JazzPianoLessons.com suggestions

[wmyette]

Add your http://www.jazzpianolessons.com/ lesson suggestions here.

[ricoche]

Jazz Composition

I think it would be great to take a simple ii-V-I or ii-V progression and understand how one can develop it into a very basic jazz composition. Nothing fancy here, but I often get asked to come up with a ii-V-I, which is not a problem, but to then develop it and make it go somewhere on the fly is a problem.

In blues for example, it's much easier to develop a I-IV-V as it pretty much loops quite a bit, but with Jazz, I feel you need to move straight ahead sometimes and not just play the same progression over an over. Thus it would be fun to understand better how to move straight ahead in a progression and then later find your way back to the original ii-V-I you started with.

Note that this idea might also fall under the heading of "Comping", but in that case I usually have a lead sheet already from the band. In the above, I'm basically talking about starting with just a basic ii-V-I and developing it into something of a little more substance. So if the band says "Take us somewhere", I want to be able to do that.

Hope this makes sense.

Thanks!

Jim

[ricoche]

Hi Willie,

I actually just watched the Gospel Piano Lesson called "Improvisation With Chords & Inversions" and found it to be exactly what I was looking for, however, I am not sure if everything can be applied to Jazz. Obviously that lesson is presented within the context of Gospel, but it would be great to have a lesson on how you would apply these chord progression concepts to Jazz or even Funk as it certainly would apply there too.

Of course I plan to dive in and explore this topic myself, but I just wanted to let you know that you've basically answered my question over on the Gospel Piano Site which is an incredible site by the way.

Thanks!

Jim

[skip]

Hi Willie,
How High the Moon would be a great tune to deconstruct on Jazz site..Thanks

[ricoche]

I absolutely dig McCoy Tyner. Perhaps a lesson analyzing some of his techniques and a jam that could help incorporate them. For example some fun, energetic progressions incorporating modal playing, pentatonic scales and heavy use of fourth chordal voicings to get that McCoy Tyner sort of sound would be awesome. Thanks!

[dond]

I just finished browsing through the FLY ME TO THE MOON lesson and must say that you did a very nice, thorough job with that video. That lesson will serve as a template for me in "faking" other pieces similar to it.

If you continue with other videos addressing Fakebook, cocktail type playing I would like to request that the next video address music in which the "movement" between chord changes must be manufactured by the pianist. In FLY ME TO THE MOON, the movement is basically provided with the melody line. However, in a piece such as MOON RIVER there are numerous "dead zones" which cry out for something to be going on between chord changes or melody lines. So, that is what I would like some insight into dealing with those issues.

Anyway ... nice job on FLY ME TO THE MOON and this will keep me occupied for some time.

Don

[stjohn30]

Hi Willy. Just to echo ricoches point really. I've really got into McCoy Tyner and his style of playing since going through your chord voicing DVDs and Quartel voicings. I've recently started working on your songs more (Stella By Starlight, Song For My Father, How High The Moon) as putting your explanation of theory into a song is great fun. I came across the site Lots2learn that has the type of modal style playing that you talk about when you talk about quartels. There's a version of footprints, solar, and a whole heap of others. I find his explanation hard to follow and would appreciate your insight as I find your style of teaching and explanation much more complete and easier to follow. I know the songs might be ambitious but just to fully understand the concepts of what they're doing would be great...even if my dexterity is nowhere near theirs haha

Thanks loads!

[dond]

I came across this video on Youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-6gLTGlTD0

I am not sure what to say about this other than it appeals to me as a means of beginning to play some simple, jazz tunes. I realize it is at a pretty elementary level but that is what is appealing about it to me. It offers me the option of learning the "thin" version and then progressing to a more "full" version.

I am still trying to get my foot in the door with this jazz stuff to where I can get a base method I can build off of for numerous pieces. This type of approach appeals to me.

If you can come up with something of this nature I would welcome it.

Don

[williemyette]

I will be doing more step 1,2,3 lessons for the Jazz site soon. Thanks for sharing the video.

[jazzjole]

i'd really like to learn 'round midnight or some other monk tune... i am really glad you did the lesson on stormy weather, i really like the song :)

[domisol]

Thank you Willie for teaching the Song " What a difference a day made" I just fininshed the song today and it sounds great, just like Besame mucho. Thank you again, Lydia.

[dond]

I cannot find any mention of stride piano anywhere within this site. If that is the case, a lesson utilizing half-note stride might be nice. Summertime or Autumn Leaves might be a suitable vehicle for this topic. Just a thought.

[nickrees]

I would love to see a stride lesson but since Autumn Leaves and Summertime have both been used in other lessons, how about Ain't Misbehavin' or Honeysuckle Rose?