Modern Jazz Line #24 - Harmonic Minor over Dominant - Creative Improvisaiton

Sheet Music:  Modern-Jazz-Line-24-Harmonic-Minor-over-Dominant.pdf

I wanted to write a line this week that used the Harmonic Minor scale over the V7 chord.  You'll notice all the notes used over the dominant chord in this week's example come from the Harmonic Minor scale.  There are a couple of options to consider when choosing what mode of this scale to use when improvising over dominant chords.

The most common example, first used by be-bop musicians like Charlie Parker and Bud Powell, is to simply use the Harmonic Minor scale based off of the minor i chord relative to the V chord.

For example:
G7 - C Harmonic Minor
G7 is the V chord in the key of Cminor.  This would be the fifth mode of the Harmonic Minor Scale.
G Ab B C D Eb F or 1 b9 3 4 5 b13 7

I decided to go a different route and use the seventh mode of the Harmonic Minor over our dominant chord.

For example:
G7 - Ab Harmonic Minor
G Ab Bb B Db Eb E G or 1 b9 #9 3 b5 #5 13

Remember to sing and play slowly at first.  Once you feel comfortable with this line in all 12 keys you can try improvising using the 7th mode of the Harmonic Minor scale on your favorite tunes.

You may want to watch my Introduction to Modern Jazz Lines 21-30 before continuing with this lesson.

You can find my complete collection of Modern Jazz Line "How to Improvise" playlists below.  You may want to review these lessons before continuing with the series.  They will give you an excellent introduction to voicing and improvising over the ii-V-I progression.

Modern Jazz Line #1-10 - The "ii-V-I" Progression
Video Jazz Piano Lesson Playlist (YouTube)
Sheet Music Collection for Jazz Piano Lesson (1-10)
Blog Posts for Modern Jazz Line #1-10

Modern Jazz Line #11-20 - The Tri-Tone Substitution
Video Jazz Piano Playlist (YouTube)
Sheet Music Collection for Jazz Piano Lesson (11-20)
Blog Posts for Modern Jazz Line #11-20

Sheet Music:  Modern-Jazz-Line-24-Harmonic-Minor-over-Dominant.pdf

Video Lesson:

Modern Jazz Line #21 - Bi-Tonal Melody - Jazz Piano Improvisation Lesson

Sheet Music:  Modern-Jazz-Line-21-Bi-Tonal-Melody-I-vi-ii-V.pdf

This week's Modern Jazz Line is an exercise in stretching your ears.  This bi-tonal melody takes some chances with harmony that you may not be expecting.  I always try to write lines that are just out of my comfort zone technique wise.  I think this one is certainly going to be a challenge for most of you.  Singing this challenging line through all 12 keys is guaranteed to improve your ability to hear odd intervals.

You may want to watch my Introduction to Modern Jazz Lines 21-30 before continuing with this lesson.

You can find my complete collection of Modern Jazz Line "How to Improvise" playlists below.  You may want to review these lessons before continuing with the series.  They will give you an excellent introduction to voicing and improvising over the ii-V-I progression.

Modern Jazz Line #1-10 - The "ii-V-I" Progression
Video Jazz Piano Lesson Playlist (YouTube)
Sheet Music Collection for Jazz Piano Lesson (1-10)
Blog Posts for Modern Jazz Line #1-10

Modern Jazz Line #11-20 - The Tri-Tone Substitution
Video Jazz Piano Playlist (YouTube)
Sheet Music Collection for Jazz Piano Lesson (11-20)
Blog Posts for Modern Jazz Line #11-20

Sheet Music:  Modern-Jazz-Line-21-Bi-Tonal-Melody-I-vi-ii-V.pdf

Modern Jazz Line #21:

Lesson #38: Thirds and Sevenths Voicing Exercise (Part 2)

In this week's lesson we'll be taking a look at a slight variation on Lesson #37 (3rds and 7th Singing Exercise pt.1).  In our last lesson we took simple 3rds and 7ths voicings through all twelve keys using the circle of fourths.  This time we'll use a pattern of ii-V-I resolving in descending whole-tones.  I find this progression to be much easier to sing through than the circle of fourths.  There is less jumping around and the voice leading from key to key is generally much smoother.

This exercise is simple but essential to any pianist (or jazz instrumentalist) wanting to improve their understanding of chord progressions.  The cycles we've been practicing and the resolutions of 3rds and 7ths voicings can be found in every jazz standard ever written.  Even most contemporary compositions retain these foundational building blocks of harmony.  Work through the steps in the exercise slowly and soon you will be able to hear these foundational elements of harmony clearer than ever before.

For an added challenge start playing the 3rds and 7ths voicings in your left hand.  Resolve them the same way as Lesson 37/38 and try to incorporate them in to the tunes you're working on.  All the great jazz pianists including Bill Evans, McCoy Tyner, Bud Powell and Herbie Hancock used these simple voicings.  We'll continue to discuss how to use them while improvising in the following weeks.

Download the Sheet Music:  Lesson #38 .pdf

Watch the lesson:

Charlie Parker Transcription - Little Willie Leaps

Just finished another Charlie Parker transcription.  This one is of Charlie Parker playing Tenor Saxophone on Little Willie Leaps, a tune based on All God's Chillun' Got Rhythm.  I was interested to find that Parker, while a great improvisor, still used many of the same phrases over repeated progressions on the tune.  It just goes to show that even the best improvisors don't mind working some stuff out beforehand.

Here is the transcription:

Free Jazz Piano Lesson #21: Bud Powell Solo Break Analysis and Performance

 As a teacher and a student I have always struggled to find the "best" ways to practice.  The older and more experienced I get, the more I learn what works best for me.  A professor once told me a story about about Oscar Peterson's intense practice routine.  He would work out 4-5 fingerings for technically troublesome passages.  That way he was sure not to get tripped up in any situation when trying to implement it.

Lennie Tristano has a similar method while teaching scales.  He would have students learn the traditional fingering followed by up to six other variations of fingering.  He would then have the students play all the different fingerings with implementing complex polyrhythmic variations.  I guess the point that I'm trying to make is, sometimes it's best not to be so single minded in our approach to practice.  The more ways we approach the problems of playing, the more options we have to fall back on if we happen to fail.

Here are some suggestions for practice when working with new melodic material:

1)  Scientifically approach analyzing the material to the best of your ability.  Try to be thorough but not overly so.  Once you've analyzed the material, beginning taking snippets of it through all twelve keys.  This method is most effective when combined with an ear (aural) based approach.  


2)  Use an aural approach.  In previous lessons we've talked about singing melodies at and away from our instruments.  Don't worry if you're having trouble at first.  The goal isn't to become the next Frank Sinatra, it's to sing as accurately as possible the pitches you are hearing in your head.  


3)  Try various technical approaches to the material.  Varied fingerings, using both hands, changing octaves, changes in phrasing, ghosting random notes, leaving out notes, playing as fast as possible, playing as slow as possible...

I hope you've enjoyed these past two lessons.  They took some time to make and edit.  If people seem interested, I will continue to make more.  Although, they likely will be a little less detailed then these have been.

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Lesson #21- Solo Break Analysis

Free Jazz Piano Lesson #17: Open Position Shell Voicings

In this week's free jazz piano lesson, we revisit two-part shell voicings. We'll explore how to take these basic voicings and make them fuller sounding for when you're playing in a solo or duo situation. This style of jazz piano voicing is very commonly used by solo pianists (especially stride pianists of the '20s and '30's). Some great examples of this style of voicing can be found in the solo playing of Bill Evans, Bud Powell and even McCoy Tyner!

I hope you enjoy this lesson. Please leave a comment with any questions or suggestions and feel free to share this lesson with your friends.

Click here to view your free .pdf of this lesson on Scribd.com.

 

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Scribd Link:
Lesson #17: Open Position Shell

Free Jazz Piano Lesson #20: Bud Powell Solo Break in 12 Keys

In this video we check out how to learn this Bud Powell melody in 12 keys using an aural approach.  Enjoy!

Step 1)   Sing and play the melody and the same time.  Play slowly to make sure that you are singing each pitch accurately and in tune.  You will want to play simple shell voicings in your left hand in order to hear the melody within it's harmonic context.  Repeat in all 12 keys before proceeding to the next step.

Step 2)  Sing the melody over left hand voicings without playing the right hand.  You can "ghost" the notes in your right hand if you are able.  Singing while ghosting, i.e. pressing a note down without making a sound, helps us combine the physical and aural approaches in a deeper and more meaningful way.  Repeat in all 12 keys.

Step 3)  Play the melody in the right hand without singing.  If you've completed step 1 and 2 honestly, this should be the easiest step.  You do this step with and without the L.H. voicings.

Click HERE to view your free .pdf on this lesson on Scribd.com.

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Free Jazz Piano Lesson #15: All the Things You Are Etude

How to practice this lesson:


Turn on the metronome at a slow enough tempo where you can play the exercise effortlessly.


1)  Play each hand as written while concentrating on hearing the melody in your head.


2)  Play the L.H. as written while singing the right hand melody.


2b)  An alternative to this step include pantomiming playing the right hand while singing.  This helps connect the physical action of playing with your aural memory.


3)  Sing the R.H. melody away from your instrument.  


Enjoy!


Check out the previous etude here:
Lesson #14: Confirmation Etude




Click Here for your FREE .pdf copy of this lesson!Lesson #15: All the Things You Are Etude


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Free Jazz Piano Lesson #13: Melodic Shell Voicings (Part 2)

Please be sure and check out the previous lesson before continuing:
Lesson #12:  Shell Voicings (Part 2)

How to practice this lesson:
Turn on the metronome at a slow enough tempo where you can play the exercise effortlessly.
1)  Play each hand as written while concentrating on hearing the melody in your head.
2)  Play the L.H. as written while singing the right hand melody.
2b)  An alternative to this step include pantomiming playing the right hand while singing.  This helps connect the physical action of playing with your aural memory.
3)  Sing the R.H. melody away from your instrument.

Enjoy!




Lesson #13: Melodic Shell Voicings (Part 2)

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Lesson #11: Melodic Shell Voicings

For more lessons, check out the "Lessons" tab above.

You may want to review Lesson #10 before moving on.



Click here to view and download your FREE .pdf copy of this here.

Tips for practicing this exercise.

Step 1: Play the exercise slowly (80bpm or less) with both hands. Be sure you can play the entire etude effortlessly before moving on.

Step 2: Play the left hand shell voicings while simultaneously singing and playing the right hand melody.

Step 3: Play the left hand shell voicings and sing the melody.

Step 4 (optional): Sing the melody alone and away from your instrument.

This reminds me of a story one of my teachers told me about asking Barry Harris how he practiced. Barry answered, "You've got to learn to the play the piano in your mind!" You're not always going to have your instrument available, but that doesn't always mean you can't practice. Being able to hear and sing accurately will allow you to practice anywhere, anytime, regardless of if you have your instrument available.

Feel free to leave a comment or message me with ideas for future lessons.