Bluesette: Journey Through The Real Book #42 (Jazz Piano Lesson)

Do you know this great jazz waltz by Toots Thielemans?
Learn the 5 Essential Left Hand Techniques with my free ebook:
Jazz Piano Left Hand Techniques:
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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:
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Thanks for joining me on this musical adventure, and please LIKE, COMMENT and SHARE this video with your musical friends.
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For Zoom and Skype lessons, please email me at [e-mail].
Enjoy the journey, and "let the music flow!"
Ron

[@paxwallace8324]

I worked so hard to get a lightly swinging waltz stride all in the left then completely independent right hand lines that I can see now that box requires yet another prison break. Your left hand while simpler is a great alternative. Nice descending lines.

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Good observations, Pax! The simpler LH allows for a rhythmically flexible approach to jazz waltzes, which is generally what jazz musicians go for in this style. Have fun :)

[@paxwallace8324]

@@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453 Well yeah. I mean I have consciously practiced having my melodic arcs cross bar lines and begin and end with no dependence or attention to form or even harmonic resolution points. Sometimes I practice treating rhythm in an elastic way all while keeping the left hand locked. I've even practiced this with metronome but you're creating a very attractive spaciousness.

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

@@paxwallace8324 It's all good. Practice everything and then sometimes it all clicks! But we can't predict when or how.

[@rafaelthekeyman9646]

About the ending, Toots does use it in the original recording - check it out at kzbin.info/www/bejne/hZqXeGmLor5-b7c at 2:19 it plays the high G in the melody with the Dm7 in the harmony. Great song, and great video too, thanks much for your generosity!

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

You're absolutely right, he did! He was such a fantastic musician in every respect. Thanks for contributing :)

[@fdre3wsd]

wow had no idea he was the sesame street harmonicist

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Yes indeed - A lot of great musicians played on the Sesame Street soundtracks.

[@pamtebelman2321]

I love jazz waltzes and this is one of my favorites. It's funny, I just got through listening to Toots and Stevie do their incredible live performance of this on KZbin and found myself here. The Christmas Waltz is also a favorite of mine, especially for this time of year - Beegie Adair has a great version on her very nice Christmas album. There is a jazz waltz that Oscar Peterson plays on a BBC Television Special from 1990 (that includes interviews with and playing by Count Basie and Joe Pass) that you might enjoy. The waltz that Oscar plays at the top of the show is very beautiful but nobody seems to know the name of it. Perhaps you might know. I think you would enjoy the entire show. Merry Christmas, Ron and a Happy and Healthy New Year to you!

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Great stuff here, Pam. The Peterson/Basie duets are among my favorites! They somehow complimented each other perfectly.

[@pamtebelman2321]

@@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453 Agreed, Oscar tends to overplay at times (like his mentor, Art Tatum) in contrast to Basie's wonderful understatements! All geniuses in their own styles. But never was their a band like Basie's, in my opinion. You should listen to "15 Minutes with Count Basie and Judy Garland" on KZbin. Basie's arrangements are incredible and Judy was at her peak. She sure knew how to deliver a song and was, arguably, the greatest popular singer of the last century,

[@gregorylacomble7091]

thank you for this video and a big thank you for your free pdf! I have classical piano formation, but i want to improve my "piano bar" skills and this is so usefull :) thanks!

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

It's my pleasure, Grégory! Once you get used to improvising, it gets easier :)

[@gregorylacomble7091]

@@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453 indeed :) and i notice here that it's always nice to "transform" a waltz in a binary 4/4 style!

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

@@gregorylacomble7091 Sinatra and Basie took Fly Me To The Moon, which was originally in 3/4 time, and made it into a 4/4 swing arrangement.

[@E.X.P.]

Did you found that part of the end yet?

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Not yet - I've been making more videos and haven't revisited this. Hopefully I will one day!

[@E.X.P.]

@@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453 i've found it. In that version with the blue cover and Toots in the front with his guitar, the studio short version of this beaitiful music. Actually it repeats the A until they want to finish, then they do that coda part. Listen again, you'll hear it, appears just one time in the end. Hope it helps, and forgive my english...cheers!

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

@@E.X.P. Thanks Eduardo - I'll check it out, and your English is great!

[@chrisdurhammusicchannel]

👍👍

[@larrysaidman1004]

How come the Real Book doesn't have the second part of the tune?

[@kpkpkpkpkpkpkp102513]

Hey sir! Can i get somewhere the sheet for this piece exactly how you played it?

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Thanks for watching! It was all improvised, so there's no sheet music. You can find the chords and melody in The Real Book.

[@nickvledder]

Actually it is in front of you... Check out his fingers on the keyboard. Dial back speed in YT if it all appears too fast to you.

[@merakimanagement5828]

how is it posible you are playing from Eb with your 4th finger to G 2:50 theres only two answers you have huge hands or else your keys are small

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

I think I can reach farther with my LH than my right, from doing this for years!

[@Aviyoyopdx]

your videos would be even better if you invested in a better microphone to pick up a nicer sound from the piano