Gabriel Piano Studio
  • 2022-23 FALL-SPRING
  • VIDEO TUTORIALS

LESSON PAGE. Example

August 2

Summer lessons 2022

July 19, July 26, August 2

​Instructor:  Gabriel Ruiz-Bernal
gruiz.bernal@levinemusic.org

https://www.gabrielruizbernal.com

Practicing jazz piano. What else is there?

When you practice jazz piano, you will still be developing your techniques reading skills, and repertory, just like in classical piano.

  • Technical routine.  Scales, altered scales, arpeggios, broken and block chords, inversions in every key
  • Chord progressions.  Especially the 2-5-1
  • Written pieces in jazz language
  • Building repertory and analyzing new tunes
  • Reharmonizing tunes
  • Transcriptions from records (or Youtube videos)
  • Playing with others, or practicing with a virtual combo
  • Listening, lots and lots of listening to music

Listening to jazz

Listening to jazz will help you:
  • Learn the sound and language of jazz
  • Learn to follow a tune, and follow the progress of an improvisation that is playing over the chord changes
  • Educate your ear to learn vocabulary for your improvisations
  • If you need some pointers, here are some jazz pianists to listen:
  • Oscar Peterson
  • Bill Evans
  • Keith Jarrett
  • Hank Jones
  • Chick Corea
  • Brad Meldhau
  • Herbie Hancock
  • McCoy Tyner
  • Art Tatum

If you need to review jazz theory, here are some resources:

Peter Martin and Adam Mannes
"Open Studio"
https://www.youtube.com/c/OpenStudioJazz
Noah Kellman
https://www.youtube.com/c/NoahKellman

You can also see some of the written jazz arrangements I have made and placed on Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/c/GabrielRuizBernal/videos

Technique routine (scales, arpeggios, etc.)

CHORD BUILDING 1 8va and 2 8va
File Size: 65 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

August 2
​​Continue practicing the exercise above, and when confident, switch to RH 2-octaves and LH holding the chords.

The file above has been updated.  It now reflects both, the one-octave and the two-octave exercises.

Building chords.  Review of triads and four-note chords

August 2
  • Continue practice of Linking chords using minimal motion between them.
    • To practice: use the "Exercise on 3 and 4-note chords and try to link each chord to the next
  • Reduction of chords for LH:
    • Close voicing 3rd and 7th
    • Open voicing: 1 (root) and 7th​
EXERCISE to practice 3 and 4 note chords
File Size: 18 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File


Best placement of LH chords on the keyboard

Best area for the LH chords is around and below middle-C (the tenor area of the piano), so you still have space for your RH melody
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Interval reference chart
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Four-note chords
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Reduction of chords: 3rd and 7th
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NEW: Practicing 4-note chords and 3-7 reduction in harmonic context (2-5-1)

The 2 - 5 - 1 chord progression with 4-note chords and 3-7 reductions
File Size: 66 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

July 26
​This exercise will give you muscle memory for the 2-5-1 progressions, which you will be using all the time.

Chord symbols

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July 20
Practice these chord combinations in all 12-keys
C7        C Major + minor 7th (also known as Dominant 7th)
        4-note chord    C - E - G - Bb

CMaj7    C Major + Major 7th
        4-note chord    C - E - G - B

Cm7    C minor + minor 7th
        4-note chord    C - Eb - G - Bb

CmMaj7    C minor + Major 7th (very rare)
        4-note chord    C - Eb - G - B

Introduction to improvisation

Introduction to improvisation over a given chord:
  • Chord outlining in root position and inversions. Practice in basic keys
  • Linking broken chords up and down the keyboard with timing 
  • Chord outlining with passing notes
  • NEXT LESSON: Improvisation by creating a variation of the melody
  • NEXT LESSON: Learning how to match basic scales with basic chords:
    • Major chord+ Major7th = (Build a Major scale)
    • Major chord + minor7th = (Build a Major scale with minor 7th)
    • minor chord + minor 7th = (Build a Major scale with minor 3rd and minor 7th)

Outlining+Passing notes+Scales using "How High the Moon" as reference

Avoid switching chords on the root
HOW HIGH chart
File Size: 106 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

HOW HIGH outline and passing notes
File Size: 53 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

HOW HIGH analysis reference
File Size: 492 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

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Outlining exercises using Blues-C as reference (See Blues structure below)

Root position oulining. LH 1 - 7th reduction
OUTLINE EXERCISE -ROOT- blues structure
File Size: 56 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

First inversion
OUTLINE EXERCISE -INVERSION1- blues structure
File Size: 56 kb
File Type: pdf
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Second inversion
OUTLINE EXERCISE -INVERSION2- blues structure
File Size: 57 kb
File Type: pdf
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The Blues

  • Learning the "Blues scale" in basic keys C, F, G. Bb, Eb
  • Learning the 12-bar Blues chord progression in basic keys.  
  • Play Blues in different keys. (iRealPro phone app)
  • The 2-5-1 in the Blues
  • NEXT LESSON: Extended Blues.  Play using chords from "Departure from Logic" and iRealPro​
OUTLINE EXERCISE -ROOT- blues structure
File Size: 56 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

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More complex Blues structure

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COMPLEX BLUES STRUCTURE Roman and C
File Size: 38 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Blues fitting the complex structure: "Departure from Logic"

DEPARTURE LOGIC simple and extended blues CHART
File Size: 634 kb
File Type: pdf
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DEPARTURE LOGIC. RH improvisation guides CHART
File Size: 476 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

The 12-Bar Blues.  Simple structure

August 2
Continue practice: 
Go through the simple blues track playing just the LH chords.
Then do it again playing only the blues scale.
​Only when you feel really confident, try hands together.
Simple blues
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Complex blues
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Blues fitting the simple structure: "Perfect Fit"

perfect_fit_-blues_in_c-.pdf
File Size: 53 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

More complex:  Blues in the key of G

"Blues in Grb": G Major
​Plus transcription of a solo
BLUES IN Grb score and SOLO transcription
File Size: 122 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File


Exercise to practice the 2-5-1 chord progression

August 2.
We reviewed the following concepts:
  • Learning about chord leading.  Dominant 7ths. The V7 to I
  • Building Secondary Dominants to create smooth transitions
  • Practicing the chord progression 2-5-1 in some of the basic keys: C, G, D, F​
  • Learning about the extended chord progressions:  III-VI-II-V-I

2-5-1 (4-note chords and 3-7 reduction)

The 2 - 5 - 1 chord progression with 4-note chords and 3-7 reductions
File Size: 66 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Added July 26
This is the same exercise posted above at the "building chords section"

NEXT LESSON: ​Learning tunes

Preparing a "tune".  Mapping the territory:
  • Learning the melody
  • Learning the chords with the LH
  • Improvising on the chords
  • Improvising by playing a close variation of the melody

NEXT LESSON: Introduction to diminished 5th chords.
The 2-5-1 chord progression:​
"How High the Moon" and "Autumn Leaves" (2-5-1 in minor key)

Building diminished-5 chords

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Tunes for practice.  In the key of C
all_of_me__simplified_chords_.pdf
File Size: 137 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

dont_get_around__simplified_chords_.pdf
File Size: 258 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

i_could_write_a_book__simplified_chords_.pdf
File Size: 236 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

my_romance__simplified_chords_.pdf
File Size: 397 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

a_train__simplified_chords_.pdf
File Size: 146 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

satin_doll__simplified_chords_.pdf
File Size: 681 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File


How High the Moon

how_high_the_moon_-g-.pdf
File Size: 106 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

how_high_the_moon_-g-_analysis.pdf
File Size: 492 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File


Autumn Leaves

AUTUMN LEAVES chart
File Size: 463 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

AUTUMN LEAVES analysis
File Size: 2152 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

AUTUMN LEAVES chord outlining exercise -root-
File Size: 52 kb
File Type: pdf
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AUTUMN LEAVES chord outlining -linking-
File Size: 60 kb
File Type: pdf
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Sight-reading from a chart

  • NEXT CLASS: sight-reading using one the of the charts in C

NEXT LESSON: ​Arranging a theme in jazz style

Taking a simple theme, such as "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", learning tools to make it sound like a jazz arrangement.
  • Reharmonization: alternate chords and chord progressions
  • Walking bass
  • Chords on the RH
  • LH bass+chord // RH melody
  • Improvisation
twinkle_exercise_in_harmonization.pdf
File Size: 55 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Other examples of melody reharmonization

NEXT LESSON: ​Learning a full-written song in jazz language

August 2
​Choose one song and send me a scanned copy of it so I can watch your progress between lessons.

New title will be inserted here

Cheryl,

If you like the Andre Previn arrangements, we could use your book as source for this segment of your lessons.

Otherwise I will choose from the books I have.

NEXT LESSON: ​Transcription of a jazz solo

As part of your jazz practice, you will transcribe part or a whole solo, directly from a recording, and learn it by memory to the point of playing along with the recording no slower than 75% the original tempo.
  • Listen to the piano solo and the trumpet solo.
  • Choose one of the two solos.
  • Using the Youtube video, which you can slow it down if you need to, start transcribing the solo by ear and learning it.  Do what you can.
  • You do not have to write it down, just learn it by memory
  • Learn it so that you can play it along the recording, first slowly, and gradually faster and faster.

Miles Davis: Freddie Freeloader

Transcription of the piano solo starting at 00:45
Transcription of the trumpet solo starting at 02:13

And of course...

You can also listen to the jazz piano arrangements I have made.  They can be found at:
https://www.gabrielruizbernal.com/jazz-arrangements.html

Or directly at YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/c/GabrielRuizBernal/videos
  • 2022-23 FALL-SPRING
  • VIDEO TUTORIALS