Q. I'm a student in the 11th grade. I attend an art school, I am currently studying piano with jazz chords and progressions. I would like to join the jazz band but I need to learn to read a bit quicker. Any ideas?
A. READ --READ--READ--as much music as you can
try to play with other musicians
STUDY-STUDY-STUDY- theory and chord voicings
How is it that you comp piano chords?
Q. I know how to do basic comping with 7 chords.
Like with a C7 I would play LH root C and RH the 3 and the 7 (or 7 and 3).
But how do you comp a chord like Fm? Without the 7 I'm not sure what to play. Just the 3?
I hope this makes sense.
Thank you!
A. I'm not a pianist, but I suggest leaving the root out (odds are the bassist is playing it) and leaving the natural 5th out (it does very little to define the quality of the chord).
Do play 3rd/7th in your left hand and other chord tones or melody notes in your right hand. You'll discover that the LH voice leading falls together pretty naturally this way, and you are free to add tension tones or improvise in the RH.
Less is more, and the larger the ensemble, the truer this becomes.
Now... that said, comping is a delicate art that requires years of study to do well, so take your time, have fun, and perhaps get yourself a jazz piano teacher who can help you along. Also listen to and steal from your favorite pianists a LOT. If you arent' sure who to listen to, start with Bill Evans, McCoy Tyner, and Chick Corea just to get their sound into your ear - all are very sophisticated and really playing the way they do will be out of your reach for a while, so cherry-pick the occasional cool voicing that you can and just enjoy the rest. McCoy is known for huge voicings that require a lot of strength, and Chick often plays polytonally (in multiple keys at once) so don't discourage yourself by trying to become like them overnight. Bill is the epitome of mainstream "cocktail jazz" piano, and you will learn and grow conceptually just by enjoying his amazing, delicate, beautiful compositions, solos, and voicings.
How long does it take for one to learn how to improvise on piano?
Q. Alright, I really want to make my own music on the piano and I am currently taking piano lessons. She says what I am learning will lead up to improvising. She says I am making leaps in my progress. So how long does it take to learn improv?
A. All of these answers are correct...... what style are you wanting to learn to improvise? If you are just starting out, you can improvise in one piano lesson!!! (Using C major.... no black keys to have to worry about!)
Meter: 4/4
Chord progression: C---\Am---\C---\Am---\F---\F---\G---\G---
(repeat)
For an easy left hand part, try:
CGC'--\AEA'--\CGC'--\AEA'--\FCF'--\FCF'--\GDG'--\GDG'--
Then, with your right hand, improvise your own melody. Obviously, the most beginner of improvisers will feel most comfortable starting and ending your improvisation on the "home tone" or "key" which in this case is C. Whenever you improvise, you need to have an understanding of your chord progression and what notes sound "right" or "wrong" in a certain chord. This all will come down to an understanding of music theory which you will learn as you go!!!
For this first exercise, just play whatever you want in your right hand!
Your piano teacher knows you best, but I would always recommend studying and practicing your scales, arpeggios and cadences in order to have a better understanding of how music works and how improvisation works. If you are eventually wanting to improvise jazz and blues, you'll need more than just the classical understanding of theory. The blues is the best place to start in jazz improv. There are a lot of resources out there to start you on that journey! Check out anything that is published by Jamey Abersold. (www.jazzbooks.com)
Start by learning left hand chord progressions (blues progression) and then experiment by playing blues scales and licks in your right hand over your voicings in your left!
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Title : How do I practice reading jazz chords off of a lead sheet? How would I quickly learn to sight read piano music?
Description : Q. I'm a student in the 11th grade. I attend an art school, I am currently studying piano with jazz chords and progressions. I would li...