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How to Play the Chords to "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" by Stevie Wonder

4/20/2017

1 Comment

 
For my latest youTube tutorial, we'll be digging into a Stevie Wonder classic -- You Are the Sunshine of My Life.  I play this tune all the times on gigs -- it's great one to play with both vocalists and instrumentalists.  The inspiration to teach this one came from a Skype student of mine.  So...this one is for you Cara!  Cara decided to learn this song and sing it to her father for his birthday...how sweet is that!  

I hope you enjoy learning this one.  It has some great piano voicings which mostly utilize root notes in the left hand with 7/3/5 or 3/7/9 in the right hand.  It has some great examples of how simple voice-leading moves with one finger in the right hand can lead to whole new chords and sounds!  It also has a few "hybrid chords" (where we have one chord in the right hand and a different bass note in the left).  Check out the G/F in the 2nd measure -- wooo!!   And of course, a beautiful mini-modulation to A major from C major.  What I can say -- it's Stevie Wonder.  It's perfect.  

You can click on the button below to purchase the sheet music transcription of the arrangement I play in the Part 1 video as well as the Part 2 video which completes the song.  

Happy shedding!  

Purchase Part 2 Video and Sheet Music Here!
1 Comment
ERNESTO GERARDO GOMEZ RIVERA link
6/1/2022 07:46:05 am

i am interested in part 2 you are the sunshine of my life

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The Piano Shed provides fun and creative music instruction specializing in jazz, pop, & blues piano.  We serve students in Newton, Waltham, Cambridge, and the surrounding areas. Visit our blog for free piano lessons, sheet music and video tutorials! 
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