Welcome back!
This is Lesson Three of a 3-lesson collection on the topic of "jazzy-rock" improvisation.
Jump to: Lesson One Lesson Two
How to Riff on Van Morrison’s “Moondance” – Part 3
How to Riff on Van Morrison’s “Moondance” – Part 2
Hello!
This is Lesson Two of a three-part video series on “jazzy-rock” improvisation.
(Lesson One is here.)
(Lesson Three is here.)
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These three tutorials would fit somewhere near the center of the jazzy-rock genre spectrum, if there was one.
I guess there could possibly be a jazzy-rock genre officially defined somewhere, like in a big canvas binder at the Genres Office, or like that. Regardless of the possibility of this being regulated, I’m using the term freely here, maybe even whimsically, maybe even having some devil-may-care attitude going.
If I had a managing editor you would not have seen the previous paragraph. Don’t worry, with your continued support, we will hire a managing editor.
Van Morrison’s Moondance is the “jamming vehicle” we’re using in this trio of lessons. Moondance is a catchy tune, and it serves really well as a straightforward case study in jazzish-rockish piano improvisation.
VIDEO LESSON:
How to Read and Play “Slash Chords” in Sheet Music
Slash chords in sheet music look like this:
G7/F
F#m/C#
etc.
Here’s a detailed tutorial on how to interpret slash chords on piano. This lesson includes insights into several ways that slash chords are used, such as indicating an inversion, implying a descending bass line, or a simply notating a fresh chordal sound.
Composers and songwriters can use the “slash chord idea” in their creative thinking. That is, the effect of playing any given chord over bass notes that are not the actual root of the chord opens up endless possibilities. Some of the thinking behind these possibilities is discussed in this lesson.
Piano Improv Lesson: “Sixteenth Note Triplet” licks
Good morning!
2:50 a.m. here in California, working musician's hours as usual!
Today I'm sharing some tips on using a "continuous flow of lickety-split triplets " for a very nice effect on keyboards.
Enjoy!
Here's the lesson video:
Blues Piano Licks #1 and #2 from “A Study in Blues Piano — Focusing on 12 Licks”
Jazz improv practice: A nice drill using “approach tones”
Here's a nice jazzy drill, to give you practice on:
(1) Adding interest to your melody lines, by sometimes preceding the "target tone(s)" of a chord with "approach tones;" and,
(2) increased mastery of any given scale, especially as it relates to the underlying chords.
As a result, the repeated act of mindfully (and not mindlessly) practicing this drill can increase your general facility with approach tones, as well as give you (possibly new) theoretical insights regarding chord-scale relationships. Dig? You'll see.
Blues Piano Crash Course #11: How to play blues in any key (transpose)
from The Blues Piano Crash Course
This sample lesson (complete) is available to our visitors, and, of course, to our supporting members.
Lesson #11 (video)
Learn how to transpose the chords, scales, and concepts you learned in this crash course into other keys.
“All the same things” apply to playing blues in any key. You will simply be learning the steps needed to move your musical patterns and shapes — that is, the three main chords, the blues scale, your favorite licks, etc. — into any desired key.
Especially good keys for you to learn to jam in are:
Continue reading “Blues Piano Crash Course #11: How to play blues in any key (transpose)”
Blues Piano Crash Course #10: Turn-arounds and endings
Blues Piano Crash Course #9: The Melody Machine
Blues Piano Crash Course #8: Blue notes & pitch-bending
How to Riff on Van Morrison’s “Moondance” – Part 1
Kent here!
Today we have two video lessons, either of which is a good introduction to a pretty simple notion, which I sometimes like to call the “melody machine.” With this, I’m not suggesting some big new original conception. On the contrary, the concept I’m calling the melody machine is about as old as music itself.
If that nickname sounds a little gimmicky, it’s really not meant to be. I actually do call this device a “melody machine,” in my own thinking, part of an ongoing process of internalizing my favorite composition devices. Also, it’s fun to say, just like saying “Lollapalooza” or “Isn’t she pleasant?”
In a nutshell, this lesson shows you certain ways of using an underlying chord progression as a “thought generator” for creating melodic material.
First:
How to Riff on Van Morrison’s Moondance – Part 1
Quick links: Lesson Two Lesson Three
And this related tutorial is from my Blues Piano Crash Course
Blues Piano Crash Course, #7: Walking Bass Line & more coordination
from The Blues Piano Crash Course
Lesson #7 (video)
Rhythm is never to be neglected in the Blues, even in performances that are so slow and sultry that it feels like we're all just breathing, no real beat, just waves...oh sorry, I spaced! Ha. Thing is, even a very slow blues is going to rely heavily on rhythm to give us another undeniable take on real life. We all know how "slow" can sometimes be more alive than "fast" anyway. It all depends right?
I'm saying that about rhythm here because this is the third lesson in a row where we've been practicing two-handed coordination on the piano. And I think I'd better explain myself, before you get too bored or too frustrated or both.
First, the more fun work (fun work? yep) picks up again after this third lesson on coordination. I swear. Also, you will learn how to do a walking bass line in this one.
Finally, this maybe-less-than-fun stuff is truly important, this coordination work on piano, because if your hands aren't "of one mind" -- coordinated -- then the exalted Rhythm Itself will suffer. And we can't have that in the blues, not on my watch, dig? If you want to sound great, instead of just good or worse, then quite often it's just a matter of fixing up that rhythm. Something that can mystify us sometimes -- that frustrating sense of "it just doesn't sound right" -- can often be traced back to one thing: The Lack of a Solid Groove. Rhythm is King!