Free Jazz Piano Lesson #30: 3-Part ii-V-i Voicings

Please check out my series on 2-part shell voicings before continuing this lesson.  Many questions you have may be easily answered there.  Check out the 10 etudes and exercises here Complete List of Free Jazz Piano Lessons.

In my previous lessons on jazz shell voicings, we used only two notes per voicings.  The voicings contained two out of three of the most essential identifying notes of each chord.  These notes are the root, third, and seventh.  The root remains played in each chord because it is the most essential tone when identifying chord quality.


In this week's lesson we are going to update our knowledge of shell voicings by adding a single note to each voicing.  The rule we will follow is simple.  If a voicing does not contain the seventh of the chord, add the seventh.  If the voicing does not contain the third, add the third.  That's it!  Simple right?  Check out the free .pdf and play through the exercise for a more full understanding of how this works.

I'm a firm believer that jazz voicings do not have to be complicated to be effective.  The more notes you add to a voicing, the more you put yourself (or another soloist) in a box while improvising.  Practice improvising over tunes while utilizing two and three-part voicings.  I guarantee you will become a better linear improvisor.  You're basically forced to!

I have included tips for practice within the .pdf of this free jazz piano lesson.  Don't be afraid to also try any of the suggestions I have given in previous lessons.  Enjoy and thanks for watching.

Free Jazz Lesson #30:  .View the free .pdf here.
YouTube Link:  Free Video Jazz Lesson #30 "3-Part Shell Voicings"

Free Jazz Lesson #29: Modal Interval Pattern in 5/4

From last week's lesson:

"In this week's lesson we are taking a look at one of the first types of improvising beginning improvisors learn.  One thing I remember as a requirement to Jazz lessons in High School was a copy of the Aebersold book "Maiden Voyage."  The reason being that it had a lot of opportunities for modal improvising.  The idea is that long vamps over one chord are generally easier for younger students to grasp and improvisor over.  While I don't necessarily agree with this approach, I remember being a big part of my early Jazz studies.

Interval exercises are a great way to start internalizing the sound of the modes you practice with.  I wrote out this simple pattern in all 12 keys for you to work with this week.  You don't have to be a jazz pianist to practice this free lesson.  Try it on any instrument!  Better yet, if you're not a pianist, use it as a technical exercise to get bet better on the instrument.  Every musician can benefit from working on piano playing."
This week's free jazz lesson .pdf can be found here:  Lesson #29

This week we are taking the same pattern through the Lydian and Lydian Dominant scales.  I have also altered the rhythm to imply 5/4 time.  Take a look a the video link below to find great suggestions on how to practice feeling this pattern in "odd time."   Listen to and play-along with this free jazz lesson below. 

Here are the intervals:
Ascending -  Up 4th, Up 4th, Down 5th, Down 2nd
Descending - Down 4th, Down 4th, Up 5th, Up 2nd

YouTube Video Lesson:  Lesson #29 Free Jazz Video Lesson
Soundcloud Play-Along: Free Play-Along Recording
FREE .pdf of this lesson:  Free .pdf of Lesson #29

Lesson #28: Modal Interval Pattern (Dorian) "Free Jazz Lesson"

In this week's lesson we are taking a look at one of the first scales beginning improvisors learn.  One thing I remember as a requirement to Jazz lessons in High School was a copy of the Aebersold book "Maiden Voyage."  The reason being that it had a lot of opportunities for modal improvising.  The idea is that long vamps over one chord are generally easier for younger students to grasp and improvisor over.  While I don't necessarily agree with this approach, I remember being a big part of my early Jazz studies.

Interval exercises are a great way to start internalizing the sound of the modes you practice with.  I wrote out this simple pattern in all 12 keys for you to work with this week.  You don't have to be a jazz pianist to practice this free lesson.  Try it on any instrument!  Better yet, if you're not a pianist, use it as a technical exercise to get bet better on the instrument.  Every musician can benefit from working on piano playing.

Here are the intervals:
Ascending -  Up 4th, Up 4th, Down 5th, Down 2nd
Descending - Down 4th, Down 4th, Up 5th, Up 2nd

Check out the .pdf below to see this pattern clearly laid out in all 12 keys of the Dorian mode.  The left hand voicing in the free jazz lesson is built up in perfect 4ths, ala Mccoy Tyner.

Free .pdf of Scribd:  Lesson #28 .pdf
- click "purchase" to the right of the document to print and download.
YouTube Video Lesson Link:  Lesson #28 Video

Thanks for checking out my free jazz piano and improvisation lesson.  If you'd like to see more jazz lessons and videos, check me out on YouTube or click the "lessons" tab above for a list of all my free jazz piano lessons.