Jim Atwood in Japan

Fundamentals of Neo Soul DVD

Jamal Hartwell at Gospelmusicians.com has done it again with the soon to be released DVD titled “Fundamentals of Neo-Soul Keyboard“. Below is a video Sneak Peak released today on Youtube highlighting some exciting movements in the Neo-Soul fundamentals DVD.

Previously Jamal has released a few Neo-Soul related titles which can be found in the Gospelmusicians store. I actually have them all and find them to be very informative and highly recommended. In fact some people might ask why is another Neo-Soul DVD needed since existing titles from Gospelmusicians already exist? My answer to that is basically once you dive into the realm of Neo-Soul you can just never get enough of it. Probably a better question to ask is why is only Jamal from Gospelmusicians focusing on Neo Soul when it’s obviously a highly sought after area of music for Gospel, RnB, Funk, and perhaps even Jazz keyboardists.

If you don’t know what Neo-Soul is, just check out the video below. Then check out some of Jamal’s other videos as he often sprinkles Neo-Soul in just about all of his keyboard playing. Then have a listen to other artists like Musiq, Jill Scott, and Erykha Badu. In fact, one of my favorite artists from the 80′s, Sade has elements of Neo-Soul in her music. ( in my humble opinion ). Neo-Soul simply has a smooth, phat, and elegant flavor to it. As a keyboardist, it’s gives me almost instant gratification whenever I play stuff with a Neo-soul feel. Simply put, Neo-Soul is just “cool” and the “wow” factor is just off the hook!

We need more Neo-Soul and Jamal Hartwell from Gospelmusicians has met that demand!! I can’t wait until this is released. Thank you Jamal! Plus if you haven’t already check out Jamal’s Neo-Soul Rhodes Samples and Patches for Yamaha Motif ES/XS/XF, then you need to do that too. I have them and they are phenomenal! Along with the Neo-Soul technique and feel you need the sounds! It’s a combination of them all that helps you to achieve that great Neo-Soul sound!

Note that I am not an affiliate of Gospelmusicans. I am simply a huge Neo-Soul keyboard fan!!

Please feel free to comment if you know of any other Neo-Soul artists, resources, or even if you are just a Neo Soul enthusiast like I am. Thanks! – Jim

Photo above can be found at Jamal Hartwell’s Facebook Wall Photos Page. Click for more information.

Cognitone Harmony Navigator 2

I recently discovered a software application that’s been out a while called Harmony Navigator 2 from Cognitone. You can check out the software and download a demo here.

What is Harmony Navigator? It’s basically a chord progression tool that gives you an overview of Chords that match a certain key. You can explore variations, substitutions, bridges and modulations to make your Gospel chord progressions more interesting. There are also colors that help guide you to find the next chord in a progression or to achieve certain moods. Plus you can create your own charts, coloring moods and tone ideas that suit your personal style. Basically you can develop your own system of harmony and discover exciting progressions beyond traditional major and minor tonality. In addition, you can export your chord progressions to midi files and then play them back in your favorite DAW, Sequencer, or Midi Jukebox.

Currently I am checking out the Advanced Edition of Harmony Navigator 2 Demo and although it’s comprehensive, I am not finding it that cost effective. Here are a few of my reasons why I am on the fence about recommending this software to Gospel Keyboard Enthusiasts.

First, the cost of the software it is a bit steep in my opinion. For the advanced edition which is far more “required” than the crippled LE version, the price is a very hefty $204 for version 2. It’s likely you’ll have to pay more for an update to Harmony Navigator 3 should it materialize in the future. After working with the software I don’t think I’d ever pay more than $150 for this software, so I’m hoping for a special discount sometime in the future. I’m not trying to be negative here, but after doing a lot of “review” searching around the internet, I find I’m not alone with this point of view about the current price point.

Second, I find Harmony Navigator 2 GREATLY pulls you away from practicing the keyboard. Generally keyboard players find they never have enough time to physically practice the keys. Having to fiddle with software of any kind reduces the amount of time you can spend plugging away at the keyboard. This is not necessarily the fault of Harmony Navigator as all software does this, but Harmony Navigator can be confusing and time consuming to work with. Once you really get to know your way around the software, the time it takes to configure progressions is likely reduced. I suppose I’m a bit partial to learning the keyboard the traditional way which is to understand theory by applying it first hands on the keyboard rather than software.

There are a few Gospel Keyboardists that I know who are “trying” to use this software. The problems they encounter mainly have to do with voice leading, two handed “phat” chords, inversions, and programming effective Gospel palettes into the system. This I haven’t tried yet, so I’m not sure how difficult it is. One of the things that really annoyed me about Harmony Navigator when I first tried it was getting rid of all the “fluff” or accompaniment when you first launch the system. It was easy to change, but I didn’t need the drums, guitars, synths, etc. running in the background when trying to create a progression. I also found it very difficult to just get a straight piano sound without the “echo” effect. In fact, I’m still having issues with this. I’ve heard others have had difficulties with this as well.

So who do I think Harmony Navigator 2 is best suited towards? PRODUCERS!! Yes, I think producers who mainly use software such as Reason, Logic, or other DAWs would really benefit from Harmony Navigator, especially if they are NOT a keyboard player or up to speed on their theory. They are already in the software environment and producers would get good advice from the Harmony Navigator Chord Progression palettes. Export the chord progressions you create into MIDI format and then load it up in your favorite DAW. Then you can quickly get back to beat making and composing your song.

If you are a Gospel Keyboardist, I’d say keep your fingers on the keys as much as possible. Learning theory through videos is the best for me because I can listen and follow along with my hands on the keys! Perhaps Harmony Navigator would work well on a laptop in the car when I can’t access my keyboard, but at home here, all I really want to do is keep playing the keys and NOT click the mouse every five seconds. After my 30 demo has expired, I likely will not register the Harmony Navigator 2 software. I’m not a producer and I just think it’s expensive for what I do ( and what it does ), BUT that doesn’t mean it isn’t a nifty program for those who already are devoted to creating computer music. It’s a cool program and definitely something I’ll keep my eye on for sure.

If there are any Gospel Keyboard musicians out there who are effectively using Harmony Navigator 2 for building Gospel Chord Progressions, I’d like to hear your comments about it. I’m aware that I am new to the program and probably don’t know all there is to know about it. The article mainly highlights my first impressions of the Harmony Navigator software and the things that are important to me when practicing the keyboard.

Gospel Piano Essentials DVD

Today I picked up a really cool and informative Gospel Keys DVD called “Gospel Piano Essenstials” performed by Rev. Darrell Cook from Sonsofthunderpro.com. After checking out quite a few of his videos from his Youtube channel, I grew increasingly interested in viewing his recent DVD release. Below I have listed some of the DVD chapters and material covered in the DVD. The material is based on the key of Db, but it can of course be transposed to any key. I like this approach because it avoids a bit of confusion with mixing keys, plus you can apply everything learned to one key when starting out. It’s also great to not have a DVD that’s entrenched in the key of C all the time. The key of Db is also one of the main keys for performing Gospel Music.

The DVD is easy to download after purchase via the sonsofthunderpro.com website. An account is automatically created once you purchase the download via Paypal. There are multiple zipped files that total 1.66GB in size, so you get nice quality videos that are packed with lots of info. I’m actually quite impressed thus far. Note that I am not an affiliate, rather just a musical instruction enthusiast. I love learning!! At this time I do recommend the DVD download and will update this post periodically with any additional info I find helpful.

I must say that Rev. Darrell Cook is one of the finer keyboard instructors I’ve found out of the many DVDs I’ve acquired over the years. There are a lot of Gospel Keyboard videos out there being offered, but very few have people who can actually “teach” clearly in them. A big thumbs up with regards to the clarity of instruction provided by Rev. Darrell Cook. He’s very easy to listen to and he keeps you interested mainly because the material is all relevant and highly applicable right away with the current trends and styles.

Diatonic Chords
2-5-1 Chord Progression
7-3-6 Chord Progression
Intros and Outros
Developing The Contemporary Touch
What A Mighty God We Serve Breakdown
Alternate Turnaround for What A Mighty God We Serve
Church Chops Runs and Licks
Flavor Chords
Revelation 19
How Great Is Our God
Chord Substitutions
Walk ups and Walk downs
and much more

Another important aspect of this particular tutorial DVD that I discovered is that the left hand is approached differently than a lot of other DVDs. Most Gospel tutorials show basslines or have people play root notes using the left hand. In Gospel Piano Essentials, Rev. Cook often uses rootless or block chord voicings with the left hand. He then uses extensions, triads, riffs, or melodies/solos in the right hand. Thus anyone looking to get some additional insight or practice into “two hand” chord voicings or techniques might find this DVD download useful as well.

In this new DVD I deconstruct the key of D Flat/C Sharp to give you all the concepts you need to become proficient in that key. Everyday people ask me questions about this key. So I wanted to do a video where I pour out everything I could think of to help you get to the next level. There are several of my students who have already viewed the DVD and the seem to love the content. I pray this blesses you.

Korg Electribe ES-1 MKII Sampler

Today I found a mint condition Korg Electribe ES-1 MKII Sampler at the local used Music shop here in Nagano-city, JAPAN. It came with the original box, 64MB memory card, adapter, and manual. This particular sampler was something I new I wanted to pick up. I posted a video below from a Youtube user called “harlemnightsmusic” who stuffed a Korg ES-1 MKII Sampler with 80s Linn Drum sounds and started recreating some fantastic classic 80′s disco and pop rhythms. I have quite a few LinnDrum samples among a ton of other drum machine samples and thought this would work perfectly for me. I love the 32kHz “Lo-Fi” sound of the ES-1 MKII very much. There’s only 95 seconds of memory if correct, but that should be plenty for making a few kits for playback.

I primarily intend to use Korg ES-1 MKII as a pattern based drum sequencer for me to play along with using the keys. I feel the Korg Electribe ES-1 MKII Sampler will be very easy to program drum patterns which could then be easily transferred to other devices if necessary as well. On a side note, I tested the formatting ability on a 128MB smartmedia card and as expected it gave me an error message. Indeed I will only be able to use up to 64MB Smartmedia cards, however, I likely won’t even come close to using that much since the internal memory can only load 95 seconds worth of samples. Currently I am using a 16MB card and that seems just fine for my purposes. Plus I don’t see myself using this for anything other than a drum machine with retro vintage samples in it. For that it’s absolutely awesome and great fun!!

There are quite a few people making great use out of this wonderful sampler on Youtube. I know there are newer updated versions of the Korg Electribe ES-1 MKII, but for the cheap price I bought this for, I’m more than happy with the results.

MIDIKeyz Instructional Keyboard Software

It interesting when something new comes along and you’re reminded of something similar you already purchased a while back. This is the case with the recent release of HearandPlay’s Song Robot. I was thinking “gosh” I already have something similar and now I remember … MIDI KEYZ!! A while ago I purchased an excellent piece of software from GospelMusicians called MIDI KEYZ. You can checkout the video below to see Jamal showcasing MIDIKEYZ with MIDI files.

My favorite MIDI KEYZ features are key transpose, split keyboard left and right for midi files ( see photo above ), Slow down tempo, isolate bar and beat, plus a few other things. There are a ton of features with MIDI KEYZ though, but I mainly use it for MIDI files. I actually only started using it again recently with the MIDI files I get from HearandPlay’s GMTC and other resources that I am a member of. The Song Robot files also play very well in MIDI KEYZ. You can see I have loaded up the file “As The Deer” into MIDIKEYZ and it plays great. Check out the split colors on the keyboard for the left and right hands. You can also MIDI this up to your keyboard to get that rhodes sound on playback as well.

MIDIKeyz Player

Like with vanBasco, Song Robot and others, MIDI KEYZ is another great alternative for MIDI file playback and instruction. It is commercial software priced at $39.99. There isn’t much MIDI file support for MIDI KEYZ directly from GospelMusicians if correct, but you can get MIDI files from all over the internet and of course if you are a member of GMTC or have purchased the “Song Robot” package from Hearandplay you can get more MIDI files there too.

Excerpt: The Split Key feature allows you you split the keyboard colors. As keyboard players ourselves, we know how important it is to decipher between what is played in the right and left hands. The Split Key feature gives you a “relative” idea of what each hand is playing by allowing different colors of the keyboard to light up per your choosing. For teachers this is even more important, as you can use it as a guide when teaching your students.

Note that you define the split key note and from there the notes are split at that point. So it’s important to understand that there “may” be some slight differences from how the original was played with the left and right hand, but it’s close. In fact, most of the time it’s right on!! What I like the best is that it breaks up the chords and notes so that I more easily figure out how I want to play chords with both hands. When all the keys are one color, it can be both hard on the eyes and confusing. The Split key feature is very unique with MIDI KEYZ and so far I have not see any other software that can do the same.

MIDI KEYZ Features | Highlights | Tech Specs

You can purchase MIDI KEYZ at the GospelMusicians store. Note that I am not an affiliate.

GKP-4 GK Parallel Box

This week I scored a Roland GKP-4 GK Parallel Box from Yahoo Auction Japan. It’s rare that I buy anything off Yahoo Japan, but I couldn’t pass up clicking the “Buy Now” for the Roland GKP-4 for $25 bucks. The GKP-4 came with the original box and manual. It’s in absolute “mint” condition. For those that know what this does, it’s discontinued and not an easy piece of gear to find.

The Roland GKP-4 GK Parallel Box allows guitars equipped with a 13-pin GK-compatible pickup to connect to up to four different Roland and BOSS GK-Ready devices simultaneously. The box features separate On/Off switches for each output, plus the ability to turn GK volume messages on or off for realtime volume changes on select devices.

It works sweet too! I really don’t understand why it was discontinued as the Roland US-20 is a nice addition, but shouldn’t be a replacement.

There are other 3rd Party GK devices still available for those interested in something similar, but if you’re a GK Guitar Synth buff and you see one of these….grab it!! It’s awesome! Later I got an email from the gentleman who listed it and he couldn’t believe how fast it sold considering I bought it within an hour of it being posted. I honestly couldn’t believe he was even selling it in the first place!

Hearandplay Song Robot Review

This is an updated review of HearandPlay’s Song Robot reflecting the last 9 updates that it has undergone since the first release. If you had read my original article about Song Robot, I was not entirely excited, but as an avid fan and member of HearandPlay’s GMTC I had a hunch things would get better. They certainly have. For me it was a rough road getting there so I don’t completely discard what I wrote before, but I can now honestly say that Song Robot is a great piece of musical training software. I highly recommend it now.

http://www.hearandplay.com/main/what-if-a-robot-could-teach-you-songs

Here is a list of the latest updates which I think have really been fantastic. Off the top of my head, I think there have been about 3 or 4 releases since the very first one. The update below give you a brief idea about what has been added. All are great additions and have really improved the Song Robot software immensely.

Update #1 – Note names show up above the keys now. Left hand note names show up in blue. Right hand note names show up in red. Note names can be defaulted to the key you’re in or you can choose to only show flats or only showsharps.

Update #2 – The current key of the song now showsup above the keyboard display.

Update #3 – When you transpose to a new key, the area that shows the current key dynamically adjusts to
tell you what new key you’re in so you’re never lost!

Update #4 – Help buttons added, which link to a tutorial
section that will continue to grow with helpful information.

Update #5 – An adjustable split color feature has been added. The right hand will light in red and the left
hand in blue. You can adjust the split point, which is set at middle C (“C4) by default.

Update #6 – An incredible LOOPING feature has been added. You simply press the button to set your end point. Then, simply press ACTIVATION button to start the loop feature and it will repeat at your selected speed and key until you deactivate. Nice!

Update #7 – We’ve now added the ability to slow down a song to 10%… that’s 5 times slower than the first version of SR.

Update #8 – Press either on Play or Pause or the Space bar of your keyboard will switch between play/pause.

Update #9 – You can also use your mouse wheel to control any sliders (volume, pitch, tempo). Lastly, the scrub bar is 100% precise now and will allow you to go to any point of the song you want.

Plus new midi files have been update and made available with the latest release!

Learn Music and Ministry

Today I discovered an online Gospel Keyboard Site called “Learn Music and Ministry” by Casper Corder. I found the site when I was browsing Youtube and watching the preview video called “Common Chord Progressions” which I have embedded below. Now, I understand quite a bit about the number system, play by ear ideology, and how chord progressions on the keyboard are put together. However, I am always interested in learning new information and I was pleasantly surprised at how well Casper discusses the topic of chord progressions in his video. I then browsed through some of his other song and technique videos and found that there was something very valuable to be learned from his keyboard work and videos. So I elected to give “Learn Music and Ministry” a try and check out what more he has to offer.

I chose the option of monthly VIP membership because I wanted access to all the site has to offer including the technique videos, song videos, and organ instructional videos. I know there is a lot of redundancy on the various topics of keyboarding and piano, but I felt that Casper and “Learn Music and Ministry” had a great way of explaining this material in a way that was easier to understand. I am also a huge fan of watching how various musicians explain the same subject. Despite everyone discussing the number system and how to play by ear, they all seem to approach the topic a bit differently. It is in this light that I find enjoyment in picking up new ideas and inspiration through this differences in teaching similar subjects.

I also feel that “Learn Music and Ministry” covers a topic not often explain by “ANYONE” in keyboard instruction and that is specifically how “sentences” or “Chord Progressions” are formed. I can’t tell you how many musicians will explain the 2-5-1 chord progression for example, but they then leave it at that. Has anyone ever heard a jam session with just the 2-5-1 being played and nothing else? What Casper explains very well is how the 2-5-1 is used in conjunction with other popular movements. There are a lot of “secrets” in the world of keyboard playing and I find that “Learn Music and Ministry” covers a lot of them along with other popular sites like “HearandPlay” and “GospelMusicians”.

I tend to think of it this way. Chords are like words in a sentence. Movements such as the 2-5-1 are like phrases. It’s words and phrases that when combined make sentences. It is then several sentences put together that create a paragraph with a topic and supporting details. Music is similar I feel. However, most music instructors will teach chords and movements, but very few will teach how they all go together. To some this may seem obvious and I’m thinking that is likely correct, but for many it’s still a struggle to understand the big picture. The brilliance of “Common Chord Progressions” is that Casper just doesn’t stop with explaining chords and the 2-5-1. He goes on to explain very well how it’s actually put to use in modern music. He doesn’t leave you hanging wondering “What do I do now” with the 2-5-1?

It goes without saying that no online membership site covers it all. I’m a member of HearandPlay’s GMTC and although it comes close, I find myself enjoying other sites too as I have reviewed or discussed in other articles. I love music and I really enjoy listening to all different points of view about different musical topics. If you haven’t checked out “Learn Music and Ministry”, I recommend to take a look. Casper Corder has some beautiful informational gems on his site, not to mention a wealth of inspiration to keep you on track with achieving your musical and life goals.

Strictly for Beginners DVD

Time to do some DVD reviews and the first one I have is called “Strictly for Beginners” from VAMusicMinistry.com. The performer and instructor on the DVD is Minister Vincent Alexander who is a very talented Gospel keyboardist. His Gospel renditions incorporate a lot of Jazz, Rnb, Latin, and Funk flavor which is one of the main reasons I was interested in his playing. The DVD “Strictly for Beginners” includes chapters such as Minor 9 chords, Augmented & Diminished chords, Tritones, Circle of 5ths, the 2-5-1 chord progression, the 7-3-6 chord progression, and some favorite “flava” Worship Chords. It’s a well thought out DVD with a little bit of everything in it to help get the beginner to the intermediate level.

The DVD is only available via download in MP4 format via Payloadz. I’m not a big fan of Payloadz as the downloading times are slow. Plus I usually have to download 3-4 times because the website chokes quite a bit. Nonetheless with perseverance you will eventually get the DVD file. The quality also is pretty good. The keyboard keys are highlighted in the DVD so that’s probably the best point. Some DVDs don’t have that which can really be annoying because often the instructor doesn’t communicate clearly. With “Strictly for Beginners”, you get a decent package.

I’m not a beginner, but the main reason why I purchased the DVD in addition to offering support for the artist, was that I particularly liked how Minister Vincent Alexander explained the material. He offered alternate ways to learn and play Gospel keyboard basics which I like to review from time to time. I thought his ideas on how to practice such material ( chapters indicated above ) was very useful and relevant. It is Vincent’s explanations that allowed me to venture off into different directions experimenting with the material in new ways. I also, at times, like to pick up such beginner or intermediate DVDs because they offer a lot of inspiration which is instrumental in keeping myself focused on my own keyboard goals.

Below is a clip found on Youtube of Minister Vincent Alexander explaining his way of fattening up major chords. Although I know this, it was interesting to hear him explain it and watch how he applied it to his playing. I got a wealth of ideas from this and it was fun to take an existing idea I already knew about and then apply it to something fresh. Fantastic! Currently I am finishing my download of the DVD, but I’ll definitely try to update this post in the comment section once I dive into the DVD a bit more. The price for the DVD is $30 which seems reasonable, but if it might be hard for people to fully understand the contents with just the info given on the “Strictly For Beginners” website. I must admit, I took a slight gamble in purchasing it with limited info, but I think in the end it will be well worth it.

Stay tuned for more info to follow shortly.

Today I became a member of the VAMusicMinistry Online Keyboard Instruction website. I was browsing through some keyboard videos on Youtube and ran across this fantastic musician named Minister Vincent Alexander who was playing one of the best renditions of “Thank You Lord” by Walter Hawkins I have heard thus far. I’m really into adding a Jazzy, Rnb, Funky feel to a Gospel Music Foundation and Minister Vincent does this well. I think Minister Vincent’s performance of “Thank You Lord” really did it for me and had to learn more about how he adds that flavor to the music he performs. I was wonderfully surprised to find that he has a membership website with a large library of instructional videos on all sorts of Gospel Keyboard Songs in various styles. The first month is free and thereafter there is a nominal monthly fee payed via Paypal. Minister Vincent also has a DVD available entitled “Strictly for Beginners” for those wishing to catapult themselves to the intermediate level.

So far I’ve viewed only a handful of videos, but from what I’ve seen so far, they are very modern, relevant, and applicable to everything I like to play. The song selections are also very well thought out and members are encouraged to submit requests at anytime. Minister Vincent Alexander also has a really good teaching style. He not only explains clearly the notes and chords he is playing, but he also offers additional insight and variation to his renditions. This gives you a few additional tools to work with when learning songs so that you can expand further when you get the main structure of the song down. I particularly like the selection of chord voicings and patterns used in the songs. I also find many of the songs have that Neo Soul touch which is another sub genre of Gospel Music that I rather enjoy.

If you haven’t heard of Minister Vincent Alexander, I highly recommend to check out some of his videos on his Youtube channel found here: http://www.youtube.com/user/vralex02. Also, Minister Vincent is very speedy at replying to emails via his Youtube Channel or Contact page from his website. If you have any questions, I’m sure he’d be more than happy to reply. Note that I am not an affiliate of the VAMusicMinistry Online Website. I just like what I hear and wanted to share this site I stumbled upon on my blog. I hope you’ll find as much inspiration in the keyboard music of Minister Vincent Alexander that I’ve found. It’s great music with quality instruction!