Kirtan Chants: How to Use the Chord Charts

I make chord charts for every chant we sing in the keys we play in.

The letters above the words indicate the chord being played for the word or syllable below it. Sometimes I will put the melody line right below the words—one note for each syllable.

Stay tuned. I’m in the process of standardizing the formats for the charts so the fonts, colors and chart styles will be consistent.

I’m also working on audio files to post so that you can listen to of each of the chants while looking at the charts. You will be able to follow along and learn to chant and play for yourself.

I have a low voice, so I often have to transpose to a key I can lead in. You may have to transpose to a key that will work for you. For example, in Jaya Jaya Kali Ma (in the key of Em), I’ve indicated next to the name of each chord in Roman numerals the number of the chord in the chord progression. I used this to help me transpose the chant to Am, the key I lead this chant in. Down the road, I’ll explain how to use these Roman numerals to transpose the chants into keys you can chant and lead in.

Keep checking. The goal is to teach you to lead chants yourself!