Urbana 2000 Convention
Precious
Lord
- CD Music
by matt frazier & j.j. hansen
Virtually every song on this recording works just fine a cappella (with few voices or with many). Note that as you listen to vocal parts, you'll find that alto and tenor are always panned left and right for ease of learning. If you are an instrumentalist and you want to accompany some of these songs, here are a few thoughts to get you started.
We Have Come Into the Lord's House
- The technique and rhythms used for playing tambourine in this style are art forms in themselves. The basic rhythm without embellishments is like a broken triplet (i.e. missing the middle note) - a bit like jazz rhythmic phrasing. The best way to learn how to play like this is to visit a church where you'll hear this kind of music and learn from someone there. Be sure to use a tambourine with a head on it.
- These voice and tambourine type arrangements work in just about any setting. And if the tambourine part is too challenging for now, clapping (on beats 2 and 4, of course) is just fine.
- A repeated last line like this is called a "drive,"and is very common in this style of music.
- This song has mostly simple chord changes in a minor key (there are some optional jazz-type chords as well). Piano players will want to avoid playing the melody. Metrically, think of a slow determined pace and play the song with strength and energy - without speeding it up!
Hallelujah, the Lord God Almighty Reigns
- Use full chords and experiment with various voicings. Avoid playing the melody. It's tempting to rush this song, but try not to since moving this song too quickly will diminish its power. Using a few well-placed augmented and minor chords will decrease the effects of any monotony factor.
- You might want to use this song in conjunction with another (i.e. a medley) since it's so short.
- This three-part harmony (rather than four) is typical for Black Gospel music.
- This is a basic chord progression in G. Click here for the sheet music. (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)
- This music is out of print, but is owned by Bud John Songs/Crouch Music (administered by Music Services at 615-794-0793).
- The chord progression is a blues derivative in Em. The final cadence utilizes a B7 (rather than the Bmin7 heard earlier).
- The organ part is based on a blues scale (i.e. 1-b3-4-b5-5-b7). Chords are held with the left hand while the right hand works the scale (without interfering with the melody). Sometimes the scale is taken from the key (i.e. Em), and sometimes from the corresponding chord. The organ sound has a thick texture, so most chords should be played with only 3 or 4 notes. Keep in mind that any 7th chord can be played with 3 notes (root, third, seventh). If you're playing with a bass player, you have more freedom to choose voicings that work best, and you don't have to play the root at all if you don't want.
- The single-note guitar line (sometimes called "bubble picking") is played clean through a wah pedal.
- The chord progression is a simple blues derivative in A. All the chords are dominant quality with a resolving suspension (4-3 on A7 and E7, and 6-5 on D7). Click here for the sheet music. (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)
- The
opening lick is a standard blues figure - there are many others
that would work just as well.
- This is the same style of tambourine playing as "We Have Come Into the Lord's House."
Hallelujah, Salvation and Glory
- This
is a great song for whole groups to sing in parts. Divide the women
in your group into soprano and alto. The men will all sing together.
- Click here for the sheet music. (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)
- Piano players should feel free to keep this simple. Be sure to maintain the beat (if there's no drummer and/or bass player) by using the bass line to walk.
The arrangements on this CD were written with campus worship teams in mind. Though they draw heavily on contemporary and traditional performance practice in the Black church, they are not always exactly what you would hear in a Black church. If you want to learn more about Black Gospel music and how to play it, consider joining your campus or community Gospel choir or attending or joining a Black church in your area. A great two-volume CD compilation of traditional Gospel music from the West Angeles C.O.G.I.C. is called "Saints in Praise." Contemporary gospel artists include Kirk Franklin; Fred Hammond; Walt Whitman and the Soul Children of Chicago; Yolanda Adams; and many others.
LIVE
Worship CD
Worship Music recorded live at Urbana 2000
Worship
4
Creative, exciting visualizations of worship songs from Urbana 2000!
Precious
Lord CD
Worship Songs from the African-American Church Tradition
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