I’ll Be Home For Christmas: Piano Chord Breakdown

Tutorial Overview Today’s focus will be on understanding and playing the intricate chords of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” We’ll explore diminished chords, the Lydian scale, minor 7 flat 5 chords, and various chord substitutions to add depth to your playing.

Learning Resources For those eager to learn these chords and movements, I’ll make the LMV and MIDI files available on our website, pianolessonwithwarren.com. Feel free to visit and download these resources to practice at your own pace.

Breaking Down the Song

1. Introduction and Diminished Chords: We start with a G flat descending to F diminished, E flat, D, and then to five.
2. Scale Work: We delve into the fourth mode of the G Major scale, the Lydian scale, and practice moving up in thirds.
3. Borrowed Chords: I’ll show you how to incorporate the minor 7 flat 5 chord, a borrowed chord from the key of G-major.
4. Chord Substitutions: We’ll cover tritone substitutions and gospel passing chords to enrich your playing style.

Advanced Techniques

• Chromatic Passing: Learn how to smoothly transition between chords using chromatic passing.
• Sus Chords and Flat 13: Enhance your playing with suspended chords and flat 13 variations.
• Major 13 and Dominant 13th Chords: Discover how to use these chords to create a richer sound.

Playing Through the Song, We’ll play through the song, highlighting how each chord and scale fit into the melody. Pay special attention to the G seventh flat 13th and flat 9s, and how they contribute to the overall feel of the song.

Closing and Resources Thank you for joining this tutorial. Remember, the LMV and MIDI files are available for free at pianolessonwithwarren.com. Don’t forget to give a thumbs up, subscribe, and hit the notification bell for more content. Keep practicing and exploring these concepts as you prepare your Christmas repertoire.

Conclusion Remember, musical growth comes from consistent practice and exploration. I’ll see you in our next tutorial, where we’ll continue to expand our musical skills. Until then, keep listening, keep singing, and keep practicing!