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Gospel piano · Playable lesson

Gospel piano and its passing chords

Gospel pianists never go straight from one chord to the next: they pass through another on the way. Play the walk from C to D minor through a diminished chord, then the Amen, and hear the church in it.

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dim7 PASSING 2-5-1 TURN 1-4-1 AMEN 12/8 FEEL
Exercise

C, passing diminished, 2-5-1, Amen

C major, C sharp diminished 7, D minor 7, G7, C, then the Amen: F over C and back to C. Hold each chord, listen to how the top note walks.

Keep going

Chords, scales and styles to go with it

Song

Amazing Grace

Free sheet music that plays, ready for gospel chords.

Open → Song

When the Saints Go Marching In

The spiritual every gospel band knows.

Open → Style

Jazz piano

The 2-5-1 again, with rootless voicings.

Open → Chord

D minor 7 chord

The ii chord of the 2-5-1 in C.

Open →
Practice plan

Four steps to gospel piano

Play the hymn chords

C, D minor 7, G7, C, plain, one per bar.

Insert the passing chord

C sharp diminished 7 between C and D minor 7: the bass climbs by half steps.

End with an Amen

C, then F with C in the bass, then C again, slowly.

Sway in 12/8

Count 1-2-3, 2-2-3, 3-2-3, 4-2-3 and play the chords on each big beat.

Passing chords: the gospel move

In a hymn, C goes to D minor in one step. A gospel pianist slips a diminished seventh chord between them: C sharp, E, G, B flat. Its bass climbs by a half step, C, C sharp, D, and its notes lean into the next chord. Use the same trick between any two chords a whole step apart and the harmony starts to move like a choir.

Piano keyboard from C4 to C5 with C sharp diminished seventh in cyan: C sharp, E, G, B flat.CDEFGABC
C sharp diminished 7: four notes three half steps apart, the bridge from C to D minor.

The 2-5-1 and the Amen

From D minor 7 to G7 to C, the 2-5-1 brings the music home, as in jazz. Gospel adds the Amen or plagal cadence: C, F over C, C, the sound of the last line of a hymn. Keep C in the bass and in the top while the middle notes move: that held note under moving chords is a gospel signature.

Octaves, rhythm and feel

The left hand plays the bass in octaves, strong and low, and walks between chords. Slow songs sway in 12/8, four beats each split in three; up-tempo shouts drive on the off-beats with the drums. Start with the melodies you know: Amazing Grace and When the Saints Go Marching In are free on the site, and both take passing chords beautifully.

  • Add a diminished chord a half step below each chord you land on.
  • End every phrase with the Amen cadence, C, F over C, C.
  • Double the bass note in octaves and walk it up to the next chord.

A gospel turnaround

At the end of a verse, gospel players walk back home through a chain of dominant chords: E7, A7, D7, G7, C, each one pulling to the next a fifth below. Put the bass in octaves and let the top note fall by half steps. Use the turnaround to fill the last two bars before the next verse, and the music never stops moving.

Questions

Frequently asked

What are passing chords in gospel piano?

Chords played briefly between two main chords to make the harmony move. The most common is a diminished seventh chord whose bass sits a half step below the next chord, such as C sharp diminished 7 between C and D minor 7.

What is the Amen cadence?

The plagal cadence, IV to I: in C, F to C. Gospel pianists often keep C in the bass and play F over C before returning home, the sound of the final Amen of a hymn.

How do I get the gospel sound on piano?

Use seventh chords and passing chords, play octaves in the left hand, keep a note held while the others move, and feel slow songs in 12/8. The exercise on this page plays the core moves in C.

Piano styles

Keep reading

One playable lesson per style: the chords, the left hand and the feel that make it sound like itself.

A vintage upright piano on the small stage of a smoky jazz club, a double bass beside it and a candle on a table Hub

Piano styles

Jazz, blues, boogie-woogie, gospel, pop, ragtime, Latin and lo-fi: one playable lesson per style.

Read it → A black grand piano under a warm spotlight on the stage of a late-night jazz club, an upright double bass and a cymbal beside it, candles and cocktails on the front tables Guide

Jazz piano

The ii-V-I with rootless voicings, swing and comping, a first jazz line.

Read it → A battered upright piano in a wooden juke joint at night, a bottle, a glass and a harmonica on top, a bare bulb and a magenta neon arrow, fireflies through the screen door Guide

Blues piano

The 12-bar blues in C with seventh chords, the blues scale and a shuffle left hand.

Read it → An upright piano on the bandstand of a 1940s dance hall, a glowing jukebox, a saxophone on its stand and a mirror ball over the polished dance floor Guide

Boogie-woogie piano

The walking left hand, eight to the bar, over the three chords of the blues.

Read it → A black grand piano alone on an arena stage with a microphone over the keys, cyan and magenta light beams and thousands of phone lights in the crowd Guide

Pop piano

The four chords behind countless hits, with inversions and accompaniment patterns.

Read it → A carved upright piano with candle holders, a straw boater hat and a glass of beer in a 1900 saloon, the long bar and the swinging doors behind Guide

Ragtime piano

The oom-pah stride left hand and the syncopations of Scott Joplin.

Read it → A turquoise upright piano against a peeling pink wall in a Havana salsa club, congas, timbales and maracas around it, palm leaves and a ceiling fan Guide

Latin piano

The montuno in octaves, the clave, and the habanera rhythm.

Read it → A small upright piano by a rainy window at night, a cat asleep on top next to headphones, a cassette player and a steaming mug under a desk lamp Guide

Lo-fi piano

Major sevenths and ninths, a descending progression, and the lazy lo-fi touch.

Read it →
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