Afro Blue: Journey Through The Real Book #2 (Jazz Piano Lesson)

A jazz piano lesson to help you learn the jazz standard "Afro Blue." Jazz greats like John Coltrane and McCoy Tyner played modal jazz over this Latin groove.
Take your LH playing to the next level with my free ebook: Jazz Piano Left Hand Techniques:
keyboardimprov...
You'll find my book, The Inner World of Piano Improvisation, on Amazon.
Here are some more Free Jazz Piano Lessons for you at the KeyboardImprov website:
keyboardimprov...
Thanks for joining me on this musical adventure, and please LIKE, COMMENT and SHARE this video with your musical friends.
If you'd like to start my full video course, you'll find it here:
keyboardimprov...
For Zoom and Skype lessons, please email me at [e-mail].

[@russellesimonetta9071]

Uhh, I,m surprised I found this. I,m a drummer and am working on upping my brushes game. I,m playing brushes on a short stool and just playing along. I,m jamming with you bro!

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Glad you're enjoying the brushwork and playing along - I'd like to hear that!

[@randyknisely8979]

Wow, didn't know I had so many favorites, takes me way back to hours of listening in the later sixties , thanks again for the journey ...

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

I'm finding the same thing, Randy!

[@raymondvandevorst9913]

Nice also, different, never knew the song. Nice to get to know these songs

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

I'm learning new songs too, Raymond. Good luck!

[@raymondvandevorst9913]

@@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453 nice, isn't it

[@PIANOSTYLE100]

Any of these songs sound like days when I just play what I like.. maybe set out with Fur Elise and the go Blues .. mixing chords, scales, exploring sounds , trying pentatonic out with all kinds of extensions 13ths etc. Listened to it it gave me ideas. Thanks.

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

That's great about using these ideas. Have fun!

[@mariano2078]

This Tune Will Sound Great With A Set Of Bata Drums In The Back To Give It A Real Afro Cuban Flavor.

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Yes, definitely!

[@MrDaveRotherham]

Great idea for a series. I bought the Real Book not long ago. Hope you're able to keep it up!

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Thanks Dave, and congrats on getting your copy of the book! Have fun with the tunes 😀

[@muuroonggeooffrey246]

Thank you so much from China, Love this series!

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Hi Muuroong! Thanks for watching, and I'm glad you're enjoying these videos! Do you play jazz piano?

[@muuroonggeooffrey246]

My primary instrument is guitar, but also learning trumpet. Could be a Guide tone pianist, root note bassist in some situation. :D

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

That's great! I have some playalong videos on this channel that you may enjoy playing along with. Good luck with your music :)

[@Gradanza7]

Interesting and it was great! Happy 4th!

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

You too Barbie!

[@WillieParsee]

Real nice Ron!

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Thanks Will!

[@DonyaLane]

Hey Ron, the funny thing about this song is that it's really not a song, per se, as much as it's an excuse to jam in F minor. Know what I mean? I'd say Coltrane came close to making it into a jazz tune, in his own way. Do you know who the pianist was who played this live with Coltrane? He really exploited the modal envelop. BTW, for me "Afro Blue" is what I would describe as modal jazz through the prism of the Renaissance. Some of those changes are more Early Music in their harmony than modern harmony. Do you hear what I'm hearing?

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Agreed, although the melody is pretty catchy, but short. The pianist was McCoy Tyner. Good point about the early music sound of the changes. Coltrane recorded Greensleeves too, so he must have liked that sound.

[@DonyaLane]

I feel so silly. Yes, McCoy Tyner, indeed! Why was I not able to make that association? LOL Thank you for mentioning Greensleeves and your speculation about Coltrane liking that sound. Very interesting...

[@robertlulek1634]

The Pianist is one of the greatest ever McCoy Tyner John Coltrane

[@marcosquito]

Excelent !! Thank you for sharing ! Those dissonant chords could be repeated some times during the improv. Could you detail again that Db7#9 and C7 $11 ? I cannot reach same sound as you did.

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

That's an excellent idea about using these chords during the improv, Marcos. I hadn't thought of that! The voicings I use are: D F B E Db, and C E Bb Db Gb Bb. Have fun :)

[@luisnowak7881]

do you have a link of that version of Richi and Wayne you mentioned? RIP Wayne

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Hi Luis - I can't find it now. I may have been getting their video of Mr PC confused with another performance of Shorter playing Afro Blue, which I remember seeing at one point. Or, there may indeed be a video of them performing Afro Blue together. Either way, I hope you enjoy playing this great tune!

[@raymondvandevorst9913]

As am listening to this tune/rendirion. My thought would be to start with the original version, and afterwords modify it to the copies, so to speak. Whats yur thought on that

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Yes, this can be a good approach. Try it and see how it sounds!

[@Aaron-yh1vf]

Your real book looks super clean haha mine has coffee stain, missing title page, spines half broke and tire marks on it

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Ha! Actually, mine has now lost the back cover and is slowly coming apart :) (Tire marks????)

[@Aaron-yh1vf]

@@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453 accidentally left it on the roof of the car after a gig and a bandmate ran over it on accident and gave it back to me next rehearsal but hey it still works great!

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

@@Aaron-yh1vf Great story - paying dues!

[@javiervaldovinos]

im having trouble with the second ending. is there a point in this video where you play it?

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Hi Javier. Are you using the music in the Real Book? In my copy there's only one 2nd ending, and it's just an Fm7 chords which is the same as the 1st ending. Which chords are giving you difficulty?

[@javiervaldovinos]

its more so the written melody im having problems with.

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Oh I see. I often play a melody very slowly, for a long time. Most pianists don't practice slowly enough. But Chick Corea said that the way to play fast is to play slowly... a lot. See how this goes :)

[@louisparry-mills9132]

sound is pretty badly out of sync on this one :((

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Hi Louis - thanks, you're right! I'm not sure why that happened, since this was recording direct into my camera, if I remember correctly. I wonder if it's a KZbin glitch that occurred at some point.