Cool Jazz Tricks #2
Learn Gospel Blues Piano Style of Ray Charles, with Video. Scott “The Piano Guy” Houston, together with guest pianist Milton Ruffin, did a nice analysis on the gospel piano style of Ray Charles. Milton explained how Ray Charles applied the 1 and 2 technique in his playing, a way of switching between the inversion of two…
Learn Stevie Wonder’s song Overjoyed
Transcription and Video of Overjoyed by Stevie Wonder Stevie Wonder, a very talented singer, songwriter, and multi instrumentalist, wrote this beautiful song titled “Overjoyed”. Here’s the video clip. [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edxYCXaQLaw] And here’s the transcription of Stevie Wonder’s Overjoyed in PDF format: Overjoyed-Stevie-Wonder-Transcription A simple song with some nice harmony and beautiful modulations. Do keep in mind…
A Story your Music Teacher didn’t tell you
“Only play what you hear. If you don’t hear anything, don’t play anything” ~ Chick Corea Chet Baker demonstrates this simple principle perfectly in his playing. Check out this video of his playing. [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZAgXr3ba9s] Chet Baker possesses the ability to scat a similarly melodious solo with his voice. Another proof that he is really playing…
Tutorial on Assigning Target Tones in Jazz Solo Improvisation
Forward Motion Application on Jazz Bebop Au Privave Solo Improvisation, with video and analysis. Check out this video of my solo improvisation over popular jazz bebop tune “Au Privave” [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXgd3hh76oQ] This is the solo line at 00m16s of the video Improvising a string of eight notes connected over a few bars, would be a difficult…
Cool Jazz Tricks #1
Superimposition with Diminished 7th chord in Jazz Improvisation, with video and thorough analysis. Check out this video of me improvising over the changes of popular jazz bebop tune “Au Privave” [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXgd3hh76oQ] Observe 1m21s of the video, what I was doing there is this: THE TRICK – Superimpose a Diminished 7th chord half step above the…
Acquiring Speed in a Slow Way
According to Hal Galper and his book, Forward Motion, one of the secrets of all those great jazz masters when improvising over fast bebop chord changes, is to count in half time. Here’s an example of the first few bars of popular jazz bebop tune Donna Lee, notated in its usual form. Here’s another example…
Bach playing Jazz
Many are aware of the problem in our classical music education system nowadays. We have many music students graduating with relatively high grades, but unable to play a simple tune without the help of a written score. The great jazz pianist Bill Evans addressed this issue in a most profound way, in his interview themed…