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For me the key to learning about the chords, is learning the history behind the chord itself. G flat Major didn't strike me unsual at first, then I looked at it good. It looked wierd as you know what, and twice as ugly.

Then I looked it up in wiki and here's what I found.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G-flat_major

Yeah, I prefer F# major, myself.

hmm fail?

"Bb" bi-atch..

Ummm . . . " the key to learning about the chords, is learning the history behind the chord itself?"
Naaah.
I sure don't know where you are coming from . . .
(It is called F#, by the way, not G flat.)
That's what philbymon was referring to, btw, for those who didn't know . . .

Anyway -
The 'key' is playing that same chord, - alongside every chord it works with, - over and over again, until it's a part of you and you don't have to think about it.
If you're going to play F# - try following it with an 'A,' or go straight to a 'B.'
And keep doing that until it's as natural as breathing.
Then try the same chords, both walking up to them, and down to them.
.
Then plug in any of 1000 other chords before and after that same F#.
.
Then try a bunch of different rhythms with those chords . . .
Then . . .
. . .
Hey . . .
The key to music is PLAYING it, my friend.
. . . not reading history books, eh?

I have no idea what I'm doing... and I prefer it that way!
you don't have to understand the variables of combustion in order to be a good race car driver... I'm a driver, not a mechanic. When they say you can't do that to your car or it'll blow it up, I do it anyway, if it will get me to the lead... low & behold it did what was not supposed to work... i won

just the way it works for me. don't mean it's the same for everyone!

www.myspace.com/blunderingeye
http://c1.ezfolk.com/bands/6039/index.php
www.myspace.com/44517500I
twitter.com@HaydenKing
Facebook group/Hayden King

"It is what it is"

Thanks
I agree with you 100% rythmnman. Nothing, ever, "and I repeat ever' replaces the real thing, exceptin maybe Pepsi, or is that Coke?
What I'm saying in addition to the hours of practice htting the chords, during my down time, or while sitting on the toilet, instead of reaching for a reach Reader's Digest" I rather take a peek at my "Learn to Play Keyboard" by Steve Ashworth by the way contains a look of good trivia.
I thought about taking my laptop into the john to look at wiki, but that would be goiing to far, and plus it would make my wife jealous, and I thought about taking my keyboards in there, but they are not water proof. I agree with you when you say you have to internalize it, to learn it. But a part of internalizing is falling in love with your labor, and as for me this in addition helps me to remember. We all need reminders and cues, even you.

Hayden, I'm like you 100% my friend. I'm like the Sundance Kid. I can't hit what I'm aiming at unless I'm moving. But upon introduction to a new subject I do need a blueprint. I might waiver from it, (not might, I will) but at least when I do, I'll do it according to the book, or at least I'll have the book backing me up. It's hard to explain. I don't have the verbrosity to explain it. The best way to explain it Hayden it to do an informal scan of my progress while I'm on bandmix. I'll learn the chords, and become my music will sound more mature in implementation...but timing while always be a proplem for me. I have no rythmn. My strong points are imagination and learning from other musicians that are real good like yourself. I have listened to some of your material and man you are good!

Rythman I knew a the G Spot. But I repect those, like yourself that have been in this business longer than myself. When something is stated, I refer to my handy "Learn to Play Keyboards." And I didn't find it. But thru Philbymon
I have and will continue to learn, I chose to ignore this clinche. Maybe he knows something we don't

PS. I was a Lt in the US Army. The NCO's used to have a saying. NCO-private and SGT's/ Want to screw something up, give a Lt a screwdriver. /Meaning that the NCO learned thru practical experience, and that the Officer was book schooled or went to West Point.

In addition to being an x-officier, I can get gritty. [code][/code]

Thank You my friend. I appreciate that more than you know!

get yourself a metronome... it will help you with your sense of timing. It is a lil monotonous I'm sure, but many classically trained professional musicians use them!

www.myspace.com/blunderingeye
http://c1.ezfolk.com/bands/6039/index.php
www.myspace.com/445175001
twitter.com@HaydenKing
Facebook group/Hayden King

"It is what it is"

Rythman I knew a the G Spot. But I repect those, like yourself that have been in this business longer than myself. When something is stated, I refer to my handy "Learn to Play Keyboards." And I didn't find it. But thru Philbymon
I have and will continue to learn, I chose to ignore this clinche. Maybe he knows something we don't

PS. I was a Lt in the US Army. The NCO's used to have a saying. NCO-private and SGT's/ Want to screw something up, give a Lt a screwdriver. /Meaning that the NCO learned thru practical experience, and that the Officer was book schooled or went to West Point.

In addition to being an x-officier, I can get gritty. [code][/code]

Hey, Writer. I've been compiling a simple chord progression chart to help with some lessons I'm giving. These show the key of the song and then which chords will work well within that song. It's all in majors and minors, but later you can throw in 7th's and other variations to see what fits, after you learn the basics. Just copy this into Word or some other word processing app and print your own chart to keep with you. You won't need to memorize it all, but you should get used to the steps (whole and half). You'll notice it goes Root, then Whole, Whole, Half, Whole, Whole, Whole, Half. Those are the steps that make up Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Ti, Do. That is the 1st (Root), 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th (octave). When someone talks about a 1-4-5 song, they mean the 1st (root), 4th, and 5th. You'll notice these are all majors. The rest, 2nd, 3rd, 6th and 7th are all minors.
Hope this helps a little.
Here's the chart:
Steps--------whole---whole---half----whole---whole---whole---half
Key---------1--------2--------3--------4--------5--------6--------7--------Octave
A-----------A-------Bm-----C#m-----D-------E-------F#m----G#m--------A
A#---------A#------Cm-----Dm------D#------F--------Gm-----Am--------A#
B-----------B-------C#m----D#m-----E-------F#------G#m----A#m-------B
C-----------C-------Dm-----Em-------F-------G-------Am------Bm---------C
C#---------C#------D#m----Fm------F#------G#-----A#m-----Cm---------C#
D-----------D-------Em-----F#m------G------A-------Bm------C#m--------D
D#---------D#------Fm-----Gm-------G#-----A#------Cm------Dm--------D#
E-----------E--------F#m---G#m------A------B-------C#m-----D#m-------E
F-----------F--------Gm-----Am------A#-----B#-------Dm------Em--------F
F#---------F#-------G#m---A#m-----B-------C#------D#m-----Fm--------F#
G----------G--------Am-----Bm------C-------D--------Em-------F#m------G
G#--------G#-------A#m---Cm------C#------D#-------Fm-------Gm------G#

Now Rythmnan I might need a new book but pn page 217 of my handy book, on right hand side of the book clearly states "G Flat Major". I looked five times. And then again. "G Flat Major"
Scale is as follws:
G(b), A(b),b(f), c(F),d(f), Eb), f, repeat
Sounds a littlle ozzy to me. The scale that is.

Hayden 1 metrodome on order.

Now I have to go to BWI, and pick up yhe wife and kids, and my father-in-law. (Thats a blues story in itself. A good, funny one.)

Hint:
Pick a key you want to play in, use the chart I gave you to find the chords that fit, then go to http://keychord.com/ and click on the chords (use the "minor" variation for the minors) and learn them on the keyboard. Then try them out in a song, always starting with the Root chord.

Thanks ratsass. I'll look at it tonight. Right now I'm going to get some shuteye. I have to go to BWI airport, a 2 hr trip. I stayed up late last night trying to install a mnp3 convertor for my audacity, so you all can hear me. I can record write now, but in order for me to snd it I have to do it mp3. When I got my computer tuned, the company didn't download this, and now I can't find the directory.