LaTeX Keybindings for Math Symbols

["Ryan Krauss" <ryanlists@gmail.com>]

I would like to create Latex keybindings for math symbols (or find out
what they are if they already exist).  For example, in Vim I used to
have mappings for `t -> \tau so that typing ` and then a english
character would insert the Latex math code for the corresponding greek
symbol (`a would insert \alpha and `b would insert \beta ...).

My first attempts at writing a key binding have failed:
(global-set-key "`q" "\theta")
leads to:
error: "Key sequence ` q uses invalid prefix characters"

So, I think part of the problem is that I need a valid set of
short-cut keys where I can set a,b,d,t, q, w, ...  versions to things.

Do such mappings for latex greek characters already exist?  If not,
can someone help me with an example of a valid global-set-key?

Thanks,

Ryan