Gospel Piano Lesson: Gospel Piano Vamps

A rich collection of “bread & butter” gospel piano vamps to add your repertoire… by ear, intellect, eye, and muscle…

Table of Contents

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Gospel Piano Vamp #1

This vamp features neighbor chords, blue note grace notes, and well placed syncopation…

Note: Play left hand one octave lower than written.

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Practice & Performance Notes

• Notice the liberal use of syncopation and Blues vocabulary (Learning the Blues helps you learn gospel and vice versa!)
• You know you have the rhythm down when it feels like you are bouncing up and down.
• Don’t forget to swing the eight notes.

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Gospel Piano Vamp #2

This vamp features a major pentatonic flavor and ends with a melodic major neighbor chord idea…

Note: Play left hand one octave lower than written.

Practice & Performance Notes

• Notice the liberal use of syncopation and Blues vocabulary (Learning the Blues helps you learn gospel and vice versa!)
• You know you have the rhythm right when it feels like you are bouncing up and down.
• Don’t forget to swing the eight notes.

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Gospel Piano Vamp #3

The first three bars are identical to Vamp #2, but this one ends with a tasty major-minor mixture…

Note: Play left hand one octave lower than written.

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Practice & Performance Notes

• Play the grace notes and their target notes with a single impulse.
• Form the shape of each chord in your hand before it’s time to play it.

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Gospel Piano Vamp #4

This vamp feature lots of bluesy material delivered with some tasty syncopation and a bit of space…

Note: Play left hand one octave lower than written.

Practice & Performance Notes

• Play the grace notes and their target notes with a single impulse.
• Form the shape of each chord in your hand before it’s time to play it.

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