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Jazz Piano School Ep: 48 – Perfecting The Ballad

So, Ballads can be extremely difficult. More so than fast tunes because they are SO slow! You are much more vulnerable to stand out with your mistakes and insecure playing.

Luckily, this podcast will help you gain the confidence to play ballads with a group, comp for singers or other instruments playing the melody, and improvise like a pro yourself.

Enjoy!

Bullet Points

1. Practice melody alone with RH as beautiful and simple as possible. Add LH second

2. Comping – Use all register structures from comping podcasts. Think support, simplicity, and be conscious of where the melody is. Use counter-melody notes to connect voicings.

3. Improvisation – Practice simple, in the pocket, melodies first. B – Add LH to simple melodies with RH

4. Improvisation Outside Pocket – Let your RH creates phases outside the pocket. Float melodic improv over the bass and drums and your LH support.

5. Have conversation of RH and LH while improvising. LH should support the breaths the RH takes.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE PODCAST MATERIALS FOR THIS EPISODE

If you have questions or suggestions for a podcast lesson you would like us to do, please leave them in the comments down below.

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Brenden Lowe

6 Responses

  2. This was such a pleasant lesson/lecture/master class to listen to, Brenden. And so enjoyable while still being didactic! Thank you very much!

    Reply

  3. Thanks Brenden…..You have given a very inspiring demonstration.

    What previously seemed impossible has been simplified, demystified and given me fresh hope

    Reply

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