Gospel Piano Chords by Ear
A beginner’s guide to playing church piano without reading music.
Most piano books start with the stave. This one starts with the sound, because that is how nearly every church pianist I know actually learned — sitting at the keyboard on a Sunday, working out where the song wants to go next.
It builds from a single chord to a full song: the three chords that unlock most gospel songs, how to hear which one comes next, the 7th that gives gospel its colour, walk-ups, left-hand patterns, and the fills that go between phrases. Everything is explained by ear first and named afterwards.
Some of what it covers
- Why “by ear” instead of sheet music
- The three chords that unlock most gospel songs
- Major and minor triads, built by listening
- Adding the 7th — the “gospel sound” chord
- Passing chords and simple walk-ups
- Left-hand patterns: bass notes and simple rhythms
- Riffs and fills between phrases
- Your first full song, all the way through
Eleven free play-along recordings
Nine chapters are built around a worked example, and each has a recording — every chord alone first, then a metronome loop to practise against. Free, and nothing to sign up for, whether or not you own the book.
Listen →Free hymn chord charts
The same approach applied to hymns you already know, transposable to any key.
Browse the charts →