JPS Ep:131 – Improvising With Tritone Substitutions
We take a deep dive into improvising over tritone substitutions. Find out how to implement a diverse harmonic palette, and discover the secrets used by some of your favorite players! Enjoy!
Keith Jarrett’s Beautiful Melody on “Someday My Prince Will Come” Pt. 2 (LOTW #122)
Usually we all want to learn cool, hip sounding voicings right?! Trust me, I’ve been there. But unfortunately these one off voicings don’t do much for our education. It’s like someone giving us a fish instead of TEACHING us HOW to fish. Now, I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather learn HOW to […]
Fill Style Comping (Part 2): Jobim “Girl From Ipanema” Brazilian Comping Analysis
In part 1 of this series, we analyzed Oscar Peterson’s fill-style comping on “Sweet Loraine” alongside Herb Ellis’ 4-in-the-bar style comping. In part 2 of this 3-part series, we are going to examine how to comp alongside a guitarist on a Bossa nova tune. When comping in a Brazilian group, the guitarist serves as the […]
Keith Jarrett’s Beautiful Melody on “Someday My Prince Will Come” Pt. 1 (LOTW #121)
As jazz pianists, we can’t always be burning or pulling out crazy licks. Sometimes the hottest lines are beautiful melodies! Check out Keith Jarrett playing “Someday My Prince Will Come” at a live concert in France from 2002. He sequences melodic material through the changes in a way that melts the hearts of his audience.
Taylor Eigsti Sidestepping Pentatonic Lines (LOTW #120)
Taylor Eigsti rips through some changes on his arrangement of the standard tune, “I Love You” for his album Let It Come to You. The line begins with a chromatic enclosure around a Bb and ascends through some melodic minor modes. Where some people would place a conventional 3625 progression, he sidesteps downwards with a […]
How to Reharmonize Like a Pro
What is Reharmonization? Let’s do a quick review… Reharmonization is the process of replacing the chords underneath a melody with other chords that still work musically but have a different function. Chords share a variety of common tones that allow us to interchange them without wreaking havoc on the music. Take, for example, one of […]
JPS Ep:130 – 8 Must Know Jazz Piano Chords
Usually we all want to learn cool, hip sounding voicings right?! Trust me, I’ve been there. But unfortunately these one off voicings don’t do much for our education. It’s like someone giving us a fish instead of TEACHING us HOW to fish. Now, I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather learn HOW to fish. This episode will give you the 8 must know jazz piano chords but will also TEACH you how you can take these structures and methods and use them in all tunes. Enjoy!
Bill Evans’ Tricky Diminished Lines on “Israel” (LOTW #119)
Check out this explosive chorus from Bill Evans on his minor blues tune, “Israel.” He busts out of the gate with a decisive gesture and follows up with some of his signature minor vocabulary. Watch out for his use of chromaticism and the tricky diminished lines sprinkled throughout.
Slippery Herbie Hancock Lines from Four and More by Miles Davis Second Great Quintet (LOTW #118)
Herbie Hancock executes slippery chromatic lines over the tune “There is No Greater Love.” His accented offbeats lie deep in the pocket of Tony Williams and Ron Carter. If you’re feeling adventurous, check out the slaying triplet passage in the second half of this solo.
Fill-Style Comping (Part 1): Oscar Peterson “It’s Only A Paper Moon” Comping Analysis
Fill-style comping can be a very effective tool when dealing with a crowded accompaniment space: when comping in a traditional big band setting when comping alongside a guitarist’s brazilian rhythmic comping when comping alongside a guitarist’s “4 to a bar” comping In part 1 of this 3-part series, we are going to examine Oscar Peterson’s […]
