Free Lessons

"Jesus is All the World to Me" free orchestration
"Just As I Am" - Example of identifying chords
"Shall We Gather at the River" reharmonization example
A great battle about music from history (Part 1)
A great battle about music from history (Part 2)
A simple tip for performance
A simple tip for the left hand
A tip for sight reading
About training young musicians
Adding the 9th
American contributions to church music
An example of great harmony: "I Run To Christ"
An idea
Analysis of "Shall We Gather at the River"
Analysis of Heaven Came Down from Portraits of Hope
Another favorite reharmonization idea
Are modulations overrated?
Arrangement Submission (Part 2): "No One Ever Cared For Me Like Jesus" from Tiffany Jefferson
Arrangement Submission: "Near To the Heart of God" by Rafael Griffin
Arrangement Submission: "No One Ever Cared For Me Like Jesus" from Tiffany Jefferson
Arrangement submission: Angels We Have Heard On High
Arrangement submission: Angels We Have Heard On High (Part 2)
Arrangement submission: This is My Story
Arranging advice from C. S. Lewis
Arranging is storytelling
Arranging tips
Back to School: Save 20% on all instructional courses!
Boldness is infectious
Boom Chuck Tips (Playing Southern Gospel 101)
Brainstorm with me about online gatherings
Can you "Play Piano in a Flash!"?
Changing V-I progressions to ii-V-I progressions
Choosing a teacher
Choosing the right 7th for a chord
Chord changes in "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"
Chord Cheat Sheet
Chord substitutions: Does the ii chord sub for the IV or V?
Chords with missing 3rds or 5ths
Cliche in music
Comparing two styles of music
Congregational accompaniment thoughts
Congregational accompanying considerations (a diversion)
Congregational accompanying considerations (Part 1)
Contest winner and explanation
Contest: Play with this
Contest: Reharmonize "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing"
Cool chords to end a song with
Cool chords video: Brethern We Have Met To Worship
Cool chords video: I Run To Christ
Cool chords video: When They Ring those Golden Bells
Developing a style
Dialing it in a bit
Do chords need to appear in a certain order?
Do Endings Matter?
Do you always need to hear the melody in your arrangements?
Do you need to know theory to arrange?
Does my music sound like a night club?
Don't miss the point
Don't stop learning
Elephant in the Closet: Money in Christian Music
Eleven NEW piano courses available at GregHowlett.com
Excerpts from an email
Explanation of "When the Saints"
Four levels of learning
Free "Playing Mood Music" course now on YouTube (plus how to get another course for free)
Free arrangement - Shall We Gather at the River
Free arrangement announcement and submissions
Free Arrangement download: Ivory Palaces
Free arrangement of "The Old Rugged Cross"
Free arrangement of Amazing Grace
FREE Arrangement: Heaven Came Down
FREE arrangement: It Is Well With My Soul
FREE arrangement: Jesus Paid It All
Free Arrangement: My Faith Looks Up To Thee
Free arrangement: Nearer Still Nearer (Piano only)
FREE arrangement: Take My Life And Let It Be
FREE arrangement: To God Be The Glory
Free arrangement: When They Ring Those Golden Bells
FREE course offer: Playing Mood Music
Free Piano Lessons
Getting tired of yourself?
Hook development
How does it feel?
How I plan to teach these lessons
How to begin playing by ear
How to begin playing by ear (Part 2)
How to chart a song
How to develop musicality
How to end a song
How to learn beginning theory
How to play a lead sheet
How to play a lead sheet - Part 2
How to practice scales and arpeggios
How we find democracy in modern music
Identifying chords by ear
Important things to know about altered chords
Improving the ending to a song
Increasing your chord palate
Increasing your chord palate (part 2)
Interview with Keith Jarrett
Introduction to arranging and improvising
Introduction to Chord Substitutions
Introduction to Chord Substitutions - Part 2
Introduction to Improvisation
Introduction to Reharmonization (Chord Substitutions)
Is counterpoint a necessary element of good music?
It is a marathon
Labeling chords as letters or numbers
Lead sheet for "Glory To His Name"
Learning with "All The Things You Are"
Making a hook interesting
Making the boring more interesting
Minor chord substitutions
Minor chord substitutions video demonstration (Part 1)
Minor chord substitutions video demonstration (Part 2)
Modulating around the circle of 5ths
Modulating up a half step
Modulation between keys
More about modulations
More about slash chords
Music education: what I would change about mine if I could
Musical Accessibility
Myths about preludes
Myths About Reharmonization
Name these chords
Nashville charts
One day, your child will stop playing classical music
Oscar Peterson
Performance thoughts
Photography tip for the piano
Piano pickiness
Piano tip - Using the minor iv chord
Playing songs in different keys for a different sound
Polychords made easy? (Maybe not)
Praise Him, Praise Him - A thought about functional harmony
Recording costs breakdown
Reharmonization example of "Jesus Loves Me"
Reharmonization of My Jesus I Love Thee
Reharmonization on "Silent Night"
Reharmonization video: I Surrender All
Relating melody to harmony
Rootless voicings
Rubato - benefits and dangers
Rubato as a technique
Savior Like a Shepherd - Harmony insight (Part 2)
Savior Like a Shepherd Lead Us - Insight into the harmony
Secondary dominants
Shaping an arrangement
Short primer on adding 7ths
Should you change a composer's music?
Sight reading - How to read ahead
Skip the practicing today. Listen to someone instead.
Smooth chord progressions
Study of "Brethren We Have Met to Worship"
Submit your arrangements/performances for critique
Summary of minor chord substitution posts
Talking about Seasonal Spice, my new Christmas project
Teaching children to play by ear
The 2nd/9th as a filler in arpeggios and runs
The Christmas Song (lead sheet)
The Golden Rule of Musical Composition
The I-ii7-iii7 progression
The ii-V7-I Progression and V7 to ii7 chord substitution
The importance of rhythm
The importance of the number four
The IV/V to V7 Progression
The Mighty 7th
The secret sauce of good music
The simplest modulation possible
The ultimate chord substitution
Thoughts about learning to play better
Three important components of learning music
Three tips for faking it
Tips for performances
Tritone substitutions
Two different ways to learn music
Two important chord subs
Two ways to add 7ths to your music
Understanding dissonance
Using that left hand (Part 1)
Using the 2nd/9th to end a song
Video Lesson: Open voicing
Video Lesson: Silent Night Reharmonization
Video Lesson: What a Friend We Have In Jesus (Part 1)
Video Lesson: What a Friend We Have In Jesus (Part 2)
Video Lesson: What a Friend We Have In Jesus (Part 3)
Video Lesson: What a Friend We Have In Jesus (Part 4)
Video Lesson: What a Friend We Have In Jesus (Part 5)
Video: "Shall We Gather at the River" reharmonization example
Voicing the ii7 chord
Walking the fine line
Want help with your arrangements?
What is a Christian piano chord?
What is a Good Church Pianist?
What is a jazz chord?
What is your left thumb good for?
What makes a melody good or bad?
What YouTube tells me about my music
What YouTube tells me about my music (Part 2)
Which color notes belong to each chord
Which is better: reading music or playing by ear?
Who makes the rules anyway?
Why chords can be called different thing
Why is saying the right thing so hard?
Why some songs are hard to play by ear
Winner of "Come Thou Fount" contest
Working with other church musicians
Your touch matters

Music Philosophy

A few words for 2012
A great battle about music from history (Part 3)
A great battle about music from history (Part 4)
A great battle about music from history (Part 5)
About church musicians who "clump"
About compression in the recording process
Absolutes in music (and other arts)
America's contributions to Christmas music
An uneasy tension
Another appetizer for the upcoming big music question
Appreciating the world's music
Are you ignorant if you don't like classical music?
Biblical guidelines for me in 2011
Church piano music history: The background
Do you have to be a virtuoso?
From Harkness to George Schuler
Guess who said this?
Harkness and jazz (Part 1)
Harkness and Jazz (Part 2)
How church music functions
How exactly is good music performed?
How should one worship?
Making a successful CD
MLK, racism and music
More thoughts about beauty
Nashville vs. Beethoven
Objective Standards - Is beauty absolute or subjective?
Objective Standards - Musical development
Objective Standards - Part 1
Objective Standards - Time to wrap this up
Objective Standards - Who Needs Classical Music?
Objective Standards - Why they are "subjective"
Performance and Church
Phony Noni and Western classical music
Politics and music
Psalm 150 and dancing
Request for help
Robert Harkness - The man who pioneered church piano music
Should you play by ear?
Stan Whitmire plays "He Looked Beyond My Faults"
Thanks for the help
The big dilemma of artists
The certain sound of a trumpet
The difference between folk and pop
The Grammys: A case study for why we need boundaries in church
The mainframe mentality
The trumpet is just a fad...
This is why
Thoughts about Squire Parsons
Timothy's story
Training young musicians (Part 2)
Training young musicians (Part 3)
Two perspectives in the music debate
Video of Getty concert
What does the OT law tell us about music?
Why do you go to concerts?
Why history is important
Why I bought a drum kit

News

A Busy Summer
Announcing PrayerBond
Announcing the GregHowlett.com affiliate program
Another rhythm chart
Another update on Portraits of Hope
Atlanta concert at Grace Baptist Chuch, Dacula on 9/13/09
Backstage video from Portraits of Hope
Behind the scenes of Live in Charleston
Blemished DVDs as low as $5
Brian Neher studio week
Building a website for a small amount of money
CDs are here and shipping today and tomorrow
Changes at GregHowlett.com
Christmas Black-Cyber Price-Cutting (IE: $5 CDs are back!)
Christmas blowout is now a New Years blowout
Christmas music
Christmas Sale - 2011
Christmas Sale: $5 CDs and Inspirational Improvisation for just $99!
Comment policy
Concert in Huntsville, AL
Concerts cancelled for weekend
Contest Announcement: Win a recording opportunity on my upcoming concert video project!
Dacula, GA concert tomorrow
Daybreak CD - Hymns available for free download
Daybreak Quartet: The Lord Is My Shepherd
DVD recording week
DVD Series - Inspirational Improvisation
Easy and inexpensive Christmas gifts
Extending free download offer for Portraits of Hope
Facebook Artist Page
Fifteen years
Finally done recording
FREE arrangement: Take My Life and Let It Be
FREE CD offer: Reflections on a Journey
FREE download of Portraits of Hope
Free DVD for pastors/music pastors
Free music for children from Bible Truth Music
Free music from Peter Rogers
Free offer for churches and ministries
God Bless America Rally in Charleston, WV
Going on the Road
Good news on the economy
Help Wanted (Refer someone and earn $250!)
Highlights of the weekend
Home again
How good is your ear?
I Am Bound for the Promised Land
I'm sorry. Hey, check out my family!
Independent Baptist Friends International
Initial thoughts about Scotland trip
Introducing Vitabase EnFūz
Kansas Trip
Kelsey's recital
Kelsey's violin performances
Last day to get instructional DVDs at 25% off
Last weekend in Macon
Leaving for Scotland
Leporacci CD available
Light posting and other news
Live in Charleston airing nationwide on Friday
Live taping artists
Live taping concert information
Macon piano seminar coming up on October 24
Mixing done... CDs in a week
Mixing Update
Moog PianoBar
More about the contest/live concert recording
More about the DVD courses
More free music
More Travel
My "light" schedule
Name of new CD
Naming the new CD
New CD - Recording Process Part 2
New CD - The Recording Process
New Years Resolution Sale
New Years Resolutions Sale: Save 25% on instructional DVDs/downloads
News from the music industry
Parkersburg, WV
Performance Scams: Beware
Photos from Monday
Pianists seminars
Planning a CD
Plans for the summer
Portraits of Hope arrangements and soundtracks now available
Practical mixing fixes
PrayerBond news
Preparations for recording
Quick news
Quick news for August 3
Quick update on the site and email
Recap of last week
Recording news and upcoming events
Request for help
Review of Reflections on a Journey
Rough Mix: To God Be The Glory
Samples online.... Portraits of Hope is available for purchase!
Slow posting
Snapping Shoals
Sneak peak at Christmas project
South Haven Baptist Church pianist workshop and recording
The death of the music industry?
The goals of Portraits of Hope
The Solomon Bunch
Things you should know about (all FREE!)
Thoughts from a brutal studio week
Too much practice
Two new CDs and one new DVD available for pre-orders
Update from the Wilds Music Conference
Update on my eyes
Updates on things I am working on
Using my music in your presentations, videos and church services
Video clip: God Leads Us Along
Video clip: To God Be the Glory
Video: When the Saints Go Marching In
Want to write an article for this blog?
Webcast from Nashville
Weekend plans
Weekend recap
Writing out the arrangements

Thoughts

A contract is a contract
A good New Year's resolution for church pianists
A lesson from my children
A picture worth $100,000
A Sad Goodbye
A small town lawyer named Bill Childers
About SOPA: Why I am torn
Amazing Grace: Debunking a myth
An article worth reading
Another long day
Are Chinese parents superior to Western parents?
Back from a trip to Pennsylvania
Be kind to retailers
Bear story
Beware the online gold rush
Biting My Tongue
Bittersweet
Bulk mailing (junk mail) as a business
Can we attack ideas without attacking people?
Can you start a website and make money?
Carry on
Cautions about being judgmental
Children and music competitions
Christian music philosophy that actually makes sense
Clip of the week: Tim Parton and "God's Been Good"
Customer service stories
Dave McCoy - A Business Person to Emulate
Dealing with sharks
Dino concert: A blast from the past
Divine Timing - The story of my life
Divine Timing - The story of my life (Part 2)
Divine Timing - The story of my life (Part 3)
Do you need variety in a CD?
Do you think you are a good musician?
Dogmatism: Friend or foe?
Don't chase ornaments. Focus on the core.
Drama in Tennessee
Feeling like a beginner
Fighting for principle's sake?
Flooding in Rhode Island
Global warming and thoughts about trends
Great expectations from Bank of America
Health care debate
Health insurance dilemma
Helping children appreciate classical music
Hilarious key change
Hiring a designer
His Eye is On the Sparrow Video Excerpt
Hit singles
How does this happen?
How does this happen?
How the church can use Facebook
How the role of church pianists is changing
How to sell 8 million units of something
How to sell in 2010
How to start your own business
How to win friends
I don't get it
I goofed
If you are going to protest, do it in a respectable way
In the Bleak Mid-Wasteland (of Christmas music)
Inspiration from the past
Interesting emails
Interview with PianoAnimato
Is change impossible?
Is there hope?
Keith and Kristyn Getty Christmas concert
Keith Jarrett on improvising
Learning is a marathon
Lessons in relevance from the banking industry
Light video humor
Living in a bubble
Madonna and Gypsies
Magic Show at the Howletts
March Madness
Mark Richt vs. college football fans
Marketing in 2009
Marketing in 2011
Merry Christmas
Michael Jordan on failure
Money as a yardstick
More on Jarrett
More on Kenny Perry
My new Macbook Pro
Name dropping thoughts
National Religious Broadcasters Convention
New Dell laptop
Nostalgia in music
Now this is a video worth watching
One of My Heros
Optimism: A Necessary Trait
Paul Droz
Paying for Christmas with 15 minutes of work
Political musings
Poverty
Quick thoughts for 8/13/10
Recession thoughts
Recording studio work
Relationships
Rich Dad, Poor Dad and more about leverage
Secrets of live performances
Serena Williams - Just another day in the office
Should church pianists be paid?
Should you give music away for free?
Skiing Thoughts
Snow
Software development has gotten complex
Something worth reading
Steve Green
Stuck with no end in sight
Success isn't everything
Surround yourself with people better than you
Survival mode: Help for musicians who can no longer sell CDs
TED vs Harvard (revisited)
TED vs. Harvard
Thank God for growth
The benefits of sports?
The death of record labels
The end of an era
The futility of the "Etsy" way
The Masters
The myth of retirement
The poor you will always have with you
The power of perspective
The presence of my past
The Shack: A Review
The tale of Markus Frind
Thoughts about choirs and church music
Thoughts about Haiti
Thoughts on the historic week
Time Management - Part 1
Time Management - Part 2: The Maintenance Trap
Time Management - Part 3: A Holistic Plan
Time Management - Part 3: Creating a Life Plan
Time out
Truth and Slippery Slopes
Turning a blind eye
Vacation
Video editing
Video of the week: Kristyn Getty
Video: Gerald Wolfe - Because He Lives
View from bedroom in Scotland
Viral marketing
Want to start your own business?
Was it worth it?
Watching the bowl games
Way to go Lenovo
We are messed up
Website tips for piano teachers (and any other local business)
What does this teach?
What I think of Twitter
What is important in business (and other endeavors)
What recording means to me
When is the last time you changed your mind?
Why digital downloads are a threat to musical quality
Why do they let people on Mount Everest?
Why I do not play many Christmas carols
Why I do what I do
Why I play hymns
Why talent is not enough
Why the Transparency?
Why Twitter is important
Working with a spouse
Yard sales - Why?
You are appreciated
You are the loved one