Reharmonization

In Gospel Music, The art of re-harmony is the ability to take a chord and play it differently each time. For example we can take a C chord (CEG) and play it three different ways. Yes! This is called using inversions. Yep! You got it that is all re harmonization is, which is to hear the same melody line and play it differently for the audience ear.

I personally know your kids 7 to 15 years of age who sit on their keyboard and play C major 10 different  ways....

Major

Minor

Diminished

Augmented.....and so on....

What they do is master what they do and do it well.....

Now add some pepper and salt to it......(rhythm) and these kids.....now become over night wonders......laughing....

Yes! It is that easy to reharmonize your music and sound more impressive than you really are....

Listen to this tune.....click here and check it out....

In Gospel Piano, reharmonization separates the beginners from the advance players. When you play on Sunday morning and turn heads with your playing, You get compliments for a job well done. So the next time you do the same  thing and even "tweak it" even more. And the same folk folk come up and give you another compliment. So you repeat the process.....go home and learn another line....laughing.....This is called the Pygmalion effect

 ....Meeting other's expectation through verbal gratification.......Disclaimer....Don't believe everything I tell you......It is the truth as Rev. John Fullard sees it......That simply means.....you can take it or leave it.....You will not find this good stuff in books....laughing.....

"Wow, that was Spiritual and I felt the anointing......!" Remember Rev. Fullard's Pygmalion Effect. Watch and see if you don't go home and practice so you can do something different and meet their expectation for next Sunday....laughin.....Yes! It works......that's how Oscar Peterson became famous......Somebody told him they liked his licks on the keys and he went  home and made up another one until he came up with a bag of tricks.......Yes! This is called reharmonization....

Your Bag Of Tricks.....

       Trina remember when you asked me if  that was the Famous Sandra........I laughed and said no.....Even if it was her....musicians don't won't you to know where they get their licks from. Musicians want to be independent...they want you to think they created it themselves....Everybody wants to get credit on re-inventing the wheel....even though it has been hear 3 thousand years....laughing..

        I am a good example of that......laughing.....I want credit for Gifty's Circle....because Gifty's is my Mom's name and my approach works.....so I want credit ......and that is considered one of my bag of tricks......Get my point...

        So Trina, you must create your own bag of tricks through daily commitment to practice and development....In a short time you will see others say you bad.......

        And that is what life is all about.....somebody walking up to us and saying.....well child you played with the anointing today....."How You Do That?"........and you turn around and say....."Pray for Me".........

        And you can't wait to get home from Sunday Morning Service and develop a new lick......Yes! The Pygmalion Effect......meeting others expectation...

        So you accomplish this method through reharmonization or making up the same thing to sound different.

        I can use Gifty's circle 1000 ways and make it sound different and everybody thinks it is something new.....

Gifty's Circle.....

1. Study it daily...using my reharmonization method......i.e.  major minor diminished etc....

2. Email me your study plan for the remaining part of April.

3. Develop Trina's bag of tricks and tell me what you will put in your bag this month.

Use the study tricks below and put them in your bag of things you know.

Homework:

    Be prepared to discuss and give me example of the below principles and concepts in the key of B E A D.... for the month of April.....

• Leading Chords
• 2-5-1 Substitution
• Tri-Tone Substitution
• Poly Chords

Leading Chords

A leading chord is a 7th chord that is 1/2 step above the chord you want to go to.

A leading chord is just what it sounds like. Take a look at the following:

Now practice the above in all 12 keys.....add it to your bag of tricks with your own line for other songs you know....

In classical music you learn about leading tones. It's all part of music theory which is something we ALL need to know about.

Music Theory......On going study program. Do 5 chapters for the month of April.....go to the page with your name on it..and look for Music Theory....Fullard 101 and prepare a study plan for the rest of the year......master this program and you master what you learn in your Freshmen and sophomore years....music 101....The only difference is that this program has been tweaked for Gospel Musicians.

Embellishment

    This is just another term used in the regurgitation process. That is we take the same thing and make it sound different.....a C chord and add salt and pepper to it.....voicing the chord differently.......do the Tri tone thing to it for example.......Back to leading tones....

Leading tones lead into the next melody note, but are not necessarily an integral part of what is going on.

For example we play C chord going to F major....chord which we call playing I-IV-V progression.....

Now all the stuff we put in between C and F is not part of the song. We add Tri-tones, poly chords, and the kitchen sink full of licks showing our technique.....Hannon and everything else we can think...

Professor Burks is an excellent example how he has mastered the art of embellishment. I call him the World's greatest Gospel Organist....I have heard many but they come no Finer than Professor....and his ability to make up stuff on the spot....Listen and review the video I gave you on Can't nobody do me like Jesus and see the many ways he played that song and added chords and licks...

Yes! You have heard that song 1,000 times, but not like the Professor played it.....This is embellishment at its best... Back to leading tones...

They are more of an embellishment to what is really important (the melody). If we reharmonize with leading chords, we are not changing the music in such a way that it ruins it, we are simply adding a bit of tension for a moment until we get back to the chord everyone expected us to get back to. Gospel is about tension and release, as is every performing art.

There will be times that you'll need to make the leading chord a minor 9th, or something else, but obviously you will need to practice this on your own to get comfortable with it.

VOICING

    April study my voicing program. Voicing is the ability to take a simple chord and change it to sound different....so ask about my voicing program.

    In this program I show you 7 chords and how to change them to sound different....when in fact you playing the same chord.......We play the ear trick... because the ear can not tell if it is a different chord or a simple triad.....let's move on.....

2-5-1 Substitution

This type of reharmonization is useful when you have a 2-5-1 chord and you want to add color to it.

Master this 2 5 1 in all 12 keys......Develop your COGIC bag of tricks I showed you in earlier lessons....call me if you need help 925 833 9379.....

This above example is a basic 2-5-1 chord in the key of C. Now, take a look at a simple 2-5-1 substitution.

There are an hundred 2 5 1 tricks.....Develop 10 good ones for Gospel use and doing testimony service play at least 5 different ones. You music will have more flavor and pizzazz to it ....in other words folk will get up and clap and not just sit there and wait for something more interesting like the offering......laughing....back to 2 5 1......

The example starts on the same chord, and ends on the same chord, but what are all those extra chords in there? Yes! Use Gifty's Circle in between your music.

 This is a basic 3-6-2-5-1 turn around. You can use it nearly anywhere you see a 2-5-1. Experiment with this by trying it in your own lead sheets where you see a 2-5-1 chord.

Mark up your hymn book and add different things.....

The next example is also a 3-6-2-5-1. The only difference is the chord voicing. These are voicing that I might use in a performance.

Learn them in other keys such as B E A D......

This next example we can use in testimony service or other songs that require 2 5 1 ending. All traditional gospel music require a 2 5 1. .Look at my COGIC video and see the different ways I use 2 5 1. We have discussed this many times...call me if you need help 925 833 9379.

 Try your own 2 5 1 endings....

Check out this alteration below....

Now, we will take that same progression and alter it a bit further by adding the 3 and 6 chords to it.

Make up your own and add to your music.

Notice the progressions used. First we used a 2-5-1, then in the next example we used a 3-6-2-5 to get there. If you had enough space, you could use a 4-7-3-6-2-5 to get there if you wanted; always  use good judgment so it doesn't sound too formulaic. Be creative, but there is no need to put the kitchen sink in your music. Always use the KISS approach, unless you have a few musicians in the audience who come to hear you play....laughin.....just kidding.....do a clinic for them after church....not on the preacher's time.....joking....

Tri-Tone substitution

Tri-Tone substation is heart of COGIC. Master the concept and you master your music. Ask for my Video on Tritones. You will be glad you did!

This is often the last reharmonization trick a Gospel musician will learn. The reason for this is not that tri-tone substitution is the last trick in the book, it's just that it's so easy that a lot of players decide not to go any deeper.

Substitute the following with Tritones.

Master all your Tritiones so you can use them anytime in any key. Listen to Norman's "Iam on the Battlefield". Nothing but tritone in the key of Db....Great show stopper when done right with the tritone.....

Still Greek to you, you don't know what tri-tones are?....Readers get the video....call me 925 833 9379 for your copy.

Gifty's Circle

This study program will take your music to the next level. Study and use the method daily. Get the video if you are a reader for the first time. Call me 925 833 9379.

Using the circle of fifths is a great way to practice chord change patterns. Cm-F7, Bbm-Eb7, Abm-Db7, etc... Then, alter the chords in all the ways imaginable. Anything that sounds good to you, well, do it in 12 keys!  Start with C and go to F and so on…..

Study the Circle from C TO F...etc...and use the Word B E A D to help memorize all 12 keys for use.

Remember to use the circle daily for best results in everything you do.....Call me for help...925 833 9379..

Send me daily email showing me what you studied the night before...

Enjoy the Moment!