On Monday, March 2, 1959, pianist Bill Evans sat in with Paul Chambers (bass), Jimmy Cobb (drums), Miles Davis (trumpet), John Coltrane (tenor saxophone), and Julius “Cannonball” Adderley to record the first track So What on Miles Davis’ legendary jazz album Kind Of Blue. This is one of the most recognizable jazz tunes ever. The …
Simple cocktail piano tip that lies at the heart of sounding like a professional…
Cocktail Piano Lesson #1: Use What You Know Home hobbyists to well-trained classical pianists have shown an interest in cocktail piano lessons. It’s no wonder why a pianist of any skill level and background would want to acquire cocktail piano skills. You never know when the opportunity may arise. A local restaurant may have the …
Piano Chord Voicings For those of you not familiar with chord voicings, it is the way a musician arranges/organizes and plays chords on a piano in order to create interesting sounds. In this post, we will explain why chord voicings add vibrancy and pizzazz to your ballads, how learning one chord voicing at a time …
Unlock The Secrets To Stunning Cocktail Piano Chord Voicings Read More »
Enhance Your Style With Chord Voicings I felt inspired to write this because there are a good number of cocktail pianists who enjoy success utilizing just basic triads and 7th chord structures. There’s a lot to be said for a performer who can be creative using simplicity. That said, the use of chord voicings can …
Cocktail Piano Intros: In A Pinch? Creating cocktail piano intros is an art in itself. The more you have in your “bag of tricks” the better. Sure, it pays to practice and know, at least to a point, how your arrangement will go. However, sometimes you might find yourself in a spot where you get …
Previously, we acknowledged that playing less really can be more by simply playing the root, 3, and 7. Using the same example shown in that video excerpt of ProProach, harmonizing the first note of Erroll Garner’s Misty could look like this: In this case, the melody note is D. That D also happens to be …
Splashing More Color Into A Simple Chord Voicing Read More »
You want to transpose the chords and voicings you learn to other keys. The more command you have over those keys, the more confidence you ultimately have. Want a sure-fire way to gain that command? Make transposing those chords and voicings you’re learning to other keys something you love to do. The act of transposing …
When it comes to harmonizing your melodies in a tasteful fashion, it makes sense to vary the density of the chords and voicings that you use. By doing so, you automatically gain the respect of your listener’s ears. Perhaps you can relate to a beautiful painting that had captured your attention at one time or …
When it comes to harmonizing tunes, it’s amazing how many people never get beyond playing chords in the same basic, textbook manner they learned in the beginning. I’m face to face with a number of adult students on a regular basis. Many of them will let me know right off the bat their intention is …
