Hello Friends!

I’m doing something a little different for this Newsletter. I discovered some really great information I want to share with you! Those of you that know me, know that I’m crazy about chords and harmony. I grew up singing alto in our church choir. My Dad loved to sing. He was the choir director and music director at our Church. He also sang in a Gospel Quartet. My sister also loved to sing. Oh, how we loved to sing together and harmonize!! Those are sweet memories that I cherish. I don’t sing much today, but I still so love beautiful harmony. I love adding harmony with my fiddle and dulcimer!

This brings me to what I want to share with you today! A good starting point for adding harmony is to know the chords for the key signature you are playing in. How do you know what key you are playing in? What are the most common chords for that key? What notes will be sharp or flat? I found some great information on the Circle of Fifths – the mysterious Circle of Fifths (my husband said it looks like a zodiac sign) – and some other great tips. I also have included a simple chart that shows the I, IV, and V chords for each key, as well as the relative minor chord.

I don’t know about you, but I think I’ll keep this information around for some good reference.

Paula Shearhart, VP