As you probably know, there are thousands and thousands of different chords in music – everything from basic major chords to minor 7ths to 13ths to suspensions to poly-chords. Someday, you might want to learn all those chords if you don’t already know them.

But meanwhile, there are 3 chords — just 3 — that you absolutely, positively have to know. If you don’t know these three, there’s hardly a song in the whole world that you could play. But by knowing just 3 chords, you can play hundreds, if not thousands of songs!

Really?

Really.

Are you ready? Here they are:

I IV V

Huh? What’s all that about?

Here’s what:

In every key there are 3 chords — just 3 chords — which are known as primary chords — chords that occur way more than other chords. They are like family members of that particular key. They are groups of notes built on the 1st note of the scale, the 4th note of that scale, and the 5th note of that scale. (Those are 3-note chords called triads — in another article we will get into 4 and 5 note chords.)

For example, here is the C scale on the keyboard. It runs from C up to C and octave higher. The I chord is built on the first note of the C scale, and so on:

So if I build a chord on the I — every other scale note up from C, the chord is C, E, and G — known as the C major chord.

If I build a chord on the IV — every other scale note up from F, the chord is F, A, and C — known as the F major chord.

If I build a chord on the V — every other scale note up from G, the chord is G, B, and D — known as the G major chord.

Please notice, if you haven’t already, that those 3 chords contain ALL the notes in the C scale!

So what?

So any melody – tune – in the key of C (as long as it just uses the 8 notes of the scale) can be harmonized just by playing one of those 3 chords!

Think about that — that’s a HUGE insight that most people never get.

So, in any given key you can play in, there are PRIMARY CHORDS — chords that occur way more than other chords. They are like family members of that particular key.

At your house, let’s say you have 3 people in your family — your spouse, your child, and you. On the same block, but down the street a few houses, lives your cousin and her family.

At any given moment, who are the most likely people to be in your house?

The Terminator?

Hillary?

Dubba?

I don’t think so.

It’s possible, of course, but not too likely. If I had to guess, I would say it would be either you, your spouse, or your child. It might be your cousin down the street — there’s a much better chance of that than, say, David Letterman or Prince Charles — but my best odds would be to guess that the family members would be there.

It’s the same way with chords. In any given key, there are 3 family members that are residents of that key — the I chord, the IV chord, and the V chord. They are far and away the most likely chords to occur in any given key.

For example, if I am playing in the Key of C, and the first chord is the C chord and I have to guess what the next chord is, I would guess that it would be either the F chord or the G chord. Why? Because those are the other family members. So we have narrowed the odds a great deal just by knowing who the members of the family are.

Does that mean that there are always just 3 chords in a song? No, but there are literally hundreds of songs that are made of just 3 chords.

The Primary Piano Chords (the fam) Of All the Major Keys

Here are the primary chords (the family chords) of all the major keys (remember that the primary chords are the I chord, the IV chord, and the V chord based on the scale of that particular key):

Key of C: C, F, G

Key of G: G, C, D

Key of D: D, G, A

Key of A: A, D, E

Key of E: E, A, B

Key of B: B, E, F#

Key of F: F, Bb, C

Key of Bb: Bb, Eb, F

Key of Eb: Eb, Ab, Bb

Key of Ab: Ab, Db, Eb

Key of Db: Db, Gb, Ab

Key of Gb: Gb, Cb, Db

Do you have to know all these chords in all these keys?

No.

You can choose to play in just one key, or just a few keys.

But what you MUST know is the 3 chords in whatever key you want to play in! That means that the stark beginner can learn 3 chords in just a few minutes, and be able to play along with thousands of tunes, because most folk songs, hymns, country songs, and many rock songs just use the 3 basic chords. That’s why people who know zilch about music can pick up a guitar, learn 3 chords, and strum along while singing everything from On Top Of Old Smoky to Amazing Grace to My Country ‘Tis Of Thee to Auld Lang Syne to Silent Night to……………………..well, you get the idea. And not only a guitar, but a piano, keyboard, or whatever.

Duane Shinn is the author of over 500 music books and products such as DVD’s, CD’s, musical games for kids, chord charts, musical software, and piano lesson instructional courses for adults. He holds an advanced degree from Southern Oregon University and was the founder of Piano University in Southern Oregon.

He can be reached at http://www.chordpiano.com. He is the author of the popular free 101-week e-mail newsletter titled Amazing Secrets Of Exciting Piano Chords & Sizzling Chord Progressions with over 56,000 current subscribers. Those interested may obtain a free subscription by going to http://www.playpiano.com

A lot of what you have been told about creating your image is false. This article is meant to be a simple list of things that might surprise you as a musician. Some of you have had ?managers? misguide you. You know the drill. Your guitar player?s girlfriend has a connection at some local club so now she thinks she is fit to orchestrate your entire career. Maybe you have a know-it-all singer who spent 5 minutes glossing over some music industry website and now he is writing your bio chalk full of transparent lies and over-exagerated descriptions of your rock fury. No matter what the case may be, I can guarantee you that you have at least a few misconceptions about how to properly present your image. This article will briefly outline some of the major issues on writing better bios, press kits, and press releases.

YOU HAVE MORE CONTROL THAN YOU THINK

The most important thing I can tell you is you have more control than you think. If you really get the hang of image presentation and playing this game we call the music biz you can virtually create any image you want of yourself or your band. First and foremost I want to talk about the press. Ever surf the net doing some research of some new band your friend told you about? Ever notice how multiple music sites will have the exact same description of the band? Of course, you aren?t an idiot, you realize these sites simply rip what the band wrote in their bio on the band homepage. But do you realize the POWER of this? Basically, you have the power to syndicate your image in a way. These websites simply don?t have the time, nor intimate knowledge of your band, to create some pseudo-bio for you. They rely on you, and what you have to say about yourself. This is power. Use it wisely.

But you already knew that. What I?m about to tell you is something you may not know, but could drastically affect your bands promotional campaign. PRINT MAGAZINES DO THIS TOO. Yep, a lot of those long write-ups you see in your favorite magazines about your favorite band, have content ripped straight from the bands? bio. The trick is that this only applies to well written bios. If you do in fact have such a bio, this can be the most powerful weapon in your promotional arsenal.

THE SECRET BIO SAUCE RECIPE

Ok. So let?s recap real quickly. You know that your bio can help control your image on the net. And now you know you can even control how the print media presents you. But how do you write such a bio? First, let?s go over what NOT to do.

INFLATE: Do not inflate your image beyond the reality of your band. Don?t be all flash and no smash. In other words, don?t talk about what you can?t back up. This is the most common mistake in bio writing. I call it ?inflation?. This is pretty much adjective abuse. Avoid phrases like ?intense live show? or ?super sonic blast from the future?. This is stock. This is not creative. If you aren?t the biggest drawing band in your own market, don?t say ?this band is taking the nation by storm?. The press and online community have been reading bios with such inflations since the beginning, they see past this very well.

QUOTE FANS: If you can?t get someone credible to say something nice about your band DO NOT resort to using a fan comment. Ever?for any reason.

LIST SONG DESCRIPTIONS: If you are already an ?inflator? then talking about your own songs will only cause pain and tragedy.

SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME ON PREVIOUS BANDS: If your last band didn?t have a record deal or tour, don?t bother. If you have some leverage with your ?former member of?? status use it tastefully and only in brief.

Now that we have got those cardinal sins out of the way you are probably thinking ?jeeze, what else is there to write about?. This is where we start digging. Time to put on your thinking cap. You have to think like a reporter looking for a refreshing angle. You have to find the one thing that can create an image that will stick. You have to find THE STORY.

By this time I have lost some of you. You either don?t know what I mean by ?the story? or you have a bio that breaks every rule I just outlined and you can?t admit it. The best bios read like a good music rag write-up. If your bio is written correctly it should make a staff writer?s job easy. It should be easy for him to ?rip? or ?cop?. It?s no co-incidence that many pro bands use these kinds of writers to pen their own bios!

Perhaps you have an interesting story about how you came together. Perhaps you have some gimmick, like Siamese twins or 3 bearded lady bassists. But hopefully you have something that connects your band to something going on in the world of music. You need something that will get people?s attention. Maybe your band is the only Death Metal band for 100 miles in the Bible belt. You get the picture.

I am going to list some things that can make great stories (and double as press releases).

-Being produced by someone reputable

-Being managed by someone reputable

-Breaking some mark in online CD sales or downloads

-Getting a supporting slot on a festival or tour

-Having a reputable person as a quoted fan

A PHOTO SPEAKS 1,000 FLAWS

I want to get one thing out of the way: I?m not going to tell you how to dress. But I am going to tell you that it may be your biggest problem. I am not a stylist. I can not solve this problem. I can tell you this though: The camera will expose every flaw you have in your style. With that said, let?s get on with at least getting a quality photo.

I am not a professional photographer. I am not going to tell you how to take a photo of yourself. I am going to tell you where to get one. Your best bet is to find a local photographer that you see at local shows. More often than not, they are either legitimate press, legitimate artist, or a legitimate student. Browse their catalog of band photography and if you think it stands up, there ya go. This may all seem like common sense, but I want to stress that this is abandoned and somehow your guitar player?s girlfriend is your ?photographer? because her mom has a camera. Do not let this happen to you. Find people with pro gear. Get a professional or at least a digital arts student. These are always your best bets.

If you are going for sheer impact with your 8 x 10 one good tip is to at least look like you are in the same band. I?m not saying get a gimmick or wear make-up. I?m saying that even if you think your personal look is ?plain?, your band as a whole can benefit from at least being on the same page.

LOGO

The miracle of Adobe Photoshop has given birth to some of the most breathtaking digital art we have seen. It has also, to the misfortune of bands mostly, created total rubbish. If your logo sucks it says many things about you.

It shows you have high tolerance for bad art.

It shows you yourself might be a bad artist and were not smart enough to hire a professional.

It shows you have a very distorted view about the genre of your band.

It shows some of you are totally unprofessional and don?t care about your image.

You might be surprised how many ways there are to find good digital artists to create your logo. In my personal opinion, even paying up to $100 is worth it for a good logo. Bottom line, the sites below are the best place to find killer artists.

DeviantArt.com
Mylkhead.com
AngryBlue.com
PlayWithKnives.com
EyeSuckInk.com

PRESS KIT SECRETS

One very strong tip I can offer is to try to think of your image as ?dynamic?. It has to be all things to all people. You might have to add something extra to that envelope before you send it off.

If you are sending your kit out to an artist rep at a prospective endorsee you ALWAYS want it to contain tour dates. This is the most important thing in your attempt to get gear for cheap and say those lovely words to all your loser musician friends playing crappy guitars? ?I got an endorsement deal?.

A great add-in is a DVD. There are a lot of affordable ways to make a DVD these days. Again, this is one of those things that will expose your flaws. You don?t want to put your life story on there. Live footage is great if its done right. Fake smoke and that cheesy ?page turn effect? are not. Don?t make a wedding video. This will be valuable in your arsenal when try to book gigs.

Ask First. Send. Follow Up. This is your best way to make some impact and get a solid contact in the biz. Your press kit will always have more impact if the person is expecting it (send it promptly).

Make sure you are to the point when calling someone you?d like to send a press kit to. You are Jon Doe from The Doetones. You are going to be in town around this time. You want to send a press kit for a possible gig. If you are sending an email and have an EPK (Electronic Press Kit) NEVER send the press kit in first. Always try to get a response before sending the press kit. If you are sending to a possible endorsee put your upcoming dates in the initial email.

Following up is crucial. Many of the people you will be dealing with in this business are either busy or forgetful?mostly both. You must initiate contact. Be tactful and patient. Do not hound people, but make sure you give yourself a chance to make some opportunities and pick up the phone yourself.

Remember, you are in essence, trying to self yourself to a company or consumer. You have to be a salesman. Try to connect to people and have them want to talk to you. If you can do this they will always want to help you or get you involved in something that will. Or best of all, spend money on you and your product.

Bruce Prokopets, aka Bishop Dolarhyde, is co-founder and editor of music news blog http://www.scenejumper.com Bruce had his first live gig at 15 and has had various jobs in the industry since. He spent years as a guitar tech, tour manager, endorsement liaison, bassist in a national act, and promoter in the Tampa Bay area of Florida.

My sister told me about this CD and I’m glad she did. It’s a great CD on which all of the songs are done very well both technically and musically.

Alan Jackson does a great job singing the old time favorites like Blessed Assurance, How Great Thou Art, The Old Rugged Cross, and Jackson’s voice is an absolutely perfect fit to these timeless hymns. You can almost picture him standing in the church pew with his family singing the songs.

This is a feel good album done in the deep rich voice of Alan Jackson accompanied by his wife and two daughters and is by far one of Jackson’s best offerings.

This CD is simply a wonderful collection of songs for anyone who enjoys Alan Jackson, or Spiritual Hymns in general. Get it. You won’t be disappointed.

Track List

1. Blessed Assurance
2. Softly And Tenderly
3. I Love To Tell The Story
4. When We All Get To Heaven
5. ‘Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus
6. In The Garden
7. Are You Washed In The Blood?
8. I’ll Fly Away
9. What A Friend We Have In Jesus
10. Standing On The Promises
11. Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
12. Leaning On The Everlasting Arms
13. Old Rugged Cross, The
14. How Great Thou Art
15. I Want To Stroll Over Heaven With You

Record Label – Arista Records (USA)

Trade CDs you don?t want for those you do at http://www.CDLOOP.com . It?s safe, it?s legal, and there are thousands of titles to choose from. And since every trade is backed by the CDLOOP 100% Satisfaction Guarantee, you can be sure you will receive an original CD in perfect working condition, or your money back. Take advantage of free membership and start trading for the music you want today at http://www.CDLOOP.com

A record label is the brand or trademark in the music industry. Let me tell you that a record label is not the company; it is the label that is imprinted in the record itself that sets it apart from the rest. Major record companies or independent record producers may produce record labels. If you are an artist who wants to produce your own music, you may opt to produce under independent record labels.

Let me tell you that if you are a start up record label producer, you are never alone in this business; there are people like you that are thriving in this business as well.

Of course, you will need to understand every inch of the business before you actually start. Understanding the business you are about to get into will give you a step on the door.

Record label start up requirements

• Learn how to recognize a great music that you will produce.
• Learn some basic business management including marketing, bookkeeping and negotiating.
• Because you are in a record label start up business, you need a lot of patience. There is no overnight success in this field. This is because you stand to compete against major labels and other independent record label producers.

It may be worthy to mention at this point that the global music industry is a $48 billion dollar business. Independent record labels and record label start-ups share $12 billion of this. It may not be hard to enter in this field provided you understand how to start your own record label but success may be illusive if you do not learn how to manage your business as well.

Additionally, because you are about to become a record label producer, you will need some start up money. Unfortunately, bankers may not gamble on you at first, this is where you need some help and all the contacts you can possibly have.

However, record label start ups need not worry if you know your business and if you are sure you tried hard to learn the business you are entering, then in time you will succeed even as an independent record label producer.

www.getputon.com – Step by Step Guide to starting a Record Label

Most students new to piano playing really want to know what to do with the left hand. They think the left hand holds the secret to great improvisations and music. While it’s true that the left hand has usually been the captain of the piano ship when it comes to setting arrangements, the right can also join in.

Look, the right hand is where most of us create our melodies. It’s considered easier than the workhorse part the left has to do with creating arpeggios, ostinatos and the like. But, we can also use the right hand to create arpeggios and ostinato patterns.

For example, in the Lesson April Rain, the right hand plays closed position seventh chords as arpeggios while the right plays bass notes as melody. This is not a new technique by far but it’s not usually used in New Age piano playing.

And like any other technique, it takes a while before you feel comfortable enough to play a left-hand melody using bass notes. The piano is such a versatile instrument because unlike many other instruments, the notes are all laid out for you. You can switch hands, criss-cross hands, and do many other things with a piano keyboard that you just can’t do with something like a saxophone or even a guitar!

Edward Weiss is a pianist/composer and webmaster of Quiescence Music’s online piano lessons. He has been helping students learn how to play piano in the New Age style for over 14 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Stop by now at http://www.quiescencemusic.com/pianolessons.html for a FREE piano lesson!

How is your piano playing coming? Did you start to learn the major scales and stop after the key of G or F? Two or more sharps or flats got you stumped? Find yourself turning the page when you see a key signature of three sharps? Read on.

While it is not necessarily detrimental to your piano playing career not to be able to play in all the major keys. Being able to play them can make your piano playing come alive and make transposing and just playing in general infinitely easier.

Since there are only 12 major keys why not devote an entire week to learning a key and it?s primary chords. Start with the key of F and go counterclockwise on the circle of fifths. Since most people go clockwise this will encourage you to dive right in and start learning all the flat keys first.

Also make it a point to learn the Primary chords that go along with each key. Make your hands become familiar with the 1 chord, the IV chord, the V and V7 chord and all of their inversions. Root position, 1st inversion and second inversion.

Play these chords with both hands.

Play chords with your left hand while doing the scale of the key you are currently studying in your right. Then move on and play chords with your right hand and the scale you are studying with your left.

Play your scales staccato and your chords arpeggiated.

Make sure you learn the correct fingering.

It may be slow going at first but it will pay off in the end.

For print outs to help you, including the Circle of Fifths, Scale Fingerings, and Primary Chords visit The Struggling Church Musician and go to the Tools from the Struggling Church Musician section.

K Quinn has been playing the piano for 10 years. She picked up the guitar 5 years ago and both for her church. Visit her website at http://www.strugglingchurchmusician.us for more church musician tools and tips.