Bill Evans Chords: A Tutorial on their Voicing

[@ob1quixote]

As a beginner, I really appreciate the insight into Evans' genius that he played voicings that contained as few notes as possible. Thank you.

[@MangoldProject]

Yes. Always ask how little you can play. It's an interesting point to think about, too!

[@peliparado94]

Thanks for this video. These chords do indeed sound very much like Bill Evans, who is by the way my favorite jazz pianist by a long shot. I'm not a pianist but every musician can learn a lot from this, and it's nice to see that such an amazingly talented musician rarely uses any weird or overly complex voicings. Mostly just fairly basic stuff but with a lot of taste and thought put into each note and inversion to create this sweet, mesmerizing and almost melancholic sound.

[@JmanuHD]

I've always wanted to play in a way that's inspired by Bill Evans. Thank you good sir for helping me achieve this!

[@AlexBallMusic]

Brilliantly done. Great progression and breakdown. Love that rootless sound!

[@MangoldProject]

Thanks. Always good to get feedback from the Gandalf of Orchestration :)

[@AlexBallMusic]

@@MangoldProject There's a reason you have nearly 200,000 followers. You know your stuff.

[@junokarah3495]

This is so clear and concise, I actually understood it! That’s saying a lot when someone is teaching Bill Evans. Thank you for this!

[@MangoldProject]

My pleasure.

[@MrBitterman75]

I always enjoy watching your videos. Small gems in the vast sea of youtube, if I may say... Way to go, rootless!

[@MangoldProject]

For some reason the term rootless voicings always makes me think of a root canal ... :)

[@finegoldstones]

thank you for doing this video! The piano piece you've written here sounds like I'm waiting to leave a nice dinner party and I take the ride home, and arrive at the end. Quite beautiful. I definitely learned some valuable ideas about voicings, something I need to work on as a musician.

[@MangoldProject]

All courtesy of Mr. Evans!

[@dingoswamphead]

Beautiful and very cleverly and clearly presented.

[@tomasgonzalez5485]

This is masterfully done! Bill Evans is my favorite artist and you managed to capture his style!!

[@MangoldProject]

Well, I really copied many of his voicings from his recordings, so it's no wonder :)

[@lukeburns8929]

Mangold genius, Thank you so much for sharing with the world your knowledge and style and love of JAZZ. I pray that JAZZ will never die, but with new kids around who are blocked by social media bullshit, I fear we need to keep JAZZ breathing. I will watch this video many times. You are really a star of JAZZ in these dark days amigo!!! LB

[@HernanReyesEnglish]

You made it so easy to understand.... everything makes sense now!

[@studiomonster2012]

That’s beautiful man. Great playing and interpretation. Thank you for the lesson.

[@MangoldProject]

You're welcome.

[@waynemagin2554]

Your phrasing of Bill Evans Voicing, are magical. Thank you for the insight into Mr Evans craft. Deep. Namaste

[@MangoldProject]

Thanks Wayne. Doin' my best :)

[@ear4perfection]

Absolutely beautiful chord progressions. Thanks for sharing.

[@freebbyrenewing]

Who gave up understanding from 1:37 and just enjoyed what he played

[@trevorsmith8950]

A very, very general takeaway from this could be "Invert or add tones to the chord such that it makes a minor 2nd in the middle". B half diminished becomes B E! F A, E7#5#9 becomes G G# C D, Fmaj7 becomes A E F C, etc. Good video, thanks.

[@michaelthomas9243]

Very good and useful observation. Minor seconds.

[@axs203]

so patient and so well explained thank you starting to get my head around it now

[@seanemmettfullerton]

Awesome, dude! Well done! ...about that F min7(11) at 7:17, it's funny how ambiguous things can become when stacking 4ths :)

[@deepinmind83]

Can you do a breakdown of Vince Guaraldi’s playing technique? I have been trying to figure out his style for a while now.

[@socks1012]

That would be lovely!

[@danielskevington2270]

I agree

[@David-bl6yg]

I second this, I love the Vince’s sound

[@losalamos666]

Great lesson. Can’t wait to give some of these luscious chords a whirl. Many thanks once again.

[@huntrrams]

Awesome vid! I can see a bit of a classical music influence in Bill’s chords. Some of his songs sound quite Satie-like and Impressionist like Debussy (good jazz-like Debussy song is Reflets Dans l'Eau).

[@musicalintentions]

We love Bill Evans, and we love you! Thank you, as always, for sharing.

[@MangoldProject]

Thanks man. Hope you learned something interesting! Next time I might do something off the beaten road, like Anomalie :)

[@musicalintentions]

MangoldProject Sounds like fun!

[@joycechahinepiano]

MangoldProject I love Anomalie! All for that :)

[@andyokus4930]

Yes! Great video! Thanks to you I'm throwing away my roots and fiths. Going to retrain my left hand and strengthen my right for lyrical soloing. Thanks!!

[@MangoldProject]

Haha, that's a lofty goal! Although roots and fifths have their uses, just ask any bass player :)

[@QuantumLOw]

Thank you for the video, I am going to use some of these chords and see how they work on a jazz hip hop beat. They sound amazing.

[@MangoldProject]

Awesome. Send us a link here once you're done in case you upload it somewhere.

[@djwienk]

@@MangoldProject Not the original commentor, but I've been watching your videos lately since I started producing a bit more than a month ago. I used your Neo-soul chord progression video as the progression in this song: soundcloud.com/deibeato/neo . Thanks a lot for the inspiration!

[@pierrebradier9612]

Thanks a lot for sharing so much knowledge in all your videos! This one is simply amazing.

[@MangoldProject]

Thanks Pierre. Is it because you particularly like Bill Evans' music? Anything in particular about it?

[@pierrebradier9612]

@@MangoldProject Yes, I do like Evans' playing a lot! Your video helped me understand some of his rootless voicings, sometimes minimalist but so colorfull.

[@legomaniacsss]

Great video! Was interesting to try and understand some of the nuances used by the great Bill Evans. I also noticed, that the first chord you play in your arrangement, is just like the one they (Bill Evans trio) start "gloria's step" with

[@adamsluchacz5645]

A very interesting lecture, thank you! BTW I can’t believe all those critical voices I read considering you give in your time, knowledge and effort free of charge. Some people are really amazing lol…

[@shaunbooval9223]

Your videos always make me happy inside👍😆. Thank you.

[@MangoldProject]

Thanks Shaun. That was a very nice thing to say.

[@Bashanvibe]

I need this. Good video. I'm going to use this.

[@justinjager8412]

A common voicing I also noticed Bill Evans Used, is to stack fourths. If we had a notation to stack fourths, maybe like a q for qartal harmony, it would be posible to simplify a lot of voicing. For example at 7:15 the F min 7 (11), it could be C q 4/ F. Meaning that you stack four fourths with the root of F.

[@gillsgills]

These are beautiful voicings, and the walkthrough is appreciated, but I wish there was more guidance on the thought process behind how to arrive at these kinds of voicings organically when we're playing any old chord progression.

[@MangoldProject]

You know the joke about teaching people how to drive? 1. Get into the car. 2. Put the keys in the ignition. 3. Turn the keys to turn the car on. 4. Now all you have left to do is just drive! The "organic" part is the hardest and most amorphous, which is why it is very difficult to find videos on it, and even then, there is no "solution" or "way" of doing so. It's one of those things that just comes on its own, like improvisation, once you copy and imitate many many existing pieces. A small piece of advice I can give you is that don't be afraid/ashamed to just straight out copy other pianists. Look at, e.g., how Bill Evans or Oscar Peterson voice the 2-5-1 progression and just copy those and transpose to all keys. Imitation and flat-out shamelessly copying is the best way to learn music!

[@waynemagin2554]

Of course we lost Scott LaFaro so early, But not before the Bill Evans Trio established, the "Jazz Trio"' from there forward. Namaste

[@SamandRie]

wtffff im subbed to this channel already, but i was just thought to search "bill evans chord tutorial" and this was uploaded like 2 days ago. what the heckkk, am i living in a simulation?

[@hjojo1]

Lmfao ikr, I think of a song sometimes and Amosdoll uploads it haha

[@alemakhoul4899]

really good work! thank you so much

[@youtubeadventurer1881]

It was useful to see these voicing and to have it explained what the underlying chords are. Are there any resources that explain some of the more general principles behind these voicings so that we can come up with our own Bill Evans style voicings?

[@xRadigans]

4:37 Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe thats an Am9 instead of CMaj7. Since the preceeding chord was an E7#5#9, it only make sense if that is to be thought of as Am9 to make it a perfect cadence.

[@kwamealievergreen4257]

the left hand chord tones are that of a CMaj 7, he's holding a G, B,C, and E, which is the second inversion. The A is just functioning as the added 6th of the CM7, not an inverted root. All major and minor 9's have minor and major 7ths in them respectively. Take a C Maj. 7 and add a note a minor 3rd below the C, boom, you now have an A min. 9. There are multiple ways to look at extended chords.

[@kwamealievergreen4257]

But one more thing. Major 6ths can also be seen as 3rd inversion minor 7ths, so a C Maj. 6 can be looked as as an A minor 7. It's all about context.

[@sandalero]

its Am

[@batlin]

Kwintyn Porter I think the OP is right. Yes there are multiple correct ways to look at inverted and extended chords, but Am makes sense in terms of chord function after the Event. And of course, Evans loved rootless voicings and would perhaps omit the A entirely even if it was definitely an Am9.

[@kwamealievergreen4257]

@@batlin he literally says in the video that the A is functioning as the added 6th.

[@albertolorusso]

Fantastic tutorial, really gets the mood of Bill Evans! I was wondering if you would be so kind to do a Bill Evans re-harm of a song such as YESTERDAY from the Beatles? The harmony is pretty straight-forward and gives room for some interesting rootless combination of chords, would be fantastic to have your view on this!

[@MangoldProject]

Well, I can only do a Mangold reharm of the Beatles, since I'm not Bill Evans :) But the sad reality is that KZbin will just kill the video the moment I upload it. Even if they let it stand they'll demonetize it which is not fun, which is why I avoid covering other people's songs. Sorry Alberto.

[@albertolorusso]

@@MangoldProject man, first of all thanks for the reply! Secondly:thanks for all your fantastic videos! Third:I will try to do it myself and upload it, maybe you can give insights, critics and suggestions to it!

[@everettmusicdojo]

Thank you for the wonderful video. What is the software that displays the light up keyboard on screen?

[@hanoveroro9233]

Excelente😎 Muchísimas gracias

[@edbuller4435]

Such a great lesson. Thank you very much. Perhaps you could do a follow up explaining your right hand melody note choices against the chords

[@slickyjorj]

i play guitar for a living.... love this!

[@RobyMBeki]

The best, as always ;)

[@reithartreefingers33]

Wow there is soo much in this vid thank you!

[@augustinrydzik8474]

Amazing video thank you so much !!!!

[@MangoldProject]

Glad you liked it!

[@esotericist]

Oooooh. this is good. And useful.

[@NicoVese]

Thanks for this video! It's really interesting!

[@ivansiciliano4050]

I really like your tutorial, Amazing

[@MangoldProject]

Thanks Ivan!

[@SolarMumuns]

Thank you so much! Great insight

[@Reapwhatsown]

Excellent

[@piratealleyvideo5072]

great job!

[@flavin3187]

hey, i enjoy your videos and you are teaching really good. your examples are great and i would love to know which modern piano composers you are listening to. i bet you know chilly gonzales solo piano works. i've been analyzing his music and i stumbled upon a song i don't understand. it's called evolving doors. i guess it's written in d minor, but where do all these sharp and flat notes come from and why do they harmonize together? since i've been watching lots of your videos, i guess you are not to much into his music. but still, would you like to make a small explanation on his music? greetings and keep it up, flavin

[@nicholasr6381]

Thank you for such a great vido

[@elnur.hicaz80]

Thank you very much teacher !

[@salmanabedin1313]

If I am not mistaken, you were probably trying to recall the term "Constant Structure". ("Side-Slipping" in the Jazz circle) Breathtaking improvisation as always, btw.

[@MangoldProject]

I was thinking of chromatic vs scalar transpositions: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transposition_(music)

[@innocentoctave]

MangoldProject I think this is sometimes called 'planing' - moving the same chord voicing through successive chromatic roots.

[@tryga3138]

@@innocentoctave Doesn't have to be chromatic though.

[@innocentoctave]

@@tryga3138True enough - though I think chromatic movement is probably the fastest way to imply a departure from any particular key into the sound of a particular chord type.

[@tryga3138]

@@innocentoctave Yeah, in this context I totally agree with you

[@placeline3502]

I fricking love you man!, keep it up

[@benliu3170]

You are a god, thanks for the tip!

[@brianpetersen3429]

Beautiful.

[@MangoldProject]

Thank you, Brian.

[@joejoesguitarinventions]

Instant subscribe.. You are your own musician..

[@joejoesguitarinventions]

Please put your own.. Exceptional

[@SheetmusicLessons]

Thank you for sharing 👋🎶🎶🎶

[@Paulinhogarcia]

Beautifully done. Can you tell me which software you're using that shows the little staff bar and name the chord instantly as you play? thank you.

[@MangoldProject]

ChordieApp.

[@SpiroJildeh]

Nice video! can we have more advanced Bill Evans music? :)

[@MangoldProject]

Can you clarify what you mean by "advanced"? Do you mean like a solo breakdown? Something more up-tempo?

[@SpiroJildeh]

@@MangoldProject Not only up tempo, I am looking for Advanced harmony and soloing.. really thanks for the efforts your are putting in sharing these vids 😍

[@soldiertaveras6734]

Hey brother i liked so much your video, really enjoyed it! could you do any other.. Thanks.

[@MangoldProject]

I have quite a few others on the channel ... Feel free to browse and enjoy.

[@edson9805]

Amazing!!!!! Thank’s

[@reezoshideout]

Thanks for the great video! May I ask: which keyboard/piano sound you are using? I am looking for a viable but simple alternative to an upright piano, which had up to a couple years ago but can no longer have. I am thinking something that allows for home practice but that can be moved around for teaching (I also teach piano) or gigging (although this is of the least importance). Thanks!

[@tunekeysus9427]

6:55 is it planing ?

[@lennon4044]

May I know you can arrange the play list ?

[@catalin_mustata]

Really nice video. At times, your impro reminded me of Esbjorn Svensson

[@MangoldProject]

Never heard of him, but I'll check him out :)

[@catalin_mustata]

Let me know what you think after you listen. I recommend Viaticum as a starting point.

[@MangoldProject]

@@catalin_mustata Interesting player. Very talented. Reminds me of Lyle Mays.

[@MangoldProject]

@@catalin_mustata Ha, now I see he has also performed with Pat Metheny!

[@catalin_mustata]

@@MangoldProject He's probably my favourite contemporary piano player. Too bad he passed away...

[@anaeldesmons7714]

Hi everyone, someone can tell me what is the software used for the « real time chord detection » please ?

[@MangoldProject]

ChordieApp.

[@anaeldesmons7714]

@@MangoldProject Thank's you !

[@bencasey7023]

sorry for out of topic, what software did you use for showing midi?

[@maximesavard-beaudoin560]

wow whats your plugin that makes chord names appear nice

[@mediasolv]

What software is this you are using ?

[@samueljorge6657]

Chordie, @mediasolv !! That's the software.

[@ronfrey6639]

May I ask what program you are using to show the staff ? thanks

[@cristianrosemary]

Same thing I wanted to ask about...

[@longqiwu6384]

Thank you!!! Very nice video! Could you tell me what the program you used at your video? The program for showing notes? Thank you!

[@MangoldProject]

ChordieApp.

[@klilinoklire4403]

@@MangoldProject Thank you for sharing even this detail!

[@miguelastor1]

Great video, but the sheet music and the chords symbols are sometimes confusing if one tries to follow what the narrator says.

[@arataka57]

I think that software only helps to see the chord symbols or if the chords are played without any melody going on.

[@miguelastor1]

@@arataka57 Yes, but most of the time what the software shows is wrong and has nothing to do with the exposition.

[@cristianrosemary]

What’ s the name of this software guys?

[@cristianrosemary]

Hi, MangoldProyect! I really enjoy your videos!! Could you please help me? I have the digital piano Yamaha PC4 Stage (which has midi connections) and I want to connect my keyboard with the Chordie App. that you mentioned, by using a USB to MIDI connector, but it doesn't work. I have followed all the steps, but It does not work. Thanks in advance!

[@MangoldProject]

Hard to troubleshoot that sort of thing remotely, but you will need: 1. ChordieApp, fired up and set up to receive MIDI from the USB port (look at the "Input" Menu in ChordieApp and see if your USB--MIDI connector is there; if so, select it). 2. To connect the MIDI OUT of the CP4 to the MIDI IN of the MIDI--USB connector. 3. Make sure you don't need some sort of driver for your USB--MIDI connector. Hope that helps somewhat.

[@achilledeclairfont8419]

great vidéo Mangold..could you publish as well chords transcription / Pdfs ? would be useful thanks

[@MangoldProject]

Unfortunately I don't have time for that.

[@330007176015]

This is great. Do you have this lesson in sheet form? I would like to buy it very much. Thnk u for answering. Sonja

[@MangoldProject]

Unfortunately I never have time to prepare sheet music for my lessons.

[@330007176015]

@@MangoldProject thank you very much!

[@Nirias103683]

06:47 Did you mean Chord Planing? Great video btw!

[@MangoldProject]

Maybe? Never heard that particular term. I was referring to chromatic vs diatonic transposition.

[@skoto8219]

@@MangoldProject I hadn't heard it either but it seems to fit Wikipedia's definition (they take harmonic planing to be synonymous with harmonic parallelism) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallel_harmony Loved the video, btw. I'm new to jazz (coming from a classical background) and this stuff is magical.

[@thomasrenard4908]

What is the program used to show the keys? Thanks for help.

[@samueljorge6657]

Chordie, Thomas !! That's the software he uses to show the piano.

[@jazzy-lazzy]

Awesome! I'd love to be your student))

[@J7o7s7e7p7h]

Hey can u tell me what program are u using to detect those chord when u press

[@MangoldProject]

ChordieApp.

[@edamdiazvilla4068]

Awesome

[@Riberablues]

Good night! What's the program that you uses for showing the chords in the two keys? Thanks in advance

[@samueljorge6657]

Chordie, Javier !!! Good night.

[@zeevwaismann8243]

Are you using a specific program that tells you what notes / chord names you're playing in real time or did you animate those?

[@MangoldProject]

ChordieApp.

[@zeevwaismann8243]

@@MangoldProject Thank you!

[@ImBeyondHD]

sounds like something from Evangelion. love it

[@Lianpe98]

So... basically... avoid the fundamental most of the time, create intervallic variety (4ths and 2nds are friends), be close to the melody so when you play the bass it will sounds warmer, use very few notes most of the time and use spicy extensions... Right?

[@MangoldProject]

Yep.

[@Lianpe98]

@@MangoldProject ok, cool.

[@sebastianoyarzun4687]

This works with blue in green!

it looks like "So What" chord progression. 7:03

[@asmrlauch6002]

0:37

[@cosmo8225]

What program are using that shows all the notes and names of notes and chords? Or are you editing all of this in?

[@MangoldProject]

ChordieApp.

[@cosmo8225]

@mangoldproject thank you!

[@TheMAU5SoundsLikThis]

What is the best way to get this knowledge of context, as in the context of the chords?

[@khalogqubule5412]

This may not be helpful, but usually just experimenting does the trick. Like, take a 2 5 1, pick your first minor voicing for the 2, and then "scroll" through all your Dominant chord voicing until you find a few you like, then repeat for your major. The same thing works for any progression. It's just teaching yourself what kind of context you like for each voicing

[@MangoldProject]

You can watch my Jazz Piano Course playlist here on KZbin (currently has 6 lessons in it).

[@samevans9285]

Parallel harmony?

[@rapinncapin123]

The name is planing

[@arman2339]

What sofware is this?

[@MangoldProject]

ChordieApp

[@GalaDiya]

excuse me, what's the tune name?

[@MangoldProject]

It's an improvisation.

[@GalaDiya]

@@MangoldProject thanks!

[@sabreenahrochelle3989]

can you do something like this for ahmad jamal?

[@LAOMUSICARTS]

The missing point in Bill's style are the moving inner voicings!

[@MangoldProject]

One concept at a time ... :)

[@LAOMUSICARTS]

@@MangoldProject maybe also helpful to explain how comes that someone like Barry Harris hates Bill Evans rootless chords...Thanks !

[@MangoldProject]

Really? I wasn't aware of that. That's pretty interesting. Do you have anything to share? (like an article or a particular video?)

[@LAOMUSICARTS]

@@MangoldProject LAOMUSIC ARTS NEVER LIES ! “With a lot of the young people, I can’t understand their logic when it comes to jazz, or their understanding of jazz, their disrespect for older musicians, and why they play like they play. Monk didn’t play that way, Art Tatum didn’t play that way, Bud Powell didn’t play that way, Al Haig didn’t play that way, Bill Evans didn’t play that way. The pianists can’t play two-handed chords; they think that the right hand is just for single notes - and that’s bull. Whoever taught them that and whoever came up with it is full of stuff. This music is two-handed music. All you got to do is listen. And yet, these people will say that they’re listening to Monk and different people, and I know they’re full of stuff. They aren’t listening to them. It’s impossible to listen to them and play the way they play.” Barry Harry tedpanken.wordpress.com/2011/12/15/for-barry-harris-82nd-birthday-a-downbeat-article-from-2000/ This excerpt is from a video available here in KZbin also.

[@Danilo8208SS]

Why would it be helpful to discuss why Barry Harris hates Bill Evans style? Bill Evans always comes up when talking about greatest jazz musicians and I’ve never even heard of Barry Harris.

[@resol_beats]

😤 🙌

[@kenkim2549]

❤

[@joebowbeer]

tonal transposition? (vs real transposition)