Watch the full lesson on Youtube

Introduction — That Sound You Already Know

[0:18]

You’ve heard it your entire life. It plays in gospel services, in Sunday morning worship, and even in movie soundtracks whenever a church scene begins. It’s that rich, unmistakable sound that instantly tells your ears: church has started.

That sound has a name. It’s called the half-diminished 7th chord — and in this lesson, Hear and Play founder Jermaine Griggs breaks it all the way down. Not just what it is, but where it comes from, why it sounds the way it does, and seven different ways you can use it to elevate your gospel piano playing immediately.

Step 1 — Understanding the Key of C Major

[0:56]

Before diving into the chord itself, Jermaine grounds everything in the key of C major — the perfect starting point because it uses only white keys on the piano.

Here is the C major scale with its number system:

Why does the number system matter? Because once you learn a concept using numbers, you can move it into any key — any musical “planet,” as Jermaine puts it. The numbers travel. The letters change.

Step 2 — What Is the Church Chord?

[1:23]

The church chord is the half-diminished 7th chord, also called the minor 7 flat 5. In the key of C major, we build it on the 2nd tone of the scale — which is the note D.

How to Build the D Half-Diminished 7th Chord

Start by building a D minor chord using every other note of the C major scale:

D — F — A — C (this is D minor 7)

Now here is the key step: flat the fifth. The fifth of D is A. To “flat” a note means to lower it by one half step. So A becomes A♭ (A flat).

Your final chord is: D — F — A♭ — C

That is the D half-diminished 7th chord — the church chord.

Why Is It Called “Half” Diminished?

The bottom three notes (D — F — A♭) form a diminished triad — each note is exactly three half steps apart. A fully diminished chord would add one more note three half steps up, which would be B (making it D — F — A♭ — B, a scary, dark sound). But this chord adds C instead, making it lighter and more majestic.

Fully diminished: D — F — A♭ — B (dark, dramatic) Half diminished: D — F — A♭ — C (majestic, churchy)

Songs That Use This Chord

You already know this chord by sound. Jermaine points it out in several beloved gospel classics:

• “Oh How I Love Jesus” — that familiar turnaround
• “I Really Love the Lord”
• “The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power”
• “I Need Thee Every Hour”

The half-diminished 7th chord shows up at climactic moments — the end of a phrase, the lift into a chorus, the beginning of a walkup to the 5 chord. It is the sound of Sunday morning.

Step 3 — The Incredible Versatility of This One Chord

[5:15]

Here is where things get exciting. Most musicians think of the church chord as something you play in one specific spot. But Jermaine reveals that one half-diminished 7th chord can be used over seven different bass notes — creating entirely different flavors and movements.

In C major, the D half-diminished chord (D — F — A♭ — C) can be played while your left hand plays any of these bass notes:

The practical takeaway: With one chord shape and seven possible bass notes, you have an enormous palette of gospel sounds at your fingertips. Jermaine calls it playing the chord on “practically every tone of the scale — and twice on Sunday” when you include the flat 6 and flat 7.

Inversions — Rearranging the Notes

An inversion simply means playing the same chord notes in a different order. Instead of D on the bottom, you might put F, A♭, or C on the bottom — while your left hand handles the bass note separately.

• Root position: D — F — A♭ — C (D on bottom)
• First inversion: F — A♭ — C — D (F on bottom)
• Second inversion: A♭ — C — D — F (A♭ on bottom) (Jermaine’s personal favorite)
• Third inversion: C — D — F — A♭ (C on bottom)

Each inversion gives your melody a different starting note and creates different melodic movement as your bass walks up.

The 7 Church Walkups — Secret by Secret

Now Jermaine walks through seven specific ways to use the church chord in a walkup. All seven are built around the same basic idea: your left hand walks up the bass notes D — E — F — G (the 2, 3, 4, and 5 of the scale) while your right hand plays variations of the half-diminished 7th chord, alternating with other chords along the way.

Secret #1 — Alternate the Half-Dim7 with the Major Triad

[14:03]

This is the foundational church walkup. As your left hand walks up D — E — F — G, your right hand alternates between:

• The D half-diminished 7th chord (in any inversion)
• The C major chord (in any inversion)

The pattern:

Jermaine’s favorite voicing for this walkup uses the second inversion of the half-diminished in the right hand, paired with C major in second inversion (G — C — E). Practice all four inversions of both chords so you can move the melody in different directions.

This is the classic alternating church walkup — the “Sunday morning is here” sound. You’ll recognize it immediately the moment you play it.

Secret #2 — Use Inversions to Create Melodic Movement

[16:56]

In Secret #1 you alternated the chords. In Secret #2 you keep moving forward through the inversions of each chord to create a smooth, ascending or descending melody in your highest note.

Ascending melody example:

• Bass on D → right hand melody note: D
• Bass on E → right hand melody note: E
• Bass on F → right hand melody note: F
• Bass on G → right hand melody note: G

Descending melody example (contrary motion): Start with the third inversion of the half-diminished (highest note: A♭) and let the melody come down while the bass goes up. This creates the classic contrary motion gospel pianists love.

The key insight: by choosing which inversion of each chord to play, you control where your melody goes. You can make it ascend, descend, or stay in a narrow range — all with the same two chords.

Secret #3 — Alternate the Half-Dim7 with Diminished Triads

[19:22]

Instead of alternating with C major, this time you alternate with diminished triads (three-note diminished chords). The formula for a diminished triad: each note is three half steps apart from the one below it.

The pattern in C major:

How to build a diminished triad: Starting on any note, count up three half steps twice. For E: E — G — B♭. For D: D — F — A♭.

This version creates a richer, more complex melodic movement than Secret #1 because the diminished triads add an extra layer of tension on the way up to the 5 chord.

Secret #4 — Upgrade to Full Diminished 7th Chords

[21:28]

Take Secret #3 and upgrade the diminished triad to a full diminished 7th chord by adding one more note — another three half steps up from the top of the triad.

E diminished 7th: E — G — B♭ — D♭ (or C#)

Jermaine’s preferred voicing: take the E and G off the bottom and put them on top. This gives you a spread, open voicing that sounds full and majestic over the E bass note.

The pattern:

“That’s Sunday morning right there.” — Jermaine Griggs

Secret #5 — Drop 2 Voicings

[23:14]

This secret is about subtraction — removing a note from the chord to get a different, more open feel.

What is a Drop 2 voicing? Take your chord and identify the second highest note. Remove it from the right hand and move it to the left hand (your bass). This spreads the chord out and gives it a slightly thinner, more transparent texture.

Example with the half-diminished (highest note F):

• Full chord: D — F — A♭ — C (highest note: C… second highest: A♭… etc.)
• For the voicing with F on top: the second highest note is D
• Take D out of the right hand and put it in the bass (left hand)
• Right hand is left with: F — A♭ — C (which is essentially F minor)

You can apply this same principle to the E diminished chord in the walkup. The result is a slightly different texture that adds variety to your playing without changing the harmonic movement.

Secret #6 — The Backdoor Technique

[25:14]

Instead of walking up to the 5 chord, the backdoor technique lets you approach it from above — coming down through the flat 7 (B♭) and flat 6 (A♭) to land on the 5 chord (G).

Single backdoor: A♭ bass → resolve to C major over G bass

Double backdoor: B♭ bass → A♭ bass → resolve to C major over G bass

This creates the “I Believe I Can Fly” movement — that descending approach that feels like the music is floating down from above to land on the resolution.

The backdoor is perfect when you don’t want to walk up from the bottom. You can drop right in from the top and still arrive at the same destination.

Secret #7 — The Descending Backdoor Walkdown

[26:28]

The final secret takes the alternating pattern from Secret #1 but reverses direction. Instead of walking up D — E — F — G, you walk down D — C — B♭ — A♭ — G.

The descending pattern:

Jermaine demonstrates both the ascending walkup and the descending walkdown side by side so you can hear the difference clearly. The walkdown has a slightly more mysterious, floating quality — while the walkup has a more urgent, driving energy.

Summary — What You Now Have in Your Arsenal

One chord. Seven bass notes. Seven walkups. Here is everything covered in this lesson at a glance:

Key Terms for Beginners

Half-diminished 7th chord — A four-note chord built by taking a minor 7th chord and lowering the fifth. Formula in any key: 1 — ♭3 — ♭5 — ♭7.

Inversion — Playing the same chord notes in a different order by moving the bottom note to the top (or rearranging the stack).

Bass note — The lowest note, typically played by the left hand. Changing the bass note under the same right-hand chord creates a completely different sound.

Flat (♭) — To lower a note by one half step (one key to the left on the piano).

Diminished triad — A three-note chord where each note is exactly three half steps apart from the one below it.

Drop 2 voicing — A chord voicing technique where the second highest note is moved down an octave (or to the bass), spreading the chord out for a more open sound.

Backdoor — An approach technique where you arrive at a target chord from above (coming down) rather than below (walking up).

Want to Go Deeper?

Jermaine and his team teach these concepts and hundreds more every week at the Gospel Music Training Center — the longest-running gospel piano platform on the internet, established over 25 years ago with 26+ courses and 200+ song breakdowns.

• Weekly chord workshops
• Full membership (try for $1)

The post The “Church” Chord Nobody Ever Taught You (But Everyone Uses) appeared first on Hear and Play Music Learning Center.

Using what I’m about to share in this lesson, you can instantly upgrade basic triads and seventh chords into ninth chords in two shakes of a dog’s tail.

All I’m asking for is your undivided attention and that in the next four minutes or so, you discover the secret to an instant chord upgrade.

Let’s Define Ninth Chords

There are so many ways to define a ninth chord. In this lesson, we’ll be defining a ninth chord as follows:

A ninth chord is any chord, be it a triad or a seventh chord, that contains a ninth.

Think of a ninth chord as an enhanced version of the chords you already know (triads and seventh chords).

Take your basic triad or seventh chord, add the ninth of the scale, and you’ve created a fuller, more expressive sound.

What Is A Ninth?

When you take a closer look at these two chords:

C major triad:

C major (add ninth):

…it becomes really clear what the ninth is.

C E G = C major triad

C E G + D = C major (add ninth)

Even if you can’t hear the ninth (and maybe you can), I’m sure you can see that the ninth of the C major triad is “D”:

If C major triad + D = C major (add ninth), then D is the ninth of C

In the case of these two chords:

C major seventh:

C major ninth:

…we can also see that the difference between the C major seventh and the C major ninth chord is “D”:

C major seventh + D = C major ninth

That added note (D) is the ninth, and it makes a game-changing difference that adds openness, warmth: elevating chords from traditional to modern and giving them a more professional outlook.

You can’t find any gospel musician or contemporary keyboardist who is into smooth jazz, Neo-soul, R&B, etc., who doesn’t rely on ninths.

Why Is It Called A Ninth?

There are usually seven unique numbers in the scale degree numbering system (aka – “number system).

In the C major scale (C D E F G A B C):

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

However, when you look at the extended number system, you have the following numbers:

C as the 8th tone (aka – “the octave”):

D as the 9th tone:

…and it goes all the way up to the 15th tone (the second octave):

C is 1 | D is 2 | E is 3 | F is 4 | G is 5 | A is 6 | B is 7 | C is 8 | D is 9 | E is 10 | F is 11 | G is 12 | A is 13 | B is 14 | C is 15

The extended number system is basically two octaves (side by side), numbered from the first to the fifteenth.

A lot of people know about the relationship between the first and eighth:

C is 1

C is 8

…known as the octave.

Beyond the 8th (aka – “octave”), that’s a duplicate of the 1st:

C is 1st and C is 8th

…there’s also the 9th that’s a duplicate of the 2nd tone:

D is 2nd and D is 9th

With that said, the ninth is simply the second tone of the major scale. It’s called the ninth because of its position in the extended number system.

We’ll talk more about this in class!

How To INSTANTLY Upgrade Triads And Seventh Chords

With the knowledge of what the ninth is, you can now upgrade triads and seventh chords by introducing the ninth, and this is done in two known ways: addition and extension.

The introduction of the ninth to a triad is described as addition while the introduction of the ninth to a seventh chord is described as extension.

Let’s take a look at the two known ways to form ninth chords: by addition and by extension.

[For Triads]: Ninth Chords By Addition

Super simple: take your major triad and add the second tone of the corresponding major scale.

If you’re given the Eb major triad:

…you can transform its sound by adding the second tone of the Eb major scale:

…which is F:

…and you’ll have an Eb major [add9] chord:

What’s the second tone of the B major scale:

Well, it’s C#:

Adding C# to the B major chord:

…produces the B major [add9] chord:

The introduction of the ninth to triads is called addition and produces added tone chords.

Check out a few add9 chords:

D major [add9]:

Ab major [add9]:

Gb major [add9]:

Bb major [add9]:

[For Seventh Chords]: Ninth Chords By Extension

If you already play seventh chords, here’s the next level:

C major seventh to C major ninth:

• Cmaj7:

  

•  Cmaj9:

  

F minor seventh to F minor ninth:

• Fmin7:

  

• Fmin9:

  

G dominant seventh to G dominant ninth:

• Gdom7:

  

• Gdom9:

  

…and it’s the same process of introducing the second tone of the corresponding major scale:

However, the ninth is considered and extension and produces an extended chord.

What’s The Difference?

Both C(add 9) and Cmaj9 qualify as ninth chords:

C major [add9]:

C major ninth:

However, they belong to two different structural categories.

C major [add 9] is formed by adding the ninth to a triad. This results in an added-tone chord because no seventh is present.

C major ninth is formed by adding the ninth to a major seventh chord, which makes it an extended chord.

A chord is classified as an extended chord only when the ninth is introduced through extension of a seventh chord.
Introducing the ninth to a triad produces an added-tone structure, whereas introducing it to a seventh chord produces a true extension.

This distinction is essential for accurate analysis and for understanding how ninths function in harmonic contexts.

Final Words

Thanks for reading!

I’m sure that going forward, you can form added tone chords (from triads) and extended chords (from seventh chords) with the introduction of the ninth (the second tone of the scale).

The primary chords in C major:

C major:

F major:

G major:

…will sound a lot warmer when the ninth is introduced:

C major [add ninth]:

F major [add ninth]:

G major [add ninth]:

…and that is the goal of this lesson: to inspire you to upgrade your triads and seventh INSTANTLY with the introduction of the ninth.

See you in class!

The post CHORD UPGRADE: How To INSTANTLY Upgrade Triads And Seventh Chords To Ninth Chords appeared first on Hear and Play Music Learning Center.

However, a lot of musicians struggle when it comes to its formation. This is my observation based on my interaction with musicians in our community: The Gospel Music Training Center.

In today’s blog, I’ll take you by the hand and show you how to play a diminished seventh chord on the piano; not minding if you’ve never played a diminished seventh chord before.

Let’s get to it!

“Do You Know How To Count Half-Steps On The Piano?”

This blog post is dedicated to all my esteemed beginners and I want it as basic as possible. So, the requirement for forming diminished seventh chords is the knowledge of half-steps on the piano.

A half-step (aka – “semitone”) is the shortest distance between adjacent keys on the piano. Going from C to D:

…is a whole-step that can be broken down into two half-steps:

C to Db:

Db to D:

Let’s quickly go over the half-steps on the piano from C to C:

C to Db:

Db to D:

D to Eb:

Eb to E:

E to F:

F to Gb:

Gb to G:

G to Ab:

Ab to A:

A to Bb:

Bb to B:

B to C:

If you follow the progression of notes above, you should be able to count notes in half-steps.

Simplified: Diminished Seventh Chords Using A “Three-Half-Step” Count

A classic example of the diminished seventh chord is the B diminished seventh chord:

If we look at the distance between sequential notes:

B-D (three half-steps):

D-F (three half-steps):

F-Ab (three half-steps):

…it’s basically three half-steps.

Following the break down of the B diminished seventh chord, we can figure out the A diminished seventh chord in two shakes of a dog’s tail.

“Here’s How…”

Start on A (the root of the chord):

…and go up three half-steps (to C):

…and up by another three half-steps (from C to Eb):

…and another one (from Eb to Gb):

If you put all of that together, you have the A diminished seventh chord:

“Are You Ready For Yet Another Three-Half-Step Count?”

Let’s form the E diminished seventh chord starting on E:

Then count three half-steps up (from E to G):

…and three half-steps up again (from G to Bb):

…then from Bb, we can go up three half-steps up again (to Db):

If we put the E, G, Bb, and Db together:

…that’s the E diminished seventh chord.

Go ahead and work out the rest of the diminished seventh chords on the piano and kindly post it in the comment section below. For example:

C# diminished seventh chord = C# + E + G + Bb

Final Words

For those who are beyond the beginners level, there’s a fancy way to describe a three-half-step count. Musicians often times say stuff like, “minor third.”

So, a minor third from A is C:

…and from C, a minor third takes us to Eb:

…and another minor third from Eb takes us to Gb:

Altogether, A-C-Eb-Gb:

…is the A diminished seventh chord.

If you come across musicians who go up in minor thirds, they are not doing anything different from those of us doing three-half-step counts.

All the best and see you next time!

The post The Formation Of Diminished Seventh Chords Used To Be Challenging Until I Did This appeared first on Hear and Play Music Learning Center.

There are so many ways to form seventh chords and truth be told, I have covered a lot of them in the past; ranging from the very easy approaches to the advanced approaches.

Here are some of them:

How To Build Seventh Chords Like An Architect Using “Foundation And Structure” Concept

Eight Intervals That Are Essential To The Formation Of Triads And Seventh Chords

Who Else Is Interested In Learning The Shortcut To Playing Seventh Chords In The Major Key

You’d probably be asking, “Dr. Pokey, with all these approaches, what is the need for another approach?”

Well, there are many ways to skin a cat. It doesn’t hurt to learn diverse of perspectives to any subject in life (and not just music) because the tons of approaches will solidify your knowledge of the subject matter.

Additionally, some of the approaches you already learned in the past can be understood better using some of the concepts you’ll learn in this lesson.

So, if you give me the next 7 minutes or so, I’ll take you through the world of major seventh and minor seventh chords using third intervals and the circle of fifths chart.

Are you ready?

A Quick Review On Third Intervals

A third interval is formed when the relationship between any two notes encompasses three alphabet letters. The following notes are all third intervals:

C-E:

D-F:

E-G:

F-A:

G-B:

A-C:

B-D:

…and for each of them, three alphabet letters are encompassed.

Major Third Intervals

The relationship between the first and third tones of the major scale produces a major third interval.

For example, using any major scale (let’s say the C major scale):

…the relationship between C and E (which are the first and third tones):

…produces a major third interval.

“So, How Well Do You Know Your Scales?”

If you know the tones of the Ab major scale:

…it’s so easy to isolate the first and third tones (which are Ab and C):

…and that’s a major third interval formed.

“Here Are All The Major Third Intervals…”

C major third:

Db major third:

D major third:

Eb major third:

E major third:

F major third:

Gb major third:

G major third:

Ab major third:

A major third:

Bb major third:

B major third:

Minor Third Intervals

Shrinking a major third interval by a half-step produces a minor third interval. It’s as easy as lowering the upper note of the interval by a half-step.

For example, C-E is a major third interval:

…if we lower E by a half-step (to Eb):

…this produces C-Eb (a minor third interval):

Attention: While lowering the upper note of an interval, endeavor to stick to the same alphabet letter. Notice that we lowered E to Eb and not E to D#. Lowering E to D# changes the alphabet letter and that is wrong.

If you take any other major third interval that you’re familiar with (for example E-G#):

…and you lower the G# by a half-step (to G):

…you get yourself a minor third interval (E-G):

“Here Are All The Minor Third Intervals…”

C minor third:

C# minor third:

D minor third:

Eb minor third:

E minor third:

F minor third:

F# minor third:

G minor third:

G# minor third:

A minor third:

Bb minor third:

B minor third:

Seventh Chords = Third Intervals And The Circle Of Fifths Chart

Using the third intervals that we already reviewed and the circle of fifths chart:

…you can form major and minor seventh chords.

Ready to see how that works? Alright, let me show you.

Formation Of Major Seventh Chords

Assuming you don’t know the C major seventh chord:

…and you want to form it in two shakes of a dog’s tail, it’s possible if you know your major third intervals and the circle of fifths chart.

Step 1. Take C and its neighboring tone in the circle (in the clockwise direction) which is G:

C:

G:

Step 2. Turn C and G into major third intervals each; C-E (C major third) and G-B (G major third):

C-E:

G-B:

Step 3. Play the third intervals together and you get the C major seventh chord:

C major seventh chord:

“Let’s Do Same For The Ab Major Seventh Chord…”

Step 1. Take Ab and its neighboring tone in the circle (in the clockwise direction) which is Eb:

Ab:

Eb:

Step 2. Turn Ab and Eb into major third intervals each; Ab-C (Ab major third) and Eb-G (Eb major third):

Ab-C:

Eb-G:

Step 3. Play the third intervals together and you get the Ab major seventh chord:

Ab major seventh chord:

“Let’s Take One More Example (The E Major Seventh Chord)…”

Step 1. Take E and its neighboring tone in the circle (in the clockwise direction) which is B:

E:

B:

Step 2. Turn E and B into major third intervals each; E-G# (E major third) and B-D# (B major third):

E-G#:

B-D#:

Step 3. Play the third intervals together and you get the E major seventh chord:

E major seventh chord:

Final Words

Thank you for reading through today’s lesson and I’m excited that you’ve learned a couple of things from the relationship between third intervals:

Major third

Minor third

…and the circle of fifths chart:

Keep up the great work and don’t forget to internalize this approach by practicing this concept from key to key.

I’m grateful to my role model and mentor, Jermaine Griggs, for the opportunity to share this information with you and I’m looking forward to seeing you in the next lesson.

Until then, the comment section below is open to your questions, contributions, suggestions, etc.

All the best!

The post How To Form Seventh Chords In Two Shakes Of A Dog’s Tail Using Third Intervals And The Circle Of Fifths Chart appeared first on Hear and Play Music Learning Center.

But before I show you all of that, let’s go ahead and review the 13sus4 chord.

A Short Note On The 13sus4 Chord

The 13sus4 chord is actually a dominant thirteenth chord with a suspended fourth. So, instead of calling it a dominant thirteenth chord, it’s simply called the thirteenth chord.

If you take the basic C dominant seventh chord:

…and add its ninth (D), eleventh (F), and thirteenth (A):

D:

F:

A:

…you have the C dom13 or C13 chord:

When we replace the third tone of the C13 chord (which is E):

…with the fourth tone of the C major scale (which is F):

…we get the C13sus4 chord:

Here’s a classic 13sus4 chord:

…and it looks like we’re playing the Bb major seventh chord over C on the bass:

Bb major seventh chord (right hand):

C bass (left hand):

How To Form The 13sus4 Chords

Over any left hand bass note, you can form a 13sus4 chord by just playing a major seventh chord on your right hand. This is as simple as going down by a whole step below the bass note you have on your left hand.

“Let’s Form The E13sus4 Chord…”

Over the E bass note:

…we can go a whole-step below the E bass note to D:

…and form the D major seventh chord:

D major seventh chord over E on bass:

D major seventh:

E bass:

…produces the E13sus4 chord:

“Let’s Form The C#13sus4 Chord…”

Over the C# bass note:

…we can go a whole-step below (the C# bass note) to B:

…and form the B major seventh chord:

B major seventh chord over C# on bass:

B major seventh:

C# bass:

…produces the C#13sus4 chord:

“Here Are All The 13sus4 Chords On The Keyboard…”

C 13sus4 chord:

C# 13sus4 chord:

D 13sus4 chord:

Eb 13sus4 chord:

E 13sus4 chord:

F 13sus4 chord:

F# 13sus4 chord:

G 13sus4 chord:

Ab 13sus4 chord:

A 13sus4 chord:

Bb 13sus4 chord:

B 13sus4 chord:

Final Words

The 13sus4 chord is a powerful chord option for the 5-chord in any key you’re in.

If you’re also interested in learning how to modulate, the 13sus4 chord provides a powerful pivot chord option that would take you to the 1-chord in the key you’re modulating to.

In a subsequent lesson, we’ll cover this and you’ll see, step-by-step, how it works.

Until then, keep practicing.

The post I Played The 13sus4 Chord And This Happened… appeared first on Hear and Play Music Learning Center.

Using major and minor chords that you are already familiar with, you can form bigger and sophisticated chords.

The major chords are as follows:

C major:

Db major:

D major:

Eb major:

E major:

F major:

Gb major:

G major:

Ab major:

A major:

Bb major:

B major:

The minor chords are as follows:

C minor:

C# minor:

D minor:

D# minor:

E minor:

F minor:

F# minor:

G minor:

G# minor:

A minor:

Bb minor:

B minor:

The “Foundation And Structure” Concept

Two things you need to form a major seventh or minor seventh chord voicing with are as follows:

Foundation

Structure

Let’s get started with the foundation.

The Foundation

The foundation of a major seventh chord is a major third (or major tenth interval.) This interval is formed by the relationship between the first and third tones of the major scale.

Using the C major scale (as a reference):

…the first and third tones are C and E:

When we play C and E together, we’ve laid the foundation for a major chord. So, C goes to the left hand (as the bass) while E goes to the right hand:

Left hand (C):

Right hand (E):

The minor third interval is the foundation of the minor seventh chord and other bigger minor chords. Just take any major third interval you know and shrink it (make it smaller) by lowering the upper note by a half-step and you’ll have a minor third interval.

For example, C-E (a major third interval):

…can be used in the formation of the minor third interval. It’s as simple as lowering the upper note (which is E):

…by a half-step (to Eb):

…and we’ll have C-Eb (a minor third interval):

…which is the foundation of all the bigger and sophisticated minor chords. Don’t forget that C is played on the bass while the Eb is played on the right hand:

Left hand (C):

Right hand (Eb):

Altogether, here are the two foundations we need:

C major third (for all major chords):

C minor third (for all minor chords):

The Structure

Now that you have the foundation of the C major chord (the C major third interval):

…all you have to do is to add a structure to the right hand.

Instead of playing just E over C on the bass:

…we can play a full-sounding E minor chord on the right hand over C on the bass:

Attention: I know it takes a little more mental effort to think of a minor chord structure when the chord you have in mind is a major seventh chord. However, you have to try!

Major seventh chord = Major foundation + Minor chord structure

If we take the D major third foundation:

…and add a minor chord structure on the F# (the F# minor chord):

…we’ll have the F# minor chord over D on the bass:

…and that’s the D major seventh chord.

“Here’s The Structure For Minor Seventh Chords…”

The C minor seventh chord:

…requires a major chord structure.

So, instead of playing only Eb on the right hand over C on the bass:

…we can turn the Eb into a full-sounding major chord (and that’s the Eb major chord):

If we put the foundation and the structure together:

C minor third (foundation):

Eb major chord (structure):

…that’s the C minor seventh chord:

Here’s the formula:

Minor seventh chord = Minor foundation + Major chord structure

Final Words

The post How To Build Seventh Chords Like An Architect Using “Foundation And Structure” Concept appeared first on Hear and Play Music Learning Center.

Learning all the major scales on the keyboard can be overwhelming. We are talking about 12 major scales (that’s a dozen major scales) and not the easiest thing in the world to learn.

Some times you can even learn new major scales and slightly or completely forget the scales you’ve already learned. I’ve been there, so I know exactly how frustrating this can be and that’s why I’m here to help.

But before we get into what we have to learn in this lesson, we’ll have to review the concept of the major scale.

A Short Note On The Major Scale

The major scale is a collection of all the notes in the major key. It starts and ends on the keynote, which is also the title of the major scale.

If you want to form the C major scale, you have to start and end on C:

…or if you want to form the F major scale, you have to start and end on F:

That’s how it works.

The easiest major scale to learn is the C major scale:

…because it consists of all the white notes from C to C:

C D E F G A B C

So, if you’re in the key of C major, you’re going to mostly have the notes of the major scale to play around and as you go into other major keys, you’ll also need to know their major scales as well.

“Here Are All The Major Scales…”

C major scale:

Db major scale:

D major scale:

Eb major scale:

E major scale:

F major scale:

F# major scale:

G major scale:

Ab major scale:

A major scale:

Bb major scale:

B major scale:

Now beyond knowing what a major scale is and having all the examples listed above, it is important for you to master these major scales and be able to play them as quickly as possible.

That’s why I came up with a 4-week plan that I’m going to share with you in the next segment.

How To Master All The Major Scales In 4 Weeks

Using the plan below you can master all the major scales by playing just three of them in one week. Heck, you could learn the first one one Monday, the second one on Wednesday, and the third one on Friday.

Check them out!

Week 1 – “C major, F major, and G major”

C major:

F major:

G major:

Week 2 – “A major, D major, and E major”

A major:

D major:

E major:

Week 3 – “Ab major, Db major, and Eb major”

Ab major:

Db major:

Eb major:

Week 4 – “F# major, Bb major, and B major”

F# major:

Bb major:

B major:

Final Words

Thanks for the time you’ve invested in reading this blog and I’m very certain that you know how to get a dozen major scales under your belt in just four weeks.

Keep scheduling out time to practice your major scales daily and once you come up with a routine, be sure to stick to it and you’ll sure succeed.

To Jermaine Griggs (our founder), I want to say many thanks for the opportunity given to me to share these information with you.

All the best and congratulations in advance.

The post This 4-Week Plan Will Help You Master All The Major Scales appeared first on Hear and Play Music Learning Center.

I’ve always said it to my students in the past, “if you know your major sixth chord, you know your major ninth chord.” All you have to do is to see how major sixth chords can be turned into sophisticated major ninth chords.

If you’re told that the C major sixth chord:

…can be used to form a full-sounding major ninth chord, would you believe?

Well, I’ll show you step-by-step how this is done.

Are you ready? Alright, let’s start by reviewing major sixth chords.

A Quick Review Of The Major Sixth Chord

The major sixth chord consists of two components:

The major chord

The sixth tone of the major scale

If you take any major chord that you’re familiar with, and add the sixth tone of its corresponding major scale, you have a major sixth chord.

“Let’s Do This Step-By-Step…”

Let’s take the C major chord:

…and the sixth tone of the C major scale:

…which is A:

…and add them together:

C major:

A (sixth tone of the C major scale):

…and we’ll have the C major sixth chord:

“Here Are All The Major Sixth Chords…”

C major sixth:

Db major sixth:

D major sixth:

Eb major sixth:

E major sixth:

F major sixth:

Gb major sixth:

G major sixth:

Ab major sixth:

A major sixth:

Bb major sixth:

B major sixth:

“Again…”

If we take the sixth tone of the F major scale:

…which is D:

…and add it to the F major chord:

F major:

D (sixth tone of the F major scale):

…altogether, we’ll have the F major sixth chord:

How To Form Major Ninth Chords Using Major Sixth Chords

The formation of major ninth chords using the major sixth chord is something you can do in two shakes of a dog’s tail.

If you can follow these steps, you can form a major ninth chord:

Step 1.Pick a key.

Step 2. Determine what the first and fifth tones of the major scale of that key are.

Step 3. Play the first tone on the left hand and play the fifth tone on the right hand.

Step 4. Play a major sixth chord off the fifth tone on the right hand over the first tone as the bass note.

Trust me, it’s simpler than it sounds.

“Let’s Put It To Work In The Key Of C Major…”

Step 1. Let’s pick C:

Step 2. The first and fifth tones of the major scale in the key of C major are C and G (respectively):

Step 3. Play C on the left hand and G on the right hand:

Step 4. Play the G major sixth on the right hand over C on bass:

So, here’s the C major ninth chord:

…using a right hand major sixth chord played off the fifth tone of the major scale in the right hand.

“Alright! Can We Try In The Key Of F Major?”

Step 1. Let’s pick F:

Step 2. The first and fifth tones of the major scale in the key of C major are C and G (respectively):

Step 3. Play F on the left hand and C on the right hand:

Step 4. Play the C major sixth on the right hand over F on bass:

So, here’s the f major ninth chord:

…using a right hand major sixth chord played off the fifth tone of the major scale in the right hand.

Final Words

Getting to this point lets me know that you’re really interested in learning how major ninth chords are formed using the major sixth chord.

Using the principle learned, you can form major ninth chords off any tone of the scale. But most importantly, major ninth chords are played off the first and fourth tones of the major scale.

For example, in the key of C major:

…here are the two major ninth chords you’ll need:

C major ninth chord:

F major ninth chord:

I deeply appreciate my mentor and role-model, Jermaine Griggs (who’s also our founder), for the opportunity to share these information with you and I hope you’ve learned something.

All the best and see you in the next lesson.

The post Here’s How Major Sixth Chords Can Be Applied In The Formation Of Major Ninth Chords appeared first on Hear and Play Music Learning Center.

Before we talk about these intervals, can you remember the nursery rhyme that goes:

One, two, Buckle my shoe;

Three, four, Knock at the door;

Five, six, Pick up sticks;

Seven, eight, Lay them straight:

Nine, ten, A big fat hen.

In the 90s, this was a common rhyme we sang and depending on what part of the world you grew up in, this nursery rhyme should sound familiar.

Submission: If the nursery rhyme is doesn’t sound familiar, you can just check it out for a moment before we proceed.

“Here’s What Inspired This Lesson…”

I came up with something that has to do with the enhancement of the left hand using ninths and tenths.

So, I was asking myself how I’ll pass it across in such a way that anybody (even a 9 year old) can relate to it and it didn’t take long before the nursery rhyme came to my mind.

With this rhyme, I’m not only showing you how to enhance your left hand but also making it easy for you to recall what to do to enhance your left hand at all times.

“What Are Ninths And Tenths?”

Ninth and tenths are basically intervals.

Now, intervals are the building blocks of chords and harmony. All the chords you can think of and know, can be broken down into intervals.

For example, the C major chord:

…can be broken down into the following intervals:

C-E (a major third interval):

C-G (a perfect fifth interval):

Although intervals are not chords, but they are the musical ancestors of chords because man started using intervals before chords.

“Now, Back To Ninths And Tenths…”

The numbers in the number system are usually ranging from one to seventh. However, when we extend the number system to cover two octaves:

…we have the following numbers:

C  D  E  F  G  A  B  C  D  E  F  G  A  B  C

1   2  3   4  5   6   7  8   9  10

…and it can go all the way up to the 15th (the double-octave) — which is clearly not our concern in this lesson.

But the point is this: there’s a ninth and a tenth and they are jumbo versions of the second and the third.

Here’s a contrast between the the second interval and the ninth interval:

Second (C to D):

Ninth (C to D):

If you also compare the third interval with the tenth interval:

Third (C to E):

Tenth (C to E):

…you’ll see that the tenth interval is a jumbo-sized third interval.

If I take a second interval (C to D):

…and take the D up to the next octave (upper D):

…that’s the ninth interval (C-D):

If I take a third interval (C to E):

…and take the E up to the next octave (upper E):

…that’s the tenth interval (C-E):

“In A Nutshell…”

If you know your second and third intervals, you also know your ninth and third intervals.

Using the D major scale (as a reference):

The second interval (D to E):

…can be extended to form a ninth interval (D to E):

The third interval (D to F#):

…can be extended to form a tenth interval (D to F#):

Now we’ve reviewed ninths and tenths, so what about them? Well, I’ll tell you in the next segment.

“If You Want A Big Fat Left Hand, Use Ninths And Tenths…”

It has almost become a tradition for the left hand to graduate from notes to octaves.

For example, it’s common to graduate from playing C on the bass:

…to playing the C octave:

Octaves sound reinforced and good but they don’t really enhance the left hand like ninth and tenth intervals. If you have the C major chord:

…and you’re playing the C octave on the bass:

…you are basically duplicating the root note and that doesn’t enhance the left hand — it only reinforces the root note you’re playing.

The goal of this lesson is to take you beyond octaves into the realm of ninth intervals and tenth intervals.

Enhancing The Left Hand With The Ninth Interval

A lot of chords sound a lot better on a ninth interval foundation.

“Minor Chords…”

For example, this C minor ninth chord:

…is basically an Eb major seventh chord:

…over a C ninth (on the left hand):

…and it sounds good.

“Major Chords…”

If we add the E minor chord:

…to the C ninth interval (on the left hand):

…that produces an overall C major ninth chord:

“The Filled-In Ninth Interval…”

We can even make the ninth interval sound better by filling it in with the fifth tone of the chord. For example, instead of playing the C ninth interval:

…we fill it in with the fifth tone of the C major scale (which is G):

…to make it sound full (C-G-D):

Just adding the first inversion of the C major chord (E-G-C):

…to the filled-in ninth interval produces a full-sounding Cadd9 chord:

Heck, if we take the C minor ninth chord we learned earlier:

…and fill-in the left hand with a fifth:

…we have a more enhanced chord:

Enhancing The Left Hand With The Tenth Interval

Tenth intervals are very unique because they can be used to imply chords and harmonies.

There are two tenth interval types:

The major tenth

The minor tenth

The tenth interval we’ve been playing all along is the major tenth. C to E:

…is a classic example of a major tenth interval.

When you lower that E:

…by a half-step (to Eb):

…you have C to Eb:

…and that’s a minor tenth interval.

So, a minor tenth interval is basically smaller than the major tenth interval by a half-step. If you take a given major tenth interval and you lower the higher note by a half-step, you get the minor tenth interval.

“Here’s How To Imply Harmonies With Tenth Intervals…”

The C major tenth interval:

…implies the following harmonies:

C major chord:

C dominant seventh chord:

C augmented chord:

The C minor tenth interval:

…implies the following harmonies:

C minor chord:

C half-diminished seventh chord:

C diminished chord:

Tenth intervals are quite a stretch and are not so easy to play.But when learned and mastered, they enhance the left hand a great deal and add a lot of depth to your playing.

Final Words

I’m sure you can see what we’ve made out of a simple nursery rhyme.

Ninths and tenths are quite a stretch but if you want that big fat left hand, you really have to stretch for it and trust me, it’s going to really add a lot of enhancement to your chords.

I am grateful to my teacher and role-model, Jermaine Griggs, for the opportunity to share this concept with you.

Feel free to ask questions, chip in your suggestions on some of the topics you’ll want to learn in the future, and make your contributions in the comment section below.

All the best!

The post “Nine, Ten, A Big Fat Hen”: A Lesson On The Left Hand For Intermediate Keyboard Players appeared first on Hear and Play Music Learning Center.

At the earliest stage of my musicianship, one of the things that challenged me most was the fact that I had to learn things in dozens. If you learn anything — note, scale, interval, chord, progression, song, etc —  you have to learn it in a dozen keys.

So, I’ve been thinking about how I can help beginners like you master a dozen major chords the easiest way possible so I came up with the easiest way to go about it and it’s been helping a lot of beginners.

Attention: I’m sorry if you’re not a beginner. This lesson is for beginners by the way.

But before I share it with you, let’s quickly do a review on the major chord.

A Short Note On The Major Chord

The major chord is a collection of three related notes played or heard together.

Attention: These notes are said to be related because they come from the same major scale. So, if you don’t know your major scales, you will neither understand nor appreciate the relationship between these notes.

If you know the C major scale:

…you can form the C major chord if you can single the following notes out:

The first tone (C):

The third tone (E):

The fifth tone (G):

If you put those tones together, you should have C+E+G and that’s the C major chord:

Now, there are a dozen major chords on the keyboard (twelve of them.)

If you want to learn and master them, you’ll have to know the corresponding major scales and probably go through the process of singling out the first, third, and fifth tones of the scale.

Well, the scale process of forming major chords is great but it’s not very easy and while I recommend that you do that because you’ll find it valuable when you do so, I’m here, today, to show you how to get the major chords under your belt — twelve of them.

If you’re ready, let’s do this in the next segment!

How To Master The 12 Major Chords On The Keyboard

Anyone who knows what white and black colors are and can do the following:

1. Change black to white
2. Change white to black

…can master the twelve major chords on the keyboard.

Submission: I know you’re wondering what black and white has to do with the chords on the keyboard.

The Black And White Notes

It doesn’t take more than black and white notes to form chords. All chords on the piano are either:

All white or a combination of white and black notes

All black or a combination of white and black notes

So, if you pay attention to white and black notes, you’ll find major chords easier to learn.

The C major chord (we reviewed in the last segment):

…consists of all white notes:

C is white:

E is white:

G is white:

“Here’s The D Major Chord Template…”

Learning the D major chord:

…and how it’s a combination of “white-black-white” notes:

D is white:

F# is black:

A is white:

…gives us a template to learn other major chords with.

D major:

…is NOT the only major chord that has the “white-black-white” template. We have the following chords:

E major:

A major:

Technically, if you can play the D major chord (using the “white-black-white” template), you can can also play the E major and A major chord.

I want you to tell me if these “D-template” chords really look different:

D major:

E major:

A major:

Trust me, it takes the same hand position to play these chords and they are so related that you can find their alphabet letters between the 2 o’clock and 4 o’clock position of the music circle:

“Did We Forget The C Major Template?”

The “white-white-white” notes of the C major chord:

C is white:

E is white:

G is white:

…provide us with a template that we can play two other major chords with:

F major:

G major:

So, if you have the “white-white-white” template in mind, you can play the following chords:

C major:

F major:

G major:

…and the root note of these chords are so related that they are found as neighbors on the music circle:

…precisely between the 11 o’clock and 1 o’clock position.

“We Have Six Out Of Twelve Major Chords Under Our Belt…”

Using the C-template:

C major:

F major:

G major:

…and the D template:

D major:

E major:

A major:

…we’ve covered six out of the twelve major scales on the keyboard. What an easy way to learn and master chords!

Alright, let’s keep going.

“Here’s The Db Major Template…”

Using the chords in the D major template:

D major:

E major:

A major:

We can create a new template by doing one thing:

Changing black to white

Changing white to black

Attention: Remember that I told you this in the beginning. Now, let’s see how changing black to white and vice-versa can help us master more chords.

So, the D major chord:

…is “white-black-white” in color and if we change white to black and black to white, we’ll have a new template:

black-white-black

…that produces the Db major chord:

So, switching from the D major chord to the Db major chord:

D major chord:

Db major chord:

…is as easy as going from one color template to its opposite; changing the black notes to white and the white notes to black.

This “black-white-black” template is not unique to the Db major chord:

…it works for three major chords:

Db major chord:

Eb major chord:

Ab major chord:

…and once you have this template mastered using the Db major chord, you can play the Eb and Ab major chords with it as well.

“Here’s The B Major Template…”

If you know the B major chord:

…you know the Bb major chord:

It’s the same change of color template from white to black and vice-versa.

If we take the B major chord:

…that is “white-black-black”:

B is white:

D# is black:

F# is black:

…and change the colors, we’ll have the Bb major chord:

…that is “black-white-white”:

Bb is black:

D is white:

F is white:

“The Final Chord On Our List…”

We have just one chord to go on our list and that’s the Gb major chord:

…and when you look at the G major chord:

…you’ll clearly see where it’s coming from.

If you take all the white notes in the G major chord:

G is white:

B is white:

D is white:

…and you change them to black notes, you’ll have a “black-black-black” chord (the Gb major chord):

Gb is black:

Bb is black:

Db is black:

…an entirely new color template that we don’t have to memorize.

Final Words

Thank you for reading today’s lesson. I’m very certain that you’ve seen how you can easily get a dozen major chords under your belt using color templates.

I specially appreciate my mentor and role-model, Jermaine Griggs, for the opportunity given to me to share this concept with you. My gratitude knows no bounds.

If you have any question, contribution, suggestion, etc., kindly reply using the comment section below and I’ll be happy to respond.

See you in the next lesson!

The post Mastering The 12 Major Chords On The Keyboard Has Never Been This Easy For Beginners appeared first on Hear and Play Music Learning Center.