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This a score of some basic exercises combining a melodic minor be-bop scale with the Charleston rhythm that I wrote for a student of mine. Download here
And of course on standard A/B rootless, 9 becomes 6 on ii-V (without moving) so it's easy to memorize.
But I've always been taught, as printer1 indicated, that this should not be perceived as just memorized chords. You have to learn to apply each voicing case by case and be aware of the melody note conflicts, extensions, etc.
This is why two handed voicings are important because it really forces you to think of the whole keyboard among multiple registers so you don't choose to voice a chord just by muscle memory. Then, you will realize too that this facility to visualize chord tones anywhere translates to better solos.
I understand what you mean, thanks does make a lote of sense. Though one way ore the other I think I got used to the "maj 7" sound, but it's nice to change it up Quick question: Creating walking basslines over a piece like All of me. I struggle to create (good) basslines over 2 bars of the same chords.. and @ leadsheet All of me the first 14 bars are chords spread out over 2 bars. Any tips?
Work out the scales of the chords. Aim to hit the root of the chord on the first one of the two bar chord. Once you've got it down diatonic (tones of the scale) you can start to utilize chromatic tones.
Oh and listen a lot to bass players; Ray Brown is a great example of solid bass lines. Here with Oscar Peterson:
For walking bass lines, I use roots, diatonic paasing tones, diatonic approach tones, chromatic passing tones, and chorod tones. So for the first 8 measures in All of Me, I might play it as for C6: C D E F G E C D. For E7: E D B A G# A B G# For A7: A D C# D E A B C# For Dm7: D F B A E D E F
Yeah ty for quick response (sorry for asking so much) I'm struggling a bit cause I use to play root note on the first beat. In other words it will come out for me something like: Cmaj7 -> C-E-G-B C-B-G-D# E7 -> E-G#-B-D E-D-C-B-(1/8Bb) A -> A-C#(lower)-E-G A-G-F-D(1/8C#) D -> D-C-B-A G-F-E-D# E
But because the chord takes two bars need to focus on another firt tone than the root on the second bar.
Starting a measure on the root is not a bad thing, but for more variety you can try mixing it up a little and use a chord tone other than the root. For example start measure 2 on the G which is a chord tone in CMaj7 as I did above.
... for walking bass lines, the feel is really soooooo (and most) important! which is to say, you can get by with very very simple lines (roots and fifths only) *IF* they have a good feel to them. so, for a c major 7 chord, it's sufficient to play (as quarter notes) C G C G (and focus on the feel).
as you get comfortable with roots and fifths they can be connected with scale tones. so with 1 bar of C major 7 and another bar of G7, (as quarter notes) something like | C D E F | G F E D | will get you a lot of mileage especially and particularly if played with a really good feel.
another easy device is keep roots and fifths on beats 1 and 3 and approach them on beats 2 and 4 from a half-step above or below). walking bass lines USUALLY (but not always - it depends on your taste) sound best when they're very low - the bottom end of the piano - and very soft.
my opinion is dave mckenna is the absolute apex of walking bass line technique at the piano.
depending on your taste you might prefer him to mckenna. either way, they're both great.
listening to bassists and emulating their feel can be really helpful. israel crosby (with ahmad jamal) and wilbur ware (w/thelonious monk or sonny rollins) are great models as are paul chambers and ron carter and ray brown. but there are a million other great out there as well! (if you like someone's feel or overall approach, well, that's the one to learn from).
listening to organists and the feel they get is another great source. my preference is larry young. the FEEL of his softly as a morning sunrise
maybe the best way to learn how to play walking bass lines is, well, don't hire a bassist for the gig!. or convince whoever is doing the hiring that a bass player isn't needed!) ... that may or may not be true .... but it's the experience of walking bass lines and doing it to support a vocalist or a tenor player or guitar that builds ability.
I agree about the feel thing and listening to McKenna and Tristano.
Here's the best lesson I've seen on the topic: [video:youtube]kyRdNAMfYH4[/video]
Your left hand becomes a simple melody that you improvise. It's very difficult improvising both hands at the same time, so focusing solely on the LH for a few months or so will be helpful.
Compose, write down basslines on paper. Do 1/2 a dozen or so. That will free the way you think about bass line.
After you've composed a few, start improvising on 2-5-1 in all keys if possible. If time is limited, then focus on the more common keys. All 12 major keys, but maybe only 6 minor keys.
Dave Frank breaks it down into steps towards the end of the lesson. How to practice. Follow those steps.
When you get to improvising both lines at the same time, start really really slow, around 72 or whatever is comfortable, and for a little while, just start introducing 1/2 notes, 1/4 notes and finally short 8th notes lines.
Playing with your own bass line is extremely liberating because you are no longer at the mercy of a drummer or a bass player who does not play the feel you want. You become in complete control.
knotty and i are talking a bout the exact same thing. and that's a great video he's posted. so i'll just amplify that FEEL is the essence. once you have the feel, all else will follow. it's easy to get caught up in "gotta have a good melody" and "need variety" and "there's gotta be more than roots and fifths! .. but in the end, if you're playing swinging bass lines that have a great feel that's what your listener and the other musicians with whom you're playing will hear.. i don't tend to extremes, at least i hope i don't. but in this particular case, well, i am being extreme! get the feel and all else will follow!
Nice posts people @ Dave Frank walking bassline clinic, seen it twice, was very useful (like all Dave Frank's stuff). I really like his walking bass playing. As I remember Dave had lessons from Tristano and btw I like Tristano's style a lot. But at the point where I'm at, Tristano's solo's and chords are still magic for me.. don't know exactly what he's doing lol but sounds awesome.. many block chords and chromatic chord going on as far as I can hear.
About the feel. Feel is something really hard to practice. I have to say, when I have more "walking bass" options I swing a lot more.. but maybe it's just more the enjoyment of variation. I like the prof players a lot but it seems I don't know how to put the feeling into my walking bass lines.
Another thing: This is what frustrates me a lot since I started with Jazz (and please mind I'm still a beginner): Let's say I can play walking bassline, I can play chords in original position (with bass) or rootless, I can jump from bass to rootless chords, I can do some arpeggio, block chords, tritone sub... but somehow I don't know what to do with a standard exactly. When I watch or hear others play it's all flowing nice, but sometimes hard to follow what they are doing exactly.
Do you guys just pick a standard and experiment and than "remember" how you like to play it? Or is there a certain pattern that will always work. When you have a total new standard how to approach it to make it work as solo piano.
Do you guys just pick a standard and experiment and than "remember" how you like to play it? Or is there a certain pattern that will always work. When you have a total new standard how to approach it to make it work as solo piano.
Hi Lost Woods It's great that you are wanting to learn how to improvise over standards. As you correctly imply, improvising is actually a lot of hard practice and work. Even though I am sharing my approach, I don't think it will work for everyone as it is torturous and obsessive-compulsive. But it does ensure you know a new standard intimately.
1. Sing along phrase by phrase of a professional recording you like. If you like, you can transpose certain phrases into other keys. 2. Analyse the standard globally e.g. determine the key(s) for each section 3. Analyse the standard locally e.g. determine the scales and arps for each bar 4. Learn the roots by making a melody of the roots. 5. Learn the head in another 3 keys. 6. Do a composition. 7. Improvise* using small chunks and then larger and larger chunks. 8. Learn how to solo over another key 9. Sing along phrase by phrase of a professional recording which you don't particularly like, one which will stretch you and challenge you towards another direction. Transpose a section into another key.
* What strikes you about this standard ? e.g. the downward arps, the ascending chromatics, the jaggedness. Use this shape as the basis for your whole improv. Develop this theme across the different keys of the standard.
It is a problem when we watch great players like Tristano or Oscar Peterson and feel discouraged. That's why we need the help of a teacher. And that's why we need to practice very small things that get us towards that goal. A good teacher can tell you what you need to practice first.
The feel is something you will develop over time if you organize your practice around several areal including technique, ear and just plain shedding.
Keep in mind that walking bass lines are not a beginner thing. It's an advanced topic. Unless your right hand is already quite free to play with great feel, I would not add a bass line, I would stick to block chords in the LH played as whole notes on beat 1. I would avoid the so called "Charleston Rhythm" in the LH altogether unless, again, your RH is free to swing and flow. At that point, the LH can act as support to the right.
Alternatively, you can practice the LH alone, so you can totally focus on it.
You watch the great players and think they naturally have total independent control of both hands, but it's something that they worked very hard at. So go easy on yourself.
When you say that you have the arpeggios, you need to have them in a Jazz context, not so much a classical one.
Again, it is really hard to give advice without hearing where you are. Then you just get a bunch of nonsense from me and others, stuff that doesn't really apply.
There are many very talented teachers who will teach you over Skype. Several people have dedicated their lives to the development of a jazz curriculum. These are the teachers I would recommend. Ornette Coleman might be a great player, but I would not choose him as a teacher, if you see what I mean.
custardapple ... that's a really nice routine ...!
Thank you printer. I'm pleased you told me to study Lennie Tristano, Paul Bley, and Herbie Hancock. I didn't like them initially but now after studying them, I've totally changed my mind. That's why I will now always include Step 9 in my routine. Are there any other players that you recommend for me ?
CA .. your step 9 - the way you're going about that and sticking with it is basically amazing. other pianists to listen to .... well, there are all the "usual" suspects .... but two who maybe don't get as much notice as they should are herbie nichols and phineas newborn. larry young (organ) is another great player. but, really, there are SO many fabulous pianists! george shearing for the absolutely gorgeous unworldly tone he created at the piano. cecil taylor as a pianist/percussionist! who's the first pianist who captured your attention? who do you recommend as someone not to miss?
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