LESSON PAGE. ORLOFF |
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Transcription assignment. No need to write it down.
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2/19
Fake book lead sheet. Biff Smith harmonization pages 1 and 2 |
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BLAME IT ON MY YOUTH Levant/HeymanFrom "The Melody at Night with You". Keith Jarrett.
2/9 Next lesson I will ask you to play as much as you have learned following the score 11/24 This one is just to learn the notes and discover how K.J. treats the melody and harmony. 11/17 Transcription updated. more updates will come and I will add the date to the versions I post here. 11/3 Note by note transcription still in progress. I will update the file here when I have added more material to it. 10/20 Try to reproduce what K.J. plays (approximately) by reading the chart and following the chord symbols. Interpreting the symbols is the goal rather than creating a complete replica of the transcription. 10/13 The transcription in progress is attached here. It has part of the melody and the chord symbols. Gradually I will be adding more to it. Do the same and we can compare your version with mine and discuss them. 10/12 UPDATE I have started the transcription of the basic melody. Harmonically it is nice and interesting, quite intuitive, but in terms of improvisation, it doesn't really offer material for study. 10/6 Start analyzing and going through the chart with melody and chords while I have the chance to extract the audio and figure out what K.J. does as improvisation. |
Transcription work
Transcription source
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ON GREEN DOLPHIN STREET. PASSED
10/6
Check on the composed improv for Green Dolphin. How to practice using iRealPro and how to record using the app. 9/22 I still want you to create a composed improvisation for this tune. When ready, send it to me so I can follow while you play it at the lesson. I also would like you to start using your iRealPro app to accompany yourself while playing through the theme and basic improvisation.
9/9/ UPDATE
Just in case you have difficulties managing the iRealPro, here are practice tracks to accompany you while practicing On Green Dolphin Street.
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BEAUTIFUL LOVE (Victor Young)11/24
Here we want to develop your intuition improvising, but you must know which scales you are going to use first, and practice the scales with the right hand in different ways, straight, in thirds, alternating notes, creating small themes, etc. I will add a tutorial to illustrate this point. Maybe I can find one on Youtube already made even if it is based on another tune. 10/20 Goal: Record your playing along the app iRealPro. Slowly is good so you have time to plan what you are going to play. Structure: 1- theme 2- your composed improvisation 3- real improvisation 4- a second round of improvisation (optional) 5- theme 10/13 The best improvisation I have heard you play yet. Very thoughtful, matching the chords with very interesting scales. I am sure you are proud of it. Next step is to practice and then record using iRealPro Send me a recording example of you playing along with the app, hopefully before next lesson. 10/6 Focus on using iRealPro for all tunes from this point on. Theme, composed improv, real improv, theme. 9/22 Regarding "Beautiful Love" with scale suggestions file above: The printed chord changes above the melody correspond to the original "Real Book" chord changes, while the red manuscript chords match the Petrucciani improvisation, which uses some chord substitutions that bring a more interesting color. Therefore, the scale suggestions that I wrote next to the printed chords match those chords. The scale suggestions I wrote next to the red chords match the red chords. Which ones to use? It is up to you if you decide to follow the original chart (printed chords) or if you like better the colors of the chord substitutions that Petrucciani makes in his version (red chords). No right or wrong option there. When in meas. 11 and 12 I wrote "same as m 1+2" is because the chord progression is identical to measures 1+2, therefore you would already know which scale to use. Composed improvisation: Your exercise was very good, it had interesting structural points that can still be filled with a few more notes. Notice how at the lesson we filled them up by creating ladders, or scales that landed on the structural points you created. Some of them are fine the way they are, you don't have to fill everything up. Then you can learn your own exercise and play it to sound like a real improvisation. iRealPro: I would like you to explore again using this app, and get used to playing with a jazz rhythm section, so when classes take place in person again, I can recommend you for one of the school's adult jazz combo classes. Prepare the app, select a tempo that is slow for thoughtful practice and do several rounds: 1- theme 2- your composed improvisation 3- real improvisation 4- a second round of improvisation 5- theme 9/8 Composed improvisation: We are going to restrict the total freedom of improvisation by keeping the choices to the scales and chord outlines marked on the chart to the right of this paragraph: Send me a photo of your composed improvisation, learn it ahead of time and the goal is to play it so it sounds like an actual improvisation. |
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Exercise on enclosuresBased on the enclosures found in the ALL OF ME by David Magyel, we are going to practice small cells.
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Ready for practice:
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CHART OF SCALES AND CHORDS
This chart should help you relate chords and scales.
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2/23
You have already practiced this exercise in C Major. Now practice it in D Major (download ready on the right margin) 2/10 Regarding "altered" scales: Let's learn one thing at a time. Right now we are fociused on diminished scales, and only after we are very comfortable with these, we will start exploring other options from the altered scales. Goal: Learn to play the exercise either following the video or using the printed sheet. You are welcome to use a diminished scale rather than an altered scale to learn the concept well. Only after you are confident with the exercise in C, you can move to the transposed version in D. |
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SCALES AND ARPEGGIOS CONNECTED. All of Me.
2/23 Analyze this exercise and try to find: - Which scales are used - Which arpeggios - Which enclosures Write down on the score what you are able to identify. Then we will compare with my notes. Eventually I will be giving you a score that has only the indications but not the notes and following the indications you have to create the improvisation. 2/9 Goal: Learn to play the exercise either following the video or using the printed sheet. Eventually I will post a version of the exercise with a full analysis. I welcome you to do it before I post it, and send it to me by email. Only after you are confident with the exercise in C, I will place the same exercise transposed to a different key. |
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Diminished scales applied to this exercise
Chart of scales by notes and by visual reference of black keys.
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C-Eb-F#-A
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G-Bb-C#-E
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D-F-G#-B
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2/23
Today we talked about "Secondary dominants": The temporary dominants that prepare any given chord by just placing a V7 in front of them. Example: In C Major, need to prepare a G chord? Precede it with a D7. The V7 in C Major still is G7, but in this case the D7 becomes a temporary dominant to prepare the chord G. That is called a "secondary dominant" because the primary dominant in C Major is still G7, and the secondary is whichever V7 you use temporarily to prepare a chord. 2/9 Reminder that we still need to exercise your harmonic ear by playing complex Biff Smith harmonizations. Don't forget to work on this following these instructions: First learn the fully written score, then using the chart that only shows the melody as reference, fill all the harmonies yourself. |
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2-5-1 in Major key
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2-5-1 in Minor key
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LH accompaniment should be:
1- Simple, single note bass changing with the changing chord symbol 2- Bass + 7th 3- Basic chords on the beat 4- Basic chords ahead of the beat 5- Basic chords behind the beat 2/9 You don't need to learn them all. Select the ones you like and start there |
Video with 2 - 5 - 1 Minor key |
MY ONE AND ONLY LOVE11/24
Approach your assignment in order, don't try to do everything at once. Practice first by playing through the Biff Smith harmonization of "Someday My Prince". Your ear will become used to these harmonies. Then replicate a similar harmonic feel on "My One and Only Love" and see where your intuition takes you. Then write down the scales you can use on each chord for improvisation. Then slowly and without time pressure, create improvised lines based on these scales. 11/17 Practice plan: 1- Create a presentation of the theme piano solo, in which you bring rich harmonies. Let's see what you can create and we will discuss your choice of chords. 2- Create a chart of the scales you can use for improvisation 3- Create a recording of yourself playing through a thoughtful improvisation. It can be written out or just planned and truly improvised, but record your best take and send it to me to listen before we meet for our next lesson. |
Gabriel's harmonizationIn progress...
Click to see enlarged picture 
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