Gospel is Gospel NOT JAZZ ETC

[Gospel Musick Player]

Lately when I've heard keyboarders they all have this jazzy neo soul type feel..!! The thing is that when some of them play in that style so much that when they play it doesn't even sound like a church service but some JAZZ concert... Now I believe that your music shouldn't be boring, but I MEAN COME ON WE PLAY GOSPEL MUSIC WHEN THE GOSPEL IS GOING FORTH AND IF WERE GOSPEL MUSICIANS...It's interesting to me that you have people do cross genres Gospel music such as Gospel Jazz, Gospel Hip-Hop, Gospel RnB, Gospel Blues....YOU TOTALLY DON'T SEE THIS IN OTHER GENRES...YOU DON'T HIP-Hop GOSPEL, RnB GOSpel, Blues GOSPEL......I KNOW SOMEONE'S IS GONNA SAY "GOSPEL MUSIC COMES FROM ALL TYPES OF GENRES"......I BEG TO DIFFER.......GOSPEL MUSIC IS IT's own SPECIAL GENRE that BRINGS A TENSION, ENLIGHTMENT, UPLIFTMENT, and sometimes CORRECTION....WHAT IS UP WITH GOSPEL MUSICIANS THESE DAYS WE'RE in the GOSPEL MUSIC FIELD...WE SHOULD PLAY GOSPEL

[themidiroom]

Modern gospel isn't jazz, it's based more on blues.   

[Fenix]

Modern gospel isn't jazz, it's based more on blues.   

Yep.

"Gospel" music is based on the blues. One of the keyboardists in my church plays in that neo-soul style. It doesn't work all the time, but it IS refreshing to hear a different kind of sound once in a while.

[musallio]

Lately when I've heard keyboarders they all have this jazzy neo soul type feel..!! The thing is that when some of them play in that style so much that when they play it doesn't even sound like a church service but some JAZZ concert... Now I believe that your music shouldn't be boring, but I MEAN COME ON WE PLAY GOSPEL MUSIC WHEN THE GOSPEL IS GOING FORTH AND IF WERE GOSPEL MUSICIANS...It's interesting to me that you have people do cross genres Gospel music such as Gospel Jazz, Gospel Hip-Hop, Gospel RnB, Gospel Blues....YOU TOTALLY DON'T SEE THIS IN OTHER GENRES...YOU DON'T HIP-Hop GOSPEL, RnB GOSpel, Blues GOSPEL......I KNOW SOMEONE'S IS GONNA SAY "GOSPEL MUSIC COMES FROM ALL TYPES OF GENRES"......I BEG TO DIFFER.......GOSPEL MUSIC IS IT's own SPECIAL GENRE that BRINGS A TENSION, ENLIGHTMENT, UPLIFTMENT, and sometimes CORRECTION....WHAT IS UP WITH GOSPEL MUSICIANS THESE DAYS WE'RE in the GOSPEL MUSIC FIELD...WE SHOULD PLAY GOSPEL

Those are the qualities I look for in the style I play..& depending on where the service is, I can play some classical piece or jazzy piece (ie, talk music)...

[under13]

I totaly disagree. I bet when "gospel music" was brought in the church, many people said the same thing you are saying now. Times change; music changes with it. So you may as well just get with it.

[THE WOLFMAN]

I totaly disagree. I bet when "gospel music" was brought in the church, many people said the same thing you are saying now. Times change; music changes with it. So you may as well just get with it.

"an electric Geetar? in tha chu'ch? Heresy!!!!"

[musallio]

"an electric Geetar? in tha chu'ch? Heresy!!!!"

Depends how you execute the music man..
It can have the desired effects if used correctly..
What's more of concern to me is "gospelifying" songs which have nothing to do with the gospel.

[ltljake]

Modern gospel isn't jazz, it's based more on blues.   

I agree to disagree. Modern Gospel borrows heavily on Jazz,Blues and even a bit of Classical. Sorry to busrt some of you guys bubbles.  It doesnt make Gospel any less Gospel since secular music is every bit as guilty if not more. So to say Gospel isnt Jazz is like saying Splenda isnt sugar, when we all know one comes from the other.

[themidiroom]

I totaly disagree. I bet when "gospel music" was brought in the church, many people said the same thing you are saying now. Times change; music changes with it. So you may as well just get with it.

You're probably right.  They were singing spirituals and stuff and I imagine the "new" style sounded too much like what they were playing in the juke joints.  Gospel music itself really isn't a genre of it's own; similar to rap which also "borrowed" the music from other genres.

[4hisglory]

All genres evolve:

Have you listened to:

Rap today verses 25 years ago?
R&B today verses 40 years ago?

Even jazz has lots of offshoots like traditional, fusion, smoot, etc...

[themidiroom]

All genres evolve:

Have you listened to:

Rap today verses 25 years ago?
R&B today verses 40 years ago?

Even jazz has lots of offshoots like traditional, fusion, smoot, etc...

Rap 25 years ago was barely transitioning from it's disco roots.
R&B 40 years ago was called Soul.  Hmmmm Soul music, what a concept.

So you're right, music does evolve but sometimes to a lower life form.

[musallio]

All genres evolve:

Have you listened to:

Rap today verses 25 years ago?
R&B today verses 40 years ago?

Even jazz has lots of offshoots like traditional, fusion, smoot, etc...

Yeah, particularly jazz--every1 now doesn't mind jazz (because it has been "softened" to be "edible" for those with untrained ears..the old jazz was really "sick"..lotsa running scale after  scale..kinda..ok, get the pic )

[themidiroom]

Yeah, particularly jazz--every1 now doesn't mind jazz (because it has been "softened" to be "edible" for those with untrained ears..the old jazz was really "sick"..lotsa running scale after  scale..kinda..ok, get the pic )

Even the Charlie Parker, Thelonius Monk style Jazz had previously evolved from the Bebop big band style Jazz.
I will still contend that gospel is different because the content of the lyrics is a huge part of what makes it gospel as opposed to something else.

[DaNatiMaestro]

Another point that should be made is that there are WAY more resources on learning Jazz piano than there are gospel piano.  I know this for a fact because coming up I couldn't get anybody to show me anything Gospel-wise but there were tons of books at the library on how to play jazz so there's no surprise that my style is more jazzy than anything else.  There are a couple of books out for gospel which I've since picked up but jazz material is more easily accessible.

I think it's easier for a jazzy player to play the gospel stuff then the other way around.  And the new stuff that comes out.. if you don't know some jazz your gospel stuff won't help as much to figure those chords out.

Just my take on it.  I don't fault a musician either way.. your style is your style.

[T-Block]

I'm sorry, but it really isn't the music that makes something gospel, it's the lyrics and/or message behind the music.  It doesn't matter if u use jazz styles, R&B styles, hip-hop styles, pop/rock styles, etc.  IT DOESN'T MATTER, as long as the gospel message is being delivered, that's what counts or should count.

We have become so accustomed to a certain sound to where anything else is an abomination.  That kind of thinking is so backwards that it's ridiculous.  Who determines what gospel music should or shouldn't sound like?  That's right, the individual who is producing the music.  Maybe my brand of gospel is different from your brand of gospel, but the GOSPEL is still being spread either way.

That's my 2 cents.

[themidiroom]

I'm sorry, but it really isn't the music that makes something gospel, it's the lyrics and/or message behind the music. 

So we actually do agree on something.

[T-Block]

So we actually do agree on something.

Of course. 

[musallio]

Well GMP, I hope this has been helpful..

There was a long long discussion in another thread about this same topic last year:

http://www.learngospelmusic.com/forums/index.php/topic,54030.0.html (make sure you read it )

Other threads of interest:

http://www.learngospelmusic.com/forums/index.php/topic,56543.0.html

http://www.learngospelmusic.com/forums/index.php/topic,54838.0.html


Btw, all the posts hereare really spot on.

&..hehehe..today I had a really reggae flavor..I thought about it..how it would impact/ affect the congregation & everyone that likes COGIC kinda music at church--I kept on practicing that stuff..I loved it..I did deep worship songs in that style..& that's what I'll be playing this Sunday.
Variety is good..:
For 8 years we had a guy play 1 style..when we went to conventions, it was him playing...It kind of became monotonous for others--yes it's great, but variety in diet is necessary.
So when a new guy came in, who could play other styles--it was like wow When he rocked that reggae beat, even the "very conservative" elders were rocking on with the beat while joyfully singing the ORIGINAL GOSPEL LYRICS.
the 1st few times, I've kinda played the "gospel style" most of the time to avoid disputes..but now I'm kicking in with variety..

[kodacolor]

Gospel R&B etc and R&B Gospel etc are the same thing.  Lyrics are what really sets Gospel apart from Secular.

If you're using an already esablished secular song for gospel then chances are you'll be thinking about that secular song while listening to the gospel version.

You're probably right.  They were singing spirituals and stuff and I imagine the "new" style sounded too much like what they were playing in the juke joints.  Gospel music itself really isn't a genre of it's own; similar to rap which also "borrowed" the music from other genres.

Ex:  "Call Him Up" sounded like 70's disco music and today it's no big deal.  In fact today it's a classic...yet the style is borrowed.

Depends how you execute the music man..
It can have the desired effects if used correctly..
What's more of concern to me is "gospelifying" songs which have nothing to do with the gospel.

+120

[THE WOLFMAN]

 Gospel music itself really isn't a genre of it's own; similar to rap which also "borrowed" the music from other genres.

hmmm......Timothy Wright's "Cant forget".....from....Michael McDonald's "Keep Forgettin"......