Gospel Midi & Chords - YouTube

it's time for a gospel midi upgrade...

I was on YouTube yesterday, and I was looking for a song for assistance, and I was looking for an explanation for the song "Friend of God," by Israel & New Breed. The song originally appeared on the album New Season, but the version on Alive in South Africa is awesome. Live music has an extra something to it that just makes it awesome. For example, Fred Hammond's Pages of Life Chapters 1 & 2 illustrates this best. The first disc was recorded in the studio, but the second disc, with many of the same songs, is so much better.

With all that said, I only found 2 tutorials max for Friend of God, and they were not in the original key of E, like the song is performed on the album. It was difficult to find the tutorials as well, and so I thought, if I could ever master that song, I think someone might want to know how to play it. I have a camera for which I can record myself, I just now have to figure out how to set that up. I have seen the videos and I feel that the camera looking down on the keyboard is the best approach. Gospel midi is good, but oftentimes, the personal touch can make learning easier and sometimes, to actually see the difference in styles can be interesting.

Most importantly, I like the videos that make mention that the music needs to be led by the Spirit of God. With that said, some time soon, expect to see both midi and links to YouTube videos here. Below is the link to download Never Would Have Made It by Pastor Marvin Sapp. That song is a great testimony. Where would we be if it were not for the Lord on our side?

Never Would Have Made It - Marvin Sapp - Thirsty

Gospel Midi & Chords - Super Smash Bros. Brawl

I know this is not about gospel midi, but...


I was recently fortunate to purchase a Nintendo Wii, and with it, I purchased Super Smash Bros. Brawl. It's the third installment of the series that began with the Nintendo 64. At the moment, the game far surpasses its predecessors, but playing online is almost unbearable, as the connections are shaky and characters are not as responsive as they should be. My Brawl friend code is 3694-9834-6986. Feel free to add me and play against me. I'm online a lot, usually after 8 PM.

In other Nintendo news, they will be coming out with something called Wii Ware. Essentially, Nintendo is allowing third-party content to be sold for play on the Wii. Perhaps someone could come out with some kind of software that will allow for learning midi files or at least playing them. Who knows. I would love to get my hands on the development kit though. If anyone knows how to be enrolled, or if individuals can even participate, let me know.

Gospel Midi & Chords - Synthesia

To all gospel midi fans...


In case you hadn't heard of it, there is an open-source game called Synthesia (formerly called Piano Hero) that is a great tool for helping people to learn how to play gospel midi files. If you have a MIDI-compatible keyboard (I use a Casio WK-3000), you can connect it to your computer (using the USB-to-MIDI cable I talked about in an earlier post) and learn songs at your own pace. You can slow songs down, speed them up, play one hand at a time, simply listen to the song, and more. If you do not have a keyboard, there is still a way to play Synthesia using the keyboard, but I didn't find that as fun as actual piano keys.

Now, Synthesia comes with many more options, including a learning pack that is constantly in development. However, that pack is not free, and starts at $14. However, the author will allow all upgrades from that point to be free after buying the learning pack. With this learning pack comes the ability to view and play sheet music for your gospel midi files and more.

Finally, in case you wanted the song shown in the picture, When the Saints Go to Worship, here is the download:

When the Saints Go to Worship - Donald Lawrence - The Best of Donald Lawrence & the Tri-City Singers: Restoring the Years

You can download Synthesia 0.6.3 from its official web page here. Keep practicing!

Gospel Midi & Chords - Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1

New browser for downloading gospel midi files...

If you're adventurous, feel free to take the leap to download the first public beta release of Internet Explorer 8 for downloading your gospel midi files. This iteration of the browser is in beta stages, so it definitely has a few bugs, but it also has a few new features like Web Slices and improved support for web standards. What does all this mean? Sooner or later, people will be creating web sites to host gospel midi files that will be compatible with both Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer.

Again, be warned, this is beta software, so it is advised to not be used in any work environments were stability is critical. Happy downloading!

Gospel Midi & Chords - The Purpose

Giving honor to my LORD and Savior Jesus Christ, this blog will provide gospel midi files to help learning piano players around the world, and to learn something myself. This idea was something I always hoped was possible and found out was possible a few years ago after stumbling onto Vanbasco's Midi Karaoke Player. It is an excellent piece of software that simply does what it was created to do--play midi files and show the notes played for each instrument. This program has truly been a blessing; there have been many times, especially while playing at New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in which finding and using midi files to learn gospel songs on a deadline.

Mind you, downloading midi files of your favorite gospel songs can be extremely helpful, especially to us beginners, but there is a danger associated with gospel midi files. There was one point that all I was trying to do was download gospel midi files, and I was no longer attempting to trust God for the ability to hear and learn the songs myself. These gospel midi files should be viewed as a guide more than a solution, as reliance on them will not help in developing your own style.

With that said, use these gospel midi files with caution; it is easy to mimic what you may find on this site or on other sites, but know that God has made each and every one of us unique, and if you have the desire, you have the ability to help usher in the Spirit of God through music.

Currently, I record gospel midi files for reference purposes. I haven't quite reached the point where I can duplicate what I hear in my head, so when it's an old song, a reminder doesn't hurt. I currently use Anvil Studio to record my gospel midi files, but there are other programs out there, like Fruity Loops. You will need a USB-to-MIDI cable to create your gospel midi files. The one I currently use is made by Turtle Beach and I have no complaints. I connect it to my Thinkpad Z61t laptop and in no time, record gospel midi files at the end of every rehearsal at home.

Although I am not focused on much more than recording myself playing the piano, know that gospel midi files come with multiple channels which can be used for recording different instruments, like an organ or a drum track. That is beyond the scope of this blog, however.

Occasionally, I will compile a list of the gospel midi files I have created, possibly some lyrics along with it, album art, and any tips that I can think of. If you have any requests, feel free to make them. Note that I stated that I am also a beginner, but I will try my best.

Have fun, let God lead you, and create gospel midi files!

Gospel Midi & Chords - Right Now Praise (John P. Kee)

Welcome to Gospel Midi & Chords. This site provides midi files, chords, and assistance for those looking to play the latest gospel music. If you have questions not covered in Gospel Midi & Chords or would like to request a song, please feel free to email your question to midi@unc.edu.

As part of this introduction, feel free to download this midi file of John P. Kee's latest single, "Right Now Praise."