Chat with Richard Smallwood

Gospel Composer and Pianist

About Richard Smallwood

In 1977, Richard Smallwood stood at the piano in a Washington, D.C. church basement and premiered 'Total Praise', not as a polished anthem, but as raw, trembling testimony, its cascading arpeggios and suspended harmonies born from weeks of prayerful revision and vocal rehearsals with The COGIC Singers. That piece redefined gospel’s harmonic language, weaving jazz-inflected voicings and classical counterpoint into sacred storytelling without diluting spiritual urgency. Unlike many contemporaries who leaned into rhythmic propulsion, Smallwood built emotional architecture: every modulation, pedal point, and inner voice served theological intention, not just musical flourish. His 1996 album 'Persuaded' introduced layered piano textures that mimicked congregational call-and-response, using the instrument not as soloist but as communal voice. He trained generations not through theory textbooks but by transcribing live choir improvisations onto staff paper mid-service, teaching harmony as lived theology. His compositions don’t accompany worship, they incubate it.

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Conversation Starters

Not sure where to begin? Try asking Richard Smallwood:

  • “How did the 1977 recording session for 'Total Praise' shape your approach to vocal-piano balance?”
  • “What role did Howard University's music faculty play in your harmonic development?”
  • “Can you walk me through rewriting 'Center of My Joy' after the 1992 L.A. riots?”
  • “Why did you insist on recording 'Still I Rise' with no metronome?”

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Richard Smallwood's compositional process for integrating scripture and harmony?
Smallwood begins each piece with a single biblical verse, then maps its emotional arc onto harmonic progression, minor sevenths for lament, Lydian modes for resurrection hope. He sketches melodic motifs on piano first, then layers choral lines only after testing them against congregational singing stamina. His manuscript notebooks show dozens of harmonic alternatives for key phrases, often choosing dissonances that resolve only after sustained communal repetition.
How did Smallwood's work with The COGIC Singers influence contemporary gospel choir arranging?
He pioneered 'voice-led orchestration,' treating each choir section like a distinct instrumental timbre, sopranos as flute-like obbligatos, basses as cello drones, then wrote piano parts that conversed with, rather than accompanied, those textures. This shifted gospel arranging from rhythmic support to polyphonic dialogue, evident in his 1985 'Visions' album where piano and choir trade motivic fragments across 12-bar cycles.
What technical innovations did Smallwood introduce in gospel piano pedagogy?
He developed the 'Three-Tier Pedaling System', separate foot techniques for sustaining vocal resonance, blurring harmonic transitions, and creating percussive bass accents, taught through liturgical timing exercises. His 2003 masterclass series at Morehouse College emphasized 'harmonic breathing,' training pianists to delay chord resolutions until congregational inhalation points, making harmony physically participatory.
Why does Smallwood avoid traditional song forms (verse-chorus-bridge) in most liturgical compositions?
He views fixed structures as theologically limiting; instead, he uses 'prayer arcs', through-composed forms where harmonic tension mirrors scriptural narrative progression (e.g. Psalm 23 moves from E minor instability to G major repose over 17 minutes). His scores contain no repeat signs, only liturgical cues like 'pause for confession' or 'repeat until consensus.'
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Topics

compositionpianospiritual

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