Smooth Chords : Music Instruction Videos

Featured On Dah Music Linx WebTv Show

2011-05-14T06:29:00.003-04:00

Greetings readers,

I would like to give you an update on the WebTv Show I was featured on. The show was May 13th, 2011 @ 9:15 and the interview lasted until about 10pm or a little after. The show was viewable via their website, www.dahmusiclinx.net, and on DahMusicLinx-Facebook. I was honored that they wanted to speak to me and I really enjoyed the experience. The interview was conducted by Mr.Devin Hines. When you get a chance, go by the links and listen to the interview and provide your feedback on the items discussed.

Complimentary Videos Via SmoothChords.com

2011-04-29T20:02:00.001-04:00

Complimentary Videos Via SmoothChords.com

A Free Account Is Required To Obtain The Lessons.

Piano Tutorial - Nobody Greater - VaShawn Mitchell

2010-09-29T11:27:00.002-04:00

Find Starling On The Net Faster.

2010-09-17T09:32:00.004-04:00

Hello to all who read this post. Many of you are aware of numerous sites that I have online. To make it easier to find me I have registered a new site. Yes, you guessed it. I registered my name.

http://www.StarlingJonesJr.com

I have many sites linked to me on there. I will also be adding an additional tab to the website with music special deals from the various websites.

Thanks for the many calls, emails, letters, and prayers in regards to the music ministry.

Take Care and God Bless.

Why Should I Be A Monthy Subscriber To SmoothChords.com.

2010-02-17T09:38:00.006-05:00

By becoming a SmoothChords.com monthly subscriber, a person has Full Access to over 200 piano tutorial lessons. They are viewable via the website so nothing has to be downloaded and looked for on your computer. Any new lessons added to the website are also available as well. There are Free Videos and Articles in the "Members Perks" area of the site. There is not any contract or stipulations on length of membership. A person can cancel at anytime, but be sure to do that via you paypal account.

I hope this clears up some information concerning the website. There are several subscription plans.

Monthly Membership = USD 27.00 per month.

Quarterly Membership =USD 81.00 per 3 months.

Semi Annual Membership = USD 150.00 per 6 months.

Annual Membership = USD 290.00 per year.

Free Membership = Website Shopping Privileges Only.

****Be sure to read the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on the site as they provide a great deal of information****

God's Plan Of Salvation

2010-01-12T07:03:00.005-05:00

This blog is to encourage each musician to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The information below will aid in fostering such a relationship.

God's Plan to Salvation

"The Roman Road"

Theme

Scripture

NO ONE RIGHTEOUS

"As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one." Romans 3:10

ALL HAVE SINNED
"For ALL HAVE SINNED, and come short of the glory of God." Romans 3:10

GOD LOVES US AND PROVIDED A WAY OUT
"But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

THE PENALTY OF SIN IS DEATH
"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is ETERNAL LIFE through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23

THERE IS NO CONDEMNATION TO THEM WHO ARE IN CHRIST JESUS
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Romans 8:1

CONFESS YOUR SINS AND BELIEVE ON THE NAME OF JESUS THAT YOU ARE SAVED
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."Romans 10:9-10

I hope and pray that if you don't know Jesus, you will accept God's gift of salvation. Just follow the Roman Road and submit your lift to Christ.

"Dear God, I have sinned and fallen short of your glory. I acknowledge that I am a sinner and that Christ died for my salvation and is now sitting at Your right hand. I accept Christ as my personal Savior right now and I willingly yield my life to Him." If you prayed this prayer from your HEART, the Bible assures that you are saved.

As you continue to trust God with your salvation, you will experience the supernatural power of being saved. I encourage you to immediately unite with a church where JESUS is preached, His love is practiced and His ministry is provided.

Video On Becoming A SmoothChords Member?

2009-12-14T15:59:00.005-05:00

Video Tour Of www.SmoothChords.com

2009-12-14T15:54:00.006-05:00

Play The Piano Under Control.

2009-11-10T07:11:00.003-05:00

When playing the piano a musician should be controlled in their approach. I say this as even though you may be skilled with knowledge of a lot of chords, don't overplay. I have been in some services where the musician was too busy. Playing all over the piano and bringing attention to yourself is not the key. If you are soloing, that is one thing but in most services the musician has to be mindful to flow with the service. Even though I know a lot of chords, runs and riffs, I by no means play all of that each time I minister on the piano. Musicians are to complement the service and not become a distraction. I play "Take My Life" aka "Holiness - By Micah Stampley". There are a lot of chords that can be played for this song but I chose to play 3 chords only and it works out great. I play the same three chords in an arpeggio and suspended fashion to add some color to the song. Continue to practice being sensitive to the service needs and you will go far.

What are your comments concerning flowing with the service?

Prayer + Practice = Success.

2009-10-31T07:21:00.004-04:00

Many musicians ask for tips on how to improve their playing ability. I would suggest the following formula. Prayer + Practice = Success. I play the piano everyday. I may play a song, scales, chord progressions or all of the items listed. Before I start practicing I pray first. I Thank God for the ability that He has blessed me with and I Thank Him in advance for the information I am about to embark upon. Then I practice for about an hour or longer depending on the material. I suggest staying focused in that distractions will come, but if you stay focused, the piano playing will come easier and easier as the time goes by.

Feel free to share any practice tips or thoughts on the formula

Prayer + Practice = Success.

Take Care and God Bless.

What People Are Saying About The Video Lessons!!

2009-10-24T18:09:00.001-04:00

We were playing "Falling In Love With Jesus" on Sunday and I couldn't make practice and what you do here on-line is like PERFECT....LOL...I feel like I'm at my practice session.
David - England, UK

Thanks for a terrific job that you did on the dvd. I learned a lot from that dvd, I would recommend anyone who wants to learn the song, NEVER WOULD HAVE MADE IT by Marvin Sapp, should get the dvd tutorial that you created. NICE JOB
Steve - North Carolina

The DVD tutorials gave me a better understanding on music theory. It allowed me to enhance my keyboard skills in the gospel music ministry. Starling gives clear instructions so that it makes it extremely easy to follow and learn how to play each song. I would recommend this product to any musician no matter what level you play.
Richard - Texas

I love your product. It is the best I've seen in the 15 years. I've been trying to play piano for a while (on and off). I will be a customer and plan to tell others about your website. I have many friends at the same level I am (adult beginner). Thanks for your website. May God Bless You.
Hogan - Georgia

Absolutely amazing and very helpful! I must say that honestly I would recommend all videos to whom ever wants to learn to play with simplicity and skill. “IN YOUR FAVOR” by Youthful Praise is excellent; I plan to do business with you for as long as you are willing. And I close to say "GREAT VIDEOS, GREAT WORK, and keep learning new songs (I'll be learning them with you)".
Ricky - Florida

Sorry it took me so long to send you this but I just wanted to give you my heartfelt thanks to you for always taking time out of your busy schedule to help me out. I absolutely love the way you teach and your renditions of the songs I request are always on point. So once again Mr. Jones you're truly a blessing.
Marvin - Georgia

SmoothChords.com Feedback Area

2009-10-06T20:22:00.002-04:00

Leave comments concerning your experience with the SmoothChords.com website. Likes, dislikes, improvement suggestions, etc....

The I - IV - V Chords - Learn this in all keys.

2009-09-16T11:24:00.004-04:00

Every song has at least the 1 chord, 4 chord and 5 chord being played. The musician has to figure out when to play them based on the song pattern being sung. Playing this pattern in a tight set will give you a starting point and then you just have to branch out and fill in around those 3 chords. This is in the key of C but modulate half steps up and down. Pay attention to the fingering patterns and you will be playing in every key in no time. Your left hand pinky is on a C and your right hand thumb is on a C. No need to pick your hands up. Just play the Bass note and the chords that are right under your fingers. Play the notes in tight.

RH / LH

C / C, E, G <= I chord
F / C, F, A <= IV chord
C / C, E, G <= I chord
G / B, D, G <= V chord
C / C, E, G <= I chord

How to get started on the piano/keyboard.

2009-09-16T11:12:00.009-04:00

In starting on the piano I recommend starting on weighted keys. I say this as your fingers will be adjusted to the stiffness of the keys. When you then progress to a light weighted keyboard, you will fly across the keys. It is still up to you which one you get as it needs to be something you will feel comfortable practicing on. Some keyboards are weighted as well.

Keyboards can be 88 keys, 76, or 61. This is something you can decide on based on your needs and space available for the instrument. A lot of musicians have the 61 and/or a 76 key keyboard. It is easy to fit in the car as they travel from place to place. 88 keys is fine if you have the room, but most 88 key keyboards are rather heavy. I myself like a 76 key board as it give me the flexibility to play without the heaviness to carry.

Keyboard Familiarization:

-------------------------

The piano/keyboard uses the following alphabet letters: A B C D E F G

The piano/keyboard consists of white and black notes.

White Notes = natural or regular notes

Black Notes = Sharps and Flats depending on how you address the note.

Moving one note a half step to the right = Sharp (#)
Moving one note a half step to the left = Flat (b)

Notice the pattern in relationship between the black and white notes.

Notice that there are 2 black notes together and then 3 black notes together with white notes in between. This pattern repeats over the entire instrument.

You can move between notes via half step (E & F. Notice that there is nothing between those 2 notes.)

You can move between notes via a whole step (C & D. Notice C#/Db is between those two notes.

Scales

Major Scale - Whole - Whole - Half - Whole - Whole - Whole - Half
Minor Scale - Whole - Half - Whole - Whole - Half - Whole - Whole

Example - Starting on C ---------------- C D E F G A B C

Number Analysis --------------------------- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Assigning numbers helps when learning progressions.

(2-5-1 which is D major chord, G major chord, C major chord in the key of C)

In a Major Scale the Chords are as follows:

1 = Major Chord
2 = Minor Chord
3 = Minor Chord
4 = Major Chord
5 = Major Chord
6 = Minor Chord
7 = Diminished Chord
8 = Major Chord

In a Minor Scale the Chords are as follows:

1 = Minor Chord
2 = Diminished Chord
3 = Major Chord
4 = Minor Chord
5 = Minor Chord
6 = Major Chord
7 = Major Chord
8 = Minor Chord

No matter what note you start on, if you played the patterns above, you have played a major or minor scale.

Be Your Own Unique Musician!

2009-09-15T09:23:00.000-04:00

Each musician has a gift and talent that is unique to the individual. Some learn slower and some learn faster than others. Some play skillfully and some need practice. No matter what your skill level, each musician is different. I say this as an encouragement to all musicians. It is good to pattern yourself after or learn from other musicians but do not try to be the other musician. Apply all that you learn to your style and you will be fine. Find your area of concentration and work on that. Once you look inside and nourish the musician you are, then you will grow. Trying to be someone else will only frustrate you and cause you to want to quit.

I had to come to the realization that my piano playing is like no one else. It may have a similar sound or resemble another musician, but I am still unique. I believe each musician does something that another musician does not do. For that reason, I try to learn from other musicians. I add the lessons learned to my chord vocabulary as I play the piano. I also add my own twist to the chord or pattern to make it my own.

So to all who read this post, be encouraged that you are a Great Musician!

How have the tutorials helped your piano playing?

2009-09-14T20:49:00.003-04:00

The tutorials are designed to enhance your ability to play the piano. What have you learned as a result of the tutorial lessons. Share your thoughts, comments & testimonies.

What is SmoothChords.com?

2009-09-14T20:31:00.006-04:00

This site was developed in response to the many requests from video viewers. Viewers requested a place where all of the lessons I provide can be viewed in their entirety. Shoppers also wanted know if there was a way to provide a good shopping cart so any of the items I provide could be purchased without having to enter their payment information several times. Digital downloads especially.

SmoothChords provides a shopping cart system by which Digital Downloads, CDs, DVDs, and Mp3s can be purchased at the same time. In order to shop on the SmoothChords website, a Free Registration would have to take place. Under the Free Registration a user would be able to "Shop Only". There are not any discounts associated with a Free Registration. A Free registration "does not" give you access to view Tutorials or Membership Perks.

SmoothChords is a subscription based website where over 150 Full lesson tutorials are available for "Viewing Only". As a subscribed member there are "Membership Perks" available as well which include a few FREE Downloadable videos as well as Articles for Note taking, etc... There is a Tutorial list on the website of all of the lessons available for "Viewing Only". All videos are available for purchase. As a monthly subscriber, a discount of %15 has been added.

I hope that I have answered your questions in regards to the purpose of the website and the difference between a FREE Registration and a Subscriber Account.

Meet The Musician / Instructor

2009-09-14T15:36:00.001-04:00

Starling Jones, Jr., a native of Columbus, MS and Armed Forces Veteran (ARMY) currently residing in the Atlanta area with his wife Felisha and daughter Ciera.

Starling started playing the piano at the age of 12. Starling was active in his home church of Zion Gate Missionary Baptist Church, (Columbus, MS) Pastored by James A. Boyd. as a Jr. Deacon, Musician and Choir Member. Starling participated in talent shows, Gospel Choir Concerts, Plays, Musicals and also took piano lessons in High School. Starling also played the piano at the Local Baptist Conventions and Conferences.

Starling earned an AA Degree in Business Administration while attending Hinds Community College (HCC). While attending Hinds he participated in the Drama, Choir and Band Departments. Starling along with other musicians formed a Gospel Group entitled "The Heavenly Tones". The 5 sometimes 6 man group was comprised of several HCC band members. While attending college Starling played for various colleges, churches and social functions. By working on his sight reading skills, his ability to play by ear was being developed also.

Starling later joined the United States Army in the Telecommunications Field. While serving in the Armed Forces he was still able to use his gift at the various installations. Starling recently completed his military service to relocate to the Atlanta area. Starling is presently serving as musician for local church services and organizational events.

Starling has over 20 years of musical experience and has trained under many teachers and musicians as well as attended musical workshops to produce his own unique sound. Some of Starling's accomplishments are as follows:

HCC Band Scholarships (Bells and Bass Drum)
Musical Service Awards From Various Churches
Music Workshops:

Min. Malcolm Speed, Min. Bryan Wilson, Elder Sammy James

Song Writer / Producer

"More Than a Conqueror", Faith Outreach Christian Life Center Mass Choir, Co-Produced, 2000.
"Starling Sounds Vol 1", Instrumental Music, Producer, 2003.
"Mastered First", Instrumental Music, Producer, 2007.

Several of Starling's influences are Ben Tankard, Timothy Wright, Hezekiah Walker, Richard Smallwood and James Cleveland. Starling's inspiration for song writing comes at times when in church or just sitting in front of the piano practicing. Starling continues serve God through his musical ministry. Starling enjoys spending time with family and friends, composing music, playing sports, and working with computers.

Theme	Scripture
NO ONE RIGHTEOUS		"As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one." Romans 3:10
ALL HAVE SINNED		"For ALL HAVE SINNED, and come short of the glory of God." Romans 3:10
GOD LOVES US AND PROVIDED A WAY OUT		"But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8
THE PENALTY OF SIN IS DEATH		"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is ETERNAL LIFE through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23
THERE IS NO CONDEMNATION TO THEM WHO ARE IN CHRIST JESUS		"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Romans 8:1
CONFESS YOUR SINS AND BELIEVE ON THE NAME OF JESUS THAT YOU ARE SAVED		"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."Romans 10:9-10