underground railroad network.
Chapter two. Spirituals, the three main types
‘Call and response’
There are three main types of spiritual song: The call and response, the ballad and the faster swing spiritual.
There’s the ‘call and response chant’. This means the main melody is sung solo by a leader, the ‘call’. Then the next phrase is sung by the chorus as a ‘response’. There are a large amount of spirituals written in this format, especially the earlier ones. These songs have a slightly ‘fiery’ aspect to them. They are generally a faster type of tune.
Some songs in this style: • “Shout for joy”
• “Good morning everybody” • “Swing low sweet chariot”
‘Ballad’ type
The next type of tune is the slower more sustained tune, the slower ‘ballad’ type of Spiritual. This type of Spiritual has long phrases and more sustained notes. Also the lyrics have longer sentences and the melody tends to be longer and more drawn out.
Some songs in this style: • “Deep river”
• “Nobody knows the trouble I see” • “Were you there”
This type of song helped the slaves keep rhythm while they worked. Rhythm was often important in working together on specific tasks. So the leader would sing the lead part and the group of workers would ‘respond’ .
Faster tempo syncopated tunes
The last type of spiritual song is the most popular type of Spiritual. It has a faster tempo and has a ‘swing’ feel that is designed to simulate the sway of body movement while singing. The melody is usually segmented or in rhythmically syncopated phrases. Syncopation is a shift in the rhythmical placement or accent of notes or chords. The lyrics are in shorter sentences in order to fit the syncopation. Because of this there is a lot of repetition in the lyrics.
Some songs in this style:
• “Shout all over God’s heab’n” • “Little David play on yo harp” • “Ol’ ark’s a-moverin”
Chapter three. Spiritual melody
In these Spiritual songs there are a certain type of theoretical aspects that appear.
The first of these aspects is the scale that is used in the melody. In general the melody of the song uses what we call the pentatonic scale.
There are several types of pentatonic scale: The major pentatonic, the minor pentatonic and an altered version of the minor pentatonic called the blues pentatonic
These pentatonic scales feature in spiritual songs as well as gospel songs and hymns.
Major pentatonic
We’ll start with the major pentatonic.
The major pentatonic is the same as a normal major scale the only difference is the scale doesn’t use the 4th and 7th notes in the scale.
The pentatonic scale is made from 5 notes. This term comes from the hebrew word for five, ‘pente’. For example a pentagon is a shape made up of 5 sides.
Here is the normal C major scale.
Now the major pentatonic scale omitting the 4th and 7th notes.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
1
2
3
5
6
8
Play through the scale and notice when omitting the 4th and 7th notes from the scale it gives it a very pleasant major sound to it. Experiment with playing the notes in any
It is a good idea to learn the pentatonic scale in all of the keys we’ve looked at so far. C major, G major, F major, D major
Here’s the G major pentatonic.
The melody of this spiritual only uses the notes from the G major pentatonic.
As you can see only notes from the G major petatonic scale appear in this melody.
This is a common feature in the melodies of the Spiritual songs. The major pentatonic also appears in Gospel tunes and Hymns.
1
2
3
5
6
8
You shall reap
You 1 shall reap
jes what
you sow
you 2 shall reap
what you sow
on the 5
moun tain
-1
in the val
ley-
you shall reap
jes what
you sow
01
02
Here’s another Spiritual tune using only notes from the G major pentatonic scale. Play through the tune yourself with just the right hand and have a listen to the track.
O lamb, beautiful lamb
O
lamb
beau - ti ful
- Lamb I'm
going to serve
God till
i die
3
O
Lamb
beau - ti ful
- Lamb I'm
going to serve
God till
I die
Minor Pentatonic
The next scale we’re going to look at is the minor pentatonic.
This one is a little more tricky. Now we’re going to briefly re-cap how we get the minor scale.
Remember that the major scale has the same key signature as it’s relative minor scale. To find the relative minor go up a major sixth interval from the key note of the major scale you began with.
These two scales are relative to each other because they share the same notes. Let’s refresh your memory by looking again at C major.
The scale played from the 6th note using the same notes is the relative natural minor scale. Here’s the A natural minor scale.
This applies to the pentatonic scales aswell. For example the C major pentaonic scale has the same notes as the A minor pentatonic scale. They are relative.
When forming the minor pentatonic scale we use the notes from the relative major pentatonic scale and start from the minor note.
When playing the A minor pentatonic you use only the notes from C major pentatonic and start the scale from A.
Here’s C major pentatonic again:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
51
Another way to think of it is that you are playing the natural minor scale without the 2nd and 6th notes from the scale. This gives you the A minor pentatonic. By omitting these notes from the A natural minor scale you are left with the same notes that appear in the C major pentatonic. This is because the scales are relative. You are playing the notes of the C major pentatonic except starting the scale from A, making it an A minor pentatonic. A natural minor A minor pentatonic (omits the 2nd and 6th)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
1
3
4
5
7
8
I know this all seems very confusing! But once you can get your head around how the different scales work, pretty soon you will be able to play them on demand without even thinking about it!
D minor pentatonic
This tune is a ‘call and response’ tune. It is also in the key of D minor pentatonic scale. So that means it uses the notes from F major pentatonic because they are relative. This tune is also designed to be sung by a leader and then a chorus.
Because it is designed to be sung, the chorus sings a melody thats in the same register as the leader melody line. (If something is in the same register this means that the notes are played in the same area of the piano or the same area on the music staff)
For the purpose of playing this tune on the piano the chorus line is an octave lower than what it would normally be if it was sung.
Use the left hand for the chorus line (in the bass staff) and the right hand for the leader line (in the treble staff).
Here’s the F major pentatonic.
Now the D minor pentatonic, that uses the same notes from F major pentatonic.
Sittin down beside O' the Lamb
New 1
Je ru 5
- -sa lem
-
New
Je ru 5
- -sa lem
-
sit 5 tin - down
be side 1
- o'
the Lamb
4
Be 1 fore 3
- I'd 5
lay in
hell
one
day good Lord
sit 1 tin - down
be side
- o'
the 1 Lamb
7
I'd 1 sing
an' 5
pray my
self
a
way - good
Lord
sit tin- down
be side
- o'
the Lamb
10
O mour 5
ner - mourn
a
long
-
O
sit 5 tin - down
be side
- o' 3
the Lamb
sit tin- down
be side
- o'
the
13
mour 5 ner - mourn
a
long
-
Lamb
sit tin- down
be side
- o'
the Lamb
03
‘Blues’ pentatonic
The last scale for us to look at is the blues pentatonic.
This scale is basically the minor pentatonic with one slight alteration. The blues scale adds one extra chromatic note to a minor pentatonic scale.
So lets continue with the A minor pentatonic scale and alter it to get the A blues pentatonic scale.
The note that gets added is a chromatic note between the 4th and 5th notes of the scale.
So in the A minor pentatonic scale, this note goes between the D and E which are the 6th and 7th notes in the scale. The note chromatically between the D and E is E . This is the ‘blue’ note.
Here’s the A minor pentatonic scale
Now here’s the blues pentatonic scale with the added chromatic note between the 4th and 5th notes.
The 5th note is flattened to E and then raised again to E natural.
So the added note in the scale is the E . This 5 gives the scale its ‘blues’ feeling.
Added chromatic note, E
b
1
3
4
5
7
8
b
1 3 4 5 5 7 8b,
b
b
b,
52
Play through the scale and listen to the difference the extra added note makes. Can you hear its ‘blues’ quality?
This scale is very common and like the other scales we’ve looked at so far, is used in all kinds of music.
It is important to us now because it features throughout the Spiritual songs. It is also thought that the origin of the blues scale actually came from the spiritual songs.
Like with the major pentatonic and minor pentatonic, play through this scale and try and make up some of your own little melodies using the notes of the blue pentatonic scale.
When the blues pentatonic scale was first used people hadn’t heard this kind of sound before. The flat 5th note became known as the ‘devils’ note because it was new and strange.
‘Blues’ pentatonic tune
Here are a few examples of some of the spirituals that use the ‘blues’ pentatonic scale in the melody.
This tune is in the key of D minor pentatonic.
There is a chromatic alteration to the scale in this tune though. It uses the B natural in the melody which usually doesn’t appear in the scale.
Even though this tune uses a couple of notes that aren’t in the minor pentatonic scale it still uses the ‘blue’ note. You can also hear the effect that the blue note has on the feel of the piece.
04
q = 110
I know it was the blood
I
know it
was
the
blood
I
knowit
was
the
blood
I
know it
was
the
7
blood
for
me
One
day
when
I
was
lost
Je
sus
-
This tune is using the D minor blues pentatonic as well. Play through the track slowly to start with.
You will hear the ‘blue’ notes in the tune.
05
Wish I's in heaven settin' down
Wish I's
in hea
ven - set
tin - down
set tin
- down
wish I's
in hea
-ven set
-tin
4
down
set tin
- down O
Ma
ry
- O
Mar
tha
- wishI's
inhea
ven - set
tin - down
Chapter four. Dotted 8th notes
We will now have to look at a new note for playing some of the next tunes. We already know about the dotted quarter note
These are used frequently in conjunction with 8th notes.
When you hear the word ‘feel’ mentioned in relation to a song, it means the way the tune has a certain style or sound to it. This generally refers to how the notes are played in terms of the timing of the notes and their placement or dynamic range. When looking at alot of these Gospel tunes they have a ‘swaying’ or ‘swing’ type of feel. To achieve this type of feel we can use the dotted 8th note.
Dotted 8th notes make the music appear to ‘swing’. Immitating the swaying motion of a lot of the Spiritual and Gospel singers.
This is like the other dotted notes we’ve looked at as its time value is now increased by half its original value. So a dotted 8th note has the same time value as an 8th note tied to a 16th note.
So =
Dotted 8th notes are usually seen connected with other 16th notes so they are generally found in music written together like this:
This is another way of looking at the dotted 8th notes. This example uses ties which can look rather complicated so the above method is preferred.
q.
q.
e
x
e.
e_
q = 96Title
COMPOSER q = 96Title
COMPOSER Piano
53
with1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e+ a 4 e + a 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 2 3 4
Using dotted 8th notes in music is quite tricky to get the hang of. So take your time when going over the songs that have dotted 8th notes in them. Listen carefully to the tracks to hear what they should sound like played.
Clap out the beats while counting aloud the rhythm.
Listen carefully to the track and notice how the notes are played with the ‘swing’ feel.
Tapping the beat with your foot can be a helpful way of staying in time!
Dotted 8th note tune
Take as long as you need to get this tune right in terms of its feel. Listen carefully to the track and take a note where the tune uses dotted 8th notes.
This tune uses a version of the blues scale. It has the flat 7 note which is an alteration on the standard blues pentatonic we’ve been looking at.
The blues pentatonic will appear throughout this book in several tunes so look out for it.
q = 80
Roll, Jorden, roll
Roll
Jor
- dan roll
Roll
Jor - dan roll
I
5
want to go
to hea
ven - when I die
to hear
old Jor
dan - roll
O
9
bro
ther- you ought to been
there Yes
my
lord
A
Here are a few more Spirituals to look at and learn.
08
q = 110Go down Moses
When 1
Is 5
rael
- was
in
E
gypt's
- land
let 2
my
peo
-ple
go
Op
pressed
so
hard
they
7
could 5
not
stand
let
my
peo
-ple
go4 1
Go 1
down
Mo 4
ses
- way
down
in
5
13
E
gypt's
- land
tell 3 old
Pha roah
-2
let 1
my
peo
-
ple
go
1
More spirituals.
This next tune has a lot of jumping around in the left hand. Take it slowly and learn the left hand first and then put it together with the right hand. It’s quite difficult to get this tune so it’s okay if it takes you a while to learn. The fingering in this tune is also just a guide at this stage. If you can find a more comfortable way to play the notes with your own fingering then you should.
09
q = 78
My Lord what a morning
My 5 3
Lord
what a morn 4 1
ing
-
my 5 3
Lord
what a morn
ing
-
1 5
1 5
1 4
5
my 5 2
Lord
what 5 1 a morn
ing
- when the stars
be gin
- to
fall
Fine
9
you' 1 ll hear 4
the trum
pet 3
- sound 1
to wake
the 4
na
tions
- un
der
- ground
-
14
D.C al fine
Here are the rest of the verse lyrics to ‘My Lord what a morning’
2. You’ll hear the sinner mourn, 4. Done quit all my worl’ly ways To wake the nations underground Jine dat hebbenly ban?
Looking to my God’s right hand Done quit all my worl’ly ways When the stars begin to fall Jine dat hebbenly ban.
3. You’ll hear the Christian shout, To wake the nations underground Looking to my God’s right hand When the stars begin to fall
Your doin’ GREAT. Keep up the good work!
Chapter five I, IV, V in spirituals
Another feature of the Spirituals, Gospels and the Hymns is that they often use the I, IV, V progressions we’ve already been studying in book one.
Sometimes the tunes will change the order of the progression but generally you will find that the tunes use these chords often.
This next tune uses the I, IV, V chords from C major.
Remember that the I, IV, V chords in C major are C major, F major and G major. See if you can identify where these chords appear in this next tune
Here is a brief mention about the structure of this tune;
Look out for indicators describing the ‘intro’ ‘verse’ and ‘chorus’. These divide the tune into different sections.
‘Intro’ stands for the introduction to the piece. This can last several bars but is usually quite a short section.
‘Verse’ and ‘chorus’ go together and a verse will usually come before a chorus. The verse will either tell a story or explain a sentiment. The chorus will give an overview, or express the basic point or emotion of the song.
Many song structures are very similar. Verses, choruses, and bridges are used to create a structure made up of different and interesting sections.
10
q = 86 Piano
3 2 13 3
2 1 3 3
2 1 3 3
2 1 3 3
2 1 3 3
3
3 3 3
3
3
3
3
3 2 1 3 3
2 1 3 3
2 1 3 3
2 1 3 3
2 1 3 3
3
3
3 3
3
3
3
3 4
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3 3
3
3
3 3
7
3
3
3 3 descending 3
2 1 3 3
2 1 3 3
32 1 3
32 1 3
32 1
3
3 3
3
3
3 3 3
2 1 3 3
2 1 3 3
2 1 3 3
2 1 3 3
2 1 3
3
3
3 10
3 3
3
3
3
3 3
3
3
3 3
3
3
3
3
3
3 3
12
3
3
3
3
3 3
3
3
3
3 3 3 3 3Here are the rest of the lyrics for the verses in ‘In dat great gittin’ up mornin’. 2. Dat de time shall be no longer,
For judgment day is comin’ Den you hear de sinner sayin Down I’m rollin down I’m rollin..
3. De Lord spoke to Gabriel Go look behin de altar
Take down de silvah trumpet Blow yo’ trumpet Gabriel.. 4. Lord how shall I blow it Blow it right calm an’ easy Do not alarm my people Tell ‘em to come to judgment.. 5. Gabriel blow yo’ trumpet Lord how shall I blow it
Loud as seven peals of thunder Wake de livin nations..
6. Place one foot upon de dry lan’ Place de other on de sea
Den you’ll see de coffins bustin’ See de dry bones come
a creepin..
7. Hell shall be uncapp’d an’ burnin’ Den de dragon shall be loosen’d Where you runnin po’ sinner Where you runnin po’ sinner.. 8. Den you’ll see po’ sinners risin Den you’ll see de worl’ on fiah See de moon a bleedin
See de stars a fallin..
9. See de elements a meltin See de forked lightnin
Den you’ll cry out for cold water While de Christians shout in glory.. 10. Sayin Amen to you damnation No mercy for po’ siner
Hear de rumblin of de thunder Earth shall reel an totter..
11. Den you’ll see de Christian risin Den you’ll see de righteous marchin See dem marchin home to heab’n Den you’ll see my Jesus comin.. 12. Wid all His holy angels
Take de righteous home to glory Dere dey live wid God forever
This next tune is one your surely familiar with.
This tune is in the call and response style but the tune has been played in many different ways.
11
q = 56
Swing low sweet chariot
Swing 5 low
sweet char
i - ot
- com 4 1
ing - for to car 3 1
ry - me home 5 3
1 5 1 5
5
swing low
sweet char
i - ot
-
com
- ing for to car - ry me home
1 5 2 4
Fine 9
I 3 looked
o ver- Jor
dan - and what
did I see
com
ing - for to car
ry - me
13
home
a 4 band
of an
gels - com 3
ing - af ter- me
com
ing - for to car
ry - me home
D.C al fine
Here are the rest of the lyrics for the remaining verses in ‘Swing low sweet chariot’ 2. If you get there before I do
Coming fot to carry me home Tell all my friends I’m comin too Coming for to carry me home.. 3. The brightest day that ever I saw Coming for to carry me home
When Jesus wash’d my sins away Coming for to carry me home..
4. I’m sometimes up, I’m sometimes down Coming for to carry me home
But still my soul feels heavenly bound Coming for to carry me home..
This next tune, ‘Wade in the water’ is quite a difficult piece and is one of the most difficult Spirituals you will play in this book so take your time. It is in this book as a good challenge for you to learn.
12
1 4 2 5 1
4 2 5
5 2 4 1 5
2 4
1
3
1
4 2 4
5 4 2 1
5
2 4 2 1
2 4 5
5
5 2 4 1 5
2 4 1
1 4 2 5 1
4 2 5
7
5
3 2 3 1
1
3 5 4 5Here are the rest of the lyrics for the verses in ‘Wade in the water’ 2. See that band all dressed in red
God’s a going to trouble the water Looks like the band that Moses led God’s a going to trouble the water.. 3. Look over yonder what do I see? God’s a going to trouble the water The Holy Ghost a coming on me God’s a going to trouble the water
4. If you don’t believe I’ve been redeemed God’s a going to trouble the water
Just follow me down to Jordan’s stream God’s a going to trouble the water
Try singing along with the tune while you play. Some of the words are a bit different to what you are used to. Have some fun trying to pronounce them!
Chapter six. Gospel songs
A brief history
It’s quite difficult to attain the exact time when Gospel music actually began.
There are two main divisions of Gospel music, Historic and Contemporary or Modern. The Historic Gospel is said to have begun as early as 1870. It can also be said to have begun in the years just prior to the depression up to around 1950. Gospel is comprised of Gospel songs written from about the 1960’s to the present.
Around four million slaves were freed following the civil war in the 1870’s. Unfortunately their circumstances hardly improved at all. Although they were considered legally free from slavery they still faced prejudice and racism. A large amount of the the freed slaves stayed behind in the south but many travelled north in search of employment and a new start. In the climate of prejudice and racism and the urbanisation of the African Americans, Gospel music had its early beginnings.
During the end of the historic period of Gospel songs many of the songs were considered ‘freedom’ songs. Even though the civil rights movement didn’t begin until much later these Gospel songs already showed the mood of the movement that was to eventuate. The type of Gospel music sung most often in African American churches then and now is generally the songs that were written in the historic period.
One of the most important and prolific writers of these songs was Thomas A. Dorsey. He has over eight hundred songs credited to his name. He is considered by many as the Father of Gospel music.
Another similar Gospel composer was Charles Albert Tindley. From his humble beginnings (his parents were slaves and he was ‘hired out’ to work as soon as he was old enough) he went on to overcome adversity and compose some of the most influential Gospel songs. Alot of Gospel is improvised meaning it is spontaneous and expresses the singers inspiration that is said comes from the Holy Spirit.
Gospel music is still hugely popular today and influences a variety of musical styles such as blues, jazz, hymns and many more.
Gospel songs
The next lot of tunes we’re going to be looking at are Gospel tunes.
Dividing up each genre specifically into groups is quite difficult because all these musical genres influence each other in terms of style content and theoretical aspects.
So some of the songs you’ve already played in this book could be considered Gospel songs as well as Spiritual and it would be hard to argue the difference.
Alot of these songs will sound very similar to the Spirituals and Hymns.
Take this next tune slowly and listen to the track. Follow the music to help iron out any problems.
q = 58
Bye and bye
Bye 4 1
an' bye
we 5 1 all
shall meet
a gain
-
3 5
2 4
3
Bye 5 1
an' bye
we all 5 1
shall meet
a gain
- O 5 1
1 5
3 5
5
bye
an' bye
we all
shall meet
a gain
- an' 4 2 I
2 4
7
would 5 1 n't - mind
dy 5 2 in - if dy
in - was all
1 5
13
W W H W W W H 1st tetrachord 2nd tetrachord 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 R.H W W H W W W H 1st tetrachord 2nd tetrachord 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 L.H key signature
5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1
L.H OR written this way anChapter seven. E major
To be able to play some of the other tunes in this book we have to look at a new key signature.
You will remember the techniques we use to get key signatures and we will apply the same rules to make the new key signature and subsequent scale. The scale we are going to look at is the scale of E major. E major has 3 flats in it E B and A . E major appears quite frequently in Gospel, Spirituals and Hymns so it’s an important key signature and scale to learn.
As before we’ll start off in the R.H using the two tetrachord rule to make up our scale.
b
b
b
b
b
b
Now the same progression in the L.H with the chords in root position.
Here is the same progression this time with the inversions
A lot of the time these chords will not always appear in root position. So you will see the chords played in a variety of inversions. Here’s a few inversions of the diffferent chords of E major. Take a look at the inversions play through them. See if you can recognise the chords in any of the tunes used in this book.
This time when playing the I, IV, V progression try using different inversions in different hands. Try playing the standard inversions in both hands and then on the next page play the different inversions in each hand and notice the tonal quality difference. Play through
I IV V E A B 1b
2 3 4b
5b
6 7 8
I IV V E A B L.H 1b
2 3 4 5b
b
L.H I IV V E A B 1 2 3 4 5root position
b
2nd inversion 1st inversionb
b
b
I, IV, V progression in E major.
This is important for us to recognise the chords when playing alot of these tunes. Remember that alot of this music uses chords from the I, IV, V progression.
The three primary triads of E major are E A and B
1st note of the scale: E major triad: the I chord 4th note of the scale: A major triad: the IV chord 5th note of the scale: B major tirad: the V chord
b
b b
b
bb
b
b
This next tune is in E major.
There are lots of chords in this tune so take your time and make sure your getting all the notes correct.
q = 96
I love the Lord
I 4 2
love
the
Lord 4 1
He
heard
my
cries
and
pit
ied 4 1
-
2 5
2
1 5
3 5
6
ev 5 2
ry
- groan
3 1
long
as
I
live 5 1
when 5 3
trou
bles
-
1 5
1
4
3 5
11
53
5314
I IV V I I IV V I 2nd inversionroot position root position root position 1st inversion 1st inversion 2nd inversion 1st inversion
I IV V I I IV V I
root position 2nd inversion 1st inversion root position 2nd inversion 1st inversion root position 2nd inversion
15
Here are the rest of the lyrics to ‘The downward road is crowded”.
2. Some people say they believe in him You can’t ride the empty air
q = 96
The downward road is crowded
O the down
ward
- road
is 4 2
crowd 5 3
ed
- crowd 4 1
ed
- crowd
ed
- O the
3 5
1 5
6
down
ward 4 2
- road
is
crowd
ed
- with
un
be 5 1
- - liev in' 3 1
- souls
The 4
win'
blows
east
an' the
1 5
1 4
1 4 1 5
1 4
11
win'
blows
west
it blows
like the judg
ment
- day
an'
14
ev ry- po'
soul
that
ne 5 ver - did
pray will
be glad
to
pray that
day
1 5
1 4
5
Here is another Gospel tune for you to learn. Listen to the track first to get an idea about how the tune sounds, then try playing through it.
If you can, it’s a good idea to read the music while listening to the track and see if you can follow it.
16
Stand by me
Albert Tindley
When 3 the storms
of life
are rag
ing 2 - stand
by me
(stand 3 be me)
3 5
1 5
3
when the storms
5 1
of life
are rag
ing - stand
by me 4
(stand by me) 3 1
5
5
when the world
is toss 4 2
ing - me
like a ship 5 3
u pon
- the sea
1 5
7 3 52. In the midst of tribulations Stand by me
In the midst of tribulations Stand by me
When the hosts of hell assail And my strength begins to fail Thou who never lost a battle Stand by me
3. In the midst of faults and failures
Stand by me
In the midst of faults and failures Stand by me
When I do the best I can
And my friends misunderstand Thou who knowest all about me Stand by me
Here are the rest of the lyrics for ‘Stand by me’
4. In the midst of of persecution Stand by me
In the midst of persecution Stand by me
When my foes in battle array Undertake to stop my way
Thou who saved Paul and Silas Stand by me
5. When I’m growing old and feeble Stand by me
When I’m growing old and feeble Stand by me
When my life becomes a burden And I’m nearing chilly Jordan O thou “Lily of the Valley” Stand by me
This is the last Gospel tune we will look at in this book.
There are a lot of chords in this tune so take our time to get them right.
There's something on my mind
There's 3
some thin'- on
my mind
that's
worr 5 1
yin' - me
There's
2 4
4
some thin'- on
my mind 4 1
that's
worr
yin - me
There's
some thin'
- on
my mind that's
1 5
1 3
7
worr
yin -
me
so let 5 3
us watch
Lord
an' 3 1
pray as
we
live
1 5
17
Here are the rest of the lyrics for ‘There’s somethin’ on my mind’ 2. Father’s drinkin’ with their sons that’s what’s worryin’ me
Chapter eight. Hymns
A brief history
A hymn is a song of praise or prayer towards God. Singing psalms and hymns has been part of the Christian worship for hundreds of years.
The most musically interesting change to the hymn came 250 years ago. Dr. Issac Watts, an English minister, saw that the music was lacking in lively and colorful expression. He was interested in showing the power and passion of his belief and faith through music. From this, the modern Hymn came about. Watts gave the religious psalms and hymns much more freedom and interest. A far more powerful means of expression was created by using variety. Watts wrote such songs as “Jesus shall reign” and “Joy to the world”. After Watts paved the way with this new type of interpretation and composition it wasn’t long until he had many followers keen to write in a similar style.
Dr. Watts’ and others like him helped move the style of singing and hymns away from the rigid singing of the time toward a more poetic style of religious song.
The songs that were written and played back then were used and adapted to a variety of situations. The African American Baptist and the Methodist churches both sang these hymns. They applied their own sense of culture and musical background to these songs and effectively modified many of the hymns.
Those songs written around 250 years ago are still sung and enjoyed throughout the world. The influence of these songs is huge affecting many different genres of music.
John Newton, the man that wrote the lyrics to ‘Amazing Grace’, left school when he was eleven to begin the dangerous and rough life of a seaman. He eventually became involved with the dishonourable business of capturing slaves from West Africa and selling them around the world markets.
One day there was a fierce storm while at sea and John Newton became fearful that he would be shipwrecked. He turned to God to save him from the storm.
Later he began to read ‘The Imitation of Christ’ by Thomas A. Kempis. It was through this book and his fearful experience that he realised the error in his ways and wrote this beautiful song. Through this spiritual experience John Newton decided to heed the call to study for ministry. When he was thirty nine years old John Newton was ordained as a Minister of the Anglican Church in a little village called Olney near Cambridge in England.
18
Tune: "American melody" from Cirginia Harmony Words by John Newton
and John P. Rees
Amazing grace
A 3 1
maz
- ing 5 1 - grace
how
sweet
the2 4
sound
that
saved
a
1 5
5
3
1 3
7
wretch
like
me
II
once 5
was
lost
but
Here are the rest of the lyrics for ‘Amazing grace’. 2. ‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed..
3. Through many dangers, toils and snares I have already come
‘Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home..
4. The Lord has promised good to me His word my hope secures
He will my shield and portion be as long as life endures..
5. Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail and mortal life shall cease
I shall possess within the veil a life of joy and peace..
6. The earth shall soon dissolve like snow, the sun forbear to shine
But God, who called me here below will be forever mine.
7. When we’ve been there ten-thousand years,
bright shining as the sun
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise than when we’d first begun.
A very common feature of the Hymns is that they use I, IV, V progressions.
So when playing some of these tunes try to look for and listen for the I, IV, V progression.
In this next tune remember that the fingering is there only as a guide so you can use your own fingering if you find it more comfortable.
Remember that the fingering has to be comfortable enough to allow you to play the notes at the assigned speed.
19
q = 82
Words by Julia Ward Howe
Battle hymn of the Republic
Music by William Steffe
Mine
5 3
eyes have seen
the glo
ry 4 2 - of
the com 5 1
ing - of
the Lord
He is
1 5
2 4
4
tram 3 1 pling - out
the vin
tage - where
the grapes 4 2
of wrath
are stored
He hath
1 5
1 5
6
loosed the fate
ful - light
ning 4 2 - of
His ter
ri - ble
- swift sword
- His
truth
is
march
ing
- on
2 4
10
Glo
Chorus ry - glo
ry 4 2 - hal
le - lu
- jah
- Glo 3 1
ry - glo
ry - hal
le - lu
- jah
-
You may recognise this next tune. It is often played as a Christmas carol but is also considered a hymn.
Here are the other verse lyrics for ‘Battle hymn of the Republic’ 2. I have seen Him in the watchfires
Of a hundred circling camps They have buried Him an altar in The evening dews and damps I can read His righteous sentence By the dim and flaring lamps His day is marching on..
3. He has sounded forth the trumpet That shall never sound retreat
He is sifting out the hearts of men Before His judgement seat
O be swift my soul to answer Him be jubilant my feet Our God is marching on..
4. In the beauty of the lillies Christ Was born across the sea
With a glory in His bosom that Transfigures you and me As He died to make men holy Let us die to make men free While God is marching on.
