CRAWFORD DANNY hts Tem Trt) iFrom the author. Over the past several years | have talked with countless piano players who want to learn new licks. Since | play studio sessions for a living, there is hardly a week that passes that I don’t encounter a pianist expressing those wishes. If you go into nearly any music store, you will find many books, tapes and videos for guitar players, teaching licks for almost any music style However, if you go in looking for keyboard helps, they usually have little to nothing in the store. This is the case because there are not that many things available that cater to different keyboard styles. There are some things available if you want to leam rock, blues, or jazz, but there's not that much for country or southern gospel. | have owned a retail music store since 1982. | have looked for this type of thing as a keyboard player and as a store owner, and found very little from most music suppliers. |! began having a real interest in the piano around age five. My mom was the pianist at our church, and | would sit beside her on the bench at home and pick out notes that blended with what she was playing. | took lessons for about four or five years between the ages of six and fourteen, and hated nearly every minute of it. | wanted to learn to play by ear, but most teachers want you to learn by the book. A couple of my teachers knew where | was coming from, so they worked with me ‘some in that area; but like most kids, | hated to practice my “lessons.” At age thirteen | started playing with a weekend gospel group, and at that point being able to play by ear was a definite advantage. | piayed with a couple of different groups from my area until | was in my early twenties. At that point | traveled for a little while playing with the Rex Nelon singers; and then in 1990, Karen Peck and | started the group Karen Peck and New River. All through this time | was running a music store, traveling with a group, and playing an increasing number of sessions each week. In 1993 | stopped traveling with the group, turned the daily operations of the store over to someone else, and began playing sessions full time. Over the years I have been privileged to play on some great recordings, with groups such as Gold City, The Martins, The Ruppes, Squire Parsons and obviously Karen Peck and New River, along with many other very well known-and not so well known—artists. People often ask who my favorite keyboard player is. I honestly don't have a favorite. You ‘can get yourself into trouble when you start naming names, because you will inevitably leave someone out, but there are so many great ones. There are several whom | greatly admire and who have had a huge influence on my playing: Lari Goss, Otis Forrest, Gary Prim, Eddie Crook, Nick Bruno, Gary Smith, Dirk Johnson and Hargus "Pig" Robbins. I've never met some of those guys, but as a session player, I've had to write hundreds of chord charts from recordings that they have played ‘on, So it's hard not to be influenced by and respectful of their wonderful talents. Gospel music has so many great pianists whom I respect and value as friends: Anthony Burger, Gary Jones, Jeff Stice, Tim Parton, Roger Talley, Roger Bennett, Gerald Wolfe, Jeff Collins, Art Baine, Milton Smith, Stan Whitmire, Richard Putman, Channing Eleton, Janet and Sharon Hayes and Craig Nobles. There are others, but these are some of the best, in my opinion. This is probably a good time to thank my parents for all the money they spent (or wasted) on. piano lessons when | was a kid. | know there were times when they would have enjoyed some peace and quiet rather than hearing me banging around on the piano. | would also like to thank the different music teachers who put up with me. I'm sure that | made their teaching lives miserable at times. {also want to thank my beautiful wife and daughter for allowing me the time to put this book together. It involved a lot of late hours and countless amounts of my time. | love you both so much. Most of all | thank God for letting me enjoy a litle bit of the gift of music. Music is very much like life. The more you learn, the more you realize just how much you don’t know. In many ways, music helps to give me just a glimpse of how beautiful God must be.INTRODUCTION. WHaT IS THE NUMBER SYSTEM.. How To Use THs Book. Mayor Scates ANo How To Make BAsic CHorps. FILES THat WiLL WORK Over Any Mason CHORD. “14 FILLS THATPARE More BLUESY OR AGGRESIVE. Finis THAT LeaD Tor From a 4 CHORD. FILLS THAT LEAD To a 2 CHORD. Filis THAT LEAD FRGOMA 2 MINGR To 4 5... FILLS THAT BEAD FROM A 5°To A 1...... Two-HaNBED FILLS: FILLS For 6/8 oR 3/4 Time. eee vcccercccecccrccecececccessessesceoce BY DANNY GRAWFORDFills, licks, chops, runs, riffs, and extras. These are some of the words used to describe the small musical phrases that happen throughout a song when improvising on a musical instrument. Fills is one of the most accurate terms, because that's exactly what these musical phrases do. They fill in the “holes” left by vocal phrases or another instrument. This is found in nearly all musical styles. If this is something new to you, take some time and listen to various types of music to see how this technique is used. Country and gospel music use fills in nearly every song, whether there is a full band with several vocalists, or just a piano and one singer. When a band plays, the drums, bass, and rhythm guitar provide the foundation for the song. The other instruments, like piano, electric guitar, steel, etc., will play rhythm or “pads until itis their time to fil. You will usually only hear one dominant instrument at a time doing fills. The fills will weave in and out of the vocal phrases to complement the melody. Itis important to try and keep your fills tasteful. You want to avoid stepping on top of the vocal line, in most cases. Don't think that every fill has to be a “hot lick.” Sometimes playing a two- or three-note fill is much more effective than playing ten notes. There are several sayings that people use to make the point about tasteful playing, such as “less is more” and “just K.1.S.S. it” which means "Keep It Simple Stupid!" Just remember, don't play twenty- five notes when five will do just fine. It's as much about what NOT to play as it is what TO play. This book contains some very simple basic licks as well as some “busy” ones. Always try to use different fils wisely and in a complementary fashion. The “ousier’ licks usually work better on faster songs. This book is not a “how to play the piano” course. This book is for those who already have some ability to play an instrument, whether reading music or playing by ear. This book is designed to help you dress up your music with some of those litle extras that you hear other musicians use. This is just a small collection of licks that will work in several different kinds of music, especially country and southem gospel style playing. Since these two musical styles have many similarities, most of these fills will work in either situation. The sky is the limit on how many different fills and variations of those fils you can create. As the lines continue to blur that separate the different music styles, you wil find that some fills will work in many different genres. Much of today’s country music would have been considered southern rock back in the 70's and 80's, while other modern country tunes cross over into the pop market. As a result, certain musical fils can work in a broad spectrum of styles. Sometimes just by changing the timing or position of certain notes in a fil it can take the country edge" off and make a more pop-sounding lick, or vice-versa The fills in this book are separated into different types from a technical standpoint. Most are single right-hand licks, but some are two-handed, Some are designed to play across a chord that doesn't change, while others are intended to lead you into and out of chord changes. The companion CD will help you to hear the phrasing and feeling for each fill This book has been written with the understanding that some people who use it will be music readers, while others will be players that play only by ear. You do not have to read music to be able to use this book. It has been designed to accommodate both music readers and “ear players.” However, whether you read music or not, you need to have an understanding of the correlation between music and numbers.The basic element of music is mathematics. Notice how melodies are just a series of whole steps, half steps, and intervals. Chords are combinations of intervals. Scales are numeric pattems. Timing is based around the number of beats in a measure. The list goes on with musical elements and their relationship to numbers. As you begin to realize how all of these elements work together, your playing and your concept of music will rise to higher levels, In order to best use this book and to improve your musical inventory of fils, you need to fully understand a fundamental element of music — scales! The word scale is taken from the Italian word scala, which means “ladder.” Each note of a scale is like a step on a ladder, with the bottom and top step having the same letter name. Scales are like musical ladders with steps that take you from one octave to the next. Often, when you bring up the subject of scales to people who have taken piano lessons, it carties a negative connotation with it, and | understand why. Did you ever take lessons from a bona fide piano teacher? If so, your teacher probably sent you home with books like the John Thompson Piano Method, the Michael Aaron Piano Course, ot something equivalent. In the very back of those books are ‘two to four pages of scales: all of the major scales, with notes for both hands written out, each one covering two or three octaves backwards and forwards. Chances are, your teacher wanted you to memorize all of those scales. | can remember looking at that and feeling overwhelmed with fear and frustration. I would see those hundreds of notes in front of me, and | would think to myself, “I can never remember all of this!” Another thing that made it so frustrating was that I didn’t see how it was relevant to playing music. It was just a hard, boring, time-consuming exercise to me. If you can relate to any of that in your past or present, then you will be glad to know there is an easier way! What | didn't realize at the time was that those hundreds of notes in front of me were really just an eight-note pattern that gives you the scale regardless of what note you start on. Here's how it works. Start on a C and play every white key until you reach the next C. That is a C-major scale. It consists of eight notes, C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C. You've also heard it as Do-Re-Mi-Fa-So- La-Ti-Do. What you have actually just played is a pattern of whole steps and half steps. If you are not familiar with whole and half steps, here's what it means. A half step is made when you play a note and then play the note directly above or below it. For example, if you play aC to a Ci, that is a half step up. If you play a C to B, that is a half step down. Notice that all half steps are not going to go from a white key to a black key, or from a black key to a white key. The half steps of B to C and E to F are both white notes. A whole step is made when you play a note and then play two notes above or below it. For example, if you play C to D, that is a whole step up. If you play C to B®, that is a whole step down. You are passing over the half step and going to the whole. It goes back to math. Two halves equal a whole. If any of this is stil unclear to you, find someone who is familiar with it, and they can help you to understand it in a matter of minutes. Now let's look back at the notes in the C major scale. Remember that itis a pattern The notes are C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C, or C — whole step — whole step — half step — whole step — whole step — whole step — half step. Think of it this way. c bp &€ F G A BC Stat 1 1 % 414 #4 4 % Just memorize that pattern. You started on C and played upwards two whole steps, a half step, three whole steps, and a half step. Remember two wholes and a half, three wholes and a half! That's it! You can start on any note of the piano and play that pattern, and it will give you the major scale for that note. It works for every scale; there are no exceptions.If you are trying to figure out a particular scale and you wonder whether you're playing the right notes or not, here’s a littl trick to remember. Play it backwards, and it will always be the Christmas song “Joy To The World.” Again, there are no exceptions. What Is The Number System? Have you ever heard musicians talk about “playing by number charts" or "the Nashville number system"? If so, and you've wondered what they were talking about. then let me try to remove some of the mystery. This is by no means meant to be an exhaustive effort on the subject, but simply a summary of how it works. For centuries, music has been taught and written based around Roman numerals Several years ago, the session musicians in Nashville began adapting the numeric system to the recording process; and, as a result, itis often referred to as the “Nashville number system.” It's basically a system of assigning a number to each chord that is used in a song. Itis a kind of musical “shorthand.” There are several benefits to using the number system, especially ina band or studio situation. One of the most advantageous uses of itis being able to play a song in any key without having to rewrite the chord chart. In a studio setting, it is a common thing for singers to decide that they need a song played in a different key, or they may want to try several different keys to find the one that best suits their vocal range. If you're playing by a number chart when this happens, you just shift keys mentally and apply the numbers to the new key, rather than writing a whole new chord chart. When the clock is running anc singers or record companies are paying for musicians and studio time, the number system is @ very efficient way to get the job done. tis very handy in a band situation, when learning new material, or when you may be playing a song and need to make one of the other players aware of a chord change that is coming up. in that situation, itis easy to give hanc signals about a "2" of “4” chord that is coming up, rather than trying to communicate an “For 'D*." for example. Once you get used to playing by this method, it will become second nature to you. As stated in the previous paragraph, the number system is a method of assigning a number to each chord used in a song. It all comes back to knowing the scales. Here is an ‘example of how you assign each chord a number. If you were to play a basic arrangement of “Amazing Grace’ in the key of G, you could use the chords that you see written above the words. This song is written in % time, Each chord represents a full 3-beat measure. Gc 6G c 6 G G DOD ‘Amazing Grace how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me 6 6 oc G Em D G G once was lost, but now I'm found. Was blind but now | see... Now look at just the chord pattern without the words. It looks like this s Gc G a) s G@ oc iG Em DG GHere is where knowing the scales comes in. If you know the G scale, then you know that it consists of 8 notes: G-A-B-C-D-E-F#-G. Using the number system, each letter of the scale would be represented by its corresponding number. In other words G=1,A=2, B=3, C=4, D=5, E=6, F#=7, and G=8. Here is where the numbers take over. Instead of writing down a °G' every time a “G" chord is played, you would write down a "1," because "G’ is the 1“ note (or the 1") of the “G’ scale. Next, every time a °C’ is played, you would write down a “4," because “C*is the 4” note (or the “4’) of the "G" scale. You would continue that process for each chord sed in the song (D=5, E=6, etc.) The chords to our arrangement of “Amazing Grace” would now look like this on a number chart. You can now apply these chords (named as numbers) to any scale, What ever scale that you apply them to would be considered the key of the song. Suppose you were playing this song for someone to sing, but they needed it in 8b. Your number chart wouldn't change, but your chords would be this. Bb Bb Eb Bb Bb Bb F. Bb Bb Eb Bb Gm F Bb Bb Basically, that's it! There are no smoke and mirrors. This is a very simplified example, but it works the same regardless of how complex the song. Many songs use many more (and complex) chords than this, and you will also find songs with many split bars (or split measures) Split bars have more than one chord change within a measure. People who use the number system also have their own vocabulary to go along with it. You will hear them use terms such as diamonds, pushes, turnaround, tag, etc. There is also @ host of rather comical terms, such ‘as groovas interuptus, chordus conflictus, and redneck triplets, just to name a few. Itis important that you have some concept of how the number system works, in order to fully understand how this book is laid out. You will notice that itis divided into sections such as “Fills that lead to and from a 4 chord” and “Fills that lead to a 2 chord.” Saying “Fills that lead from a 1 toa 4 chord’ is the same as saying ‘Fils that lead from a C to an F,"if you're in the key of °C." or “from A to D” if you're in the key of "A." Itis not practical to write out every lick in every key; therefore, using the numbers is a more sensible approach. Whether you're a good sight reader or a play-by-ear person, the recording that comes with this book will help you get the full benefit of this material, On the recording, you will find each fill played, along with a bass guitar and a drum pattern. This will help to give you an idea of the “feel” of each lick and how it should be played. Each fillis played 4 times, and the faster ones are repeated 4 more times at a slower tempo, so that you can hear each note distinctly Throughout the book I have made some suggestions on how the fingering should be for a particular lick. For the most part, you should experiment and play it the way that feels best to you.How To Use This Book The fills in this book are laid out in such a way that they can be used by music readers as well as those who play by ear. Many people who play gospel and country music play strictly by ear, while others also read music to some degree. Again, this is not a "how to play the piano” book. It has been written for those who already play and want to be able to spice up their music or increase their inventory of licks, To get the full benefit of this book, it is essential that you have a very good understanding of scales. If you haven't already, memorize the 8-note pattem for playing a major scale. Work on the scales while sitting at the piano, as well as away from it. Remember that there are 12 major scales. Practice writing them down when you're not at the piano, then check them against the chart at the end of this section. Knowing the scales by heart will enable you to play these fils in any key. If you look at the C-major scale written out in standard music notation, it looks like what you see in the example below. Below each note is its letter name, and above each note is its number name. Therefore, C=1, D=2, E=3, F=4, G=5, A=6, B=7, and C=8. To get an idea of how the numbers work, try this simple example. Pick out the tune to "Twinkle Twinkle Litttie Star" in the key of C. The notes will be C-C-G-G-A-A-G, F-F-E-E-D-D-C. Now look at each note based on its number in the scale. It would be 1~ 3-6-5, 4-4-3-3-2- 2-4. You can now take the numbers and apply them to another scale, and you will be playing the tune in a different key. For example, if you apply the numbers to the G scale, the notes will become G-G-D-D-E-E-D, C-C-B-B-A-A.G. If you apply them to the Bb scale, they will be Bb-Bb- F-F-G-G-F Eb-Eb-D-D-C-C-Bb. It can be applied to every major scale. This is called transposing. The fills in this book are all laid out in this same fashion. You will find that each fill is notated in the key of C. Above each note will be the number that it represents in the scale. You can take the numbers and transpose the lick to any key that you like. Let's look at another example. This is taken from the section "Fills That Are More Bluesy or Aggressive.” F GbhG C G GbF Eb Cc Notice how this example uses flats in it. In this case, you will flat the 5's in two different places. For example, if you apply this to the key of 'A,' the notes will be D-Eb-E-A-E-Eb-D-C- ‘A. Now you can see why itis so important to know your scales. Aside from it benefiting you with this book, it can also open unlimited doors for you to other musical knowledge. On the next page you will find a chart showing you how to construct chords by using the notes of the scale.The 12 Major Scales & E=E- F=F- ib a.) > o: G=G-a- APs A?-B?- *The above scales named after flats can also be named after their sharp names (B® or A’, D® or C*, G or F* etc.); however, most people refer to them by the “flat” name. In ggspel music especially, people would refer to the key of a song as B’ or E’ instead of A® or D* How to Make Basic Chords Chords are made by using the notes of the major scale. The chart below shows which notes make up each chord. T Notes of the Scale | Chord Name Written As Major 1[3][5 ,_C Major, C Maj Minor clea Aol ES: Cm, C, C Minor, C Min ™ a[3 is [7 Cc EW 1 [315 | 79 | C’(a9is the sameas a2) Augmented 1/3/55 le=acnice Diminished 1/3] 5 oom Major 6 a{3i[slée/ le Minor 6 1 [3s [el Cm, C* Major 7 1/3 /5 [7 Cmaj’, Maj’, cM’, C* Minor 7 1 [is |r Cmin’, Cm’, C” | i" with Aug. 5 1/3/58 |7 ox cto | (7 with Dim. § 1[3 [Ss |7 Cs C7 CC® alFILLS THAT WILL WORK OVER ANY MAJOR CHORD This is the classic country lick made famous by Floyd Cramer. Though it may be simple, this is a very basic element in obtaining a country style. You will find it incorporated into several of the fills throughout this book. If this is a new move for you, spand some time getting used to the feel of it. The key to making this sound right is to keep the top note (5), sustaining while you fp’ the 2 into a 3. Practice playing itin every key. Fill 2. Here is a variation of fill #1. You are adding two notes to the front of it and changing which beat it falls on in the measure. Fill 3. This is a variation of fill#2. You are adding three more notes to the front of it. Fill 4. Note: In order to make them easy to read, all of the fills in this book are written in the first two octaves above middle 'C’. You should experiment with playing them in different octaves across the keyboard. Use them in the octave that you feel best complements the song 7This fill usually works best with faster songs. It sounds a litle strange if played slowly. Fill 8.3 The first four notes of this fil need to move very quickly. Fill 12. 5 ge LIS This fill is very similar to #3 and #11. Notice how subtle changes, such as omitting or altering just 1 or 2 notes, can have a very noticeable effect. Fills #11 and #12 can both be started on the first or third beat of the measure. Where you start is usually determined by the the vocal phrase. Fill 13. 5 5 5 3 2 oweFill 15. Fill16.Fill 20. 6 5 304 2 3 = One of the tricks to making this one fee! right is to use practical fingering. For the last half of this fill, Keep your litte finger on the 5. Use your index finger on the 3b, middle finger on the 3, index on the 1, and your thumb on the 6 Fill 22. Peg be 1 = oS = Fingering is definitely a key factor in playing the next three fills. Experiment with some different fingering patterns to find the one that feels most comfortable to you. These particular fills, finger better in some keys than others. They work best with fast songs Fill 23. eG oc 2 ee tec Notice that this is #22 with four extra notes added. Fill 24. 86533216 21651653 2162165 1 os oe This is #23 spread out over two octaves, aFill 25. 2 3b36 6b5 6 8 2 3b36 6b5 6 8B 23536 3 3526 1 ooase 2 oo ereke ; = This is definitely one that needs to be played fast in order to make it work in a song. It fingers best in keys like C, F, Bb, and G te,o Fill 26. This one will work with medium to fast songs. If played fast, itneeds to be done with a really bouncy or staccato feel. Fill 27. 8 5) gee e ne e This would be used if you want to get more of an aggressive or bluesy feel in a song. To get even more of that effect, take the 8 and make it a 7b instead. Also, you can replace the 1/8th note rest in the middle of the lick with a 1 note (played with your thumb). 12Fill 29. = 5 = 5 5 5 6 eae: 2 7 6 § 6 23 2 . ptt Se ‘A good way to sometimes learn the rhythm of a hex is to associate it with a popular melody. For this one think of the Dolly Parton song "Two Doors Down" Fill 30. 3 3 3 1 1 5 6 1 5 6 This one is definitely for faster tempos. Here is a fun variation of this fil that you can do. If you play it as written it is a single hand lick. Do this to make it.a two handed lick, Move each 3 up to an 8. This will give you an octave with your right hand. Then play the and 6 with your left hand. Fill 31. 33 3 156156 1 a eo This is just an extended version of #30. This one is fun to play. The same two handed variation used in #30 works as well on this. Fill 32. This is a good basic country style fill. It works welll over a 1 chord or over a ‘split’ measure. A’'split” is where the timing in a measure is split or divided between two different chords. In this example you would have a 1 chord playing the first half of the measure and a 4 chord playing the second half. This is very common at the end of a verse or chorus. 13FILLS THAT ARE MORE BLUESY OR AGGRESSIVE Fill 1. a This is a fun one to play. It fingers pretty well in most keys, but the last few notes can get a little tricky in some keys. Fill 2. 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 5 5 6 7b 6 7b 7 7b 6 3.30 4 5 4 5 5 4 5 4 Fills #2,#3, and #4 are very rhythmic feeling. You can get several variations from these fills by simply playing them in different inversions. Experiment with this by starting with the 3 on top; then try it with the 3 in the middle of the chord. Playing these in different inversions gives you some very neat sounding fills. Fill 3.Fill 7. 6 5 Dydd ob E x bey 5 ——_# — Fill 8. Unless you're a pretty good sight reader, this one may be somewhat difficult to get the feel of without hearing it. The notes are easy ,but the rhythm makes it a lttle challenging. You can get another variation of this lick by reversing the pattern. Instead of starting on the 7b and working down to the 5, start on the 5 and work up to the 7b. 153 o 3 The first part of this one is similar to fill #1 in this section. This can be played with a dotted (swing) feel or with more of a straight feel. It works well either way. Fill 10. iS) obey Sb 9) Tb) 5) 5b 6 ob)4) ob.o | === ez t= — I The trick to making this one sound and feel right is to play the first four notes very quickly together. The triplet on the front of it makes it play this way. After the first three notes (triplet), the rest of the notes are straight 1/8th notes. Fill 11. 5 1 3b 3 — — { c= x 1 This one also uses a triplet in the first part. The triplet has 1/8th notes before and after it, so it plays quickly in the first half. Fill 12. 6 6 8 8 8B 5 7514 15 yb 514 1 5 7b 5 1 Sb 4 3 — Here is an expanded variation of #11. This triplet move is repeated three times. 16Fill 13. Use your thumb and little finger on these 32nd notes. Let your wrist do the work for you. This has sort of a ragtime or honky-tonk feel to it. Fill 14. Fills #14 and #15 can be linked together to make one complete fil Fill 16. The last two notes of this one (the 1 & 3) could also be played with the 32nd notes like those in fill #13. That puts the ragtime or honky-tonk sound at the end of the lick. oieFill 17. This uses a move called parallel 4ths. That means that everywhere two notes are played together, they are always a perfect 4th apart. You may have noticed by now that one of the elements that makes a fill aggressive or bluesy is to use 7b’s and 3b's. Fill 19. 8 ee This one looks and sounds pretty easy. Unless you use the right fingering, it can be a little difficult. Let your litle finger start it on the 8. Play all of the 7b's with your ring finger. Play the 6's with your middle finger. Play all of the 5's with your index, and the 3's with your thumb. When you get to the 3b and 3 at the end, let your thumb pull off of the 3b on to the 3, and then crossover with your index finger to play the last 1. Even if you never use this fil, you should practice it because it is good finger excercise Fill 20. 8 8 5b 5 Sb 5 5b 4 3b 3 1 The easiest fingering for this is to let your little finger play the 8, index on the Sb, and middle finger on the 5. Play the rest of the fil with whatever fingers work best for you 18FILLS THAT LEAD TO OR FROM A 4 CHORD Fill 1. Fills #1 and #2 have identical phrasing, but the notation is different. You can get some variations in the sound of these by inverting the notes. Fill 3. 8 7 wb § 6 2 3b 3 3b 2 7 1 a = = = = — : ae a The way that you finger the first three notes of this one is important. In the keys of Bb, C, F and G, you need to play the 2 with your thumb, the 3b with your index, and the 3 with your thumb again. Your little finger should play all of the top notes, and the remaining bottom ones should all be played with the thumb. In other keys, the first three notes will often require thumb, index, and middle finger. Fill 4, 19Fill 5. ‘When going from a 1 to a 4, itis quite common to play a 7b chord before the 4 chord. In this ‘example the progression would be C, Bb, F. This fill works with that pattern. Fill 6. RD a I [ 6 5 4 6 4 3 = 4 gee Fills #1 thru #7 have been leading to a 4 chord. This one leads out of a4 back toa 1. You can also get a nice variation of this fil just by inverting all of the notes. 20Fill 9. Notice that the first seven notes of this fil are simply the notes of a 1 or ‘C’ Chord. They are just broken up and spanning an octave and a half. Fill 10. This one also woks with a 1, 7b, 4 chord pattern, Fill 11. This would be another ‘split! measure fill. The first two beats of the measure are the notes of a1 chord, and the next two beats are primarily the notes of a 4 chord. In the second measure you are back to your 1 chordFILLS THAT LEAD TO A 2 CHORD Fill 1. Ha Ft ————— Fill 3. = 41 7 3 5 4H 3 3 4 5 2 3 2 | | bpm tt == Sr = = = Fi You can get a variation of this one by inverting the notes. The litle ‘flip’ lick in the middle (where the 2 changes to a 3) doesn't need to be inverted. It sounds a ttle strange if you change it Fill 4. All of the notes in this one can be inverted for a variation. 22Fill 5. The first part of this one is just the notes of a broken 1 or’C’ chord. Learning to play triplets like this one has at the beginning is good finger exercise. You can experiment with it and find the fingering that works best for you 23Fill 10. Notice the top notes in fills #9 and #10. The top notes remain the same, while the melodic line of the fill happens underneath them. These fills could also be played as single note lines by leaving off the top note. The top note acts as a harmony note, which usually will make things sound fuller. 24FILLS THAT LEAD FROM A 2 MINOR TO A5 Fill 1. Fill 3. Fill 4.eS ‘An easy variation can be made on this one by simply inverting everything. The next two fills are basically an inversion of this one, with a couple of changes here and there. Fill 7. Fill 8. You will notice that fills 1 thru 8 are very similar. try to experiment and come up with your own variations of these. 26FILLS THAT LEAD FROM A 5 TO A 1 Fill 1. This is a very simple fill, but it can be a little confusing to look at. Notice the two places where there are three notes being played with the middle note moving. The top and bottom notes are held while the middle note moves. Keeping those notes held is very important to the sound of this fil You can also get a good variation of this fil by changing the moving middle notes from whole steps to half steps. Play 2-2#-3 and 1-1#-2. If you do this, make it a two-handed fill and let your left hand play all of the bottom notes. This will make it easier and it will sound better. Fill 2. Fill 4, 27Fill 5. The key to making this fil sound good is to play the 16th note triplet quickly and cleanly. Experi- ‘ment with the fingering that works best for you. You can also start the fill by playing the first note (5) an octave higher. You may like the sound of it better. o o Fill 7. This is a fun one to play. There are certain keys that this one fingers better in than others. This is a "happy" sounding fill and works best in medium to fast songs. | call it the "yodeling’ lick. You'll see why once you hear it The next to last note of this fils a7. You can also use a 6 or a 5 instead of the 7. If you want a little more bluesy sound, use a 7b instead of a 7. 28These are the same notes used in Fill #8. The timing is the only thing that is different. Notice how different it sounds just by changing the phrasing of it. The same substitution notes will also work, Fill 10. Fill 11. Fill 12. Notice the 2nd note (3b). This is called a "grace" note. It is played very quickly. You use it to pass from the 3b to the 3 NOTE: The chord change "S to a 1" is the same interval as a1 toa 4". Asa result, the fills used for those progressions are often interchangeable. 29TWO-HANDED FILLS Note: If you're reading the musical notation, you will find that the stems go up for all right- hand notes, and the stems go down for left-hand notes in this section. Fill 1. Fill 2. This fil is leading to a 4 chord Fill 3. ala rhe This is leading from a 1 chord to a § and then back toa 1 30Fill 5. ‘The 2nd note of this fill can be played with either the right or left hand. | have it written with the left hand playing the 1st and 2nd notes, and then the right hand takes over for the 3rd, 4th, and Sth notes, To me it feels best to play it this way, Regardless of how you choose to play it, this should all sound like one smooth line. This fil could be played with one hand if preferred Fill 7. This one has the same rhythm as fill #7. Using the 7b's and 3b's makes it more aggressive or "bluesy" sounding.Fill 9. Fili0. = be cy This is an expanded version of fill #11. It's just stretching across 2 octaves. 32Fill 13. 3 6 RH. 594105 4 LH. = a 6 ==e f= SS $ 5 = This fill leads to a 4 chord. Notice that both hands are just playing the notes of a broken chord. In this example you're playing a broken C, Bb, Am and Gm in a descending pattern Fill 14. RH. LH These are also just broken chords. This one can be played with one hand with a little practice. Fill 15. RH. LH. This can be a great feeling pattern to play. The notes are simple, but the rhythm can be a litte tricky. Correct timing is the key element to making this one work. Fill 16. 5 6 7b 6 6 RH 3b 3 4 44 54 4 4 LH. 7b 7b {43 Sass The rhythm on this one can also be a little tricky. Notice how the left hand only plays one note. 33Fill 17. ab 3 3b 6 7b 6 = — = This is leading to a 4 chord. ‘The right hand is just moving up in half-step increments each time. You can get a good variation of this one by just playing the first measure repeatedly. Another variation would be to play the first measure repeatedly, moving up an octave each time that it repeats, Fill 18. 7 7 6 5 5 4 RH 6 5 2 4 4 3.3 7 26 1 LH. . 7 ) 6 5 4 NOTE: You will usually use two-handed fils only when there are other musicians playing along with you. If you are accompanying someone with just the piano, you obviously can't stop the rhythm that you are providing with your left hand and reach up to play a two- handed lick right in the middle of a line. In most cases, the song is going to sound strange because part of the rhythm andior fullness is going to disappear. Therefore, when there are other instruments providing the rhythm, it frees you up to do more. Even if you don't have a chance to use these licks, it is still good to practice them because of the coordination and finger dexterity that it can help to develop. 34FILLS FOR 6/8 OR 3/4 TIME Fill 1. ‘ 2 4 a wae ae This is a very standard type of move used in gospel music. You are just alternating between a1 chord and a 2-minor. Fill 3. e This one may sound and feel a little strange by itself, but it usually works well against a vocal line. Notice how it is also moving between a 1'chord and a 2-minor using only two notes of the chord instead of three. Fill 4. This is leading from a 1 chord to a4 chord. 35FILLS FOR 6/8 OR 3/4 TIME Fill 1. 8 8 6 5 5 5 4 3 3 3 2 1 = = = This is a very standard type of move used in gospel music. You are just alternating between 1 chord and a 2-minor. Fill 3. This one may sound and feel a little strange by itself, but it usually works well against a vocal line. Notice how it is also moving between a 1 chord and a 2-minor using only two notes of the chord instead of three. Fill 4, 8 8 if 7b 6 6 6b 5 4 3b, 2 1 5 3 3 2? == — This is leading from a 1 chord to a 4 chord. 35Fill 5. Fills #5 thru #7 are leading to a 4 chord then back to a 1 chord. Fill 6. 8 8 8 8 [Ark fy 3 4 5 4 5 5 6 Tb 6 LH 1 1 1 1 ‘This is a two-handed fill leading from a 1 chord to a 4 chord,Fill 9. 5 5 5 5 5 RH. a ieee 1 a Hi LH 2 a4 3 2 1 This leads from a 5 chord to a 1 chord. Note: Many of the 4/4 fills throughout this book can be made to work with 3/4 or 6/8 rhythms, Just experiment and alter the timing to make make the different fills work in various situations, Its good to practice experimenting with this type of thing. It helps you to develop a better feel for the various rhythms. You should also try adapting some of these 6/6 fils over to 4/4. on2) ge) ae ce a ea a) How do T learn new licks? How does the nuifiber syste! work? How can I memorize the scales? These are See eee mee re ce eee ae Ty lessons. ‘These topics and more are covef@d in this straightforward, easy to understand book. Authored by one of gospel music’s most recordiédl pianists, this book and CD is designed for easy use by both music readers and by those who solely'play by ear. Here in one collection are 121 diffe#@Ae Bills that you can use to spice up your playing andifiip get you started down the paths of new musial possibilities "I highly recommend this..it is very thorough. This is great idea for young musicians!” SP er fat eee ee eee eee Ge a ce a Fe eee ce Den ee a ee "This is ideal for players who would like to learn fills and improvisation. It's especially great for people who Ce ee eth ae ede en eee eed eae eae Roger Talley - pianist/producer/arranger - The Tally, The Talley Trio think this will be a big asset 0 the gospel and country pianist, So many times piano players have asked me to show ee a a ee neo "Finally, one of my favorite studio musicians has come out with a book and CD that will answer one ofthe most ed eg eee ne a Danny Crawford began playing piano at age six and has been involved in gospel music since age thirteen. Over the years he has traveled and /or recorded with groups such as The Nelons, The Martins, Gold City, Karen Peck & New River, and the Ruppes. He works on close to 125 recording projects a year as a musician, producer, and vocal arranger.