Keyboard handout

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Psalm 33:3 Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise.

PREFACE

T

HE MUSIC THEORY FOR KEYBOARDS discusses the elements of playing piano/keyboard, and addressing the needs of player of music. It is intended for all levels who wants to improve their skills. For over a decade now I’ve been playing the keyboard in my local church and also in various churches and also taught many people how to play. This handout is as a result of the knowledge I’ve gained both in school and also in my experience. I do hope this booklet will help you. May God grant you His grace to excel.

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Table of Contents Preface Chapter 1: The A B C of Music………………………………………………….3 Rhythm ……………………………………………………...........................5 Melody …………………………………………………………………….6 Meter ………………………………………………………………………6 Sharps, Flats & Natural…………………………………………………..7 Intervals…………………………………………………………………...8 Scale……………………………………………………………………...10 Chapter 2: Chords……………………………………………………………...16 Inversion…………………………………………………...........................18 Types of chords………………………………………………………..19 Harmony………………………………………………………………….21 Triads & chords progression…………………………………………..23 Chapter 3: Cadences…………………………………………………………....28 Chapter 4: Modulation…………………………………………………………29 Chapter 5: How to practice……………………………………………………31 Arpeggios…………………………………………………………………31 Practicing a song……………………………………………………….33 Hand styles……………………………………………………………..34 Sight reading……………………………………………………………...35 Improvisation …………………………………………………………….36 Appendix A: Modulation chart………………………………………………..38 Appendix B: Nuggets to go…………………………………………………....39 Appendix C: Music terms……………………………………………………....41 Appendix D: Sound engineering (Bonus) Appendix E: Piano/Accompaniment Workshop (Practical) Accompaniments in worship Musical direction (band/group & choir leading) Developing performance & communication skills Developing awareness of timekeeping & pitching And other practical issues

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Chapter 1: The A B C of Music

T

hese are the rudiments about which you have been warned. You should spend more time over these and make sure that you thoroughly understand it. It is arranged in sections so you can easily go back to any particular section which you may have forgotten.

How Pitch is represented The pitch of musical sounds is shown by little oval characters, called notes, on line and in spaces; these notes are named after the first seven letters of the alphabets, A, B, C, D, E, F, G. All the sounds produced by average male and female voices may be represented on eleven lines and ten spaces, these form the Great Stave.

The names of the notes on the lines of the Great Stave starting from the lowest line and counting upward are G, B, D, F, A, C, E, G, B, D, F. And the names of the notes in the spaces are A, C, E, G, B, D, F, A, C, E The Great Stave.

Notice (a) that the lines and spaces follow each other in alphabetical order, and (b) that each line or space is three letters i.e a 3rd above the line or space next below it.

In order to make the lines spaces on the Great Stave easier to read, they are divided into two smaller staves of five lines each. When the note on the middle (6°') line of the Great Stave is require it is introduced on a short line and is termed middle C. The two smaller staves are distinguished from each other by the use of signs called Clefs.

The two used in piano and organ music are called the Treble Clef and the Bass Clef.

Normally the treble clef is used for the upper stave-right hand and the bass cief for the lower stave-left hand. When certain notes are either too high or low to be written conveniently in the

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usual clef, however, the clef are sometimes temporarily interchanged, the right hand playing the bass clef, or the left hand in the treble clef.

The clef is placed at the beginning of the stave, and shows the names of a note on one of the lines of that Stave; the treble clef is placed on the G line, and the bass clef on the F line.

Noticed that in addition to the notes on the lines and in the spaces, a note may be placed above each stave and another below.

For notes above or below the range of the 5 line staff, small segments are added in both directions called ledger lines. They are spaced with the same distance as the 5 lines of the staff, and wide enough to pass each side of the note.

We have seen that only seven letter names are used, and if the series of notes is to be continued, it is necessary to repeat the letter names thus; A B C D E F G, A B C D E F G, A B C D E F G Any two letter anems which are eight notes apart (A-A, B-B, C-C) constitute an octave.

Rhythm All musicians, instrumentalists and vocalists, work with rhythm, but in modern music a rhythm section generally consists of percussion instruments, bass and possibly chordal instruments (e.g., guitar, banjo) and keyboard instruments, such as piano. Among the attributes of rhythm we might include continuity or flow, articulation, regularity, proportion, repetition, pattern, alluring form or shape, expressive gesture, animation, and motion (or at least the semblance of motion). Indeed, so intimate is the connection of the rhythmic and the musical, we could perhaps most concisely and ecumenically define music as the 'rhythmization' of sound." Rhythm is likely the most fundamental aspect of music, because percussion instruments were likely in use long before stringed instruments.

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Tribal groups dancing to music made only with percussion instruments is an ancient human practice, which reportedly continues today. The three fundamental elements of music are rhythm, melody, and harmony.

Melody a melody, also tune, voice, or line, is a series of linear events or a succession, not a simultaneity as in a chord Melody gives a piece of music richness and character. Melody also helps the listener remember and identify music. In most cases, it is the melody of a song that is the most memorable part.

Meter Meter or metre is the measurement of a musical line into measures of stressed and unstressed "beats", indicated in Western music notation by a symbol called a time signature. Properly, "meter" describes the whole concept of measuring rhythmic units, but it can also be used as a specific descriptor for a measurement of an individual piece as represented by the time signature—for example, "This piece is in 4/4 meter" is equivalent to "This piece is in 4/4 time" or "This piece has a 4/4 time signature".

Rhythm is distinguished from meter in that rhythms are patterns of duration while "meter involves our initial perception as well as subsequent anticipation of a series of beats that we abstract from the rhythm surface of the music as it unfolds in time" Meter is the regular recurring pattern of strong and weak beats of equal duration; also known as time.

The meter or time signature in a musical composition is indicated by a fraction, and located at the beginning of a piece of music. The lower number of the fraction tells what kind of note receives one beat. The upper number tells how many beats are in a measure.

In Western music there are two types of meter, simple and compound. In simple meter the upper number is either 2, 3, or 4. Each beat is subdivided by two.

In compound meter the upper number is either 6,9, or 12. Each beat is a dotted note and subdivided into groups of three beats.

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LAYOUT OF THE KEYBOARD/PIANO

Accompaniment Section Left Hand

Melody Section Right Hand

From the keyboard chart above, one would see that the distance between the white key and the black key adjacent to it above is a semi-tone, and to move from that black key to the next corresponding white key, the distance is also a semi-tone. Where there is no black key between two corresponding notes most especially the letter names B-C and E-F the distance between them is a semi-tone.

Sharps, Flats & Natural:(

)

The distance of pitch from a line (or space) to the space (or line) next above or below it is not in all cases equal.

The distance between the notes A and B, C and D, D and E, F and G, and G and A, amounts to what is called tone; whereas the notes B and C, and E and F, are only a semitone or half tone apart.

It is sometimes necessary to raise the pitch of a note a semitone, by placing a

(sharp) before it; also

a note may be lowered a semitone by placing a (flat) before it.

When it is desired to restore a note (which has been raised or lowered a semitone by the addition of a sharp or a flat) to its original pitch, a

(natural) is placed before it.

On the piano the white keys are called natural because they represent natural notes (that is, with a simple letter name, A, B, C, D, A); the black keys are called sharps and flats because they represent notes raised or lowered a semitone by signs, A sharp, B sharp, etc.

Thus the sound of a sharp is produced from the black next above any white key, and the sound of flat from any black key next below any white key.

As there is no black key between the natural white keys B and C, and E and F, however (these keys being semitones apart), B sharp is virtually th same note as B natural, and F flat as E natural.

Consequently one white key does duty for two notes, B sharp and C natural, C flat and B natural and so on.

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C# Db

D# Eb

F# Gb

G# Ab

A# Bb

C# Db

D# Eb

F# Gb

G# Ab

A# Bb

Intervals: An interval is the distance or difference in pitch between any two sounds.

The smallest interval in modern music is the semitone. A visual representation of a half step would be the distance between a consecutive white and black note on the piano. There are two exceptions to this rule, as two natural half steps occur between the notes E and F, and B and C. HINT: (A whole step is the distance between two consecutive white or black keys. It is made up of two half steps)

Qualities and Size Intervals can be described as Major (M), Minor (m), Perfect (P), Augmented (A), and Diminished (d).

Intervals come in various sizes: Unisons, Seconds, Thirds, Fourths, Fifths, Sixths, and Sevenths.

2nds, 3rds, 6ths, and 7ths can be found as Major and Minor.

Unisons, 4ths, 5ths, and Octaves are Perfect.

The size of an interval may be calculated by counting the letter names upwards, from the lower note to the higher, both notes being included in the total; C to D is a second, C to E is a third, C to F is a fourth, and so on.

The quality of an interval may be perfect, major, minor, diminished and augmented.

Intervals above an octave that is Perfect 8 th are called compound intervals, being compound of more than one octave plus small intervals. This interval from C to the next G above it but one is called a Twelfth and is a compound interval made of an octave (C-C) and a fifth (C-G).

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Intervals Chart

Intervals

No. of semitones

Intervals

No. of semitones

Major 2nd

2

Minor 6th

8

Minor 2nd

1

Augmented 6th

10

Augmented 2nd

3

Diminished 6th

7

Major 3rd

4

Major 7th

11

Minor 3rd

3

Minor 7th

10

Augmented 3rd

5

Augmented 7th

12

Diminished 3rd

2

Diminished 7th

9

Perfect 4th

5

Perfect 8th

12

Augmented

6

Major 9th

14

Diminished

4

Major 10th

16

Perfect 5th

7

Minor 10th

15

Augmented 5th

8

Diminished 5th

6

Major 6th

9

When a major interval is raised by a half step, it becomes augmented.

When a major interval is lowered by a half step, it becomes minor.

When a major interval is lowered by two half steps, it becomes diminished.

When a minor interval is raised by a half step, it becomes major.

When a minor interval is raised by two half steps, it becomes augmented.

When a minor interval is lowered by a half step, it becomes diminished.

When a perfect interval is raised by a half step, it becomes augmented.

When a perfect interval is lowered by a half step, it becomes diminished.

Inversions of Intervals Intervals can be inverted, which basically means you turn them upside down. The lower note is raised up an octave so that the top note/bottom note relationship is reversed. The chart below shows the inversions of intervals.

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Size

Qualities • • • • •

2 becomes 7 3 becomes 6 4 becomes 5 5 becomes 4 6 becomes 3 7 becomes 2

• • • • • •

Major becomes Minor Minor becomes Major Perfect remains Perfect Augmented becomes Diminished Diminished becomes Augmented

SCALE: A scale is a series of sounds arranged in alphabetical order to form an octave. It is also the ascending and descending of notes within an octave.

There are two major kinds of scales; Diatonic and Chromatic.

The diatonic scale consists of tones and semitones; while the chromatic scale consists of semitones entirely.

HINT: There are many different types of scales. They are the backbone of music The Chromatic Scale: Chromatic Scales are made up entirely of half steps. When ascending, the

scale uses sharps, when descending it uses flats.

C

C

Db

C#

D

D

Eb

D#

E

E

F

F

F#

G

Gb

G

G#

Ab

A

A

A#

B

Bb

B

C

The Diatonic Scale: There are two kinds of diatonic scales; Major and Minor scale The Major Scale; The major scale consists of tones and semitones arrange according to a definite plan; the intervals of a semitone occur between the 3rd and 4th , and 7th and 8th notes, and that of a tone between the other notes. Tones/Tones/Semitones/Tone/Tones/Tones Semitones

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The Minor Scale: Minor Scales come in three forms: Natural, Melodic, and Harmonic.

Natural Minor scales use the following pattern of half and whole steps:

Melodic Minor scales ascend and use the following pattern of half and whole steps. When descending, they do so in the natural minor form.

Harmonic Minor scales use the following pattern of half and whole steps:

A pentatonic Scale is a five-tone scale, which has its beginning in antiquity. There are traces of this scale in Oriental and American Indian music. This scale does not have a leading tone, which gives the scale it's unique sound. The scale has two forms. The first one uses the group of two black keys followed by three black keys. The pattern is as follows:

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The second one used the group of three black keys followed by two black keys. The pattern is as follows:

Constructing a Major Scale To construct any major scale, start with your chosen note (which can be a white or black key on a piano) for the root or starting note; this will be your tonic. Then move up in pitch two notes (counting each white and each black key as one note). This is referred to as a whole step (tone), and will be the second note of the scale, or the supertonic. Move up again two notes, this is the third note of the scale, or the mediant. Next move up one note (semitone), this will be the fourth note of the scale, or the subdominant. Move up again two notes, this will be the fifth note of the scale, or the dominant. Move up again two notes for the sixth note or submediant of the scale, up again two notes for the seventh note or leading tone of the scale, and finally up one note for the eighth note or octave (which is the same as the tonic). This is commonly shown as: 1

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 W – W – H – W – W – W – H

Above, W means "whole step" or "whole tone", which is simply moving up two notes; and H means "half step" or "semitone", which is simply moving up one note. These "steps" in the order shown are how you construct every major scale in western music. The C major scale has no sharps or flats. If you look at a keyboard, you can see that the distance from C to D is two notes, if you count the black key in between them. The distance from D to E is two notes, also counting the black note between them. Then from E to F is only up one note. Therefore, if you wanted to construct the D major scale, you would start by moving up from D to E (two notes) and then from E to F♯ (again two notes) and then from F♯ to G (one note) just exactly the way you did in the C major scale; two whole steps, then a half step. This would be followed by three more whole steps and a half step to complete the D major scale. You use these steps for every major scale: W – W – H – W – W – W – H Scale of C Major The major scale of C is called the natural scale because it is constructed entirely from the natural notes (white keys).

Scale of G Major

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Scale of D Major

(Exercise: now try and draw out the scales of remaining keys).

HINTS: Db-C#, Gb-F#, Cb-B, are enharmonic keys, meaning that they are written differently, but sound the same.

Key Signatures

Circle of Fifths In music theory, the circle of fifths (or cycle of fifths) is an imaginary geometrical space that depicts relationships among the 12 equal-tempered pitch classes comprising the familiar chromatic scale. The circle of fifths was first described

by Johann David Heinichen, in his 1728 treatise Der Generalbass in der Composition.

A simple way to see the relationship between these notes is by looking at a piano keyboard, and starting at any key and counting 7 keys to the right (both black and white) to get to the next note on the circle above - which is a perfect fifth. 7 half steps or the distance from the 1st to the 8th key on a piano is a perfect fifth.

The Circle of fifths, text table, shows the number of flats or sharps in each of the diatonic musical scales/keys. Both C-major and A-minor keys have no flats or sharps.

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MAJOR KEYS & THEIR RELATIVE MINOR There are 15 major and 15 minor key signatures. The sharps or flats at the beginning of the staff indicate the main tone (diatonic) to which other tones are related.

Natural Minor A minor scale in music theory is a diatonic scale whose third scale degree is an interval of a minor third above the tonic. It is the most commonly used one is the Natural Minor Scale because it’s related to the Major scale.

One way of remembering the steps in the natural minor scale is to start on the 6th degree of the relative major scale. In that way, one does not have to remember the new set of steps "W,H,W,W,H,W,W," but rather just the familiar major scale steps with a different starting point. For

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example, A is the 6th scale note of the C major scale, so the A natural minor scale is just the C major scale starting on the 6th scale note.

The C major scale is C D E F G A B C, so the A natural minor scale is A B C D E F G A (A is the 6th scale note of the C major scale).

For example, in the key of A minor, the natural minor scale is: A B C D E F G A'

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C D 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4

This table illustrates the relative major key signatures for minor scales.

Key Sig. Major Scale

Minor Scale

0♯/♭

C major

a minor

1♯

G major

e minor

2♯

D major

b minor

3♯

A major

f♯ minor

4♯

E major

c♯ minor

5♯

B major

g♯ minor

6♯

F♯ major

d♯ minor

7♯

C♯ major

a♯ minor

Key Sig. Major Scale

Minor Scale

1♭

F major

d minor

2♭

B♭ major

g minor

3♭

E♭ major

c minor

4♭

A♭ major

f minor

5♭

D♭ major

b♭ minor

6♭

G♭ major

e♭ minor

7♭

C♭ major

a♭ minor

The following are enharmonic equivalents:

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Key Sig.

Major Scale

Minor Scale

5♯/7♭

B/C♭ major

g♯/a♭ minor

6♯/6♭ F♯/G♭ major

d♯/e♭ minor

7♯/5♭ C♯/D♭ major

a♯/b♭ minor

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Chapter 2: Chords and Triads

A

fundamental part of playing rhythm is by playing chords. As seen from our definition earlier Chords is defined as a combination of notes usually 2 or more played together or separately.

The extended chords can have one or more of their harmonies altered, (flattened or sharpened) thus greatly enlarging and changing the sound of the basic chord. The possibilities are extensive, although it must be remembered that certain altered harmonies can be expressed in more than one way. For instance, a flattened tenth is also a sharpened ninth but not a flattened third. A flattened tenth chord needs the third left as it is-this is an essential part of the sound.

A major and minor chord or triad is one which, being built out of the major or minor scale, may serve to identify that scale e.g. C major triad in or chord in root position will be as below.

TRIADS: A triad is a group of three notes having a specific construction and relationship to one another. They are constructed on 3 consecutive lines or three consecutive spaces. Each member of the triad is separated by an interval of a third. The triad is composed of a Root, Third, and Fifth.

In triad the root is the note from which a triad or chord originates. In the examples above all the different triads then followed by the 3 rd to that note at the base in the alphabetical order and the 5 th note to the root. The three notes played together simultaneously that is the root; the 3 rd and the 5 th note formed a triad.

Triad can be formed on any degree of the scale and as triad can be formed on C major and C minor scale respectively so also it can be formed on any other major or minor scale, in as much as the basic rule of the root the 3rd and 5th are followed.

Another simpler way of knowing the letter names of the notes that formed a particular triad in root position is to write down the letter names of the notes that form the scales and then write the 3rd note of the scale below the 3rd notes.

From such table one will be able to know the letter names of each of the notes that formed a particular triad in a scale of C major and the scale of C minor are as below.

Quality and triads The quality of a triad is determined by the precise arrangement of its intervals. Tertian trichords, known as triads, can be described as a series of three notes. The first element is called the root note of the chord, the second note is called the "third" of the chord, and the last note is called the "fifth" of the chord. These are described below: Chord name

Component intervals

Example

Chord symbol

major triad

major third

perfect fifth

C-E-G

C, CM, Cma, Cmaj

minor triad

minor third

perfect fifth

C-Eâ™­-G

Cm, Cmi, Cmin

augmented triad major third augmented fifth C-E-G♯

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diminished triad minor third diminished fifth C-E♭-G♭ Cm(♭5), Cº, Cdim

Letter names of the notes that formed the triads of C major scale Root C 3 rd note - E 5 th note - G MT

D F A mT

E G B mT

F A C MT

G B D MT

A C E mT

B D F mT

C E G MT

m- MINOR M- MAJOR T- TRIAD

Letter names of the notes that formed the triads of C minor scale Root C 3" 1 note Eb 5` h -note G MT

D F Ab dim I'

Eb G Bb

F Ab C

G Bb D

1111 ,

MT

MT

Ab C Eb mT

Bb D F mT

C Eb G

m- MINOR M- MAJOR T- TRIAD

MT

Scale degree Chords are also distinguished and notated by the scale degree of their root note or bass note. For example, since the first scale degree of the C major scale is the note C, a triad built on top of the note C would be called the one chord, which might be notated 1, I, or even C, in which case the assumption would be made that the key signature of the particular piece of music in question would indicate to the musician what function a C major triad was fulfilling, and that any special role of the chord outside of its normal diatonic function would be inferred from the context.

When taking any scale and building a triad with a base in the scale, the second, third, and sixth intervals, when used as a root, will form a minor triad. The root, fourth, and fifth form a major triad, whereas the seventh will form a dimished triad.

Roman numerals indicate the root of the chord as a scale degree within a particular key as follows: Roman numeral

I

ii

iii

IV

V

vi

Scale tonic supertonic mediant subdominant dominant submediant degree

viio leading tone/subtonic

Many analysts use lower-case Roman numerals to indicate minor triads and upper-case for major ones, with degree and plus signs (o and +) to indicate diminished and augmented triads, respectively.

TECHNICAL NAMES FOR THE NOTES OF THE SCALE 

First note (Do) -

Tonic is the keynote from which the scale takes its name.



Second note (Re) -

Supertonic is the note immediately above the tonic.

 

  

Triad note (Mi) Mediant lies mid-way between the tonic and the dominant.

Fourth note (Fah) Sub-dominant (the lower dominant) is so named because it is the same distance below the tonic as the dominant is above it not because it is the note below the dominant.

Fifth note (So) Dominant is next in importance to the tonic and is so called because it dominates the key.

Sixth note (La) Sub-mediant (the lower mediant) lies midway between the tonic and the sub-dominant.

Seventh note (Ti) Leading note leads the tonic.

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The position of the notes on the staff in the above diagram explains the reason for some of the technical names given to the notes of the scale. The harmonic series discussed above also throw more light on how importance is each note of the scale to the tonic, therefore the technical names.

There are four types of triads: major, minor, diminished and augmented.

INVERSIONS An inverted chord is a chord in which the bass is not the root. For example, C is the bass of a C major triad in root position, in which the third and the fifth of the triad are above it. Thus, a root-position triad is known as a 5/3 chord. (A triad in root position is also in normal form.)

The first inversion In the first inversion of a C major triad, the bass is E—the third of the triad— with the root and the fifth above it, forming the intervals of a sixth and a third above the bass, respectively. Thus, a first-inversion triad is known as a 6/3 chord.

The second inversion In the second inversion, the bass is G—the fifth of the triad—with the root and the third above it, forming a fourth and a sixth above the bass, respectively. Thus, a second-inversion triad is known as a 6/4 chord. This inversion is usually considered a dissonance, and analytical notation will often treat it differently than the other chords.

The third inversion Third inversions exist only for chords that comprise four or more tones, such as seventh and ninth chords. In a third-inversion chord, the seventh of the chord is in the bass. For example, a C major seventh chord in third inversion consists of B in the bass, with C, E and G above it—a second, fourth and sixth above the bass, respectively.

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Types of Chords I. The Seventh Chord A seventh chord is a chord consisting of a triad plus a note forming an interval of a seventh above the chord's root. When not otherwise specified, a "seventh chord" usually means a major triad and a flat seventh (a "dominant seventh chord"). However, a variety of sevenths may be added to a variety of triads, resulting in many different types of seventh chords, as described below.

Seventh chords are constructed by adding a fourth note to a triad, at the interval of a third above the fifth of the chord. This creates the interval of a seventh above the root of the chord. There are various types of seventh chords depending on the quality of the original chord and the quality of the seventh added.

Five common types of seventh chords have standard symbols. The chord quality indications are sometimes superscripted and sometimes not (e.g. Dm7, Dm7, and Dm7 are all identical).

Chord name

Component notes (chord and interval)

Chord symbol

major seventh

major triad

major seventh

CMaj7, CMA7, CM7, C 7, Cj7

dominant seventh

major triad

minor seventh

C7, C7

minor seventh

minor triad

minor seventh

Cm7, C-7, C-7

diminished seventh

diminished triad

diminished seventh

Co7, Cdim7

half-diminished seventh

diminished triad

minor seventh

Cø7, Cm7♭5, C-7(♭5)

augmented major seventh

augmented triad

major seventh

C+(Maj7), C+MA7, CMaj7+5, CMaj7♯5, C+j7, C +7

augmented seventh

augmented triad

minor seventh

C+7, C7+, C7+5, C7♯5

minor major seventh

minor triad

major seventh

Cm(Maj7), C-(j7), Cm♯7, C7

When a dominant seventh chord (a major minor seventh in its most common function) is borrowed from another key, the Roman numeral corresponding with that key is shown after a slash. For example, V/V indicates the dominant of the dominant. In the key of C major, where the dominant (V) chord is G major, this secondary dominant is the chord on the fifth degree of the G major scale, i.e.

D major. Note that while the chord built on D (ii) in the key of C major would normally be a minor chord, the V/V chord, also built on D, is major.

II. The Extended Chord An extended chords are tertian chords (built from thirds) or triads with notes extended, or added, beyond the octave. Ninth, eleventh, and thirteenth chords are extended chords. The thirteenth is the furthest extension diatonically possible as, by that point, all seven tonal degrees are represented within the chord. In practice however, extended chords do not typically use all the chord members; when it is not altered, the fifth is often omitted, as are notes between the seventh and the highest note (i.e., the ninth is often omitted in an eleventh chord; the ninth and eleventh are usually omitted in a thirteenth chord), unless they are altered to give a special texture.

To add one note to a single triad, the equivalent simple intervals are used. Because an octave has seven notes, these are as follows:

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Chord name

Component notes (chord and interval)

Chord symbol

Add nine

major triad

ninth

-

C2, Cadd9,

Major 4th

major triad

perfect fourth

-

C4, Csus

Major sixth

major triad

sixth

-

C6

Six-nine

major triad

sixth

ninth

C6/9

Dominant ninth

dominant seventh

major ninth

-

C9

Dominant eleventh

dominant seventh (the 3rd is usually omitted)

major ninth

perfect eleventh

C11

dominant seventh Dominant thirteenth (the 11th is usually omitted)

major ninth

perfect 11th major13th

C13

Other extended chords follow the logic of the rules shown above.

Thus Maj9, Maj11 and Maj13 chords are the extended dominant chords shown above with major sevenths rather than dominant sevenths. Similarly, m9, m11 and m13 have minor sevenths.

Extended chords, composed of triads can also have variations. Thus madd9, m4 and m6 are minor triads with extended notes.

III. The Sixth chords Sixth chords are chords that contain any of the various intervals of a sixth as a defining characteristic.

They can be considered as belonging to either of two separate groups: Group1: Chords that contain a sixth chord member, i.e., a note separated by the interval of a sixth from the chord's root, such as: 1. The major sixth chord (also called, sixth or added sixth with chord notation: 6, e.g., 'C6') This is by far the most common type of sixth chord of this group, and comprises a major chord plus a note forming the interval of a major sixth above the root. For example, the chord C6 contains the notes C-E-G-A. 2. The minor sixth chord (with chord notation: min 6 or m6, e.g., Cm6) This is a minor chord plus a note forming the interval of a major sixth above the root. For example, the chord Cmin6 contains the notes C-Eâ™­-G-A

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IV. Chromatic alterations Although the third and seventh of the chord are always determined by the symbols shown above, the fifth, as well as the extended intervals 9, 11, and 13, may be altered through the use of accidentals.

These are indicated along with the corresponding number of the element to be altered.

Accidentals are most often used in conjunction with dominant seventh chords. For example: Chord name

Component notes

Chord symbol

Seventh augmented fifth

dominant seventh

augmented fifth

C7+5, C7♯5

Seventh flat nine

dominant seventh

minor ninth

C7-9, C7♭9

Seventh sharp nine

dominant seventh

augmented ninth

C7+9, C7♯9

Seventh augmented eleventh

dominant seventh

augmented eleventh

C7+11, C7♯11

Seventh flat thirteenth

dominant seventh

minor thirteenth

C7-13, C7♭13

Half-diminished seventh

minor seventh

diminished fifth

Cø, Cm7♭5

V. The Suspended Chord A suspended chord, or "sus chord" (sometimes improperly called sustained chord), is a chord in which the third has been displaced by either of its dissonant neighbouring notes, forming intervals of a major second or (more commonly), a perfect fourth with the root. This results in two distinct chord types: the suspended second (sus2) and the suspended fourth (sus4). The chords, Csus2 and Csus4, for example, consist of the notes C D G and C F G, respectively. Extended versions are also possible, such as the seventh suspended fourth, for example, which, with root C, contains the notes C F G B♭ and is notated as C7sus4.

Harmony in Music: The term harmony originates in the Greek harmonía, meaning "joint, agreement, concord" [2]. In Ancient Greek music, the term was used to define the combination of contrasted elements: a higher and lower note.

The following are common intervals: Root

Third

Minor third

Fifth

C

E

Eb

G

Db

F

E

Ab

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D

F#

F

A

Eb

G

Gb

Bb

E

G#

G

B

F

A

Ab

C

F#

A#

A

C#

G

B

Bb

D

Ab

C

B

Eb

A

C#

C

E

Bb

D

Db

F

B

D#

D

F#

Therefore, the combination of notes with their specific intervals - a chord - creates harmony. For example, in a C chord, there are three notes: C, E, and G. The note "C" is the root tone, with the notes "E" and "G" providing harmony.

Part harmonies In vocal music, the four basic "parts" are soprano, alto, tenor, and bass. A chord may be spread across parts in order to provide harmony. For example, a vocal piece's harmony may be constructed by the following: • • •

Bass - root note of chord (1st degree) Tenor and Alto - provide harmonies corresponding to the 3rd and 5th degrees of the scale; the Alto line usually sounds a third below the soprano, Soprano - melody line; usually provides all tensions

The importance of keyboard harmony is the faculty of mental hearing is properly cultivated. Every example, whether a simple chord or a complete progression, should be played many times consecutively at the piano and the students should endeavour to memorize at least its general sound effects so that when he/she says any given chord progression on paper he/she may be able to realize mentally its actual sound.

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Another important thing is that any examples which are given generally in C Major for the sake of simplicity, should be written out and played in several keys so that the students can recognize them in keys.

In triads, if you take a note and place it above a 3rd and 5th we'll obtain a triad, that is, a three-note chord. The note on which the triad is built is called ROOT, and a triad is said to be in a ROOT POSITION', that is, when this root is in the lowest part of voice as discussed before on the triad.

A triad also is known as a five-three chord since it consists of a fifth and a third above the bass. In the case of an inversion, the pattern changes.

There are primary and secondary chords. The primary chords are I, IV, V either minor or major.

Major keys, chords I,IV V are major triads while in the minor key chords II VI are minor triads, with chord IV remaining the major triad. The primary chords are enough to harmonise any standard melody or song and they’re the best chords to use when starting harmony or keyboard harmony.

Chords II, III and VI in the major keys are minor triads, are called SECONDARY TRIADS. Whereas chord VII is a diminished triad In the minor keys, the only secondary triad is VI and it is a major chord. Chord III in minor keys is augmented and 11 and VII are diminished and are discords.

For keyboard harmony beginners we can limit ourselves to both primary and secondary chords with the exception of chords III and VII in the Major key and they will be dealt with in the course of the study. The chords to use to harmonise any music in the major keys are chords I, II, IV, V, and chord VI while any music melody or songs in minor keys could be harmonised by chords I, IV, V, and VI no other chords should be used until they have been instructed to be used by the teacher.

When one is writing a harmony parts out for keyboard is very important to lay out the letter names of all the notes of the scale so as to know which note belongs to what chord. This will simplify the process of harmonisation. For example, The Key of G and E minor above The notes under the first note of the scale and the first note forming both the outer part of the four part harmony belongs to the same family and they form chord I of that key and it is so for all the notes of the scale.

TRIADS AND CHORD PROGRESSION Before we proceed with the above topic it is the desirable to answer the question "What is a chord?" - Triad has been attended to in the previous discussions.

Chord according to `A new dictionary of music by Arthur Jacob says: "Chord is any simultaneous combination of notes-but sometimes defined as any simultaneous combination of notes no less than three notes, (whether the notes form a chord or a discord is irrelevant).

A chord progression (also chord sequence and harmonic progression or sequence), as its name implies, is a series of chords played in order.

A chord change is a movement from one chord to another and may be thought of as either the most basic chord progression or as a portion of longer chord progressions which involve more than two chords Chords are commonly played in sequence, much as notes are played in sequence to form melodies.

Chord sequences can be conceptualised either in a simplistic way, in which the root notes of the chords play simple melodies while tension is created and relieved by increasing and decreasing dissonance, or full attention can be paid to each note in every chord, in which case chord sequences can be regarded as multi-part harmony of unlimited complexity.

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Generally, successive chords in a chord progression share some notes, which provides harmonic and linear (voice leading) continuity to a passage. In the common-practice period, chord progressions are usually associated with a scale and the notes of each chord are usually taken from that scale (or its modally-mixed universe).

Thus from the above definition of a chord, one could say that a triad is a chord of simultaneous combination of three notes. It is the general consensus that the students before starting the study of harmony, has a thorough knowledge of rudiments, especially intervals must be properly understood.

CHORD PROGRESSIONS The likeable chord progression for now is that chord I can now go to IV and V for now since we are not including chords III and VII for now. Chord II can go to V, IV and VI while chord IV can go to chord I, V or II and VI. Chord V will go to chords I, II, IV and VI and chord VI can only go to chords V, II and IV. CHORDS AND THEIR MOVEMENTS Chords Chord I Chord II Chord III Chord IV Chord V Chord VI

Movements IV, V V, VI, IV I, IV, V I, V, III, V1, II I, II,III, IV, VI V, II, III, IV

Here we give some examples of further chord progressions, all based on C. appropriate transpositions can be made into any key.

C / / / Am / / / F / // G7 / / / C / / / C #O / / / Dm 7 / / / G7 / C / C/B / C/A / C/G / Dm / Dm/C # / Dm/C / Dm/B / Dm 7 C 7 / / / C / / / G7 /// C / / / C7/Bb / F/A / / / Fm/A b

C/G / / / G7 / / / C / / / Dm7 / G7 /

HINT: that any chords like this C / / / is played 4 times before moving to the next chord Also chords

like C/B is play as B as the Bass C/B “HEADS UP” Certain chords can appear in more than one form. C ninth, suspended fourth (C9sus4) can be correctly written as G minor seventh (C bass) or as Bb sixth (C bass). Incidentally these chords will appear on sheet music as Gm7/C and Bb6/C. This form of expression has been known to cause some confusion to players as it is certainly not self-explanatory. Unsatisfactory as this may be, that is the way it is done. C minor sixth (A bass) or Cm6/A is the same as A minor seventh, flatted fifth (Am7-5).

When expressing chord components as sharpened flattened it is usual to use the + or -, or the words aug or dim.

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This avoids ambiguity as seen in Cb9-this could mean either Cb 9 or C b9, whereas if it written as C-9 there is no room for error.

The major seventh chord is best written as, for example Cmaj7. In America publications this may appear as C#7, Cnatural7, CMA7 or even CM7. Similarly the minor seventh chord, for example Cm7, may also appear as Cmi7 or Cmin7. As all these notes refer to chords as commonly printed in British music, do think carefully when reading America or continental music.

Many more examples could be worked out, but these few are given as an aid to understanding chord symbols frequently appearing in modern sheet music.

Cmaj7

EXERCISE: LAYOUT OF CHORDS ON YOUR KEYBOARD Cmaj9

C9

C11

C13

C13+11(C13+11)

C9sus4

C7-9

C7-10

Cm9

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Cm6

Cm7

Not all the notes of the extended chords can be layed with the right hand. In such case the left hand would take the root and the other notes are conveniently inverted so as to bring the ranges closer together.

C6/7

Cm7-5

Cm6/9

C7-9

Diminished Chords C #o

Do

E bo

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Diminished chords are generally written as such or perhaps for example E bdim. A diminished seventh spoken or written, is a most confusing expression, and should be avoided. It can either a diminished chord (A°) or a flattened (dominant) seventh, e.g. A7. if however the intention is to express a minor seventh with a diminished fifth (e.g. Am7-5) then this should be stated.

Where bass notes differ from the root note of the chord symbol, they are usually related in some way; as we have seen Gm7/C is a way of expressing C9sus4. However is some sequences the bass note is not particularly related to the chord being played in the right hand, and it remains constant for special effect. For example: C / / / D/C / / / F/C / / / C / / /

or

C / / / E b/C / / / F/C / / / C / / /

or

C / / / F/C / / / G/C / / / C / / /

Some come up again and again containing such sequences or close various of these. If the above examples are played and the resultant sounds studied, then many a baffling sequence may be understood. Try not to confuse sounds.

F, bass C (F/C) could be carelessly mistaken for C suspended fourth (Csus4) G, bass C (G/C) could be understandably taken for C major ninth (C m:19), but played them both and listen to the difference. Cmaj9 is a rather full and complete sound; G/C is also full but can be use to a more powerful effect, because it will "jar" slightly on the ear. Cmaj9 can be quite easily inserted in the course of a song without any feeling of discord.

Fb/C is of course Cm7, but in the example above it is deliberately noted as the former because it is in the middle of a sequence of chords with a common bass, and it is thus the logical way of writing the chord.

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Chapter 3: Cadences a cadence (Latin cadentia, "a falling") is a particular series of intervals or chords that ends a phrase, section, or piece of music. Cadences give phrases a distinctive ending that can, for example, indicate to the listener whether the piece is to be continued or concluded. Cadences are the musical equivalent of punctuation in speech or writing.

Cadences are called "weak" or "strong" the more or less final the sensation they create. It should be noted that while cadences are usually classified by specific chord or melodic progressions, the use of such a progression does not necessarily constitute a cadence — there must be a sense of closure, as at the end of a phrase. Harmonic rhythm plays an important part in determining where a cadence occurs.

There are four main types of cadence: Perfect, Plagal, Imperfect, and Interrupted.

Perfect Cadences (full close) uses chords V -1, or V7 - I, and is most complete sounding of all the cadences. Authentic (or closed, or standard) cadence: V to I. The phrase perfect cadence is sometimes used as a synonym for authentic cadence, but can also have a more precise meaning depending on the chord voicing: Perfect authentic cadence: (PAC) The chords are in root position; that is, the roots of both chords are in the bass, and the root of the final chord is in the highest voice. It should again be noted that a PAC is a progression from V to I in major keys, and V to i in minor keys. This is generally the strongest type of cadence Plagal Cadences uses chords IV - I, and is often found at the end of hymns, also known as the "Amen Cadence" because of its frequent appearance in hymns.

Imperfect (Half or open) cadence: any cadence ending on V, whether preceded by ii, IV, or I, or any other chord. Because it sounds incomplete or "suspended", half cadence is considered a weak cadence - the weakest cadence, in fact.

Deceptive (or interrupted) cadence: V to any chord except I (typically vi or VI). This is considered a weak cadence because of the "hanging" (suspended) feel it invokes.It sounds initially as if a perfect cadence is going to be played with the use of the dominant chord, but then the music completely changes direction with the use of the sud-mediant chord (VI).

There are so many other types of cadences but these are the most frequently used ones so it is important you master them so as to know when you need them most.

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Chapter 4: Modulation Modulation is most commonly the act or process of changing from one key (tonic, or tonal center) to another. This may or may not be accompanied by a change in key signature.

Modulations articulate or create the structure or form of many pieces, as well as add interest.

For a modulation to occur it is necessary to introduce the sharpened leading note (7' h note) of the new key and to complete the modulation with Perfect cadence (which we will discuss later in this chapter) in the new key.

In each of the examples below the first chord is the "pivot chord". This term is applied to the chord that can be related to both keys, the old key and the new key, thus it acts as a pivot between the two keys.

Types of modulation There are several different types of modulation -- (these) modulations may be prepared or unprepared, smooth or abrupt. It is smoother to modulate to more closely related keys than to keys further away. Closeness is determined by the number of notes in common between keys, which provides more possible pivot chords, and their closeness on the circle of fifths. A modulation is often completed by a cadence in the new key, which helps to establish it.

I. Common chord modulation Common chord modulation moves from the original key to the destination key (usually a closely related key) by way of a chord both keys share. For example, G major and D major share 4 chords in common: GMaj, Bmin, DMaj, Emin. This can be easily determined by a chart similar to the one below, which compares chord qualities. The I chord in G Major—a G major chord—is also the IV chord in D major, so I in G major and IV in D major are aligned on the chart.

GM: I ii iii IV V vi vii° DM: IV V vi vii° I ii iii II. Common-tone modulation Common-tone modulation uses a sustained or repeated pitch from the old key as a bridge between it and the new key. Usually, this pitch will be held alone before the music continues in the new key. For example, a held F from a section in B♭ major could be used to transition to F major.

III. Chromatic modulation A chromatic modulation is so named because a secondary dominant or other chromatically altered chord is used to lead one voice chromatically up or down on the way to the new key. (In standard four-part chorale-style writing, this chromatic line will be in one voice.) song Hosanna by Kirk Franklin IV. Phrase (direct, abrupt) modulation Phrase (also called direct or abrupt) modulation is a modulation in which one phrase ends with a cadence in the original key, and begins the next phrase in the destination key without any transition material linking the two keys. This type of modulation is frequently done to a closely related key -particularly the dominant or the relative major/minor key. A common device in popular music, the "truck driver's gear change" or "Star Search modulation," is an abrupt modulation, usually to the key a semitone above, typically used to provide an "emotionally uplifting" finale. Song breathe into me by Israel Houghton Significance of modulation Changes of key may also represent changes in mood; many composers associate certain keys with specific emotional content but, in very general terms, major keys are cheerful or heroic, while minors are sad and solemn. Moving from a lower key to a higher often indicates an increase in energy

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Before modulating it is necessary to decide on the new key. Every key has two closely related keys, the dominant and the sub-dominant. These keys, combined with their relative minors keys, makes up the five relative keys.

C major = its major keys are: F major (sub-dominant) G major (dominant) D minor (relative minor of F major) E minor (relative minor of G major) A minor (relative minor of C major) So also; C minor F minor (sub-dominant) G (dominant) Ab ma i (relative major of F minor) Bb major (relative major of G minor) Eb major (relative major of C minor)

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Chapter 5: How to Practice Many people practice without any kind of method. When mistakes start cropping up they don't really overcome them, and over a lengthy period of time they end up actually practicing mistakes.

Bad habits become rooted and difficult to remove. Here are some ways of making economic use of your practice time.

ARPEGGIOS An arpeggio is a broken chord where the notes are played or sung in succession rather than simultaneously. The word, like many other musical terms, originates from Italian, in which it means "in the manner of the harp." The following instruments use arpeggios: • • • • •

String instruments are used to play arpeggios in classical music. Along with scales, arpeggios are a form of basic technical exercise.

Bass guitarists often use arpeggios to play out chords.

Guitarists use arpeggios extensively in certain genres, such as Neo-classical, and often while employing the sweep-picking technique.

Synthesizers are often called upon to play arpeggios, especially in electronica. Some synths contain arpeggiators especially for this purpose.

Keyboards, such as piano and accordions are used to play arpeggios.

Here is the arpeggio of the common chord of C, study the fingering properly.

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How to play Arpeggios Scales and arpeggios are he basis of piano playing, we are going to be looking at how you can play arpeggios and scales using the right fingering (right and left hand).

Play the right hand first. Start with the the first and second fingers. Now pass (you must of course hold down the E three fingers in order, 2, 3, 4, to play play C.

thumb on middle C. Play the next two notes (D and E) with the thumb under the hand, and play the 4 th note F with it. with the 3 rd finger, until you are ready to play the next the notes G, A, B, then pass the thumb under the hand and

The next octave is lingered the same way, but when you reach the top C, play it with your little finger instead of your thumb. Coming down the scale you use the same fingering but in the reverse order; starting with the little finger.

You look at the left fingering for the hand, you will see that it is the same as that of the right hand in reverse order; the left finger going up is fingered like the right hand coming down, and vice versa.

Practice the scale with each hand separately. Play it quiet slowly and softly at first, and listen carefully to what you are playing. Make sure that every note is smooth and regular.

When you have mastered each hand, play both hands together, in similar, and in contrary motion. In similar motion the hands play san octave apart; in contrary motion both hands begins from the middle C and move in opposite directions.

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Practicing a song Before Playing: 1. Sectionalize the song.

1st practice session Introduction section only 2nd practice session First half of the verse 3rd practice session Second half of the verse 4th practice session First half of the chorus 5th practice session Second half of the chorus Don't bite off more than you can chew in one session. You'll just end up with musical indigestion!

2. Practice individual chords.

For each session of practice, look at each chord separately and practice fingering and holding difficult chords until there is no hesitation. Better yet, memorize them 3. Reruns.

Identify sections that are repeated later in the song and remember where they are.

4. Practice chord changes.

Quickly make a list of the various changes there are in the song.

The following exercise is designed to help you change chords quickly, using C major to G major as an example: (I) Count 4 beats in. They must be evenly timed. Keep even time throughout the exercise. (ii) Play the first chord firmly (C major) so that all the notes resonate clearly for 4 beats. (iii) As soon as you've played the first chord (C major) look ahead to the next chord (G major) and to which fingers are to be used and where they are to be placed. Try to get (ii) and (iii) to happen almost simultaneously. (iv) Don't take your fingers off the keyboard until after beat 4,otherwise the notes will stop resonating. If you do you'll have a gap between the chords. (v) Just as beat 1 of bar 3 comes in, quickly yet smoothly place your onto the keyboard for the next chord (G) and at the same time play the notes firmly again ensuring that all notes are sounding clearly. (vi) Now try the same move without looking at the fingers of your left hand. This will help you to play by touch rather than by sight. It will also show up the weaker fingers, which will be strengthened by this exercise. When you get the move wrong, look at the fingers, repeating the exercise correctly. Then once more, repeat it without looking.

While Playing: 1. Play very slowly.

Always start practicing slowly from start to finish the first few times. If you start playing at performance speed, you're likely to make a number of slips and jump to the wrong conclusion that you didn't practice properly the last time. Your confidence might become eroded and you will end up disillusioned at you lack of progress.

2. Expansion.

Expand the difficult sections by starting at the measure before and also continuing to play through the measure after.

3. Practice playing while changing chords.

(I) Start slowly count time evenly. (ii) Keep to the beat as you change chords: When playing, resist the temptation to hesitate and lose time as you change from one chord to another. Continual hesitation while changing chords can turn into a habit that is difficult to correct.

It may help if you reduce speed so that you can change without faltering. (iii) Use the "open chord" idea:

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This means that on the stroke indicated, no fingers are touching the notes. They have momentarily left the keyboard on their way to a new chord. (iv) Connect the ringing of each chord.

As you change allow the ringing of one chord to run into the next chord.

4. Little and often.

It is better to have a number of short intense sessions of practice, rather than longer periods when concentration is likely to be less sharp.

HAND STYLES Playing the bass on the piano There are different ways to play the bass along side the piano but few are being discuss here.

CHORD ROOT BASS

Chords are played with the right hand; a bass line can be added by playing the ROOT of each chord with the left hand ALTERNATING BASS Whenever a tune calls for the same chord for 2 or more measures, the bass line can be made more interesting by alternating the bass note between the root of the chord and the 5th of the chord.

Example: Moving from C to F to G major Cmajor Gmajor Fmajor Cmajor Root 5th Root 5th

Gmajor Root

Dmajor 5th

CHORD-OUTLINE BASS

Interesting bass lines can be formed by "outlining" the chord (playing the chord tones individually).

Chord outline bass usually moves from ROOT to 3rd to 5th, but can be effectively varied by using the chord tones in any order.

For the most stable sounding bass line, try to play the root of the chord on the first beat of the measure and/or the first time the chord appears.

SLASH CHORDS Sometimes playing notes other than roots and alternate bass notes can create a more interesting bass line. When a particular bass note is preferred, it is notated in the chord symbol with a slash between the chord name and its bass note (more examples on this can be found on the chords section on page 11). This symbol is commonly referred to as a slash chord.

For example: F/D

C/E

Chord/Bass note chord/Bass note

F/C Chord/Bass note

C/G Chord/Bass note

G/G Chord/Bass note

C Chord/Bass note

Now try and play this slash chord sequence: C / / / C7/Bb / / / F /A / / / F m/A b / / / C / G / G7 /

/ / /G 7 / / / C / / / D m 7

Right Hand BLOCK STYLE

This style of play involves playing full-fingered chords on both right and left hands, and usually both hands are playing at the same time.

An interesting variation to this block style involves playing full-fingered chords on the right hand and single fingered chords on the left hand. This style is generally used in Rock music.

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COUNTRY AND WESTERN STYLE

The country and western style of play involves playing ALTERNATING patterns with the RIGHT and LEFT HANDS. In this pattern the left hand bass note/chord is played FIRST followed by the full-fingered chord on the right hand in a marching like fashion.

This style can be made even more interesting by adding passing chords with the left hand at the appropriate place.

ARPEGGIO-STYLE

Arpeggio style accompaniment is particularly effective with slow ballads. The easiest arpeggio style uses the ROOT- 3rd-5th arrangement of the chord tones.

Another way of varying the arpeggio style places the 3rd note above the 5th note in the position of a 10th.

Off Beats To add rhythmic interest to an arrangement (to make your playing more danceable), your right hand chords may be played as after-beats or offbeat. Some examples of off beats are: REGGAE STYLE OR BEATS

The particular type of sound the right hand chord makes when playing the offbeat characterizes this style of play. This sound is called the "chop-chop"!! As it involves a quick and sharp action of the wrist in a chopping motion.

AFRICAN STYLE OR BEATS

The African style of play involves playing the right hand chords as offbeat but playing the left hand chord on the beat. Also while playing the African style both the right and left hand styles can sometimes use a mixture of the alternating pattern, the block style and reggae style to produce a more interesting and danceable pattern PARTI 1 2 3

Left hand strikes the root chord (xl) Right hand strikes the root chord (x3) with a slight pause between beats 2&3 Sharp wrist action on beats 3 & 4.

PART 2

1 2 3

Left hand strikes the root chord (xl) Right hand strikes the root chord (x2) Sharp wrist action on beats 2&3

Sight Reading Sight reading of music notation is considered to be an important skill for musicians. When singers sight read, it is often called sight singing.

Studio musicians (that is, musicians employed to record pieces for commercials, etc.) often record pieces on the first take without having seen it before. Often, the music played on television is played by musicians who are sight reading. This practice has developed through intense commercial competition in these industries.

In some circumstances, such as examinations, the ability of a student to sight read is assessed by presenting the student with a short piece of music, with an allotted time to peruse the music, then testing the student on the accuracy of the performance. A harder kind of test requires the student to perform without any preparation at all.

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The ability to sight read partly depends on a strong short-term musical memory. An experiment on sight reading using an eye tracker indicates that highly skilled musicians tend to look ahead further in the music, storing and processing the notes until they are played; this is referred to as the eye–hand span.

IMPROVISATION Improvisation is the practice of acting and reacting, of making and creating, in the moment and in response to the stimulus of one's immediate environment. This can result in the invention of new thought patterns, new practices, new structures or symbols, and/or new ways to act. This invention cycle occurs most effectively when the practitioner has a thorough intuitive or technical understanding of the necessary skills and concerns within the improvised domain.

Musical & singing improvisation is an ancient art form. It is a mixture of musical improvisation and improvisational theater. A singer/musician makes up the words and melody to a song at the same time the musicians are making up the music to the song.

Playing by ear The Principles

• • •

•

You need to familiarize yourself with how the chords of your key sounds like; in our case how the Cmajor, F major, and G major sounds you can do this by playing individual chord at a time, then voicing out loud along with the chord.

Get your voice into key by playing the root chord of the key you are playing in this the key of C major.

Listen to the whole song once or twice paying attention to the following: 1. The major vocal changes in the song 2. Places where your voice goes high or low in pitch as you sing along

Begin to match your knowledge of how the chord sound to what you are hearing or playing.

Where and when to change chords • This will be determined by the places where there are major vocal changes, if in doubt remain on C. • The more you practice this; the more your ears begin to get sharper.

What chords do I change to?

As you get used to knowing how your different major chords sound, your ear will get progressively sharper and you will instinctively know what will be most suited to a particular place. But before you get to that level please bear in mind the following: This skill is an art and needs time to be learnt and mastered, so don't get frustrated on your first attempts.

Simply because a particular chord is higher in alphabetical placing does not mean that it will be higher in Sound for a particular music. This means that for any piece of music you will need to work out which is the most appropriate chord to play.

There is a whole world of difference between hearing what you are playing and listening to what your are playing, when you are playing by ear you need to be able to listen to the music you are making in order to identify where difference occur in the song .

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Appendix A: Transposition Chart

i ~

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+12

C

+11

B

+10

A#

+9

A

+8

G#

+7

G

+6

F#

+5

F

+4

E

+3

D#

+2

D

+1

C#

0

C

-1

B

-2

Bb

-3

A

-4

Ab

-5

G

-6

Gb

-7

F

-8

E

-9

Eb

-10

D

-11

Db

-12

C

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Appendix B: NUGGETS TO GO...

Choosing the right voice to use As a carpenter chooses which wood to use for which furniture, so the musician must choose the right voice for playing any given song. For instance, you can’t use strings to play during your praise if you don’t have a backup keyboardist, etc.

Complementing one another Complementing one another involves listening to one another and knowing what the other player is using i.e. strings, organ, Rhodes etc. its about showing off, but blending together. In this case rehearsing together before performance is of great essence.

Training Your Ear .lust as the artist or sculptor uses his hands, so the musician uses his ears, as much as, or more than, his hands, and a musician who totally deaf is as handicapped as an artist who is blind. Yet a great number of amateur players appear to be deaf to the music they are trying to play, as a result becomes meaningless. So if you would be a musician in the real sense of the word, a musical artist who feels what he hears and hears what he feels, you must train your ear as carefully as your fingers, so that you will be able to pass critical judgment on everything that you play yourself, and hear others play.

A Simple Method of Ear-training

Here is a simple way to develop your sense of pitch; first you have access to a piano (keyboard).

Whenever you have the opportunity, strike the note C, listen very carefully to the note, and hum it.

As soon as you can do this easily and accurately, you can proceed to the next level. This time try to hum the note before you strike the note; then listen to the note, and hum the correct note. You should frequently vary the exercise by thinking the note instead of humming it: this will teach you to hear music with your mind as well as your hears. Your fist attempt will probably be very poor but as time goes by with perseverance you will able to pitch a note with tolerance accuracy.

Your position at the Keyboard You should sit in the middle of the piano on a stool rather on a chair, but if you use a chair you must be careful to sit forward and not to lean against the back. You should sit at such a distance from the keyboard that when your arms are naturally bent, your fingers will fall easily upon the keys, and your feet reach comfortably the pedals. Your elbows should be close to your body and about the same height as the keyboard and not be raised. Your hands must not be flat but arched and most of your playing must be done with the tip of your fingers and nails must be kept short.

Looking after you piano A good really last longer if you look after it. One of the best ways of looking after a piano is to play it regularly, then the dust and moth will not be able to settle on it and the keys should remain in good order. Try to get a dust cover to cover your piano after use to keep out of dust and damp.

Do not place your piano directly under a window, or anywhere in a draught, but a short distance from the heating, is best. Damp is the worst enemy, as it may cause rust to form on the strings on the inside of the keyboard.

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EXPRESSION This is the term used to explain 'feeling' in your voice. Putting expression into a song makes it 'come alive' for the listener.

When you read the lyrics of a song, do they come alive for you? Can you relate to the theme or story?

Speak the lyrics aloud, imagine you are talking to a close friend, how would you say the words to them? If it is a love song or ballad, envisage the person you would like to express those emotions to.

Breathing in the right 'gaps' or 'rests' is important as it helps you to hit the right note and put expression into the performance.

A bright, confident sound in your voice can be achieved by smiling!

This can be applied to any song with a strong emotional theme, the key is to relate to what the songwriter is trying to express and using your natural emotions to enhance the way you perform the song. Sing it from the heart and you won't go far wrong.

Performance Techniques Sooner or later most pianist want to come out of the lessons and practice sessions to try out their talents in front of an audience. The first performance may only be at rehearsals, or other low key event but for those in a choir group or who seek a professional or working career as a muscian, the ability to capture and hold an audience should be part of the ever ongoing training process.

Many of the aspects of performance a singer requires are included in private lessons, workshops and classes provided by singing teachers, voice coaches, some of which can be learnt by observing professional singers. How to pace a set, how to showcase all members of the group, how to develop a personal artistic identity, how to command attention and stand out from the crowd are just a few of the many performance techniques that a singer requires if they wish to make an impact.

Although these skills are difficult, if not impossible to cover here, there are some pointers that we can provide to help you to explore and improve your performance technique.

Set aside time for practice sessions that concentrate on integrating voice and movement.

Use a mirror to observe yourself when trying new movements. If possible video record your sessions for later review to gain a better understanding of the audiences perception of your performance.

Leave a tape recorder running during a vocal and movement rehearsal for later review.

This aids the singer in identifying potential problems that can occur with vocal control when using movement.

Other performance techniques include the use of audience participation, which covers everything from working amongst the audience to encouraging the listener to sing along, dramatic acting, building and arranging a set list of suitable material, improvisation and interpretation.

It is important to gain experience at performing in front of a real audience, no matter how

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much you practice in your bedroom or in a rehearsal studio, it will never reflect the reality of being on stage. This can cause a variety of reactions in the newcomer ranging from mild performance anxiety, forgetting the melody or lyrics, singing out of tune or time to overpowering stage fright, depending on the character of the individual.

Although an entertainer may practice many ways of presenting themselves in rehearsal, their true stage personality is rarely found until they relax and just do it live, which is where a friend with a camcorder is an asset!

When reviewing a recording of a live performance the main aims are to analyse what works, (and what doesn't!) then work on adjusting and honing your performance during lessons and practice sessions. Everyone has different abilities and may find some things easier to learn than others, the key to presenting a good performance is practice, experience, perserverance and a willingness to learn.

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Appendix C: Musical Terms The following list contains the principal terms in general use; Pitch: this represents the depth and height of a sound Melody: is often define as a succession of simple sounds arranged in a pleasing manner Harmony: two or more sounds of different pitch played together form a chord; and several chords in succession produce a harmony.

Power: this is the loudness or softness of a sound Quality: this is the effect of the sound on the ear Scale: is a series of sounds arranged in alphabetical order to form an octave Triad: a triad is a 3 - note chord e.g. C-E-G, F-A-C. Interval: The distance or difference in pitch, between any two sounds. The smallest interval is a semitone.

Transposition: this is the transferring of a key or note to another key or note all with the same distance.

Modulation: this is change of key.

Chords: combination of note not less than two played together or separately.

Inversion: rearranging the order in which chords are formed.

Sharps & flats: theses are the black found on the keyboard, which raises or lowers the tone of a key/note

Expression Marks Tempo Largo

Very slow

Larghetto

Not as slow as largo

Adagio

Slow, leisurely

Lento

Slow

Moderato

Moderate

Andante

Moving with a moderate tempo

Andantino

Faster than andante

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Allegretto

A little slower than allegro

Allegro

Moderately fast

Vivace

Lively, animated, brisk

Presto

Fast, rapid

Prestissimo

Very rapidly

Dynamics Pianissimo

Very soft

Piano

Soft

Mezzo piano

Moderately soft

Mezzo forte

Moderately loud

Forte

Loud

Fortissimo

Very loud

Crescendo

Increasing in loudness

Decrescendo

decreasing in loudness

Diminuendo

diminishing in loudness

Rinforzando

sudden increase in loudness

Sforzando

play the note with sudden emphasis

Style Amoroso

tender and affectionate

Animato

animated; lively

Calando

gradually softer and slower

Cantabile

in a singing style

Con Anima

with life and animation

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Con Brio

with vigor and spirit

Con Fuoco

with energy or passion

Deciso

decisively

Detache

detached

Dolce

sweetly

Doloroso

sorrowfully

Espressivo

expressively

Furioso

furious

Giocoso

humorous

Grandioso

with grandeur

Grazioso

gracefully

Legato

smooth and connected

Leggiero

lightly

Maestoso

majestically

Marcato

marked and stressed

Marzial

in the style of a march

Morendo

dying away

Perdendosi

dying away

Pesante

heavy

Religioso

religious, solemn

Rubato

taken out of tempo

Semplice

simple

Sempre

always, continuously

Sostenuto

sustained

Soto voce

in an undertone

Staccato

short and detached

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Tenuto

sustained, held for full value

Tranquillo

tranquill

Articulation Staccato

a dot placed above or below a note means to play it short

Slur

a curved line either above or below notes that connects two different pitches that are to be played smoothly

Tie

a curved line either above or below two of the same notes indicating not to attack the second note

Tenuto

a line above or below the note means to play the full value of the note

Accent

an accent placed above or below the note means to emphasise the not

Breath Mark

an apostrophe placed above the staff means to take a breath

Clarity Terms Assai

very

Con

with

L'istesso tempo same tempo Meno

less

Mosso

moved, agitated

Non troppo

not too much

Piu mosso

faster

Poco

little

Poco a poco

little by little

Sempre

always

Simile

in the same manner

Subito

suddenly

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Course Overview 2007 Playing the piano ABC of Music • Introduction • Keyboard chart/basis • Musical terms • Chromatic intervals • Triads • 7th chords • Basic rhythmic figures Harmony and Theory • Pitch - apply to the staves • Clefs and bar lines • The octaves as visualized on the keyboard • Major scales • Identifying and numbering the notes • Key signature • Intervals: Diatonic, • Triads: Major, Minor, Augmented and Diminished • Triad inversions Accompaniment Workshop • Basic chord movement • Triads and inversion • Basic major and minor chord reading • Basic bass movement • Basic rhythmic patterns More on Accompaniments • Accompaniments in worship • Musical direction (band/group & choir leading) • Developing performance & communication skills • Developing awareness of timekeeping & pitching • And other practical issues Miscellaneous • Cadences • Common chord progression • Chord families • Accompanying other instrumentalist • Dynamics • 7th chords and voicing on the piano • Polished performance.

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• And lots more...

Church Worship •Accompaniments in Worship (i.e. playing instruments during worship) •Birthing a new song in worship •Musical direction (band/group & choir leading) •And lots more...

email: rebirthmusik@yahoo.com | 07932 505926 | 0208320 6092

STUDENT DECLARATION FORM/TERMS & CONDITION

1,________________________________________ hereby consent to adhere by the rules and regulations of Rebirth Music School.

• Individuals wishing to start a course would be assessed first based on your knowledge and ability.

• All students of Rebirth music school must have a reasonable working verbal command of English (no vernacular) • You may be required to own your instrument before commencing your course e.g. keyboard, etc.

• We reserve the rights to alter or cancel part of the course or the entire course at any time if seriousness is not shown.

• Fees must be paid at the required time to your tutor (3 weeks in advance).

• Respect must be given to all tutors irrespective of age Completion and submission of coursework on time and other ways you have to.

• Attendance is very crucial if less than 80% you may not be allow graduating the music school.

Signature:______________

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Date:______________

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Course Curriculum Week 1 Chapter 1: The A B C of Music Week 2 Chapter 1: The A B C of Music cont’d Week 3 Chapter 2: Chords Week 4 Chapter 2: Chords cont’d Week 5 Assessment I Week 6 Chapter 3: Cadences Chapter 4: Modulation Week 7 Chapter 5: How to practice Week 8 Assessment II Week 9 Appendix E: Piano/Accompaniment Workshop Week 10 Appendix E: Piano/Accompaniment Workshop cont’d Week 11 Appendix Appendix Appendix Appendix

A: Modulation chart B: Nuggets to go C: Music terms D: Sound engineering

Week 12 Project

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