Chords for Should I play melody or chords on the harmonium?
Tempo:
122.2 bpm
Chords used:
A
Am
G
Bb
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
In this book, even though there's chords listed, we're sticking with the melody.
And that's for two reasons.
The main reason is that the melody is what you really want to emphasize in chanting,
especially when you're playing on your own.
Chanting is a devotional practice.
Harmonium is a devotional instrument.
And so the melody expresses that pure single devotion.
Chords are useful if there's a large group, several harmoniums or guitars,
and so chords tend to fill it out a little bit more.
But on your own, you want to emphasize the melody.
So for example,
[A]
From joy I came, for joy I live, in sacred joy I melt again.
Now there's a chord here, A, and that would be
From joy I came, for joy I live, [Bb] but that's only when you're playing in a large group again.
So just get used to learning the chants by playing the melody.
You'll find that the more you play,
the more you'll just be able to do it by intuition without having to look at the book.
And that's really the ticket here, is just to be able to play on your own, even with eyes closed,
just the pure sweet expression of devotion from your heart, rather than having to intellectually try to see
what chords are coming next or what you're supposed to do.
It's really just something that's spontaneous from the heart.
Now here's where several chords are happening, and it's a faster chant.
[A]
Govinda jai jai, gopala jai jai, govinda jai jai, gopala jai jai.
Now on your own, you can do that pretty easily.
If you're
playing chords in a large group, it would be something like
[Am] Govinda jai [G] jai, [Am] gopala jai jai, govinda jai [G] jai, [Am] gopala jai jai.
Compare that with
Govinda jai jai, gopala jai [A] jai, govinda jai jai, gopala jai jai.
Harmonium expresses the same thing as the human voice,
So the melody playing along is the bulk of your expression.
The chords are just
simply a
And that's for two reasons.
The main reason is that the melody is what you really want to emphasize in chanting,
especially when you're playing on your own.
Chanting is a devotional practice.
Harmonium is a devotional instrument.
And so the melody expresses that pure single devotion.
Chords are useful if there's a large group, several harmoniums or guitars,
and so chords tend to fill it out a little bit more.
But on your own, you want to emphasize the melody.
So for example,
[A]
From joy I came, for joy I live, in sacred joy I melt again.
Now there's a chord here, A, and that would be
From joy I came, for joy I live, [Bb] but that's only when you're playing in a large group again.
So just get used to learning the chants by playing the melody.
You'll find that the more you play,
the more you'll just be able to do it by intuition without having to look at the book.
And that's really the ticket here, is just to be able to play on your own, even with eyes closed,
just the pure sweet expression of devotion from your heart, rather than having to intellectually try to see
what chords are coming next or what you're supposed to do.
It's really just something that's spontaneous from the heart.
Now here's where several chords are happening, and it's a faster chant.
[A]
Govinda jai jai, gopala jai jai, govinda jai jai, gopala jai jai.
Now on your own, you can do that pretty easily.
If you're
playing chords in a large group, it would be something like
[Am] Govinda jai [G] jai, [Am] gopala jai jai, govinda jai [G] jai, [Am] gopala jai jai.
Compare that with
Govinda jai jai, gopala jai [A] jai, govinda jai jai, gopala jai jai.
Harmonium expresses the same thing as the human voice,
So the melody playing along is the bulk of your expression.
The chords are just
simply a
Key:
A
Am
G
Bb
A
Am
G
Bb
_ In this book, even though there's chords listed, we're sticking with the melody.
And that's for two reasons.
The main reason is that the melody is what you really want to emphasize in chanting,
especially when you're playing on your own.
Chanting is a devotional practice.
Harmonium is a devotional instrument.
And so the melody expresses that pure single devotion.
Chords are useful if there's a large group, several harmoniums or guitars,
and so chords tend to fill it out a little bit more.
But on your own, you want to emphasize the melody.
So for example,
[A] _ _
_ _ _ From joy I came, for joy I live, in sacred joy I melt again.
Now there's a chord here, A, and that would be
From joy I came, for joy I live, [Bb] but that's only when you're playing in a large group again.
So just get used to learning the chants by playing the melody.
You'll find that the more you play,
the more you'll just be able to do it by intuition without having to look at the book.
And that's really the ticket here, is just to be able to play on your own, even with eyes closed,
just the pure sweet expression of devotion from your heart, rather than having to intellectually try to see
what chords are coming next or what you're supposed to do.
It's really just something that's spontaneous from the heart.
Now here's where several chords are happening, and it's a faster chant.
[A] _ _ _
Govinda jai jai, gopala jai jai, govinda jai jai, gopala jai jai.
Now on your own, you can do that pretty easily.
If you're
playing chords in a large group, it would be something like
[Am] _ _ Govinda jai [G] jai, [Am] gopala jai jai, _ govinda jai [G] jai, [Am] gopala jai jai.
Compare that with _
Govinda jai jai, gopala jai [A] jai, _ govinda jai jai, _ gopala jai jai. _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ Harmonium expresses the same thing as the human voice,
So the melody playing along _ is the bulk of your expression.
The chords are just
simply a
And that's for two reasons.
The main reason is that the melody is what you really want to emphasize in chanting,
especially when you're playing on your own.
Chanting is a devotional practice.
Harmonium is a devotional instrument.
And so the melody expresses that pure single devotion.
Chords are useful if there's a large group, several harmoniums or guitars,
and so chords tend to fill it out a little bit more.
But on your own, you want to emphasize the melody.
So for example,
[A] _ _
_ _ _ From joy I came, for joy I live, in sacred joy I melt again.
Now there's a chord here, A, and that would be
From joy I came, for joy I live, [Bb] but that's only when you're playing in a large group again.
So just get used to learning the chants by playing the melody.
You'll find that the more you play,
the more you'll just be able to do it by intuition without having to look at the book.
And that's really the ticket here, is just to be able to play on your own, even with eyes closed,
just the pure sweet expression of devotion from your heart, rather than having to intellectually try to see
what chords are coming next or what you're supposed to do.
It's really just something that's spontaneous from the heart.
Now here's where several chords are happening, and it's a faster chant.
[A] _ _ _
Govinda jai jai, gopala jai jai, govinda jai jai, gopala jai jai.
Now on your own, you can do that pretty easily.
If you're
playing chords in a large group, it would be something like
[Am] _ _ Govinda jai [G] jai, [Am] gopala jai jai, _ govinda jai [G] jai, [Am] gopala jai jai.
Compare that with _
Govinda jai jai, gopala jai [A] jai, _ govinda jai jai, _ gopala jai jai. _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ Harmonium expresses the same thing as the human voice,
So the melody playing along _ is the bulk of your expression.
The chords are just
simply a