Understanding Jazz Theory (Part 2): Functioning Dominants & 3 Functioning V7 Alterations
In Part 1 in this “Making Sense of Jazz Theory” series we looked at 3 foundational concepts: the 4 Chord Families, Diatonic Harmony, and the Church Modes. If you haven’t checked that out yet, Click Here to read that first. Today we are going to be looking at the importance of understanding Functioning Dominants and […]
Basic Reharmonization: How To Harmonize A Melody & 5 Basic Reharmonization Techniques
A good way to begin working on basic reharmonization is to practice harmonizing a tune and coming up with a different chord for every note of the melody. Let’s take the first 8 bars to the tune “If I Should Lose You” as an example. Here are the basic chord changes and melody as you […]
Shaping Lines Rhythmically — Changing Rates: 8ths, Triplets, and 16ths
Staying in one rhythmic zone – whether it be eighth notes or double time sixteenth note lines – can sound monotonous over the course of an entire solo. A way to bring about rhythmic freshness is to alternate between eighth note, eighth note triplet, and sixteenth note phrases. The key is to make the transition […]
Understanding Jazz Theory (Part 1): 3 Most Important Jazz Theory Concepts For A Beginner
4 Chords Families While these are not the only chord families, these 4 are the main families that make up the diatonic series: Major 7th Symbols: M7, Ma7, Maj7, Δ7 Dominant 7th Symbols: 7, dom7 Minor 7th Symbols: m7, mi7, min7, -7 Minor 7 Flat 5 or Half-Diminished Symbols: m7(b5), min7(b5), ø7 Next, it is […]
My Jazz Piano Freedom: What’s Helped & Hurt
I’ve always been fascinated by the education process of jazz piano. As many of you know, I had a hard time learning jazz piano. It wasn’t until later in my career that I found out that most people actually have a hard time learning jazz piano. The typical student would follow the same path- or […]
10 Disastrous Mistakes I’ve Made Learning Jazz Piano
Alright, so I went over all the good stuff in the last post. The stuff that got me results, the things that helped me improve and achieve jazz piano freedom. If you want to read Part 1 of this 3-part Series, click here to read “My Jazz Piano Freedom:What’s Helped & Hurt.” That post covers […]
Behind The Scenes: 3 Takeaways From Barry Harris Masterclass
On Monday, October 2nd, 2017 I had the privilege of participating in Barry Harris’ Masterclass at Manhattan School of Music as his ginny pig pianist. Barry is a bebop pioneer whose teaching has played an important part in the development of many jazz musicians. Here are 3 takeaways from what he showed me at this […]
Problem/Solution: What & How To Practice
Last time we examined why we practice – which is to slow down the process, extract your internal information, and achieve a high level of control in order to best equip yourself to spontaneously create. Today I am going to offer solutions to the common questions: what and how should I practice? HOW TO PRACTICE […]
SAQ: Why Do We Practice?
A common FAQ is “What Should I Practice?”. But a more important SAQ (“should ask question”) is “Why Do I Practice?”. Many have defined practicing as “the act of rehearsing a behavior over and over, or engaging in an activity again and again, for the purpose of improving or mastering it, as in the phrase […]
Early McCoy vs Late McCoy: How McCoy Tyner’s Playing Style Evolved Over Time
McCoy Tyner is unquestionably one of the most influential jazz pianists to date, with one of the most clearly recognizable sounds. But McCoy’s sound changed drastically – arguably more than any other jazz musician – as he evolved from a mainstream hard-bop player to an innovative post-bop player who defined a new approach to improvisation […]
