KEYS
FIRST STEP TO MAKING NEW ARRANGEMENTS | Ed Kerr
In this season of just about everything online that we used to do in person , I ’ ve been enjoying coaching some keyboard players via Zoom . I ’ ve developed a setup that allows the person I ’ m coaching to see a virtual keyboard whose keys light up as I play my studio keyboard . This setup has proven to be helpful since it lets the student see exactly what they should play on their instrument . consistent melody in the right hand :
These three notes are heard over the D chord , the G chord , and a D chord with an F # in the bass .
Similarly , in Pat Barrett ’ s recording of “ Build My Life ” with Chris Tomlin , this more intricate patterns recurs over the chords of the verse in the key of G .
Try any order of these chords you want . The point is to listen to how this recurring right hand pattern sounds over the different bass notes .
I won ’ t bog you down with the music theory that supports using these 3 notes over 4 different chords . Suffice it to say that whether or not the notes of your pattern are part of your current chord , modern keyboard players are willing to let patterns like this recur regardless . For example , the B chord is spelled B D # F #. This recurring pattern doesn ’ t have a D # in it . Instead , it has an E , which is part of a Bsus chord .
For years in my teaching at worship seminars and in individual coaching sessions like this Zoom one , there ’ s been a consistent thread through them all . It ’ s that in modern worship many keyboard parts , whether using a piano sound or a pad sound , the first and fifth notes in the scale for the key of your song are the foundation of what we play in many songs . In the key of D , for example , the 1 st note of the scale is D , and the 5 th note of the scale is A . In your right hand , if you hold D and A down while the rest of the band plays the evolving chords , these notes will fit well within the harmonies of most songs .
I ’ ve also taught hundreds of times that most of the songs we play in modern worship involve the 1-4-5-6 family of chords . For those of you who aren ’ t sure what this means , you can build a chord over each note of any scale . In D major , the 1-4-5-6 progression is D-G-A-Bm .
You can read more in my past articles here about this concept . For this article , I want to take you further than a 2 note keyboard part . Many recordings of popular worship songs feature a more intricate piano part . Check out Christy Nockels ’ recording of “ Build My Life ”. After an intro with pads , a piano begins play this
This pattern repeats over the G chord , the C chord , and a G chord with a B in the bass .
Okay , so that ’ s what a keyboard player did in these two recordings . Here ’ s the thing . You can do similar patterns in lots of worship songs that you ’ re playing , especially those that use the 1-4-5-6 family of chords .
The pattern you create doesn ’ t have to be exactly like either of the examples I showed above , either . For example , here ’ s a pattern that works nicely in the key of E , where the 1-4-5-6 chords are E-A-B-C # m .
Try playing this yourself as you play any of the possible 1-4-5-6 bass notes in your left hand . Give each bass note a full measure . Here are some of the 1-4-5-6 variations you could try :
NUMBERS
CHORDS 4-1-6-4 A-E-C # m-B 1-5-4-6 E-B-A- C # m
By continuing to play the pattern that includes the E while a guitarist in the band might be playing a regular B chord , B D # F #, there ’ s a nice “ color ” created within the band , where the D # from the guitar creates a dissonance with the E in the piano part . Don ’ t shy away from these dissonances , as they ’ re part of what gives modern worship arrangements their distinctive character .
Sometimes I remind myself when I ’ m rehearsing with my worship team that there aren ’ t any rules that say we have to play a worship song exactly like it was recorded . Some of the most fulfilling moments I ’ ve had with my team through the years have come when we decide to come up with a unique arrangement on our own . I hope you ’ ll take some similar chances on your own and with your worship team . The introduction of a piano pattern like I ’ ve described here can be the start of making the arrangement your own . Enjoy the process !
Ed Kerr Ed Kerr lives in Seattle with his family . He serves as worship arts director at First Free Methodist Church , teaches keyboards in Paul Baloche ’ s leadworship workshops and is a clinician with Yamaha ’ s House of Worship . He also manages the Yamaha Worship Facebook group and invites you to join the group . www . KerrTunes . com