Step 1:
Keys: The first thing to be aware of is keys. A key is a series of notes, typically defined by a scale. The Chord that is listed is normally part of the key that the song is in. You can find out what key your music is in by the key signature. If you are playing a melodic instrument, such as a trumpet, become aware of the notes within the various keys. The site referenced below under resources will help you to understand this if you need help. The key will give you the notes that you can play within the key. This part is improvised. Whenever a lick is resolved, resolve on a note within the Chord or it will sound dissonant. The root and the fifth of the chord are the most common.

Step 2:
Chords: For most harmonic instruments, such as the guitar, there are resources for how to play various chords. For other instruments, it’s important to understand how to build a chord. Start with the scale. We will use C major (C) for this exercise. C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C The basic chord or triad is the root, the third and the fifth. C-E-G If you are playing a harmonic instrument and a C is listed, this are the notes you play, in unison, to form the chord. For harmonic instruments, these notes are good starting and resolution notes for the chord. Other common chords are minor Chords. Be aware of these as it changes the technique for everyone. A minor chord is distinguished by a lower case ‘m’. We will use A minor (Am) for this exercise. Scale A-B-C-D-E-F-G-A Chord A-C-E One last look, for comparison sake. This is A major (A). Scale A-B-C#-D-E-F#-G#-A Chord A-C#-E

Step 3:
Transposition: This is important. Different instruments are in different natural keys. For instance a piano is in the concert or ‘C’ key and a clarinet is in the ‘Bb’ key. Most music is written in the concert or ’C’ key so if you are playing clarinet, you have to change it to Bb. The easiest way is to know the interval by which to change the key by. Start with the chromatic scale. I will list below how much to change the key by for a couple of the standard keys. C-Db-D-Eb-E-F-Gb-G-Ab-A-Bb-B-C Bb Instruments (Ex. Trumpet) – Transpose up 2. So, an Eb Chord becomes an F Chord. Eb Instruments (Ex. Alto Sax) – Transpose down 4. So, a G Chord becomes an Eb Chord. F Instruments (Ex. French Horn) – Transpose down 5. So an F Chord becomes a C Chord.

Step 4:
Timing: It’s important to understand the basics of timing for those who do not already understand it. You need to know how many beets there are in a measure in order to follow the music and keep all the musicians in the right place. The way this is determined is in the time signature. The time signature will be two numbers, one on top of the other. The top note identifies how many beets there are per measure. This is the most important one to consider because the beets are what you will be counting. The bottom number identifies which note gets the beat. A 4 means that the quarter note gets the beet. A 2 means a half note and an 8 means the eighth note. Most songs will have either 3 or 4 beets per measure.

Step 5:
Play as a Group: Once everyone in the group has an understanding of how to play off of the chord charts, you can begin to rehearse. Define one person as the leader. This person will count off the songs and stop them if necessary. It’s best that this person have a solid musical knowledge so that they can guide other members of the group where they may have trouble.