​The teacher practices Jazz
 
Last weekend I went to my first jazz jam with my Vibraphone aka my Malletkat GS Grand. We were a quartet of Tenor Sax/Flute, Vibes, Bass, and Drums. I survived with my dignity intact, but I’ve a few discoveries and confessions to share.

1. My skills on the piano are not necessarily transferable to the vibes.
2. My four-mallet chord playing will need further work.
3. I was unable to execute the solo lines I could hear in my head.

On the plus side, I knew all the tunes from years of playing and teaching jazz piano plus my jazz time and feel is strong.

Here is the practice regime I began to follow to improve my jazz experience.

Tune: Satin Doll by Ellington/Strayhorn

1. I practiced the melody, by ear, with the original recordings on YouTube. I discovered that after 45 years, that I’m dragging some notes. They are now corrected; I’m locked into the sax melody.  
2. I reviewed the piano licks played on the head by Duke Ellington.
3. I figured out bits of his piano solo.
4. I practiced all the broken chords like I instruct my students and I quickly discovered that this took a lot longer than I anticipated.
5. I practiced what I’ve learned by playing along on YouTube. 
6. I’m ready for another piece next week.  My goal is to learn a tune a week for 52 weeks. 
7. I'm continuing with my mallet study books to develop my manual skills. 

If I can help you with your jazz piano journey, call me. 

David

BTW: In the era of Ai content generation, a human wrote this blog. 

What to listen for.

1. Tempo
2. The constant dynamic shaping of the melody.
3. The varying articulations of legato, staccato, and detached playing. 
4. For pauses at the end of sections. 
5. The starting dynamic level at the beginning of each section.

Questions.

1. Does the artist return to the original tempo when the music returns to the theme of the first section?
2. Can you mark in any notes that they accent or linger on?
3. Can you mark in tempo changes?
4. Do they pedal?

Activity.

1. ​Learn the first 8 measures of each section by ear.

Follow-up.

Yesterday my student and I listened to the first two measures of each recording. What a revelation. The differences in the performances became more obvious with each listening and these differences were large. I invite you to try the same. 

Have fun, 

​David

Super video demonstration but...

Let's consider the assumptions he is making about you the student/listener. 

1. You can play your instrument.
2. You have experience playing music in multiple keys. Though jazz is mostly in C, F, Bb, Eb, and Ab and related minor keys, he goes farther afield.
3. You can play jazz.
4. You can play by ear.
5. You are familiar with the seminal recordings he references.
6. You are familiar with the songs he is playing.
7. You understand musical rudiments, including key signatures, intervals, time signatures, transposition, cadences and much more. 
8. You have advanced solfege and piano skills so you can play bass lines and sing the melody over it.
9. You understand harmonic theory and are able execute chord progressions in time, with a beat, and use the appropriate jazz facial expressions.
10. You know of Ray Brown and his significance.
11. You understand following terms and their musical significance: melody, bass lines, transposition, diatonic, tonic, major 7th intervals, root-7 root-6 movement, Bebop shells 3rd and 7th, the tritone, 5ths, half-steps, interval inversions, 5 in the key of G, lineage of the tune (?), perfect 4ths, non-diatonic ii-Vs, half diminished, 3 of a key, original "changes", "Miles, " Ab7#11 chords, keys, closely related keys, major 3rds, major scales, circle of 5ths, root movements, ii-V of IV, bridge, "key of music."
12. In Peter’s defense, he offers practice suggestions around 9 minutes mark. 
13. On the other hand, as all Vloggers do, he downplays the complexity of what he is doing. Sigh.

What is my job?

I prepare students to understand and execute what he is talking about. The first thing we will do is assess your situation and then we'll draw up a logical plan. 

1. If needed, I will teach you to play your instrument. We will work through a solid canon of piano works that explore multiple keys. 
2. I will teach you to play jazz.
3. I will teach you to play by ear. Can you play jingle bells by ear? If so, great you are on your way. If not, I will help you get started. 
4. I will introduce you to 100+ years of jazz recordings. If your knowledge is a bit spotty, start here: The 100 Jazz Albums That Shook The World | Jazzwise and Double Time Top 100 Historically Significant Recordings article @ All About Jazz. It is important to note the absence of early jazz recordings on these listings. Jazz has a history spanning 3 centuries, but jazz education seems stuck in, at best, a 30-year period from 1945 to 65. The first list has a number a modern recordings from the last 40 years. 
5. I will help you get your theory together.
6. We will do solfege together. I use both moveable doh system and the number system. Solfege is widely taught in Europe, but unfortunately not so much in North America. 
7. We will study jazz harmony when you've got your theory together.
8. Ray Brown is an important bassist.
9. Working on steps one through nine will answer all the questions you may have from step 11 above.
10. I will teach you how to practice.
11. I will encourage you to get outside feedback and advice from other sources. 

Call me, 

David

BTW: in 2017, I studied with Peter Martin in Rome Italy. He's a great guy and a very skilled musician. When I grow up, I want to play piano like him. FYI.  I was in Rome studying jazz drumming with Greg Hutchinson. Greg played in Ray Brown’s last group. ​

If you are curious about this, click here. 

Creating a "roadmap" gives you a visual representation of the form or structure of a performance. You will discover the: who, what, when, and how much in the recording. This is valuable information. You will learn to count, recognize the instrumentation and more. You will begin to develop an awareness of how musicians organize their performances and recordings. 

First Steps. 

1. Pick a favorite piece
2. With a pop song listen for the following sections and their order; introduction, verse, chorus, bridge, ending (tag). With a jazz piece, notice how many times they play the "head" or main melody and then note the order of solos. How many times do they play the head after the solos? 

Second Steps.
1. Make a note on your "map" of dynamics.
2. In a jazz piece, count how many times each musician solos on the form. 
3. Do they trade "fours" with the drummer? If you are unsure what this means, click here.

Third Step.

1. Make a note on your "map" of anything interesting you pick up or hear. 

Have fun. 

David

Here is a more detailed roadmap that includes a guide to my drum part. 

Sight singing is fun when we sing along with something great like the fifth symphony of Beethoven. We might call this tympani karaoke. 

Trivia question: What does C jam blues and the Tympani part for Beethoven's 5th symphony have in common?

Tempo:

1. Lang Lang: Half note =112
2. Wuja Wang: Half note =100
3. Cory Hall: Half note =113
4. Qi Zhang: Half note =110

None of the artists played with a completely steady beat, in other words, the tempo varied both from section to section and within sections. 

There is much to learn from listening to each of these recordings, especially the counter-lines played by John Lewis. I would encourage you to learn, by ear, the diverse ways musicians approach the simple blues melody. 

​David

When learning to play Brazilian jazz it is best to go to the primary sources, the original and other seminal recordings recorded in Brazil, both past and present. At the end of this sample of Brazilian recordings is a fine recording by Kenny Barron, who it must be said, has listened to the original recordings.

Practice routine?

Spend an afternoon playing the melody with the recordings, mimicking as much as possible what you hear. Then add the chords.

​David

The following is a series of exercises to help you "experience" intervals, taking them out of the theoretical and into the practical. I recommend that you transpose these passages as you learn new patterns. 

David

The Major 3rd, Minor 3rd, and Perfect 5th is just theory until we hear them, experience them, and then apply this understanding to our playing. The following exercise is one way to "experience" these intervals. 

Mimic the melody, as interpreted by each recording below. Chords will come later. 

This exercise will work on any instrument. You should vary the tempo of the metronome as your skills increase. Counting aloud is imperative. No counting in your head or mumbling. Speak boldly and clearly as you play. The first two measures are counted only. You begin playing in measure three. 

Good luck

Learning tunes from a fake book is the hard way to go about things. Here is the Bill McBernie method of jazz practice in which you play by ear to multiple recordings. 

I could recall the basic outline of the tune "A foggy day" from playing it years ago. That helped. (If you don't know the tune, you must listen until you can sing along.) Below are the recordings and the order in which I played them. Some were played numerous times as I recalled more of the melody and figured out the key. The song was played in the keys of F, C, Eb, and Bb. I played along on vibes, not piano. I focused only on the melody . As the practicing progressed, I began to recall and understand the chords.

Today I was playing it on the piano, from memory, with the chords. 

David

​ Listening and Analysis
 
The following exercises were created for a professional student. These exercises will work with almost any kind of music. If you choose classical music, I suggest music of the Baroque, Classical or Romantic eras as the scores are easily found online. If you choose pop music, the website www.musicnotes.com has the first page of every pop song that they publish, which you can use to check your answers later. The following lesson is meant to be done without reference to the written scores or your instrument. The scores are only consulted at the end to check your work.
 
You will need: a pencil, blank manuscript paper, YouTube access, and ear buds. 
 
Listen to the first 10 seconds or so of the piece you’ve chosen. Rewind and listen again. Then start in. Repeated listening will be required.
 
Meter 

• What is the meter? (4/4, ¾, 6/8 etc.)
• Does the piece begin on the down beat or is there an anacrusis?
• If the compositional theme is motivic, what is the rhythm of the motive? 
• Using score paper, write out the rhythm of the secondary parts for the first four measures. One stave per part.

------------------------------------------
Tonality 

• What is the totality: major, minor, modal, blues, polytonal, or atonal?
• What is the harmonic rhythm?
• If the piece is tonal, use functional harmony symbols to write out the harmonic progression.  (In Baroque and classical era music the opening phrase will usually state the I, IV, V chords right away.)

-----------------------------------------
Tempo 

• How would you describe the tempo? Fast, slow, steady, rubato?
• Can you estimate how many beats per minute the music is playing (BPM)? Later, using the metronome on your phone, figure out the exact BPM. 

------------------------------------------
 Dynamics

• In a general sense, does the music begin loud or soft? 
• Listen to the dynamic contrast of the melody. Does the dynamic change when the melodic direction changes? For example, does the melody crescendo when it rises and diminuendo when it falls?
•  Is the accompaniment louder or softer than the melody?

--------------------------------------------
Instrumentation and orchestration

• What instrument or instruments are playing?
•  In what order do the instruments enter?
• In which register are the instruments playing in?

 
Next step is to sit with your instrument and figure out the melodies that you are hearing. Then, at the piano, check your chord progressions.
 
After you have answered these questions download the score and compare your answers.
 
Have fun. If I can help you, please call me.
 
David

Playing in different keys is an invaluable skill. You will learn to visualize musical shapes, key signatures, and hear rhythm in new ways. Try playing just the melody in the following keys with the recordings. Modify your note and rhythm choices to fit in the best you can. 

1. D minor: Preservation Hall Jazz Band https://youtu.be/6KJ7ZKXRNGk
2. B minor: Ella and Louis https://youtu.be/LDF4_qVgbFU
3. Bb minor: Nora Jones https://youtu.be/xJOtaWyEzaI and Billy Holiday https://youtu.be/uYUqbnk7tCY
4. A minor: Student key
5. Eb minor: Learning key, as notes but one on the black keys.

 
The assignment is to play and mimic the melody with the recordings. You will learn jazz rhythm, jazz articulations and phrasing all by ear. 

Have fun. 

​David
Revised August 2022

Day One 

1. Dust off the metronome.
2. Set it at 60. Also known as 60 BPM (Beats per minute)
3. Practice counting aloud to the metronome: 1-2-3-4, one number per click.
4. Continue counting aloud and clap measures 1 to 9.
5. Continue counting aloud and play the right-hand notes measures 1 to 9. Counting aloud is the imperative step for success. 
6. Add the left hand and repeat measures 1 to 9.
7. Move the metronome to 70 BPM and repeat the passage.
8. Call it a day.

Day Two

1. Repeat yesterday's steps with the whole notes at 80 BPM.
2. Reset the metronome to 60. 
3. Practice counting aloud to the metronome: 1-2-3-4 one number per click.
4. Continue counting aloud and clap measures 10 to 14.
5. Continue counting aloud and play the right-hand notes measures 10 to 14. Counting aloud is imperative for success. 
6. Add the left hand and repeat measures 10 to 14.
7. Move the metronome to 70 BPM and repeat the passage.
8. Call it a day.

Day Three

1. Repeat yesterday's steps with the half notes at 80 BPM.
2. Reset the metronome to 60. 
3. Practice counting aloud to the metronome: 1-2-3-4 one number per click.
4. Continue counting aloud and clap measures 15 through 18.
5. Continue counting aloud and play the right-hand notes measures 15 through 18. Counting aloud is imperative for success. 
6. Add the left hand and repeat measures 15 through 18.
7. Move the metronome to 70 BPM and repeat the passage.
8. Stop for the day.

Day Four

1. You know what to do. 

If I can help you learn to count aloud while playing, call me.

​David
Revised August 2022

​Why use a metronome?

1. Learning to play to an external beat will pay dividends when you begin to play with others.
2. You will learn where and when you are rushing. Especially if you record yourself doing it.
3. Your sense of timing will improve. 

How to use the metronome.

1. Count aloud. If the music is in 4/4, count 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4, etc. 
2. Start slowly.
3. Record yourself to evaluate how close you are to the beat. 
4. Start by playing one note per click, then 2 notes, then 3, and finally 4 notes. Keep counting aloud. No silent counting.
5. If you are having trouble, slowly clap rhythm patterns from your pieces while counting aloud. 
6. If you can’t count aloud and play, ask your teacher for help. They will be thrilled you asked.

 
If I can help you learn to count, call me.
 
David
Revised August 2022

Janice Legere, a long-time student, played her scales like this today. I approve. 

​David

​This is a simple concept that can be difficult to execute. When the melody goes up crescendo. When the melody goes diminuendo. The change will be small unless the composer indicates otherwise. Exceptions are clearly marked in the score. The last note in a melody before a rest, in Classical music, is played gently unless the composer indicates otherwise. The last note in a melody before a rest, in Jazz music, is played strongly unless the composer indicates otherwise. 

Please check out the following recording. 

If I can help you, call me. 

​David
Revised August 2022

1. Theory
2. History
3. Ear training

These three are the most neglected aspects of music study.

Theory
Skilled musicians see harmonic, rythmic, and structural patterns in the music, beginners see a string of notes. The purpose of theory study is to help us to see and understand these patterns and their significance, which over time, leads to artistry. As a former teacher put it, "understanding what you are seeing makes everything easier."  

​History
Different eras of music sound different. When you understand the broad outline of music history, you will have informed knowledge on the interpretation of the piece. 

Ear Training
Ear training is a wide set of skills:

• interval recognition
• chord recognition
• melodic playback and jazz licks
• chord progressions
• rhythmic clapback
• Instrument identification
• counting measures
• sight singing
• scoring what we hear

​Some folks have it easier here than others, but I can confidently say that as a kid I started with a tin-ear, but over time, with practice I developed a high degree of skill. 

I can help you too. 

Call me. 

David
Revised August 2022

Here are my thoughts the acquisition of jazz chops.
  
1. Learn and memorize tunes by ear. Generations of Jazz musicians have taken this route. If playing by ear is difficult, call me for ear training lessons.
2. Join a band and play as much as possible. A young musician asked Art Blakey how he could improve. "Play every night" was his response.
3. Transcribe like crazy. If this is difficult, I teach music theory. 
4. Record everything you do. Recording yourself is the best feedback you have between lessons. 
5. Learn more tunes. "The musician with the largest repertoire wins".
6. Practice your technique, at various tempos, with a metronome. All great musicians have a deep sense of time. 
7. Play Bach, Debussy, and Faure. Jazz piano is notoriously diminishing of our left-hand skills. I practice classical music to maintain my left-hand piano skills. 
8. Keep up your lessons. I’ve been taking lessons for over 50 years.
9. Join a second band that plays only original music. Playing original music solidifies the skills and knowledge of composition, theory, history, leadership, notation, and more.
10. Write original music for solo piano. 

Bonus. Read and explore the history of jazz prior to heading to jazz school. 
 ​
If I can help you call me. 

​David
Revised August 2022