JPS Ep:147 – How to Play “Block Chords” (pt. 2)
In this lesson we’ll continue learning how to play “block chord” voicings in the style of George Shearing. We will be working on minor voicings in the key of F, specifically with the tune “Lullaby of Birdland.” George Shearing often played this tune with these very voicings, so it is a great model from which to start!
Killing Post-Bop Jazz Piano Lick (LOTW #140)
This week’s lick is a piece of post-bop vocabulary you can pull out when you want to take this to the next level. It is a quartal (4th based) line that moves in 4ths ascending by major second intervals, resulting in a cycle that repeats. Give this lick a try and see where it leads! […]
Beyond the Real Book: Checking out the “Folio”
Being able to show up to a jam and read tunes out of a real book can be very handy, but.. Have you ever wondered where some of those songs come from? As jazz musicians, we are fortunate to be able to draw from an endless fountain of repertoire from the 20th century. Today, this […]
Herbie Hancock Sidestepping Post-Bop Lines (LOTW #139)
Listen to Herbie do his thing on his fourth album as a leader, “Empyrean Isles.” This tune “One Finger Snap” would later go on to become a jazz standard. After some more conventional bop playing, Herbie takes it outside in the last two measures of this lick with his signature “sidestepping” technique. This piece of […]
3 Step Process to Assimilate Improv Concepts
Have you ever wanted to incorporate a musical idea into your playing but struggled to get past the “Copy and Paste” phase? This process will help you internalize musical ideas and make them a part of who you are, not just a lick that you can play. First, decide on a musical subject. Identify a […]
How to Play “Block Chords” Like George Shearing
In this lesson we’ll learn how to play “block chord” voicings in a jazz style. This technique was made famous by George Shearing, and used by other pianists such as Oscar Peterson and Bill Evans. You can use it to harmonize melodies and achieve a fuller soloistic sound when playing in a group.
Bill Evans Extended Chords Comping (LOTW #138)
Bill Evans is a master of using upper extensions of chords to create beautiful and colorful harmony. On his trio record, “Explorations” (1961) he begins comping for Scott LaFaro’s bass solo with crystalline structures of stacked thirds and makes some unique sonorities, all while maintaining a sense of melody in his accompaniment. https://youtu.be/VaX6FPBVu84 CLICK HERE […]
Early McCoy Tyner Line from Reaching Fourth (LOTW #137)
Here is a quintessential bit of McCoy Tyner vocabulary. McCoy influenced everyone that came after him when it came to playing in a post-bop modal style, and this line from “Reaching Fourth” (1963) captures the essence of his style. He plays over a static A7 chord and puts his characteristic McCoy spin on it. See […]
9 Ways To Storytell With Your Improvisation
I’ve heard extremely technically proficient and knowledable improvisers completely fail at telling a story with their solo. When this happens it stinks! None of us want to be in that position. Here’s 9 ways for you to be a GREAT story teller when soloing. Let’s get it!
Erroll Garner’s Swinging Lines on “I’ll Remember April” (LOTW #135)
Erroll Garner swings in a league of his own on his famous recording “Concert by the Sea.” He treads the line between bebop and swing, and his chromatic and adventurous lines lead him to new destinations every time! https://youtu.be/iprk9P7g8is CLICK HERE TO GET A TRANSCRIPTION OF THE LICK If you have questions or suggestions for […]
