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This is a neat sounding chord! It adds a majestic
flair to a stately hymn or gospel song.
The altered vii (diminished) chord can be used
during a V to I chord progression if the V chord
lasts for at least three beats. This allows time
for the chord substitution to resolve back to the
V chord before moving on to the I chord.
Simply alter the vii (diminished) chord by lower-
ing the bottom note one half step.
For example:
In the key of F...the vii (diminished) chord is:
( E G B flat ) Lower the E to an E flat.
This creates an E flat chord to be used within
the key of F.
Use it first in place of the V and then resolve to the
V chord before going on to the I chord.
I've shared two examples of this chord subsit-
tution to help clarify the concept.
Special note: The minor 7th of the altered chord
is also included for a smoother chord progression.
It's used in the left hand for both examples.
In the first example: the minor 7th of the altered
chord is the D flat octave in the left hand.
For the second example: The G flat octave is the
minor 7th of the altered chord.
Remember, this stately chord substitution can be
applied when using a V to I chord progression.
*The V chord must last for at least 3 beats.
Attention: Please don't use chord substitutions for
congregational singing unless they're singing
unison.
Chord substitutions will clash with the written
voice parts in the hymnal.
2 comments:
The "Trust & Obey" solo was lovely! When you're playing that song for the congregation, Jenifer, do you play it according to the strict time? I never know how to handle the fact that people expect a long pause after 'on our way' in verse 1. The same thing happens in Amazing Grace. I play the keyboard at church and have a rotation of pianists with me. We never seem to get around to discussing this with each other or the song leaders....who also 'rotate' Sunday by Sunday, and almost none of them reads music!
What a loaded question. I love questions like this!
Wow! A different song leader every Sunday. Must be tricky:)
We have one song director and he leads in a basic strict time but will hold words that have a fermata (bird's eye) mark.
Yes, we also hold the same places for "Trust and Obey and Amazing Grace."
Tell you what... I'll do an article or video presentation in the near future showing what fill-ins to play for these type of situations.
Thanks for the question!
Have you seen my article on fermatas?
(May have to copy and paste this link since it doesn't highlight in the comment section).
This may help shed light on how to handle held words.
http://thechurchpianist.blogspot.com/2008/10/how-to-handle-fermatas-well-trained.html
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