The library · Gospel & spirituals
Go Down, Moses
Traditional spiritual
A spiritual in G minor, grave and solemn: the call “Let my people go” comes back three times, like a refrain.
G minor · 4/4 · 133 beats per minute · 16 bars · 29 s · intermediate level
The form
The sections of the piece and their chords: the map you learn before playing a single note.
Pickup A A' B C
| Section | Bars | Chords | Phrase ending |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pickup | 0–0 | Dm v |
— |
| A | 1–4 | Gm · D7/F♯ · Gm7/F · C/E · D7sus4 · Gm i · V7 · i7 · IV · V7sus4 · i |
Perfect cadence |
| A' | 5–8 | Gm · D/F♯ · Gm7/F · C/E · D · Gm i · V · i7 · IV · V · i |
Perfect cadence |
| B | 9–12 | E♭ · B♭sus4 · A♭ · E♭sus4 · D/A · D/F♯ · Gm VI · IIIsus4 · ♭II · VIsus4 · V · V · i |
Perfect cadence |
| C | 13–16 | E♭ · Cm7 · D/A · D · Gm VI · iv7 · V · V · i |
Perfect cadence |
The key
- G minor
- 2 flats in the key signature: B♭, E♭
- Scale
- G · A · B♭ · C · D · E♭ · F
- Pillar chords
- I = Gm · IV = Cm · V7 = D7
The tricky passages
- Bar 10: fast runs (4.4 notes per second), notes outside the key
- Bar 12: fast runs (6.7 notes per second)
- Bar 14: fast runs (6.7 notes per second)
The plan: 11 days
Half an hour a day. First I help you understand the map of the piece, then we lay down the chord framework, learn each section phrase by phrase, work on the tricky passages, put it together and bring it up to tempo, until you can play it from memory.
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