CONTENTS (Keyboard Bk I)

Part One: Pop Symbols, Basic Voicings & Progressions

1. Introduction Keyboard Improvisation Bk 1

2A. Working with Major and Minor Triads

2B. Working with Major and Minor Sevenths

3. Three Plus One, Four Plus Two Voicing

4. Father I Adore You (I-ii-V-I; I-IV-V-I)

5. Mastering an Essential Progression: ii-V-I

6. Practicing God is So Good/Amazing Grace

Part Two: Extending Your Harmonic Options

7. Added Seconds

8. Quartals I

9. Quartals II

10. Sus Chords—Ways to Incorporate

11. Sus Extensions—Lush & Beautiful

12. Doubles—Alternating Harmonies

13. Chord Substitutions—Think Down in Fifths

14. Chord Substitutions—Thinking in Thirds

15. Chord Substitutions— Ninth (No Third)

Part Three: Advanced Harmonic Concepts

16. Dominant & Secondary Dominant Relationships

17. Chords that Never Made the Hymnbook

Part Four: Different Styles

18. Jazz Embellishments & Country Hammers

19. Slow & Fast Gospel, Latin & Salsa

Part Five: Fashioning Modulations

20. Establishing the New Key—Modulation I

21. Smoothing the Transition—Modulation II

22. Advanced Techniques—Modulation III

Part Six: Leading Worship from the Keyboard

23. Intros

24. Outros, Turnarounds, Loops

25. Word Painting—Supporting the Text

26. Altered Fifths

27. Leading & Accompanying from Keyboards

Appendix 1 Pop Symbols vs Roman Numerals

Appendix 2 Different Scales for Different Chords

Appendix 3 Chord Catalogue

Generated by Dr. Barry Liesch at Biola University

Draft, May 2012

12 Doubles—Alternating Harmonies KB Improvisation Bk1

By doubles, we mean pairs of chords used together in an alternating manner.  For example, while a melody note is being sung in a chorus or hymn, the harmony could change quickly between a C and F chord (I-IV-I), a C and G chord (I-V-I), or what happens frequently in African Gospel music, a C and D minor chord (I-ii-I).  This technique is a basic harmonic idea used in Rock music as well. It’s one way to give movement and energy to a piece.

27 Leading & Accompanying KB Improvisation Bk1

The keyboardist could lead the entire worship set alone (without any team members assisting) for 20 or 30 minutes. Here the keyboardist must be able to play and sing simultaneously, and may also have to talk or pray between numbers— do whatever needs to be done. This scenario confers a greatly enlarged role to the keyboardist!

18 Jazz Embellishments Country Hammers KB Improvisation Bk1

This chapter focuses on the process of integrating jazz encirclings and countryhammers—that is, melodic embellishments—into your improvising style. We use the broader term “encirclings” to include what former theorists called “changing tones” or “incomplete neighbors.”  Encirclings can surround the root, third, or fifth of major or minor chords.

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