Instructional Books
CHORD SYMBOLS:
A Guide to Interpretation
by David Winkler
60 pages
$15.00 US
Purchase and download the book
in PDF format
Chord Symbols demystifies the often confusing world of chord symbol notation. In an easy, chapter-by-chapter presentation, you will learn important concepts such as:
-
The six types of seventh chords
-
Extensions and alterations
-
The difference between ninth chords and "add 9" chords
-
Chord functions and voicings
At the end of each chapter, suggestions are offered to help you put into practice what you have learned.
What others are saying about Chord Symbols:
"It's about time! David Winkler has written a wonderful guide for keyboard and other rhythm section players to use in learning to interpret chord symbols. There is so much music in the church today that requires reading this kind of notation, and there is no one better to write this book than David Winkler. He has the knowledge and the experience to create a text that anyone can read and use. Congratulations, David, on a job well done!"
–– Camp Kirkland, arranger/conductor, Franklin, TN
"David's new Chord Symbols book is a must-have for everyone who needs to read and interpret chords, especially keyboard players. The book is easy to understand, yet thorough in coverage, and combines David's heart as a teacher and musician. Other theory books are academically correct, but David adds practical application, which makes it immediately usable to the player. Go buy one for yourself, and then buy one for everyone you work with who reads chords!"
–– Dennis Allen, composer/arranger, Brentwood, TN
SONGS TO SING AND PLAY
Learning to Improvise Accompaniments
at the Piano
by David Winkler
42 pages
$12.00 US
Purchase and download the book
in PDF format
View the introduction / table of contents
View the introductory chapter which illustrates the basic concepts of the book
Songs to Sing and Play presents a fun and easy way for early intermediate level piano students of all ages to learn basic keyboard improvisation skills. Through this method, students learn to play in an "accompanimental" approach, playing block chords in the right hand and bass notes in the left, leaving the melody to be sung, played in the upper range of the piano by the teacher or another player, or played on another instrument. As the course progresses, other accompanimental styles are presented, including the waltz, march, and two-beat. The last lesson demonstrates how to improvise while including the melody.
The songs are presented in a lead sheet format such as may be found in a fake book (i.e., a single line of music with melody, lyrics, and chord symbols). By the end of the book, students will have learned 18 songs – popular folk songs, spirituals, and patriotic songs, including:
-
"Home on the Range"
-
"Old MacDonald"
-
"Kum Ba Yah"
-
"Amazing Grace"
-
"Marine's Hymn"
-
"Dixie"
What people are saying about Songs to Sing and Play:
"I got the opportunity to use Mr. Winkler's book Songs to Sing and Play with one of my teenagers who was interested in learning to accompany at her church. This girl, not a particularly good reader, got excited about the book and immediately began playing with more confidence than I had ever seen her. She smiled as she left the lesson and used the accompanying techniques to play the following Sunday. I recommend this book as a very useful tool for teachers."
–– Dr. Vicki King, author of Playing the Piano Naturally (published by Conners Publications), Clarksville, TN