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Two Handed Voicings - Practice Strategy - Part 5

Just a side note - just in the week or so since I posted these voicings, there's been over 25,000 page reads so obviously there's interest here. Please post comments since many of you are apparently reading this. It just gives me a feedback to see if this is worth doing. And keep on reading. There's a few more of these posts to follow.

Obvious Problem Areas

As you practice these shapes, most of the time, on the LH, the Root + 5 + 9 fall on the same colored keys so it is easy to visualize. So for example, if the root falls on a white key, then all others fall on the same white key. But you need to memorize the exception shapes where the fifth shape lands an opposite colored keys. Remember what I said earlier that a LH 1-5-9 is actually just two connected fifths. So the problem really is just Bb - F and B - F#. But due to the fact that you're dealing with two fifths on the LH, you just have to remember the following roots:

Eb - (Eb Bb F)
E - (E B F#)
Bb - (Bb F C)
B - (B F# C#)

On the RH, since we are dealing with only one Fifth shape (or a Fifth + Fourth which is just an inversion), then the only issues will be Bb - F and B - F#. It's really good to practice and know this in advance instead of having to always have to think about it when you try to create the shapes with the hands. Remember that point of this practice strategy is to create these voicings quickly and automatically.

More Patterns - Moving from a Major 7 Chord to a Min 7 Chord

It's really good to practice these shapes with All the Things You Are because you encounter most of the possibilities. I just want to call your attention to this behavior. I mentioned before that moving from a major chord to a minor with the same root (like Cmaj7 to CMin7) simply means leaving the LH alone and moving the RH shape down a half step. I just want to make sure one sees the opposite here which is that moving from CMaj7 to DbMin7 means moving the LH up a half step and the RH stays in place. Some of this might be obvious but it's conscious awareness of all this that speeds up recognition.

Minimal Motions

Can you memorize these relationships? If you do, you will note that you will avoid motions on one hand with these moves or just involve movement of one note.

These progressions that involve minimal movement in one hand are:

ii-V-I - RH Moves Minimally (one finger)
Maj to Min7 same Root - LH does not move, RH moves a half step
Maj to Min 7 half step up - LH moves a half step, RH does not move

Do you know why this is the case? If not go back and reread the earlier parts.

RH Inversions

On Major 7th and Minor 7th chords, the right hand is all about shifting between Fourth shape and Fifth Shape inversions (or combining the two to create an octave. Are you comfortable with that? What I mean here is that when practicing, you should automatically be able to shift between starting at a fourth shape below and a fifth shape above (meaning the pattern starts at the 7th of the chord), or a fifth shape + a fourth shape (which means a pattern starting at the 3rd of the chord).

As I mentioned before the decision to choose a shape will depend on the melody location.

On Dominant Seventh chords, the RH interval is always a tritone (flatted 5th). So this shape is constant regardless of what note one starts in (3rd or 7th). So one should be able to easily play two tritones in a row and the top and bottom notes will create an octave.

This doubled note or octave is great for comping, in a style popularized by Red Garland.

Rhythmic Aspects of Two Handed Playing

Something I discovered later on in two handed playing is the rhythmic aspect. Jazz is a rhythmic based music. So every opportunity to suggest the rhythm is important and very difficult in solo piano.

So instead of thinking of playing a chord as one entire collection of 5 or 6 notes, think of breaking it up rhythmically. As an example, when using a two handed chord like CMaj7, I might play only the root and melody on beat 1 of the bar, then insert the middle voicings somewhere in the middle of the bar. This works particularly well in a Latin beat.

Another thing I end up doing on a ballad is arpeggiating the LH more. I think the key word here is variety.

Pattern Recognition

I was observing myself play two handed chords a few days ago and I clearly don't follow the rules I state here about playing these fixed shapes. The reason is that, I've already accomplished the pattern recognition stage where I can choose the shift the notes between my two hands.

Here's a couple of common variations that I find myself doing.

a. LH Plays 1-5-7 and RH plays 9+3

b. LH Plays 1-3 (especially when going to a V chord in a ii-V progression).

When these hand shapes become natural, playing jazz becomes a TEN FINGERED process. It is no longer LH Comping and RH single note soloing. You develop the ability to comp inner voicings in the middle of a solo. This allows you to break up the solo with some space and comp at those moments with some soft fill.

As a side benefit, the important notes in soloing are the chord tones to begin with. Visualizing these notes in multiple registers because of this exercise really allow you to target these chord tones very easily (as opposed to just looking at a scale).

OK -- after this, we can talk about handling Minor ii-V's. (like | F#7b5 B7b9 |). You didn't think you knew everything already did you?

Hi JW
Thanks ! I have been reading but sorry for not having posted anything yet. I’m intending to work through Part 1 next week, and do one part per week.

Cheers
cus

I've been working on a little tune called Ladybird (Tadd Dameron). This is my first tune where I finally put some time into learning how to improvise and creating and using licks. My time's still off sometimes and I need to work on my swing, but other specific comments are very welcome! (need to get bettter at this lol)

Will have a swing at Autumn Leaves after fiddling around with Ladybird some more.

http://www.box.net/shared/dbnev307mt

Khz,

I'd recommend 2 things:
- Cut the tempo in half.
- When you improvise, use only 8th notes. And instead of thinking one note at a time, think in blocks of 4 notes. Count in your head if it helps. 1-2-3-4 1-2-3-4 etc ...

take care.

This thread has inspired me to stop lurking and start again.

When I first joined this site, this was the thing I was looking for but everything centered around Classical self instruction. Now that there's this huge resource, I'm motivated again. Thanks for everyone that's contributed to it so far. Looking forward to learning my two favorite Autumns (Autumn Leaves and Autumn in New York). As a matter of fact looking forward to learning April in Paris, Summertime and Christmas Time Is Here as well.

Thanks again.

hey guys, thought I'd drop by here. Has anyone played the song "Never Let Me Go?" Keith Jarrett does a great version on his Standards Vol.1 album.

I've looked through a fake book and worked out my own chord voicings. For me it's a tricky tune as it modulates in 3-4 keys and there's tons of diminished chords, which I'm working on now.

One common progression is 1 maj7 - 1 dim....

It's a great song.

Hi Cus, I didn't mean that you'd (or others) have to do the exercises now, I was just seeing if there's anybody out there or I was just talking to myself Seemed unlikely after now 30,000 page reads since part 1 was posted

So thanks for acknowledging!

Hi KHZ, Good job! What I liked about what you played was that the lines clearly stated the harmony of the tune and that is quite an accomplishment. The rest like time and swing takes time. I'll comment on it more once I know more about you like how long have you been playing piano, jazz and if you have a teacher. Tell us more.

There are so many things to work on so sometimes we have to track progress by making a move on some things. But it is impossible to accomplish everything all at once.

Hey nottasmartman, you were very smart to stop in this thread!

Just remember that this thread is sort of a free-for-all so don't let the lesson limit the structure. Everyone starts at a different point. So we don't really care if you want to work on a different tune. Jazz is jazz.

Hey Wiz, you're busy learning a lot of tunes. My teacher kinda got mad at me for doing so many tunes. So I'm just working on the ones I already know but making it better. Still doing Giant Steps too. Other than for tempo, it's starting to feel comfortable. It's pretty hard for me to get lost now.

Don't know that tune Wiz but I'll give it a listen.

Hey wiz
I bought the lead sheet for it from musicnotes, but found the standard rhythm really difficult. So I’ve temporarily parked it.

Hey JW
The reason I didn’t work on your 2 handed voicing notes straight away is because I thought I wasn’t up to comping yet. I’m still on soloing using LH chords within the octave. But I’ve saved your notes in a Word document and will let you know how I’m going.

hey wee, yeah I like learning new songs, I would get very bored if I had to play the same stuff.

I'm surprised your teacher would get mad at you for doing too many tunes. Or does he want you to concentrate on just a few at a time. I'd say play what you like, it's music not academics.

I've been jazzing up some pop tunes too, for fun. It's funny, the last few gigs I did people always ask "what's that song" if it's a good pop tune with a strong melody. Most could care less about autumn leaves or other standards, unless it's Girl from Ipanema.

Guess people like what they know.

hey custard, what do you mean the "standard rhythm"? I think it's in 4/4 so nothing too tricky. It's a great tune but you need to work things out.

For those who haven't heard the song:

http://www.stumbleaudio.com/#welsman2/4

Sung by a fellow Canadian Carol Welsman. I like her voice as much as Diana Krall's, another Canadian!

And she plays piano just as well.

Well, lets see. I've taken piano lessons for 3 or 4 years when I was in primary school. After that there's a whole period of nothing - I'm in college now and I started getting back into it I think 1,5 years ago and got interested in jazz.

I have taken a dozen of lessons with a jazz teacher. So I can find my way way around the fakebook now and make simple arrangements. Tunes I've worked on to learn about voicings and getting to know the chords are for example Autumn in New York, Solar, Waltz for Debby, Night and Day, Alice in Wonderland, ATTYA, etc. Haven't really improvised a lot, Ladybird is one of my first real attempts.

Haven't taken a a lesson a couple of months now due to lack of time (and periodically, cash lol). Thinking about starting to take lessons in September again though.

In addition, a friend of mine is at the conservatory studying jazz piano and he gives me a hand now and then.

Wiz
Sorry I didn’t explain myself clearly re rhythm. I mean I find the 4/4 rhythm absolutely fine. But if I want to play it with a band, I’d want to know that my rhythm as per the original standard song was perfect with a metronome before I try embellishing it. At the moment I don’t have the time to work on this because I am concentrating on swing. So I’m parking ballads for the time being.
Does this make more sense now ?

It is a beautiful ballad for working on harmonies and scales. I’m interested in your treatment of it so please post when you’re happy with it.

Yeah, she has a good voice. Who is the band ?

I just had to smile when I read JW’s comment. Today I started on Lesson 10 in JOI. The quotation for this lesson is from Bill Evans “It’s better to spend 30 hours on one tune than to play 30 tunes in one hour” !

Well Wiz, Custard hit the nail on the head. It's different if the issue is just playing for pleasure. But I'm trying to improve and jazz is no easy thing to make progress on. I hit a short term wall and he's letting me know that the fast improvement that I made in the past is not there.

When I hit a wall, I move on to something else. He said I need to continue until it is so automatic that it is effortless. Yes it can be boring to work on just a few things. Kind of like working on Autumn Leaves for months just from this thread. But it isn't really the tune specfically that one is working on, it's some aspect of playing. I think we all give up so fast. So many in this thread give up after reaching some wall like swing.

I know your goal is more gigging related so it makes sense to build the set list. I'm more focused on reaching the next level.

I saw my first jazz teacher at my kid's piano school the other day. My last lesson with him was 5 years ago. I just realized that this guy has not improved at all since then. I most likely exceed him in some areas like improvisation although he has better technique. That's the kind of rut I don't want to be in. Sure he does jazz gigs. Yet he can't even do two handed voicings. His improv lines are all bluesy licks. And he and I have had the same teacher (I moved from him to his teacher). It's been 5 years and obviously he hasn't set up a good practice strategy for himself to get better. How can he be a good teacher? (He wasn't).

wee, I agree with focusing only on one song if the goal is specific improvement. If it's for fun then playing a variety works for me.

Good story about your first teacher. Some people lose that motivation to improve or just settle into things. I have a friend who gigs regularly and says he's been getting tired of it lately. He's got a full time profession so the jazz is for enjoyment.

And yes some teachers aren't meant to be doing it. You need a certain temperament for it. I find I'm now more suited to performing.

I took lessons with local jazz pros here and stopped after the 1st one. I could tell they weren't good teachers, even though they were great players.

custard, yeah now I get it. Swing is tough, I know I need to work on my timing. I play solo mostly so I can play more rubato but it's not proper "swing".

I recorded a first take a while back, it's quite rough so I don't think I want to post it here. If you want a listen I can PM it to you. I don't have a recording device now.

Not sure who's in that band, she plays piano too.

She's got a video up of her playing duet with Herbie Hancock (!), on Canteloupe Island.

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=415076521479

Hi All ...

I am trying to break into the jazz thing and I would appreciate some thoughts from those of you who have been through it.

I am retired (translation ... OLD). However, I feel young and took up the piano a few years ago. I can play reasonably well but still consider myself a beginner (late stage beginner).

I have purchased a ton of books and dvds with some success in some and not so much with others.

I presently do not have access to a jazz piano teacher or I would jump into that instantly.

I am a member of jazzpianolessons.com with Willie Myette. He has a lot of good stuff on there and if I focus on some of his stuff I think it is worthwhile.

I have a dvd/book authored by Noah Baerman ... Beginning Jazz Keyboard. He is well respected and I thought I might take a shot at going through his course step by step to give me a sense of progress.

I also am considering taking private lessons with Steve Nixon via Skype.


Any thoughts or advice about all of this ? Thanks for any replies.