Piano Week 04: Gospel 1-4 movement basics

Weekly Focus

Week 04 centers on making gospel-flavored 1-4 movement and suspended resolution feel natural at phrase endings.

Success this week means you can place I -> IV/I and Isus -> I color at the right musical moments, in time, in one key first, then one transfer key without overplaying.

Repertoire & Chord Map

Use Fly Me to the Moon as primary material for contextual placement and Amazing Grace as the clean gospel cadence lab. Keep Amazing Grace in straight 8ths and Fly Me in swing.

The core cadence loop to internalize is:

I | IV/I | Isus | I I | IV/I | ii7 V7 | I

Daily map task: play one A section from each song first, then insert this cadence shape at clear phrase endings in C. Add F as a transfer check only after C feels stable.

Supplementary Listening & Ear Training (Required)

Use this track as the ear-training backbone for “Gospel 1-4 movement basics”, then transfer what you hear to piano the same day.

Weekly listening pick:

• All of Me — Billie Holiday

Why this track now: It highlights diatonic movement plus simple turnarounds, which matches Week 4’s goals.

Ear tasks (10–15 min, at least 3 sessions this week):

1. Listen once without the instrument and name the key center by ear (major/minor/modal). Then verify the key at piano.
2. Find one cadence or arrival point, then play: root + shell ii-V-I (or closest functional equivalent) in that key.
3. Lift a short 4–8 bar fragment by ear, play it slowly, and record ~30s so you can compare your hearing vs. the recording.

Extra challenge (optional): transpose your lifted fragment to the weekly priority ladder when possible (F → Eb → G → Bb → C).

End-of-Week Reflection

Did your 1-4 and sus movements start sounding intentional, or still inserted by habit? Identify one section where timing or overuse made the cadence feel forced, and carry one cleaner placement rule into Week 05.