Weekly Piano #59

Alrighty, i’m back on the ball!! Here is my next improv. I hope you enjoy!

This is a mellow improvisation that travels through various minor chordscapes.

I’m not sure specifically what the imagery is that I had in mind, but it’s definitely mellow and an expression of solidarity.

I’d love to hear what you think.

Weekly Piano Improv #58

Oy! I just realized it’s been 3 crazy weeks since my last improv. These weeks involved recording an album in Greenfield, MA, playing a show in New York, some shows around Chicago including a live recording and a live broadcast, and lots of practicing.

But, I’m getting back on the ball with my piano improvisations, starting NOW!

So, I give you, weekly piano improv #58!! (56 and 57 are on my youtube account, but not on this blog. youtube.com/weeklypiano)

I just posted this, and @kendrickhuynh already posted a comment on the youtube page, haha, thanks Kendrick!

I’ve been covered!

My awesome twitter fan @yukiest played and uploaded my Weekly Piano improv #38. I love her version! check it out.

Here’s my original:

Weekly Piano Improv #55

This is a soft melodic improv – lots of people have been saying they like this sort of style. Please let me know what you think!

- Weekly

Weekly Piano Improv #54

I got the sweetest gift the other day. One of my fans in Taiwan (named Jade) sent me a beautiful bookmark engraved with a traditional Chinese symbol, in a very elegant case. I keep it by the piano to remind me of the connection that I am blessed to share with you.

This improvisation starts off very free, without a consistent melody. The melody then forms organically out of the chord structure. The organic development of the rich chord structures in the second half of it is a reflection of my progression lately with my music, practicing 8-hour days and writing music every day. I’ve had a new-found dedication since I got back from Thailand.

I’d love to know what you think.

Peace and love,
Weekly

Weekly Piano Improvisation #53

It’s crazy to think we’re up to #53 now. I know i’ve double-dipped a few weeks, this doesn’t necessarily mean I’ve been doing this for over a year now…but it’s been a while! Anyway I want to take this opportunity to thank you all for the wonderful comments and critiques you’ve been leaving. I love talking with you, and I love sharing with you, so thank you!!

Peace and love,
Weekly

Questions from a fellow Pianist

I recently received a plethora of interesting questions from one of my YouTube followers, Marce11o, and I figured it would be short-changing all my other followers if I didn’t make my responses public.

Here are the questions and my answers:

Q: Do you have perfect pitch?

A: Nope! I wish I did though. I practiced like crazy in college to work on my relative pitch, so I know what each interval sounds like. I use that whenever I’m playing with other people.

For example, when I’m playing with a bassist, and he changes to a chord that I wouldn’t expect, I can often tell what it is, and then create my own chord comping on top of it, because I can tell where the new bass note is in relation to the root note of the song we’re playing. Does that make sense?

Q: Do you learn the standards by ear?

A: I usually hear the standard first (in jam sessions, and played by other groups), but then when I’m ready to learn it myself, I usually print out the lead sheet. The sheet has the chord symbols and the melody, so I’ll create my own chord compings, rhythms, and interpretation of the melody. In my video of Waltz for Debby, however, I learned that tune completely by ear.

You had mentioned that you can’t identify chords by ear. That can actually be learned! I learned it while in college by using a program called MacGamut (http://www.macgamut.com/) but I think a better way would be to listen to jazz standards that you know, check out the lead sheets, and plunk out the chords. It’ll be difficult at first, but as you practice it more, it’ll become easier and easier. In fact I just did an arrangement of “The More I See You” for solo piano, and wrote out all the chords along with the melody and bass. If you’d like, I can upload that here so you can learn it and use it as a starting point for checking out the chords. Let me know!

Q: Tell me if I have this right: a jazz pianist learns the chords and structure of a standard from the books and then by ear or trial and error figures out a rhythm and variation on the melody.

A: That’s kindof correct. Personally, I listen to the tune for a bit before I pull out the chart. That way I have a good idea of the actual feel of the tune, and the quality of the chords. The chart does give a good framework though.

As for a variation on the melody, be sure to learn the exact melody first! A lot of musicians make the mistake of learning what they think is a “variation” of the melody, when they’re actually just messing up the melody. Then if you ask them to play the real melody, they can’t play it right. There is a deep musicality engrained in the standards that have lasted through time, and it’s very worth it to learn the melodies perfectly before you begin to vary them.

That’s it! If anyone else has questions they’d like me to answer, or requests for music, please let me know! This is your music – I’m just the messenger .

Peace and love,
Weekly Piano