Level 4 Keys, Ear Training, Theory A Curriculum for Worship Musicians

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 2

Written by Dr. Terri Terry Contributing Editors: John Nielsen, Robert Kurtz

First published in 2015 by Davida Ministries, Inc., Columbus, GA This edition published July, 2019

All Rights Reserved

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 3 Table of Contents

Section 1 - Introduction Welcome to KeysETT 4! ...... 7 Skills to Know Before KeysETT 4 ...... 8 Piano Essentials ...... 9 Preview of KeysETT 4 ...... 13

Section 2 – Key of C Key of C: Theory Scales: Major, Minor, Relative, and Parallel ...... 15 Constructing Chords Using Scale Degrees ...... 16 Chord Building: The Skipping Rule ...... 17 New Chords: Whole and Half Diminished 7th’s, Altered Chords ...... 18 Nashville Number System: Background (review from KeysETT 3) ...... 19 Nashville Number System: Basics ...... 20 Chord Symbol Notation ...... 21 Chords: Harmonic Function ...... 22 Chord Identification ...... 22 Modulation and Transposing ...... 24

Key of C: Technique Playing Scales ...... 26 Harmonized Scales ...... 27

Key of C: Songs to Sing and Play C Major Technique Package ...... 29 Harmonizing RH Melodies: God is So Good ...... 30

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 4

Harmonizing RH Melodies: You Are My All in All (chorus) ...... 31 Harmonizing RH Melodies: Heart of Worship ...... 32

Key of C: Sight-Singing Singing by Numbers – Key of C ...... 34 Sight-Singing Exercises – Key of C ...... 36

Key of C: Key Signatures, the Circle of Keys Key Signatures ...... 38 The Circle of Keys ...... 40 The Eternal ...... 41

Section 3 – Key of E Key of E : Songs to Sing and Play E Major Technique Package ...... 43 Sing and Play: Jesus, Lover of My Soul ...... 44 Sing and Play: You Are Good ...... 47

Key of E : Sight-Singing Sight-Singing Exercises ...... 50

Section 4 – Key of A Key of A : Songs to Sing and Play A Major Technique Package ...... 52 8th Note Time Signatures ...... 53 Sing and Play: Pledge ...... 54

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 5 Sing and Play: Untitled Hymn ...... 57

Sing and Play: Give Me Jesus ...... 59

Key of A : Sight-Singing Sight-Singing Exercises ...... 62

Section 5 - Ear Training Hearing Intervals ...... 64 Hearing and Notating Melodies ...... 65 Hearing Chord Progressions: The Basics ...... 66 Hearing Chord Progressions Using Chord Theory ...... 67 Hearing and Notation ...... 68

Section 6 - Review Review from Keysett 1, 2 and 3 ...... 71

Section 7 – Teaching Aids Ear Training Aids ...... 79 Teaching Suggestions ...... 80

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 6

Section 1 Introduction to KeysETT 4

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 7

Welcome to KeysETT 4!

In the Scriptures, we’re told that King David was a singing theologian. He was, in fact, a skilled musician. The Old Testament understanding of the word ‘skilled’ means he was ‘useful to God’s purposes.’

The purpose of the KeysETT curriculum in your hands is to equip all level of worship musicians to become ‘useful to God’s purposes’ in the earth. This includes novice, intermediate and advanced worshippers.

This course includes training to become ‘skilled’ in Keys, in Ear Training and Theory. Each of these disciplines will be addressed in various keys. From the foundations established in this curriculum, you will learn the necessary skills that will allow you to become a prophetic musical theologian. Not only will you play Bach or Beethoven, but also you will be able to play and sing your Bible. This is God’s dream for you!

Many blessings,

Terri Terry, D. Min.

“Worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” - Rev. 19:10

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 8 Skills to know before KeysETT 4:

As you read this list, if there is something that stands out to you that you do not know how to do, take some time to study it.

! Know keyboard letter names. ! Be comfortable reading notes on the grand staff – both treble and bass . ! Know how to create the following chords: major, minor, augmented, diminished, suspended (sus), major 7, dominant 7, minor 7, and 2 chords. ! Know how to create a major scale and all three forms of a minor scale (natural, harmonic, and melodic). ! Know how to find the relative minor of a major key and the relative major of a minor key. ! Know how to read a . ! Know how to count using sixteenth notes, eighth notes, quarter notes, dotted quarter notes, half notes, dotted half notes, whole notes, and their corresponding rests. ! Know how to draw the above notes and rests on the staff. ! Be able to visually identify all major, minor and perfect intervals up through 1 octave. ! Be able to sing all 12 intervals (m2, M2, m3, M3, P4, etc.). ! Be able to convert a simple melody into numbers (by using scale degrees). ! Be able to take an elementary level song and complete the following checklist on your own: 1) Play correct notes 2) Play with curved fingers 3) Count correctly 4) Use fingering in the score ! Be able to use the pedal correctly. ! Be able to make a good guess by ear for a chord progression that is comprised of I, IV, V, and vi chords.

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 9 Piano Essentials

Posture

Correct posture at the keyboard: 1. Curve your fingers (this is your hand’s normal resting position). 2. Sit up straight on the front 2/3 of the bench. 3. Sit at the proper height and distance from the piano. Check yourself: a. Your forearm, wrist, and the top of your hand should make a straight line. b. Sit back far enough so that you can easily clear the pedal while your heel stays on the floor. c. Your shoulders should be relaxed, not scrunched up.

Why is correct posture important? Correct posture enables you to sustain a lifestyle of playing your instrument without injuring yourself. By focusing on correct posture now, you are equipping yourself to be able to play on a worship team for many hours a day.

Fingering is the little numbers written above and below the notes on the staff. If a piece of music has fingering written in the score, then use it. In this textbook, each piece shows the fingering for the first note played. Assume that you place one finger on each note. Do not skip any notes unless the interval played is larger than a 5th.

If a piece of music has extra fingering written throughout, this usually suggests that you will need to move your finger to get to that note. Sometimes this means stretching your fingers and skipping notes.

It is always easier to learn a piece with the correct fingering from the beginning. Do not convince yourself to add or fix the fingering later.

For piano playing, use the chart below: Thumb = finger 1 Pointer finger = finger 2 Middle finger = finger 3 Ring finger = finger 4 Little finger = finger 5

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 10 Pedaling

Contrary to the poor habits of some, a keyboardist should not wait to change the pedal until all the notes blur together into a muddy sound. A good keyboardist should clear the pedal each time a new chord is played. When changing the pedal, think of a motion like a seesaw. When one side comes down, the other side goes up. In a similar manner, when your hand is pushing down the new chord, your foot should come up, and then go right back down. Your hand and your foot do not go up and down at the same time, and your heel should always stay on the floor.

In order to use the pedal correctly, consider its primary uses. 1. The pedal is first and foremost used to connect notes and help smooth over transitions when your hand moves. This means that if you pick up your foot at the same time as your hand, the pedal will not be doing its job. The pedal has to stay down when your hands come up so that the notes are connected. 2. The pedal is not intended to blur harmonies. Therefore, you must clear the pedal when you change harmonies (when you change chords). This means that you pick up the pedal when your fingers push down the notes for a new chord. 3. The pedal is used as a tool to add a particular sound or “color” to a piece, implying that that sound is not always desired. Consider the style of the piece or improvisation and be wary of pedaling through notes. Practice pedaling while playing harmonized scale (pg. 27). When your hand comes up after playing a note or chord, keep the pedal down. Then when your hand pushes down a new note, say “up-down” out loud. When you say “up,” pick up your foot. Push the pedal back down when you say “down. Next, try this exercise while playing a worship song. Instead of singing, say “up-down” for each chord change. If you work hard at this exercise for a couple of weeks, saying “up-down” out loud and keeping your heel on the floor, good pedaling will become second nature to you. If you think this exercise is silly and ignore it, only using it once or twice, your journey to good pedaling technique may take much longer.

Listen carefully to your playing to hear whether poor pedaling is inadvertently leading to a blurry or choppy sound.

A word of caution: Pedaling on a keyboard does not always give as sustained a sound as pedaling on a piano. Because of this, any bad pedaling technique is more likely to be disguised on a keyboard. If you have the opportunity, try occasionally to practice on a piano and listening to the pedal.

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 11 Making the most of your practice time

1. Plan ahead - take a few minutes at the beginning of your practice time to think through what you want to practice. 2. Pray - connect with the Holy Spirit and let your practice time be a time of peace. If you start getting frustrated, take a break to pray in the Spirit, thank the Lord for His goodness, and ask for wisdom. 3. Pace yourself – remember, “Practice makes permanent.” You want to make the right things permanent. Learning mistakes just doubles the work. 4. Isolate difficult passage - don’t just play through a piece over and over, missing the same notes or fingerings. Practice is the time to work on specific notes and fingerings. • Identify problem spots • Practice that measure or a few measures around it very slowly. • Add in a few more measures before (or after) the problem spot and continue at a slow pace. • Play through the section up to . 5. Debrief - write down questions, make new goals and plan what to work on next time. 6. Practicing Checklist – five things you should be able to do on your own before you ask for help: 1. Correct notes 2. Curved fingers 3. Counting 4. Fingering 5. Dynamics

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 12 Previewing a Piece

Before you begin playing a piece, take the time to preview it. Asking yourself questions about the music and looking for the answers will help you learn the music much faster. A famous pianist named Josef Hoffman warned against the mindset that practice could only happen if you were pressing notes on a keyboard. Studying your music while not actually playing counts as practice too. Using a Metronome

A metronome is a critical tool for becoming a good musician. A steady tempo is required for a worship team to be able to play together. A steady tempo is also necessary for making songs recognizable. There are two ways to ensure your tempo consistency: Count out loud and practice with a metronome. Better yet, do both at the same time. Remember, too, that it is far more important to play with a steady tempo than to play fast or up to speed with an inconsistent tempo. As one teacher says, “The key to going fast is going slow.”

There are two primary ways the tempo is indicated in a piece of music: 1) 72 bpm - set your metronome to 72, which equals 72 beats per minute 2) = 72 - 1 quarter note equals one metronome tick when the metronome is set to 72

Sometimes when playing a piece it is easier to set the metronome to a beat other than the quarter note. For slower pieces, or pieces that are tricky to count, try setting the metronome to equal an eighth note beat. This would require doubling the quarter note tempo. In the above example, instead of playing at 72, set your metronome to 144. For faster pieces, or to help you increase your tempo, it is often helpful to hear the bigger beat, meaning you might set your metronome to tick for the half note beat. This requires dividing the quarter note tempo in half. If your quarter note tempo is 168, divide it in half and set your metronome to 84. It is now ticking for each half note, or every 2 counts. In both of these scenarios, the tempo has remained the same. You are merely changing how frequently or infrequently the metronome ticks within that tempo.

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 13

Course Preview

New material that will be presented in KeysETT 4:

1) Eighth note time signatures: 3/8, 6/8, and 12/8 2) New chords: altered chords, half-diminished 7ths, diminished 7ths 3) Mastering the theory of the complete circle of keys 4) Eternal Chord Progression – playing through the entire circle of keys 5) Playing and reading music in the keys of E♭ major and A♭ major 6) Reading more advanced chord progressions and worship songs using Nashville Numbers 7) Using chord theory to identify chords beyond I, IV, V, and vi no matter what their voicing.

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 14

Section 2 Key of C: Theory

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 15 Scales: Major, Minor, Relative, and Parallel

In previous theory classes, we studied scales from the perspective of half steps and whole steps. - Major Scale: pattern of half steps and whole steps = W-W-H-W-W-W-H. - Natural Minor Scale: pattern of half steps and whole steps = W-H-W-W-H-W-W. - Harmonic Minor Scale: take the natural minor scale and raise the 7th note one-half step. - Melodic Minor Scale: start with the natural minor and raise the 6th and 7th tones one-half step each on the way up. On the way back down, lower the 6th and 7th tones one half step each, playing what amounts to a descending natural minor scale.

In this class, we will consider scales from a context of scale degrees. This requires you to already know what sharps and flats are in each key. If you are not up to par on your circle of keys, start studying. (See pages 38-40.)

Major Scales: Major Scales are made up of scale degrees 1 - 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8. All other scales make alterations based off of the major scale.

Minor Scales: There are three different types of minor scales: natural, harmonic, and melodic minor. Natural minor: 1 – 2 – ♭3 – 4 – 5 – ♭6 – ♭7 – 8. Harmonic minor: 1 – 2 – ♭3 – 4 – 5 – ♭6 – 7 – 8. Melodic minor (ascending is different than descending): 1 – 2 – ♭3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – ♭7 – ♭6 – 5 – 4 – ♭3 – 2 – 1.

A word of caution: When you see a flatted or sharped scale degree, it does not mean you will play a flat or a sharp. Rather, it means to lower that scale degree by a half step or raise it by a half step. Lowering or raising the scale degree does not change the letter name of the scale degree.

Relative major and minor scales begin and end on different notes but share the same . The relative minor starts on the 6th note of the major scale. The relative major starts on the 3rd note of the minor scale.

C major scale & œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ A natural minor scale (relative minor of C major)

Parallel major and minor scales start and end on the same note but have different key signatures.

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 16 Constructing Chords Using Scale Degrees

A chord is three or more notes played together. In past theory levels, we have learned how to build chords by counting half steps and by stacking intervals. In this text, we will consider all chord building from the perspective of scale degrees. This means that you must be fluent in building scales. In review, a major scale has 8 scale degrees, with a specific pattern of half steps and whole steps between each scale degree:

1(Root) whole step 2 whole step 3 half step 4 whole step 5 whole step 6 whole step 7 half step 8

Major Chords: Root + 3 + 5 Augmented Chords: Root + 3 + #5

Minor Chords: Root + ♭3 + 5 Diminished Chords: Root + ♭3 + ♭5

Suspended (sus) Chords: Root + 4 + 5

2 Chords: Root + 2 + 3 + 5 Because scale degree 1 (the root) and scale degree 2 can sound cluttered when played right next to each other, play the root of the chord in your left hand and omit it from your right hand, as seen in the harmonized scale pattern.

Major 7th Chords: Root + 3 + 5 + 7 th Major 7 chords can be written as Cmaj7 or CM7. When converting to Nashville Numbers, retain the “maj” or “M” (i.e. Imaj7 or IM7). You must include the “maj” or “M” because without it, you are indicating a completely different chord. A major 7th chord is a major triad with a major 7th.

Minor 7th Chords: Root + ♭3 + 5 + ♭7 th th th Minor 7 chords are written as Cm7. A minor 7 chord is a minor triad with a minor 7 . When converting to Nashville Numbers, it could be written as i7, iv7, v7, or im7, ivm7, vm7, etc. A is spelled very similarly to a dominant 7th chord. The only difference is scale degree ♭3.

th Dominant 7 Chords: Root + 3 + 5 + ♭7 Dominant 7th chords are written by adding the number 7 to the end of the chord, such as C7. A dominant 7th is a major triad with a minor 7th. When converting to Nashville Numbers it would be written as I7, IV7, V7, etc. A dominant chord is very similar to a major 7th chord. The only difference is the top note, scale degree ♭7.

Reminder about Split Chords: When reading split chords, remember this helpful formula: R.H. chord / L.H. bass note

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 17 Chord Building: The Skipping Rule

Skipping Rule: Triads and 7th chords use every other letter. Beware of incorrect enharmonic spellings!

Major, minor, augmented, diminished, major 7th, dominant 7th, and minor 7th chords are all constructed by following the skipping rule. Picture the music alphabet: A – B – C – D – E – F – G. If the chord you are building has some type of “A,” regardless of whether it is A#, A♭, or A♮, then you will skip the letter “B.” The next pitch used will be some type of “C”, regardless of whether it is C#, C♭, or C♮.

You can also think of the skipping rule as skipping scale degrees as opposed to skipping letters. After scale degree 1, you must skip scale degree 2 and use some type of scale degree 3, whether it is ♭3, 3, or #3.

Beware of incorrect enharmonic spellings. An enharmonic note is a note that is the same pitch, but called by a different name. C# and D♭ are enharmonic notes. Just because you gave a note on the keyboard a possible name does not mean that it is the correct name for the chord you are building. Your chord must skip letters. When building a B major chord, you would draw / write B - D# - F#. Skip the letter “C” and skip the letter “E.” Following the skipping rule eliminates the possibility of mistakenly labeling the D# as an E♭ or the F# as a G♭. While that still would have created a chord, it would have been an inversion of a chord by a different name.

Generally, chords do not mix sharps and flats. However, if in doubt, always follow the skipping rule – even if that means building a chord that contains both sharps and flats. For example, try constructing a B♭ augmented chord. Begin by skipping every other letter. B♭ - (skip C) – D – (skip E) – F. Next, count half steps to determine which accidentals to add. B♭ - up 4 half steps = D. D - up 4 half steps = either F# or G♭. Because G♭ would require us to skip 2 letters, we must choose F#, even though this means creating a chord that contains both a sharp and a flat.

On a very rare occasion, the skipping rule will require you to use a double sharp or a double flat. This is still correct music notation. Follow the skipping rule at all costs.

When drawing notes on the staff, it is easy to follow the skipping rule. Remember that line notes skip spaces and space notes skip lines. Therefore, draw the root of your chord and then draw your additional skipping notes before you figure out sharps or flats and before you figure out the rest of your chord. If you are drawing an Em7 chord, draw an “E” on the staff, followed by 3 additional notes stacked in 3rds (because 7 chords have four notes). All of your notes should be on lines or they should all be on spaces. After drawing your notes, figure out which accidentals to add to the chord. If in doubt between using a sharp or a flat, you must use the letter note you have already drawn.

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 18 New Chords

Diminished 7th Chords – Whole and Half

Diminished 7th chords are an extension of diminished triads. Before you begin this study, be sure you have a good understanding of triads (see page 16).

Diminished 7th Chords: Root + ♭3 + ♭5 + ♭♭7 A diminished 7th chord is a with a double flat 7th. A diminished 7th chord is the most symmetrical chord. Each chord tone is a minor 3rd apart. Also, each inversion of a diminished 7th chord could be respelled using enharmonic notes and become a completely different diminished 7th chord. When labeling a diminished 7th chord, write the letter or Roman numeral, followed by a degree sign and the number “7” (A°7 or vii°7). Sometimes this chord is also written with the abbreviation “dim” (Adim7).

Half Diminished 7th Chords: Root + ♭3 + ♭5 + ♭7 This chord is called a half diminished 7th chord because only the triad is diminished. To diminish something is to make it smaller. A half diminished 7th chord is a diminished triad with a minor 7th. A half diminished 7th chord is labeled the same way as a diminished 7th chord with ø ø one exception: draw a slanted slash through the degree sign (A 7 or vi 7). This chord is also known as a m7( 5) chord because it is so similar to an m7 chord.

Altered Chords

An altered chord is any chord that has an altered note. There are three basic types of alteration: raising a note, lowering a note, and adding a note. To raise a note, simply add a “#” to that scale degree. For example: E♭7(#9#5). This chord begins with an E♭7 chord, but the parentheses instruct you to raise scale degree 9 (implying you will also add scale degree 9) and to raise scale degree 5. To lower a note, add a “♭” to that scale degree. For example: A7(♭5). Adding a note is as simple as it sounds. Play the basic chord and add the note as instructed. For example: g°(add 9).

Remember: 1) A “#” sign or “♭” sign does not indicate that the note you play will be an actual sharp or flat. It merely instructs you to raise or lower that scale degree by one half step. 2) Altered chords usually include altered notes in parenthesis (see examples above).

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 19 Nashville Number System (review from KeysETT 3)

The Nashville Number System is a form of musical shorthand. A group of studio musicians in Nashville created this system in the late 1950’s as a way to learn and transpose music faster. In the musical industry, time equals money. The more time it takes to make a recording, the more it costs. Musicians were expected to learn a piece of music, arrange it and put it together with the performer in less than half an hour. Often they had to transpose music on the spot. By using this numbering system, they could easily transpose a song to suit the needs of the performer. Even though many people study this number system today as a shortcut to learning music, the brains that developed this method were skillfully trained musicians. Their ideas for this numbering system were a combination of the Roman numerals and used in traditional music theory.

The Nashville Number System uses numbers instead of chord letters. All numbers are relative to the key in which you are playing, and tonic is always 1. For example, in the key of C major, C = 1, D = 2, E = 3, F = 4, G = 5, A = 6, and B = 7. Although E is 3 in the key of C, it becomes 2 in the key of D major, or 6 in the key of G major.

There are many different variations of the Nashville Number System. Some people use Roman numerals, other people use Arabic numbers. For this class, Roman numerals will represent chords and Arabic numbers will represent individual scale degrees.

When writing a song with the Nashville Number System, you may come across a chord that doesn’t seem to fit in the key. For example, in a major key, the iii chord should be minor. So in the key of C major, you would expect to find an E minor chord, not an E major chord. However, if there is an E major chord, simply write it using upper case Roman numerals: III. If the chord is E/G#, you would write it III/#5. You must add the sharp before the 5 because the key of C major does not have G#.

The biggest help when learning the Nashville Number System is to know your key signatures forwards and backwards. You need to know that G# does not belong in the key of C major, but that it does belong in the keys of A major and B major.

On a separate sheet of paper, practice writing out chord progressions using numbers and then both play and write the progressions in several different keys.

Chord progression:

C major: C/E F Em Am G/B Cmaj7 Written using Nashville I/3 IV iii vi V/7 Imaj7 Numbers: Transpose to G major: G/B C Bm Em D/F# Dmaj7 Transpose to E♭ major: Transpose to A♭ major: Transpose to B major:

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 20 Nashville Numbers: The Basics

In worship music, it is common to interchange letters and numbers. There are two primary reasons for this. First of all, chords written as numbers are easier to transpose to other keys. When one worship leader wants “Here I Am to Worship” in C major, and another wants it in E major, you can transpose without difficulty. Secondly, numbers are easier to communicate to a band. Rather than having to communicate letters in sign language, you can simply hold up numbers of fingers.

Chords written as numbers are a form of musical shorthand called the Nashville Number System. At the elementary level of reading in numbers, there are two simple rules to follow:

1. Tonic (the tonal center of the key you are in) is always I 2. Upper case Roman numerals = major chord Lower case Roman numerals = minor chord

These two rules are self-explanatory. The next two rules require a bit more explanation.

3. Roman numerals indicate a chord. Arabic numbers indicate a scale degree. 4. The Arabic number above or without a slash assumes the root of the chord is 1. The Arabic number below a slash assumes the root of the key is 1.

These last two rules are primarily applied to split chords (such as C/E, G/B, etc.) and chords that have an added scale degree (such as C2, F7, am6, etc.). Let’s look some examples.

Assuming I was in the key of C major, if I were to rewrite the split chord C/E, it would read I/3. The Roman numeral implies I will play a chord in my right hand. The Arabic number tells me to play a specific bass note, in this case scale degree 3, in my left hand (see rule #3). Rule number 4 indicates that the 3 below the slash should assume the root of the key (C major) is 1. If C is 1, then E is 3.

Let’s look at a more complex chord. Still in the key of C major, consider the chord Fmaj7/A. The letter on the left is a chord; therefore it must be written as a Roman numeral IVmaj7 (see rule #3). The letter on the right is a scale degree; therefore it must be written with an Arabic number 6 (see rule #3). The end result is IVmaj7/6. Because this chord has Arabic numbers on both sides of the slash, we must employ both parts of rule number 4. The 7 to the left of the slash (which would remain regardless of the slash) assumes that the root of the chord is 1. Counting up from F (the root of the chord), this would mean that 7 = E. The 6 below the slash assumes that the root of the key is 1. Counting up from C (the root of the key), this would mean that 6 = A.

Now let’s look at a chord with an added scale degree, for example Am7 in the key of C major. Using numbers this chord would be written as vi7. The vi implies that you will play a chord. The 7 tells you to add scale degree 7 (rule #3). Because this chord does not have a slash, assume that the root of the chord is 1, meaning that you will start counting up from A to find the 7 (rule #4).

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 21 Chord Symbol Notation

" The letter name alone implies a major triad. " m (minor) always refers to the 3rd of the chord. " Maj. (major) always refers to the 7th of the chord. It is found a half-step down from the octave above the root. " 7 always refers to a dominant 7th. It is found a whole step down from the octave above the root.

" + attached to a triad means that it is an . " A sharp (#), not a +, is used for “raising” other tones (#9, #13). This does not literally mean to play a sharp, but rather to raise the tone a ½ step. " A flat (♭), not a -, is used for “lowering” other tones (♭ 9, 11). This does not literally mean to play a flat, but rather to lower the pitch a ½ step.

" ° attached to a triad means that it is a diminished triad. " Sus 4 and sus 2 both replace the 3rd of the chord. " 2, 6, add 4, add 9 are tones added to major or minor triads. " 5 is a triad with no 3rd. It is called a “power chord.” " Parentheses are used 2 ways: 1) to clarify: (♭5) (#9) 2) instead of the word “add”: C5 (9) th th " C9 is a triad with an implied 7 as well as an added 9 . " For keyboardists, both 2 and 9 are always played in the right hand. " Chord symbols do not dictate how a chord is “voiced.” (Voicing is the actual vertical configuration of the notes.) However, they do generally indicate which note should be played as the bass. (For keyboardists, this is the lowest note in your left hand.)

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 22 Chords: Harmonic Function There are three basic functions of a harmonic progression: tonic, subdominant, and dominant. These names come from the names assigned to specific scale degrees. Scale degree 1 is also called the tonic; scale degree 4 is the subdominant; scale degree 5 is the dominant. Tonic implies a sense of stability and “home.” Chords I, iii and vi have tonic function. The subdominant feels like it is going somewhere. It is an in-between chord. It lacks the stability of tonic, but it doesn’t create lots of tension. Chords ii and IV have subdominant function. The dominant is rather unsettled and creates tension. It has a strong urge to resolve to I. Both V and vii° chords have dominant function. The ii V I progression, common in jazz, is a good example of a subdominant flowed by a dominant leading to the tonic. IV V I is another good example. ii V vi works also. There are two primary reasons why we are studying harmonic function. 1) harmonic function can be helpful in chord identification (see below) 2) understanding harmonic function is a useful tool for hearing chords by ear (see page 67).

Chord Identification Identifying the chords you’re playing or listening to is all about making an educated guess. This means that you’re actually using the theory you know to help determine a possible name for the chord. Try the following tips: " If you do not immediately recognize a chord, begin your chord identification by checking to see if it is an inversion or spread voicing. Follow the next two points for inversions and spread voicing. " Stack in 3rds. Keep inverting your chord until it is stacked in 3rds. This is called “root position.” It will look like you are skipping every other key on the keyboard. When stacked in 3rds, the bottom note is the root of your chord. If a chord is stacked in 3rds, you can then determine the quality (major, minor, diminished, or augmented) and if it has any extensions (7ths, 9ths, etc.) " If your notes are spread out all over the keyboard, you are playing a spread voicing instead of a closed voicing. Begin by consolidating all of the notes into a close proximity. Most of them should fit within an octave. They do not have to stay in the same order and you do not need to keep doubles of any note. After consolidating and omitting any doubles, you can proceed to the stacking in 3rds rule. " If you know the root of the chord (this is not always the bass note), then you can name the scale degrees played and figure out your chord from there. " Once you have identified the chords you are playing, consider which sharps or flats are in those chords. What key uses those sharps or flats? The majority of songs use predominantly I, IV, V,

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 23 and vi chords. This is a big hint to help decipher the key your song is written in. Do the primary chords fit as the I, IV, V, or vi chords in any particular key? There are many chords that do not follow the stacking-in-3rds rule. These include sus chords, 2 chords, and any altered chords. If the above points do not help resolve the name of the chord, then move to more extreme measures. " Begin by making up a possible name for the chord. Does it look like a C chord with an F in the bass? Then call it C/F. Does it look like an A minor chord with a random G#? Then call it Am (#7). These may or may not be the most accurate names for these chords. However, if someone else plays the correct notes based off the name you created, then you’re headed in the right direction. " What key are you playing in? If you are unsure, write out all the notes to the chords you are playing. Begin by using only sharps or only flats. Then try arranging those notes into a scale. You can also assess what sharps or flats you have written down and use the circle of keys to determine your key. Once you know what key you are playing in, it is easier to narrow possible chord names. Based on the key signature, what chords make sense? " What if there are two possible names for your chord and you don’t know which to pick? Consider the key signature and the surrounding chords. Let’s say that your chord could be either F# minor or G♭ minor. If your key signature contains sharps, go with F#. For a flat key, go with G♭. Let’s say that your chord could be either Em6 or Cmaj7/E. Play the surrounding chords and assess if, in context, it sounds more major or leans towards a minor sound. " Consider the harmonic progression of the chords you are playing. A song or improvisation typically moves from tonic to subdominant to dominant and back to tonic. While this is not a hard and fast rule, it is the most common harmonic progression. Do the chords you have created make sense according to their harmonic function?

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 24 Modulation

Modulation is when you change the key in which you are playing. There is one important chord to remember when modulating: play the V7 chord of the new key. Let’s say that you want to modulate to the key of E major. It does not matter what key you are currently playing in. You could be playing in the key of C major or the key of D major. What matters is where you are going. Since you are going to E major, figure out the V of that key: B major. Play a B dominant 7 chord and then resolve to your new key, E major.

Formula: Old Key + V7 of New Key + New Key = Modulation

For this class, we are going to “dress-up” our modulation a bit and add some color to our chords. Use the same chord voicing that you would use for the harmonized scale. See the example below of a modulation from the key of C to the key of D.

Transposing Transposing is when you take a piece of music and play it in a key other than the key in which it is written. The beauty of the Nashville Number System is that it makes transposing exceptionally easy. If you need to transpose a piece, begin by writing out the chords using the Nashville Number System. Before you play a piece in a new key, always ask yourself:

1. What sharps or flats are in this key? 2. What are the I, IV, V, and vi chords in this key? (these are the most commonly used chords)

For example: Key of C major: C/E Fmaj7 Am7 G/B Written in numbers: I/3 IVmaj7 vi7 V/7 Rewritten in E♭ major: E♭/G A♭maj7 Cm7 B♭/D

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 25

Key of C:

Technique

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 26 Playing Scales

When practicing scales, do the following:

1. Start VERY SLOWLY. It’s more important to get the right fingering and be able to play the notes evenly before speeding up. Remember - practice makes permanent and you want to learn the fingering correctly. The key to going fast is first going slow. 2. Play hands separately first, singing or saying the finger numbers as you play. 3. Next, play hands together. Sing or say the letter names of the notes. 4. Isolate difficult sections and repeat them over and over.

Here’s an example of a two-octave C scale. Two things to notice: check out the fingering as we move from the first octave to the second – both your thumbs land on that “in-between” C. Also notice that finger 3’s always play together.

For this class, we will be learning to play three scales: C, A♭ and E♭ major. See pages 29 (C), 43 (E♭), and 52 (A♭) for the notes and fingering for these scales. See below for some helpful tips in practicing these scales.

C major: Fingers 3 play together on E and A. Your thumbs match on the C in between octaves.

E♭ major: Both E♭ and A♭ use what’s called the “Black Key Rule,” which has two key points: 1) thumbs will play only white keys and 2) over the 2 and 3 black key groups your hands will use RH2-3/LH3-2 and RH2-3-4/LH4-3-2 respectively.

A♭ major: This scale is part of the ‘Three’s Together’ group of scales, meaning your LH and RH finger 3’s always play at the same time.

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 27 Harmonized Scales

A harmonized scale is a regular scale with chords built on each of the 7 scale degrees. In this class, instead of the normal scale degree 7 (which would be a diminished chord) we are going to lower the 7th scale tone a half step to form a major chord.

Building a harmonized scale - Build major chords on scale degrees 1, 4, 5, and ♭7. - Build minor chords on scale degrees 2, 3, and 6.

A note on the iii chord When you add the 2nd to a chord, add the 2nd scale degree of the chord, not the key. Add a major 2nd interval (one whole step) up from the root of the chord. This means that the iii chord will have a non- scale tone – a note not found in the major scale – as its scale degree 2.

Playing a harmonized scale - Right Hand: Play scale degrees 2, 3, and 5 of the chord on count 1, resolving the suspension (scale degree 2) to the root of the chord on count 3. Exception: the V chord will play 1, 4 and 5 on count 1, resolving scale degree 4 to 3. - Left Hand: Play the root and 5th of the chord, no 3rd. Exception: the V chord will play the root and the 7th.

Here is an example of the harmonized scale in the key of C:

Why learn harmonized scales? Aside from the useful application of chord theory, harmonized scales are easily applied to worship songs. Taking the same harmonized pattern and using it to play a worship song will lend a nice voicing and musical color.

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 28

Key of C: Songs to Sing and Play

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 29 C major technique package

C major scale

C major harmonized scale

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 30 Harmonizing RH Melodies

God is So Good

Directions: - RH: Harmonize the melody using the chords provided. (This is called melodic voice leading.) Invert the chords so that the highest note is the melody note. When a symbol does not appear above a melody note, play a single note. You’ll need to use the 5th finger of your right hand for most of the melody notes. - L.H: use R – 5 for all triads, R-7 on chords that include a 7. - Practice each hand alone before playing both hands together.

The first two measures have been done for you.

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 31 You Are My All in All (chorus)

Directions: - RH: Harmonize the melody as you did with ‘God is So Good’ using the chords provided. Use the 5th finger of your right hand for most of the melody notes. - L.H: use R – 5 for all triads, R-7 on chords that include a 7. - Practice each hand alone before playing both hands together.

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 32 The Heart of Worship

Directions: - RH: Harmonize the melody as you did with ‘God is So Good’ and ‘You Are My All in All’ using the chords provided. Use the 5th finger of your right hand for most of the melody notes. - L.H: use R – 5 for all triads, R-7 on chords that include a 7. - Practice each hand alone before playing both hands together.

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 33

Key of C: Sight-Singing

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 34 Singing Chords by Numbers – key of C

When singing by numbers, sing the scale degree rather than the letter name. Whatever key you are in is always “1”.

1. Major Triad

Here are the numbers to sing when singing up a major triad:

Sing them backwards to go back down the triad.

You sing: 1 – 3 – 5 – 8 – 5 – 3 – 1

2. Minor Triad

The vi chord is a minor triad. Here are the numbers to sing & sign when singing up a minor triad:

Sing them backwards to go back down the triad.

You sing: 1 – 3 – 5 – 8 – 3 – 5 – 1

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 35 3. Major 7th Chord – add scale degree 7

You sing: 1 – 3 – 5 – 7 – 5 – 3 – 1

4. Dominant 7th Chord

You sing: 1 – 3 – 5 – 7 – 5 – 3 – 1

5. Minor 7th Chord

You sing: 1 – 3 – 5 – 7 – 5 – 3 – 1

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 36 Sight Singing Exercises – key of C

#1 from a melody by Bononcini 3 ™ j &4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ ˙ ˙

#2 2 j &4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

#3 6 j ™ j j œ j ™ j ™ j j œ j ™ &8 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ j ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ j ™ œ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œ œ œ

#4 from a melody by Mozart 3 3 ™ ™ ŒŒ ™ j &4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 7 3 3 3 j & œ œ ™ œ œ ™ ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 37

Key of C: Key Signatures and the Circle of Keys

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 38 Key Signatures/review

A song based in a certain key will use the sharps or flats that the corresponding scale contains. To avoid writing so many sharps in the music, and to make it easier to read, key signatures are used. A key signature indicates what note(s) will always be sharp or flat.

Key signatures appear at the beginning of each staff to indicate which notes are sharp or flat within the key. Note in the example that the key signature appears after the treble clef sign and before the time signature.

Here are all the key signatures for the major keys.

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 39 Relative major and minor keys share the same key signature (the number of sharps or flats). The relative minor key is the 6th scale tone of the major scale. You can also start on the major tonic and go down a minor third, 3 half steps, to find the relative minor. Here are the key signatures for the minor keys.

How do we find out which notes How do we find the name of the key if in the key signature are sharps or flats? we know the number of sharps or flats?

Order of sharps: Sharp keys: Fat Cats Go Down Alleys Eating Bugs 1. Major key is one letter name up from the last sharp Forerunners Carry God’s Desires Always Ever Burning Example: 4 sharps = F#, C#, G#, D#; Order of flats: Up one letter name from D = key of E major B E A D G C F

It’s the order of sharps backwards. Flat keys: (Except for F major) Before Earth Appeared Daddy God Called Forerunners The second to last flat is the name of the major key

Example: 4 flats – B , E , A , D If a key signature has 3 sharps or flats, say Second to last flat is A the order of sharps or flats until you get to 3. 4 flats = key of A major For example, the key of A major/F# minor has 3 #’s. The first 3 sharps are F#, C# and

G#, so the key of A major/F# minor contains

F#, C# and G#.

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 40 The Circle of Keys

The Circle of Keys is the simplest way to learn the relationship between the major and minor keys and the number of sharps and flats in each.

Going clockwise around the circle, the keys go up a 5th and each subsequent key adds a sharp. Remember these steps: 1. Go up 5 notes. 2. Keep the old stuff. 3. Raise the new 7th note up a half step.

Going counterclockwise, the keys go up a 4th and each subsequent key adds a flat. Remember these steps: 1. Go up 4 notes. 2. Keep the old stuff. 3. Lower the new 4th note down a half step.

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 41 The Eternal Chord Progression takes you through the entire circle of keys. Each tonic becomes the V of the new key. When playing this progression, you will play something new every two beats. Start with a C2 chord voiced the same way as the harmonized scale pattern. On beat 3 of the measure, resolve scale degree 2 in your right hand to the tonic. When C7sus – C7 is played, they no longer function as tonic, but rather as the dominant (V chord) of the new key. These are called pivot chords. Use the same voicing that is used for the V7sus - V7 chord in the harmonized scale pattern.

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 42

Section 3 Key of Eb: Songs to Sing and Play

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 43 E♭ major technique package

E♭ major scale

E♭ major harmonized scale

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 44 Sing and Play: Jesus, Lover of My Soul

! Using the key signatures, determine the keys of this song. ! Sing the letter names of the melody in each key. ! Sing the scale degree numbers of the melody in each key. ! Insert a modulation to change keys. ! The chords marked with an ‘*’ will played with an alternate voicing: RH: 5 3 LH: 7 R ! Do not harmonize the melody: instead, learn to play the chords with both hands while you sing the melody.

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 45

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 46

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 47 Sing and Play: Lord, You Are Good

! Using the key signature, determine the key of this song. ! Clap and count the rhythm of the melody out loud. ! Write this song using Nashville Numbers and then transpose it to 2 different keys. ! This song has two pedal tones. A pedal tone (also called a pedal point) is a bass note that continues through several chords, even if it is not part of the chord. Where are the 2 pedal tones? ! Does this song have any reoccurring chord progressions? ! Which two chords used throughout this piece do not belong in the diatonic scale of E major? ! Explain the chord movement in measures 9-12. ! Why does it sound like we have “arrived” somewhere in measure 13? (Hint: Consider the harmonic function of the chord in measure 13, as well as the progression and pedal tone in measures 9-12.) ! How would you play a piece of music that has multiple repeat signs? ! What does D.C. al Coda mean?

Performance notes: ! “Vamp” over the verse chords using a syncopated rhythm ! Repeat measures 9-12 3 times, building in volume and intensity each time ! Do a LH chromatic walk-up from measure 17 to measure 18 ! Do a LH ‘rip’ to lead in to measure 24 ! Play the riff at measure 25 with both the LH and RH (in unison) ! Use your ‘spirit fingers’ on the last chord!

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 48

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 49

Key of Eb: Sight-Singing

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 50 Sight-Singing Exercises – key of E♭

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 51

Section 4 Key of Ab: Songs to Sing and Play

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 52 A♭ major technique package

A♭ major scale

A♭ major harmonized scale

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 53 Theory Insert: Eighth Note Time Signatures

Up to this point, we have only used time signatures that have a common denominator of 4, meaning that a quarter note gets 1 count. These time signatures include 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4. We will call these “quarter note time signatures.”

An “eighth note time signature” would include any time signature that has the number “8” on the bottom, meaning that an eighth note gets 1 count. The most common eighth note time signature is 6/8. Other eighth note time signatures include 3/8, 9/8, and 12/8.

If an eighth note gets 1 count, other notes and rests will also receive double the normal amount of counts. For example, a 16th note would receive 1/2 count, a quarter note would receive 2 counts and so on.

Eighth note time signatures have 1 primary beat for every 3 counts. A 6/8 time signature is typically viewed as a duple time signature, meaning that it has 2 primary beats. Even though there are 6 beats in a measure, the piece is felt in two beats with an emphasis on counts 1 and 4. Thus, 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6. Rather than grouping eighth notes in groups of two, like you would for a quarter note time signature, this requires you to group eighth notes in groups of three.

When notating rhythms in an eighth note time signature, it is essential to clearly see the primary beats. For example, instead of drawing a half note (which has 4 eighth notes) you will need to draw a dotted quarter note tied to an eighth note or an eighth note tied to a dotted quarter note. This will enable you to keep groupings of three, clearly showing the primary beats.

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 54 Sing and Play: Pledge

! Using the key signature, determine the key of this song. ! What is the time signature? Based on the time signature, how many counts do each of the following receive: • sixteenth note - • eighth note - • quarter note - • dotted quarter note - • dotted half note - • dotted quarter rest - ! This is a duple time signature. Explain what that means and how it should affect how you play this song. ! Why does this song use dotted quarter rests when many songs would use a quarter note followed by an eighth rest instead? ! Clap and count the rhythm of the melody out loud. ! What is a tie? ! In both measures 2 and 4 a dotted quarter note is tied to an eighth note. Why is the rhythm notated this way instead of simply drawing a half note? ! Look at the C tied note in measures 2-4. How many counts should it receive? ! How many phrases are in the verse? Compare and contrast them. Consider the length, the melody, chords used, etc. ! Find and label all of the repeated chord progressions throughout this song. ! What helps the beginning of the chorus to sound strong and resolute, like you have arrived home? (Hint: What is the chord directly before the chorus? Consider its harmonic function, how many times it was used in the verse, and how it wants to resolve.) ! How do you read first and second endings (measures 35-38)? ! What new chord is introduced in the bridge? ! At measure 39, what does ‘2nd time 8va’ mean?

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 55

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 56

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 57

Sing and Play: Untitled Hymn

! Using the key signatures, determine the keys of this song. ! Sing the letter names of the melody in each key. ! Sing the scale degree numbers of the melody in each key. ! Insert a modulation to change keys. ! Do not harmonize the melody: instead, learn to play the chords with both hands while you sing the melody.

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 58

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 59 Sing and Play: Give Me Jesus

! Using the key signatures, determine the keys of this song. ! Sing the letter names of the melody in each key. ! Sing the scale degree numbers of the melody in each key. ! Insert a modulation to change keys. ! Do not harmonize the melody: instead, learn to play the chords with both hands while you sing the melody.

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 60

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 61

Key of Ab: Sight-Singing

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 62 Sight-Singing Exercises – key of A♭

Exercise no. 2 is in F minor, the relative minor of A♭. Is it easier to sing in A♭ or F minor?

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 63

Section 5 Ear Training Techniques

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 64 Hearing Intervals

There are two common ways to practice hearing intervals. The first is to associate each interval with a well-known opening melody line (i.e. Perfect 4th = “Here Comes the Bride,” Perfect 5th = “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star). This method has already been explored extensively in earlier levels of KeysETT. While it’s helpful and you would be encouraged to pursue this method on your own, this class will focus on the second method of hearing intervals: relating intervals to scale degrees. See the three tools below to train your ear to hear intervals by relating them to scale degrees.

1. The Interval Song 4 &4 bœ œ œ œ b˙ ˙ Miœ - norœ se- cond, maœ - jorœ se- cond, miœ - norœ third, maœ - jorœ third, 5

& ˙ #˙ ˙ b˙ perœ - fectœ fourth, tri˙ - tone, perœ - fectœ fiŌh, miœ - norœ sixth, 9 ˙ bœ bœ œ œ œ œ & œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ma- jor sixth, mi- nor se- venth, ma- jor se- venth, per- fect oc- tave.

You can also sing scale degrees to the above exercise: 1 to flat 2, 1 to 2, 1 to flat 3, 1 to 3, 1 to 4, 1 to sharp 4, 1 to 5, 1 to flat 6, 1 to 6, 1 to flat 7, 1 to 7, 1 to 8.

2. Sing Up the Scale When you hear an interval, start on the bottom note and sing up the scale in numbers until you reach the 2nd pitch of your interval. This will help you fill in the empty space rather than randomly guessing.

3. Sing Parallel Scales Practice singing parallel scales. What intervals only show up in the major scale? What intervals only show up in the minor scale? Which intervals show up in both scales?

4 4 œ œ œ œ œ & œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ 1 1234 2 3 4 5 5678 6 7 8 7 7654 6 5 4 3213 2 1 4 4 bœ bœ œ bœ bœ & œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ bœ œ ˙ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ 1 12 2 343 4 5 5 66 7 78 8 7 7 656 5 4 4 3 32 2 11

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 65 Hearing and Notating Melodies

When picking out a melody by ear…. - Sing or hum the melody out loud and pay close attention to what you hear. • Does the melody go up or down? • Is it stepping or skipping? • If the melody is skipping, does it make big skips or little skips? - You’ll develop your ear skills much faster if you use your brain just as much as you use your ears. Rather than playing every note on the keyboard until you find the one that sounds right, make an educated guess by answering the questions above. - Think of what the pitches or intervals would be in numbers. Use your newly acquired sight-singing skills to help with this. - Write out the melody using numbers, rewrite the numbers as letters, and then transcribe the melody to the staff.

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 66 Hearing Chord Progressions: The Basics

By KeysETT 4, you should have basic experience hearing chord progressions using the I, IV, V, and vi chords. By the end of KeysETT 4, you should be able to easily identify I, IV, V, and vi chords as well as make an educated guess about any other chords in the progression that are not the four basic chords. Here is a review of the basics:

- Does the chord sound like another chord in the progression? It’s probably the same chord. - Did you hear a major chord step up to another major chord? (If so, it is probably IV-V). - Did you hear a major chord step down to another major chord? (If so, it is probably V-IV). - Did you hear a major chord step up to a minor chord? (If so, it is probably V-vi). - Did you hear a major chord skip up to a minor chord? (If so, it is probably IV-vi). - Did you hear a minor chord? (If so, in this scenario it’s the vi chord).

A few things to listen for… 1. Hum the bass line, then sing the bass line using numbers.

2. Listen to the function of the chords a. I sounds like home b. IV leads up to V or prolongs the sound of I c. V wants to resolve to I d. vi can sound like a prolongation of I or IV because they share two identical notes. However, vi sounds nothing like V because they have no notes in common.

3. Figure out the chord progression using the bass line & chord functions

Common Chord Progressions: I, IV, V and vi are the four most commonly used chords in worship music. Since there are only so many combinations of these chords, you can easily train your ear to recognize repetitive progressions. Find songs that you know with examples of the following chord progressions:

A.) I – IV – vi – V: F.) IV – I – V - vi:

B.) I – V – vi – IV: G.) IV – V – vi – I/3:

C.) vi – IV – I – V: H.) vi – V – IV - V:

D.) I – vi – V – IV: I.) IV – V – iii - vi:

E.) I – vi – IV – V: J.) I – vi – ii - V:

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 67 Hearing Chord Progressions Using Chord Theory

Up to this point, we have focused solely on hearing chord progressions made up of I, IV, V, and vi chords. After all the chord building we have done in this class, you are well aware of the multitudes of chords beyond those four basic chords. You may not always be able to identify each exact chord by ear, but using your ear, along with the theory you have learned, you can make an educated guess.

" Consider the harmonic function of the chord (see pages 22 and 67). I, iii and vi have tonic function, ii and IV have subdominant function, and V and vii° have dominant function. Does the chord sound like it is prolonging the sense of “home” (tonic function)? Does the chord sound less stable but with little tension (subdominant function)? Or does the chord sound like it needs resolution (dominant function)? " Pay close attention to the bass line. By figuring out the bass line, you can dramatically narrow down your chord options. Below are some of the most common bass line options:

1 = I, IV/1, vi/1 5 = V, I/5, iii/5, v

2 = ii, V/2, II 6 = vi, IV/6, VI

3 = iii, I/3 7 = vii°, V/7

4 = IV, ii/4, iv " Other things to listen for include: - Major chord vs. minor chord - Stronger chord (root position) vs. weaker chord (inversion or split chord) - Added color or fuller chord (possibly a 2 chord, 7th chord, or 9th chord) - Suspended vs. resolution (sus chords usually resolve) " You will come across a few “unusual” chords. Listen to the bass. Does the bass sound chromatic in any way (like a #5 going to a vi chord)? Consider what chords you can create with that bass note. Also be aware of borrowed chords. A borrowed chord is a chord that is “borrowed” from another key. The most common borrowed chords are secondary dominant chords, meaning they are the V of the chord directly after them. Common secondary dominants are II (which resolves to V) and III (which resolves to vi). " Be aware of pedal tones in the bass. It’s possible that your chord may change while your bass note remains the same. In this case, the bass note may or may not be part of the actual chord. (See “Lord, You are Good” for an example of a bass pedal tone on page 48.)

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 68

Hearing and Notating Rhythm

First mark the beats on your paper. The example below is in 4/4 time so there are 4 beats in each measure. Each example we do in class will be 4 measures long.

Next establish a steady beat while listening to the rhythm. You can do this by tapping your foot or snapping your fingers. The most important beat to keep track of when notating a rhythm is count 1, also called the downbeat. This is especially true when listening for ties and rests.

The first time an example is played in class, just…listen. Until you’ve heard the entire example it’s tough to know what’s going to happen. When the example is played again, mark every beat where you heard a note played. Don’t worry about note or rest values yet.

When you’re satisfied that you’ve marked all the beats correctly, you should then be able to figure out what type of notes to write.

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 69 Rhythm Practice

These exercises can be practiced several different ways:

1. Tap the beat (pulse) with your food and clap the rhythm on the staff

2. Conduct the beat with your hand and sing the rhythms on ‘ta’. Conducting helps you keep track of where you are in a measure as you sing the rhythm.

Conducting 3/4 time: Conducting 4/4 time:

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 70

Section 6 Review

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 71 Review from KeysETT 1-3

Notes on the keyboard and grand staff:

Note and rest values:

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 72 Time Signature formula: Top # = number of beats per measure Bottom # = tells you what kind of note gets one count

-4/4 time has 4 beats per measure. -4/4 time has a strong downbeat (first beat) and third beat, along with a weaker second and fourth beats.

-3/4 time has 3 beats per measure. -3/4 time has a strong downbeat and weaker second and third beats.

-2/4 time has 2 beats per measure. 2/4 time has a strong downbeat and a weaker second beat.

Dynamics: how loud and soft music is played.

is the symbol for fortissimo, which means to play very loudly. is the symbol for the Italian word forte, which means to play loudly. is the symbol for mezzo forte, which means to play moderately loud. is the symbol for mezzo piano, which means to play moderately soft. is the symbol for the Italian word piano, which means to play softly. is the symbol for pianissimo, which means to play very softly.

To crescendo means to gradually get louder. Sometimes this is abbreviated as cresc.

To diminuendo (sometimes called decrescendo) means to gradually get softer. Sometimes this is abbreviated as dim.

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 73 Ties vs. Slurs:

A slur is an arched line connecting music notes. It means to play the notes smoothly, or . At the end of each slur, you need to have a “phrase lift.” Lift your hand off the keys, leading with your wrist.

A tie connects one or more notes that are exactly the same. It means to hold the note for the value of both notes. slur Ɵe

& œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙

Accidentals: A sharp (#) added to a letter name raises it a half step. A flat ( ) added to a letter name lowers it a half step. A natural (♮) added to a letter name cancels any sharps or flats previously played with that note. Accidentals affect the note they are placed directly before and all notes on the same line or space through the end of the measure. The measure line cancels all accidentals.

Tempo: how fast or slow to play a piece. Largo = play very slowly Adagio = play slowly Andante = play at a slow walking tempo Moderato = play at a moderate tempo, not fast, but not slow Allegro = play at a quick, lively tempo

Pick-up Beats: If the first measure of a piece is incomplete (only having 1 or 2 counts when it is supposed to have 4), the notes in that measure are called pick-up beats. If a piece has an incomplete first measure, the last measure of the piece is usually incomplete as well. Combining the first and last measure should make 1 complete measure.

Half Steps and Whole Steps: A half step is the next closest note on the keyboard– it does not matter if it is a white note or a black note. A whole step is two half steps. When counting half steps and whole steps, do not count anything until you have stepped off of your first note. It does not count as a step unless you have actually stepped.

Scales:

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 74 Major Scale = W-W-H-W-W-W-H Natural Minor Scale = W-H-W-W-H-W-W Harmonic Minor Scale = raise the 7th of a natural minor scale a ½ step Melodic Minor Scale = raise the 6th and 7th of a natural minor scale a ½ step when ascending; lower them back down when descending Relative Scales = major and minor scale with the same key signature Parallel Scales = major and minor key with the same tonic

Relative Keys: Relative keys share the same key signature (the number of sharps or flats). The relative minor key is the 6th scale tone of the major scale. You can also start on the major tonic and go down a minor third, 3 half steps, to find the relative minor. The relative major is the 3rd scale tone of the minor scale. You can also start on the minor tonic and go up a minor third, 3 half steps, to find the relative major.

Intervals:

An interval is the distance between two notes. Each interval has a quality (major, minor, perfect) and a number (2, 3, 4, 5, etc.) Notes that are written side by side create a melodic interval. Notes that are stacked on top of each other create a harmonic interval.

Number of Number of Interval Interval Half Steps Half Steps Unison 0 P5 7 m2 1 m6 8 M2 2 M6 9 m3 3 m7 10 M3 4 M7 11 P4 5 P8 (Octave) 12 TT 6

Staccato: Staccato is to play with a short, detached, and crisp sound. It is the opposite of playing smoothly (indicated by a slur). A staccato note has a dot directly above or below it.

Fermata: A indicates to hold the note longer than its normal value.

Accents: An accent means to play that single note louder than the surrounding notes. Accents are not all the same level of loudness but are relative to the current dynamic.

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 75 Chords: Major Chord = Root + 4 half steps + 3 half steps Minor Chord = Root + 3 half steps + 4 half step Suspended (sus) Chord = Major chord; raise the 3rd 1 half step Augmented Chord = Root + 4 half steps + 4 half steps or Major chord; raise the 5th 1 half step Diminished Chord = Root + 3 half steps + 3 half steps or Minor chord; lower the 5th 1 half step Major 7th Chord = Root + 4 half steps + 3 half steps + 4 half steps Dominant 7th Chord = Root + 4 half steps + 3 half steps + 3 half steps Minor 7th Chord = Root + 3 half steps + 4 half steps + 3 half steps 2 Chord = Major or minor chord with scale degree 2

Blocked Chord vs. Broken Chord: A blocked chord has all of its chord tones stacked on top of each other. You play all the notes at the same time. A broken chord still contains all the same chord tones, but they are not all played together. The bass note can be played by itself, followed by the rest of the notes played together, or each note can be played individually with a variety of patterns.

Nashville Numbers: 2 primary rules for reading in Nashville Numbers: 1. Tonic (the root of the key you are in) is always I 2. Upper case Roman numerals = major chord Lower case Roman numerals = minor chord

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 76 Basics of Music Notation

Note heads: " Note heads should clearly show the correct note to be played. For a space note, draw the note head exactly to fill in the space. Do not cross over any lines. For a line note, draw the note head so that the line goes through its middle. The note head should only take up half of the space above and half of the space below.

Stem direction: " Any note on the middle line or above - stem is on the left side of the note head and goes down. " Any note below the middle line - stem is on the right side of the note head and goes up. " Stems are one octave in length. (Draw the stem through 3 additional lines or spaces.) " If two or more notes share a stem, the stem should be pointed the correct direction for the note that is the furthest away from the middle line.

Accidentals and Articulations: " When drawing on the staff, always draw the accidental (sharps, flats, natural signs) before the note. If writing letters, write it as you would speak it: C#. " Draw accidentals on the same line or space as the note they affect. For space notes, the boxed area of the sharp and natural, as well as the body of the flat, should fill the space exactly. For line notes, the line should go straight through the middle of the boxed area of the sharp and natural and the body of the flat. " Articulations ( and accents) are drawn above or below the note head, not the stem.

Measures and Bar lines: " If using more than one staff, such as a treble clef and a bass clef, draw a brace at the beginning of the line. The bar lines between clefs should be aligned.

Key Signatures and Time Signatures: " In order of appearance: 1) Draw the clef 2) Key signature (using the proper order and placement of sharps or flats) 3) Time signature

" When drawing multiple staves of music, always include the clef sign and the key signature. The time signature only needs to be on the first stave.

Metric Placement and Vertical Alignment: " Make sure to line up the beats. Beat 1 in the treble clef should line up with beat 1 in the bass clef. Leave space for the beats not played.

Flags: " For notes with flags (like eighth notes), the flag is always on the right, whether the stem is pointed up or down.

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 77 Beams: " Group notes according to time signature. For quarter note time signatures (like 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4) this means grouping eighth notes in groups of 2 or 4. Do not beam 3 eighth notes together in a quarter note time signature. Instead, group 2 notes together and leave one as a single eighth note. For eighth note time signatures (like 3/8, 6/8, 9/8, and 12/8) group eighth notes in groups of 3 or 6. Do not beam 4 eighth notes together in an eighth note time signature. Instead, group 3 notes together and leave one as a single eighth note. " When two notes are beamed together, the note furthest from the middle line determines the direction of the stems. " When three or more notes are beamed together, the majority determines the direction of the stems. " The first and last note of the group determines the slant of the connecting line.

Ties: " Ties connect the note head, not the stem. " Ties can be used to help ensure each measure has the correct number of beats. If you are in 4/4 time and beat 4 of your song is a half note, you cannot draw a half note. This would cause your measure to have 5 beats. Instead draw a quarter note and tie it to a quarter note in the next measure.

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 78

Section 7 Teaching Aids

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 79 Teacher Aids

KeysETT 4: Ear Training Aids for the Teacher

Additional Melodies to Hear and Notate:

• How He Loves Us - John McMillan • Let it Rain - Michael W. Smith • We Will Seek You First, Lord – Shane Barnard

Additional Songs to Identify I, IV, V and vi Chords: Example in Exercise 1: Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus: I, V, vi, I, IV, V, I, I/3, vi, ii, I, V7, I As the Deer - Matt Gilman (uses I/3, ii) Found Faithful - Justin Rizzo and Misty Edwards (uses ii, iii) Joyful, Joyful, pre-chorus and chorus - Laura Hackett (uses ii, I/3) Here I am to Worship - Tim Hughes (uses ii) Holy - Matt Gilman (uses ii, iii) Daughters of Jerusalem, David Brymer (uses ii)

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 80 Teaching Suggestions: Lesson Planning Maximizing Outcomes For KeysETT Worship Musicians

1. The following is a general template “lesson plan”.

2. The KeysETT curriculum is designed so that you stay in ONE key until everything (theory/keys/ear training) is mastered by the student in that key.

3. Watch the clock to “divide and conquer”! It keeps the pace of the class moving.

A. In a one-hour format: a. The 1st Section of the hour (12-15 minutes): • As a group, play diatonic scales previously assigned (e.g., key of C). • As a group, play harmonized scales previously assigned. • “Individual-Seat-Work” = students use headphones to practice individually while you walk the aisles to observe each student’s progress (3-4 minutes). b. The 2nd Section of the hour (10-12 minutes): • As a group, play and sing a previously learned section of a song. • Allow time for “Individual-Seat-Work” as a review. Observe students individually while they practice (3-5 minutes). c. The 3rd Section of the hour (15-25 minutes): • Introduce A NEW SECTION of a song (e.g. The first 8 measures): divide “right and left hand” skills before allowing students to try both hands together. • Use the piece to introduce a theory concept (e.g. Nashville numbers; turn- arounds/chord theory). • Have students clap the rhythm of the melody. • Have students sing letters names/ scale degrees of the melody. • Finally, have students sing the words of the song. You accompany them. 1. (Worship leaders must be able to sing while they play!)

KEYSETT LEVEL 4 Page 81 • “Individual Seat-work”= students use head phones to practice that section of the song while you walk the aisles to observe each student’s progress (3-4 minutes). d. Final Section of the hour (5-7 minutes): • NEVER introduce new material in the last 5 minutes of class! • Review a piece that they have already played for a grade. • As a group, let them sing and play the song like “worship leaders”. • REVIEW any concept that was emphasized in class (Use questions/answers). • Remind them of any assignment that you have given them. • Inform them of the date that the material will be graded.

B. Teaching is a combination of “review, new, and review”

C. In each of the sections described above use the following plan:

TELL ‘EM WHAT YOU’RE GONNA TELL ‘EM

then…

TELL ‘EM

then…

TELL ‘EM WHAT YOU TOLD ‘EM!