Yesterday I recorded my first take of Tenderly. Today I’m trying it in three quarter time
While on vacation away from the piano for a few days, I got the tune Tenderly stuck in my head. I don’t know if I’ve ever actually played this tune before, but I listened to the Bill Evans version that I had in iTunes and then made my own rendition. It’s still rough around the edges, but here’s a recording.
1. Scales/Technique
Diminished scale improvisation: Ddim
Gershwin: Prelude I
2. Harmony
Two handed diminished voicing - 1b9358
Drop 2 inversions: maj 6
3. Vocabulary
Patterns from diminished voicings
4. Tunes
Caravan, three keys (Fm, Cm, Dm)
I’ve grown accustomed to her face
5. Listening
Harry Pickens - I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face
6. Other
Nat Cole singing “Accustomed to Her Face” on YouTube
1. Scales/Technique
Diminished scale improvisation: Gdim
Gershwin: Prelude I
2. Harmony
13b9 chords with major triad upper structures
3. Vocabulary
ii-V-I lick from Hank Jones, Moose the Mooche - whole tone keys starting on Db
4. Tunes
Moose the Mooche, two handed melody
5. Listening
Harry Pickens - I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face
6. Other
None
1. Scales/Technique
Diminished scale improvisation: Cdim
2. Harmony
13b9 chords with major triad upper structures
3. Vocabulary
ii-V-I lick from Hank Jones, Moose the Mooche
4. Tunes
Moose the Mooche, two handed melody
5. Listening
Marian McPartland - The Single Petal of a Rose.
6. Other
None
Daily Jazz Piano Workout
One of the challenges of jazz, or piano, or any musical endeavor, is that there is so much to work on that it becomes difficult to focus on the things that matter.
As a young student, a teacher once told me that practicing things you already know is like washing already-cleaned dishes. I try to constantly remind myself and my students to practice the “dirty dishes.” But sometimes the dirty dishes pile up and it becomes difficult to know what to wash first!
I recently rediscovered a list of suggested activities that comprise a “Daily Jazz Piano Workout” created by Brent Edstrom.
Here are the basics:
1. Scales/technique
2. Harmony
3. Vocabulary
4. Tunes
5. Listening
6. Other
Choosing just one activity from each category allows me to focus on the “dirty dishes” without getting stuck in a rut.
As I continue to post audio recordings, I will also use this outline to keep a record of the things that I am choosing to work on as the days go by.
Here is take 1 of my transcription of the first chorus of Oscar Peterson’s solo on Hymn to Freedom from his Night Train recording. The bluesy licks are difficult for me to feel because I want them to fit in some kind of rhythmic box of sixteenths, eighths, or triplets, which they don’t always. I am also experimenting with the best fingering to get these to work right.
