Have you ever had the chance to hear a real gospel musician sing their heart out? Regardless of whether or not you are a very religious person, there is something uplifting about hearing music that makes you clap your hands and tap your feet. When you are singing and playing gospel music, you can leave all your troubles behind and really immerse yourself in the power of the notes. Although many people that play piano gospel have been studying it for years, there is something to be said for a little motivation and a lot of dedication to something that you love. If you are eager to start learning this inspirational music for yourself, you should know that you don’t have to spend hours a day on it. There are simple songs that you can improvise and improve until they sound just like the gospel that you know and love.
If you’ve never really thought about playing this kind of music on the piano before, you should know that you can learn it very quickly because this and all church music is basically based on the simple chords and keys that most people use to play hymns. All you have to do is learn a little bit of the most basic theory to know that chords are made up of two or more notes struck on the piano at the same time. Unless you are playing an octave, which is a chord made up of higher and lower registers of the same note, every time you strike a chord, you are creating a little harmony. This harmonious combination of sounds is the basis for gospel and all other music. Basically, chords teach you that some notes sound good together, while others do not.
If you understand the notes that make up the foundational chord of the gospel music that you want to play, you will be able to sound notes and chords that will always sound good with the melody. It also helps that most gospel songs utilize a common rhythm, this means that you will be able to sense when the beginning of the next beat is going to fall, and that’s when you can strike your chord. The best thing that you can do to get started playing piano in the gospel style is to listen to recordings of some of your favorite songs and try to pick out the basic harmonies and melodies on the keyboard.
This process is typically known as playing by ear, and you should know that many of the most famous early gospel piano players learned to play in this exact manner. Many people didn’t have the time or the education to learn to read sheet music, so they simply picked out the melodies they like by ear instead. This method will help you harmonize with any type of gospel musician without necessarily knowing the song. Familiarize yourself with a lot of different types of gospel music and styles before you settle on the one you want to play.
Benoit is a Passionate Piano Tutor who’s life mission is to share the great wonder of playing the piano to spread happiness to the world. For more information on Play Piano Gospel, visit http://www.PianoTutorialSongs.com
3 of my favorite hymns
