Category: Chords and Chord Voicings

Blues Lick #5: “Ba-do-dee-you Bop” – From ‘A Study in Blues Piano’ with Kent Smith

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Welcome Back!

Today we present Lick Number Five, which is formally called the “Ba-do-dee-you Bop” Lick. That is academic terminology right there, and you know that I did not make it up.

But seriously, about this name, which I obviously did make up: As with Lick #2, I named this lick with syllables that match each note of the pattern, so that you can sing the name of the lick as you play it, which is a really good way to get the feel of it. You might want to read the lesson description for Lick #2 for more insight on that singing idea.

Enjoy!

Continue reading “Blues Lick #5: “Ba-do-dee-you Bop” – From ‘A Study in Blues Piano’ with Kent Smith” →

Learn all 12 Major & all 12 Maj7 Chords by Pattern (not by rote)

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Welcome back!

Today we’ll learn the unique 3-letter formula the applies to every standard Major and Major Seventh Chord.

Audience: Any musician who’s struggling to memorize the individual notes to all those dang chords on piano or keyboards, and looking for a solution!

Description: Learn how to immediately call up the notes to any of the twelve major chords — without having to rely on rote memory.  This lesson applies to all twelve major seventh chords as well.

Video Lesson:

Chord Symbols: add2 or add9? (includes my video on using added ninth to chords)

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Hi Everyone!

I recently received a question today (on my YouTube channel), an excellent one, the topic of which is subject to debate.  The question is in response to one of my videos about using add9 chords on piano.  (A link to the video is included below.)

I thought I would share the thread here:

VIEWER: Isn’t the D in Cadd9 supposed to be an octave higher? I guess I’m just confused as to why it isn’t Add2 instead.

Continue reading “Chord Symbols: add2 or add9? (includes my video on using added ninth to chords)” →

Chord Voicings for Jazz Piano (Rootless, Left-Hand, Type B)

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“Type B” Rootless Chord Voicings for Piano

“Rootless voicings” on piano (especially for left-hand support) are great for handling big jazz chords that normally can’t be covered by one hand alone. This video tutorial  shows you how to play a rich sounding II-V-I in the left hand, while allowing the bass player (or you, on another beat) to cover the root. Continue reading “Chord Voicings for Jazz Piano (Rootless, Left-Hand, Type B)” →

Blues Piano Crash Course #8: Blue Notes & Pitch-Bending

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from The Blues Piano Crash Course

Lesson #8  (video)

In this lesson, we master a couple of specific blues piano tricks of the trade.  I’m using the word specific here, because we’re going to use these devices with a goal in mind, a musical effect that is pretty specific.

The “tricks” in this video are focused on emulating those sounds of blues singers and other instruments who can bend their notes (slide or play between pitches).  You’ll learn about “blue notes,” and also pick up a blues-boogie playing technique called the slide-off.

Continue reading “Blues Piano Crash Course #8: Blue Notes & Pitch-Bending” →

How to improvise in modal jazz: “So What” by Miles Davis

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Attention!

The following post is not just for jazz players!

It seems to me that contemporary modal improv, which had its jazz  birth in the late 1950’s, was a huge influence on the increasingly improvisational rock of the 1960’s, (even when players might not have consciously realized it!), and has never stopped being at the heart of so many great pop/rock/jazz solos until this very day.

This is a brief introduction to the idea of “modal jazz.”  We’re going to look at probably the most famous example of modal jazz, a tune called “So What,” by Miles Davis and Bill Evans.

We’re looking at this piece because (1) it was part of a ground-breaking approach to jazz improvisation and composition when it came out, and it’s still definitive of the modal jazz genre (maybe the definitive  recording?) (2) because “So What” is the best-known track on one of top-selling jazz albums of all time, “Kind of Blue.”

Continue reading “How to improvise in modal jazz: “So What” by Miles Davis” →

Chord Voicings for Jazz Piano (Rootless, Left-Hand, Type A)

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Rootless Left-Hand Chord Voicings for Piano – ‘Type A’

“Rootless voicings” on piano (especially for left-hand support) are great for handling big jazz chords that normally can’t be covered by one hand alone. This video tutorial  shows you how to play a rich sounding II-V-I in the left hand, while allowing the bass player (or you, on another beat) to cover the root.

Continue reading “Chord Voicings for Jazz Piano (Rootless, Left-Hand, Type A)” →

The 7#9 Chord: Possibly the Funkiest Chord Ever

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To all you funked-up rocking hip-hopping bluesy jazzy people out there,

Today’s post features an outrageously funky, bluesy chord which is also used in rock, jazz, and many other places.

This blues-based powerhouse is often called the “Purple Haze” chord, made famous by a Jimi Hendrix song of the same name.  You may also hear it called, more generically, a “Hendrix chord.” (Hendrix did in fact use 7#9 chords in several of his major songs.)

First a SLIDE SHOW, then a VIDEO. Enjoy!

Continue reading “The 7#9 Chord: Possibly the Funkiest Chord Ever” →

Blues Lick #10: Learn to Play a Complete 12-Bar Introduction

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Welcome back!

Today’s lesson is more than just a lick…

We have here a two-handed intro section, a great setup for getting any blues jam started. This opening groove covers a full 12-bar cycle, giving your listeners an exciting intro (a.k.a. “head”) which leads nicely into the next 12-bars, where you can begin your right-handed soloing.  Note, you can use the left-hand (bass line) of this groove throughout your entire jam. It’s a simple and powerful bass line that keeps the beat going strong.  But wait, there’s more! This lesson also includes a sample opening for your solo.

VIDEO LESSON Continue reading “Blues Lick #10: Learn to Play a Complete 12-Bar Introduction” →