GospelSkillz - Musicians Blog

The Contemporary Gospel Sound

I have gotten a lot of feedback from those that say they are still having problems with achieving the “Contemporary Sound”. “I can play the chords in exercises, but when it comes time to put them in a song, I’m lost!” Some even go as far as to conclude that some people HAVE IT! and some people DON'T! and therefore want to quit. COME ON PEOPLE!! We got enough complications with the 2008 Democratic Primary. Let’s not bring it to the music!! It’s supposed to be fun and rewarding and we have to keep it that way or we will all be confused and frustrated – just like we are with the Democratic Primary, but I won't go there :o) Let’s talk about this Contemporary Sound.<< MORE >>

Press Release: BlackGospel.com Interview

-by Christopher Heron

This is an interview I did with BlackGospel.com.  I thought I would share it with the GospelSkillz.com family.   Let me know what you think?
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Multi-Instrumentalizing...Does it Pay Off in the Long Run

In this day and age it is common to see musicians playing more than one instrument. Common combinations I see most often are Sax-Flute-Clarinet, Bass-Guitar, Piano-Organ-Drums, etc. My question is..."Does it really pay off in the long run?".<< MORE >>

Are Good Musicians Hard to Find?

I want to take this opportunity to talk about musicians in the church or should I say the lack there of.  I've heard and witnessed churches soliciting musicians because either their musician left or they've never had a consistent musician.  Many of them say that good musicians are hard to find.  Is that really the case or is it that the good musicians are being pulled in another direction?  There is a long standing debate over whether musicians in church should be getting paid.  There are many supporters on both sides of the camp, but the one thing that I ...
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How Do You Approach Ear Training?

OK for the ones who may be confused as to what ear training is, let me explain...

If you are blessed enough to be able to hear, then you have been a student of ear training for as long as you have been alive.  In the womb our ears were trained to recognize and distinguish mom's voice as well as other sounds we were exposed to.  As we grew older we were exposed to other sounds of the world which our ears were trained to distinguish such as a train whistle, school bell, fire truck siren, dad's voice, etc.  As a musician, when you listen to music ...
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"Perfect Practice Makes Perfect"

One of the most common things I hear when talking with other musicians is that, “I practice and practice, but I don’t seem to be going anywhere…” This is the unfortunate case for many musicians. They spend hours and hours trying to get better only to realize that they aren’t growing much at all.<< MORE >>

Basic Progressions - Part 2 - "Oh How I Love Jesus"

In this video blog, I go into some of the more advanced chords and substitutions of "Oh How I Love Jesus". If you haven't already, I encourage you to view the first video in the two part series. Part one covers the very basic progressions of the song. Understanding the basics is critical to building further upon the foundation it sets. I also explain some of the chords in the substitutions that I use in this video. If you have any questions at all, I encourage you to post them to this blog because we have a wealth of musicians that can help you gain a better understanding. And as always if you are an acomplished musician and have some insight to share with everyone else, please do.<< MORE >>

Basic Progressions - Part1 - "Oh How I Love Jesus"

In this Video Lesson, I cover some of the basics of music such as Major Triad chords and Inversions. I also introduce you to the Number System. These are all concepts that you will use as you go through your musical career. If you are already an acomplished musician and you have any feedback, please offer it as I am always open to sugguestions for uplifting musicians. If you are a beginner and you have any questions regarding the content of this video, please post your questions or comments to the Video Lesson Blog so that everyone can take advantage of it. Thanks for visiting my blog and Be Blessed.<< MORE >>

Message to Beginning Musicians - I Dare You to Get Serious!

I get asked the question a lot, "Do you have any advise for beginning musicians?" I always say, "Sure" and give them what I have been priviledged to learn over the years. But this time I thought I would just write it down so that others can take advantage of my message. << MORE >>

Music Theory - Is it REALLY that important?

I hear musicians all the time talk about this subject. I would even venture to say that there is probably an equal number of supporters on both sides of this issue. The question on many musicians' minds is... "If I am already playing and it sounds good to myself and others, then why do I need theory?" << MORE >>