LEARN YOUR CHORDS
As a musician or singer, free or on lockdown, I think it is very important for you to study basic music theory. Even if you only want to play by ear, or play for fun, it is good to have the basic fundamentals of music theory under your belt. I recommend Contemporary Music Theory: Level One By Mark Harrison. In my opinion, it is the best top to bottom music theory book out.
With that said, if you are a musician or singer who started late in life, or just does not have time to devote to learning music theory, I strongly advise that you learn your chords. Learning your chords will allow you accompany (and sometimes lead) many popular praise and worship songs. Regardless of what the lead singer is doing, if you know and follow the chord changes of a song, what you are playing will blend in, as long as you are in the right key. Many times, I will buy sheet music and learn a song note for note, but once I am familiar with a song, I turn my attention to the chord symbols and/or guitar tablature printed atop the grand staff on a lot of sheet music. (For example, Cm7 or Gsus etc.) Sometimes, you will come across music and lyrics with only chord symbols. Once I learn a song the right way, I turn my attention to the chord symbols to be more innovative in my approach to any song, because the only way your audience is going to feel a song is if you feel it, and the only way you feel it is if you make it your own. The only way you make it your own is if you put your own twist on it, and the easiest way to do that is by learning your chords.
RECOGNIZING CHORD SYMBOLS
MAJOR CHORDS: These are just plain three note chords called triads. played in their original, natural fashion. Changing a major chord to any other type of chord (like changing Å major to A minor) is altering the chord quality of a chord. Chord symbols usually appear above the treble clef of the grand staff on some sheet music, sometimes accompanied with guitar tablature and are recognized by simple, capital letters. For major chords, for example, they will look like A, C#, or D., etc.
MINOR CHORDS: These chords will have a small letter "m" next to them, like Am or C#m or Dbm, and so on.
AUGMENTED CHORDS: will use the symbol "aug", like Aaug, C#aug or Dbaug.
DIMINISHIED CHORDS: will have a "dim" next to them, like G#dim or F#dim
SUSPENDED CHORDS: like Bsus, or A sus
SEVENTHED CHORDS: Like C#7 or B 7
MAJOR SEVENTHED CHORDS: Like C#M7 or A#M7
SECOND CHORDS: Like C2 or Ab2
NINTHED CHORDS: Like Bb9 or G 9
MINOR SEVENTHED: Bbm7 or Cm7
SIXTHED CHORDS: C6, or A#6
Every Chord and Chord Quality can be played in every key, and applied to every chord. The name of the chord is also the root key the chord is played in. For example, with Dm, the root key and the root chord is, D, and the quality of the chord is minored. Usually, I play my chords or melodies with right hand, and my bass line with my left. So when you see C2, you would play C-D-G with your right hand. The root of C2 is C, so you would hit the note of C simultaneously with your left hand, unless specified otherwise (like if you see a chord symbol like C2/B, you'd play C-D-G with your right, and the note B with your left.)
CHORD QUALITY FORMULA CHEAT SHEET
Every chord quality, regardless of which key you are playing in follows the same pattern or formula when it comes to spacing between keys. Again, using the piano to demonstrate, allow me to break it down for you:
To find any major chord, starting in on any key, be it black or white, the formula is Root (or R) –4–3... What is (R) –4–3? Well, the root note in the chord of C Major is C, so put your right thumb on middle c. Then, counting black keys and white keys, count over 4 keys until you land on E with your middle finger. Then count over three more notes until your pinky finger lands on G.
(R) –4–3 = C–E–G = C major
Try it with Gb major: Put your thumb on Gb.......count over four keys to Bb, then count over three keys to Db...
(R) –4–3– = Gb–Bb– Db = Gb major
No matter what note you start with, (R)-4-3 will give you the major chord for that key.
Here are some more chord quality formulas for the chording most used in popular praise and worship songs:
Major Chords: (R) –4–3
Minor Chords: (R) –3–4
Augmented Chords: (R) –4–4
Diminished Chords: (R) –3–3
Suspended Chords: (R) –5–2
Second Chords: (R) –2–5
Seventhed Chords: (R) –4–3–3 (four notes)
Major Seventhed Chords: (R) –4–3–4 (four notes)
Ninthed Chords: (R) –2–2–3 (four notes)
Minor Seventhed Chords: (R) –3–4–3 (four notes)
Sixthed Chords: (R) –4–3–2
MUSICAL ALPHABET
Try out your Chord Quality Formulas, starting at any key using the Chord Quality Formulas I have provided.