ESSENTIAL MINOR SCALES: "Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise"-Jazz Improv Tutorial

Important minor scales for improvisation: Natural (relative), Harmonic, Melodic, Pentatonic, Dorian (mode) and Blues. Minor scales used for improvisation on the popular standard: "Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise". written by Sigmund Romberg with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. (1928). A popular song w/ jazz musicians, because of the C minor vamp section and contrasting bridge in the relative major. A minor scale lesson taken from the book: Jazz PIano- Methods and Songbook for professional playing. Go to website for free scores and to view jazz piano book. www.kenthewitt.com/
Link to Diminished Scale Tutorial • "The Most Amazing Jazz...

[@lucienmontminy1037]

"Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise" great tune and great Minor Scales review. Stay well Kent. L

[@KentHewittpiano88]

Thanks for listening!

[@ginabliss1915]

Hi Ken. Thank you. I reviewed minor scales and reviewed your video, with lots of stopping the recording to write scales. This feels like progress. Much appreciated. Gina

[@KentHewittpiano88]

I'm glad I could help out with your progress.

[@andrewyerkes4287]

Oh man your passion for jazz is evident in your beautiful playing and your generous sharing of knowledge. I'll be busy with this wisdom for awhile. Thank you brother.

[@KentHewittpiano88]

Thanks for an awesome comment!

[@jasonricci]

Thank You!

[@KentHewittpiano88]

You're welcome!

[@jaked.8388]

Kent so good to see you in 2019 Be- bopin away:), Your piano playing and background backup always a great treat to hear, not to mention your complimentary teaching style I learn something new everytime I watch you. Stay well and be cool:) Jake

[@KentHewittpiano88]

I usually learn something myself. But it would be worthless, if I didn't hear from cool cats like you. Swing loose!

[@robinsrest2]

This is fantastic, thanks so much. You are so kind to share your talents.

[@KentHewittpiano88]

Your comment helps me to keep going!

[@christiancarpenter5567]

this is one of my most favorite 40s songs. i just love that genera of music.

[@KentHewittpiano88]

It's a great song but practically never requested.

[@34rn357]

Mr. Ego is a cool daddy, a hepcat, a swinger 🔥 😎

[@KentHewittpiano88]

I'm glad someone digs him!

[@imaginesoundstudio7156]

You are incredible and my hero!

[@KentHewittpiano88]

I hope I can live up to it! Thanks!

[@dhimes3]

Thank you

[@KentHewittpiano88]

My pleasure.

[@charlesalan62]

Great stuff ,really opens up your ears. Kind of like reaching a higher elevation and your ears pop ,a pleasant sensation thanks Kent.

[@KentHewittpiano88]

That's a really unique comment, remind me to quote you in a future video. Swing loose!

[@dkwvt13]

Whitt the Road Jack... 😎. Great spread of material and relationships. Thanks as always...!

[@KentHewittpiano88]

I dig the cat with the shades. Thanks for the comment!

[@zedo1973]

amazing,ty Maestro.

[@KentHewittpiano88]

Thank you!

[@chocolatte629]

It’s my first time checking out your videos, maestro, and I found it very helpful as I explore this great tune. Thank you for sharing your understanding and analysis!

[@KentHewittpiano88]

You're very welcome!

[@planktron]

Hey Kent thanks for those amazing lessons! You really opened my head when it comes to simple improvising on piano. I’m trying to learn it even though I’m an absolute beginner but this is what gives me most fun and satisfaction. I was trying to start playing piano since many years but some video from you just showed me that even though I’d love to learn some classical pieces (especially Satie and Debussy) and reading notes, sometimes all you need to share emotions is fiddling with some rythms on basic scales. And swing loose at the end always leaves me with a smile on my face. Keep it going man, you’re our inspiration :D

[@KentHewittpiano88]

Hi Adam, your comment inspires me. I think you would like my Beginner Jazz Series. Also you would like a video I did on beginner improvisation. Here's some links:kzbin.info/door/dmjw5sm9Kn83TB_rA_QBCwplaylists kzbin.info/www/bejne/raSnfoKdgc92jqM kzbin.info/www/bejne/rWbQgWuIjq51oqs

[@luisdavidgonzalezcarmona3805]

Loved your improv!!!!!

[@KentHewittpiano88]

I appreciate your comment very much!

[@CommunityArchiveRecords]

Mr ego always got me smiling as usual,that was a pretty funny joke. Great playing and great lesson as usual! Thanks for help keeping my interest in piano fresh!

[@KentHewittpiano88]

Great comment...and if you like ADEM then you are in his "elite club"!

[@brucegregori]

This is a great song! Great concepts my man....straight outta the kitchen!

[@KentHewittpiano88]

You had to make friends with the chef and waiters early on. Thanks and swing loose!

[@Chipshotz]

Thanks Kent and it's good to see ADEM.

[@KentHewittpiano88]

Thanks for telling me...he will be pleased!

[@randyknisely8979]

Very inspiring, opening up lots of things...

[@KentHewittpiano88]

Thanks for telling me, that's very helpful, and I appreciate it!

[@marilynharris4118]

Hey! I just noticed your PianoSaver pitcher on the window sill! Glad you're taking good care of that beautiful grand!! We need to give our piano "a drink" every week or two, out here in the desert. XO - M

[@KentHewittpiano88]

Good observation, Marilyn...yes esp. in the winter and the dry heat. Not easy to "keep in tune"!

[@ArtRodent]

Fascinating as ever and appreciate your insight, enlightening us on theory through a great song ! The funny thing is, at firstI thought Altered Dominant Ego Man was "on something". I then realised when Kent started playing that it was speed ! Somehow I had it set on 1.5 instead of Normal. Loving your book, video is awesome as ever Kent. regards

[@KentHewittpiano88]

Ha, that's a funny bit. Too bad I couldn't set that for his voice...that would be a trip! Keep swingin!

[@adamglinka1]

Thank you, Ken....

[@KentHewittpiano88]

Thank you!

[@trevormckinnon6696]

From listening to George Benson's atmospheric cover of "Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise'' I recently found a far better than The Real Book harmonization of the 'A' section. The original melody fits naturally over it. Thus: //Cm7 /Dm7 /Cm7 /F7 /Fm7 /G7 /Cm7 /Dm7b5 G7// etc. etc. Of course, the last bar of the second 'A' section goes /Fm7 Bb7 etc. to lead into the 'B' section. Interestingly, the last 4 bars of this new improved 'A' section adopts chords of the last 4 bars of Gershwin's Summertime. I hope musicians get as much enjoyment out of it as I have. Because such a haunting melody deserves something better than a repeating 2 bar chord vamp.

[@tangopaparomeo338]

Kent, this is a great video ... wish you would re-do it with your new software showing the keys as your time allows. Thanks!

[@KentHewittpiano88]

Thanks for the request.

[@flober1970]

Good to see th KH on fire !

[@KentHewittpiano88]

Wow! Thanks for the compliment!

[@chetheflin7447]

Um...that was really, really good playing!

[@KentHewittpiano88]

Thanks!

[@vibist]

Kent - love the altered dominant man. Also really enjoyed your take on “Softly as in a morning Sunrise”. Would like to see a video on improvising on the tune “Delilah”. There is a great video on you tube of Bobby Hutcherson playing it live.

[@KentHewittpiano88]

Thanks for the tips...I'll look into it. I appreciate your watching!

[@duncanwilson2803]

Wow! I was just playing this song the other day and realized I have struggles soloing over minor key songs. Good timing! Maybe you could grace us with a video on some different turnarounds. I get bored playing 1-6-2-5s all the time want to find something a bit hipper. Great work!

[@KentHewittpiano88]

Thanks for a great comment. Yes, that's a good idea... turnarounds...I'll give that some thought and preparation!

[@phyllishesford428]

Mr. Ego Man is as amusing as ever- must have been quite a challenge for you in those days -do hope the night chef tossed over some snacks for you on breaks!! This is a pretty tune - I must spend time on these scales today...temperature just went up to 5 degrees--no excuse for not practicing!! Do keep warm Kent....

[@KentHewittpiano88]

You must be in the north, Phyllis. We're lacking snow here because we're on the coast. We've been lucky...thanks for the comment!

[@p1anosteve]

Sigmund Romberg .. a great composer always harmonically interesting. Another good one is "Who Are We To Say" in which he really gets you confused, I think he uses all three families of diminished chord and deviates key in the A section, then changes key again in the bridge. What a genius! It would be great hear your version of that one too.

[@KentHewittpiano88]

I'll have to look that one up! Thanks for the tip!

[@robertgloverjr]

Kent, I enjoyed this video a lot-- especially the way you showed us chapter 6 (The Minor Scales) in volume I and chapter 24 (Scales for Improvisation) in volume II. Could you show a passage from your books at the end of each video? It’s a great motivator to take your books off the shelf and open the passage you highlight.

[@KentHewittpiano88]

I've been doing more of that. I'm glad you tell me that you like that, book owners have been asking for that. I've done a few lessons from the book, and I'll do more. Thanks!

[@LokeyeMC]

Altered-dominant ego man!!!! I love it. By the way, that's an incredible backing track to accompany some incredible piano work. That can't be band-in-the-box sounding that beautiful in the bass notes. Is that some new fancy software?

[@KentHewittpiano88]

No it's only Band in a Box. I wish there was a better program for arranging. But the bass and drums are Real Players: Neil Swanson and Terry Clarke.

[@SpiroJildeh]

Thanks for the video! Do you have advanced tutorial video on modal scales and changes?

[@KentHewittpiano88]

I have a playlist on Modal Jazz (9 videos) here: kzbin.info/door/dmjw5sm9Kn83TB_rA_QBCwplaylists

[@mosesmabarak894]

I’d also love to know what you’re doing at both 4:30 and 5:30 in the video. Sounds contemporary and really hip!

[@theflyinggoldfish4439]

Great lesson, will there be a lesson on impressions/ so what

[@KentHewittpiano88]

I did something recently showing the melody and form for So What. Let me find it for you.

[@mademsoisellerhapsody1868]

Heading to the choir when I leave this Earth and don't mind at all having to go through the kitchen. par for the course

[@KentHewittpiano88]

Join the club....that's a good one...I like that!

[@juanjose4264]

Great as always. Been trying to digest your videos and am learning alot. May i ask u a question sir, as i feel i’ve been doing the excersices and i feel that i have like isolated techniques but cant afford putting then toghueter. Like getting the necesary tools for an expedition in my BP but not knowing how they really work. Do u hace any thoughts, maybe im prActicing wrongly? I think i can understand but not expand on what u teach

[@KentHewittpiano88]

Thank you, Juan. One of the problems is that it is difficult to learn piano or music without a private teacher. That way, you and your teacher can go back and forth. I cannot hear how you play so I can't really know what you need to do to improve. Self- teaching requires great motivation and effort, and being able to practice effectively and monitor your progress. A lot of what I'm able to do was self taught, but I also had some good teacher, but most important I was highly motivated and practiced for hours when I was in my 20's. Write to me at my email, and I will try to help.

[@ginabliss1915]

Hi Ken What a great video. I am a beginner to jazz violin. My community college class is starting Softly as in a Morning Sunrise, and my knowledge is not enough to follow what is going in in class. I am still perplexed about what notes to play with chords. It seems that all the C minor scales go with the A part, do I have that right? Also, something about getting a B natural in there , with the G7. You showed your book with several very clearly printed C minor scales. How do we get your book? Thank you. Gina

[@KentHewittpiano88]

Hi Gena, Thanks for the comment. The form of the tune is AABA The A section is in Cm and the B is in the relative major Eb. You get back to Cm at the end of the B section by way of G7, which has a B natural. My book has a chapter on minor scales and show you how to use them in tunes. You can buy my book at this link: kenthewitt.com/book/

[@richardolson8651]

love to hear you play thanks

[@KentHewittpiano88]

Thank you...so much!

[@McMahonGary]

Mr. Hewitt, this is so good! In your 4-bar intro, is that a B natural pedal tone in the bass, along with a harmonized sequence of these ascending notes: B, D, Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb, B -- then C at the Cm chord that starts the tune? (I'm not sure about the pedal tone.) How are you harmonizing that ascending line? It sounds so cool.

[@KentHewittpiano88]

The pedal tone is G. I often use the Vsus7- V7 chord as an intro. As far as the right hand ...that was just improvised. I'd have to analyze it to know what I played. It's ascending chords to the Cm. I noticed some augmented voicings in there. Thanks for the comment.

[@danle2884]

I wish you have chordie app for people from classical background trying to ler jazz.

[@yolandaromero6755]

The cat with nine lives!

[@KentHewittpiano88]

We have one...his name is Herbie.

[@elgrupocachedallas9685]

Hi Kent, do teach via Zoom or anything? I’ve had really bad luck finding a jazz piano/ improve teacher- You obviously know your stuff!

[@KentHewittpiano88]

Write to my email...I'll put you on a list of requests. Thanks!

[@robertgloverjr]

Here's link to PDF of transcript I made of Kent's first chorus. I cheated a little and used the first 6 bars of the "A1" section to also be the first 6 bars of "A3" section. drive.google.com/open?id=1eQTpIdkk0zWPo4OoiL-DznPBc0EP6GUl Because of all the triplets, you might want to hear it actually play, which you can do by clicking in black triangle in the upper left of the NoteFlight version, a link to where is here: www.noteflight.com/scores/view/a260be02996e66ca9da85f0336b1a8bf9f3790dd

[@KentHewittpiano88]

Thanks, Robert, for doing the transcription and for sharing it. Good job and much appreciated!

[@eternalrainbow-cj3iu]

I studied this already so I tried to follow your L H.I could follow you I guess...You implie the chords realy subtile...I liked your solo nice east european sound nice hemioles nice groove, nice apetheosis! Also nice McCoy Tyner aspects...I also studied a bit the Version Of Emily Remler, I would like te recommend that version as well...i gues she plays a ascending progression like Cm7- F#maj7 Dm7 Ebmaj Fm7 Gm7 Abmaj Am7b5 Ab7 G7 this two times more or less..this is what I remember(could be slightly different The bridge stays the same

[@KentHewittpiano88]

Thanks for sharing...I'll look into that. That's jazz reharmonization, which I have a lot of videos on. It's interesting to compare concepts of different players.

[@vanhamaku1922]

Nice introduction of minor scales , thank you. Hungarian minor ..?

[@KentHewittpiano88]

Thanks, That's like a harmonic minor with a b5. An interesting scale which I didn't talk about....future video?

[@tomekp95]

Altered dominant ego, thats a strong one

[@KentHewittpiano88]

I hope you dig him.

[@johnbundy2672]

Is there more than one Clark Terry in jazz? The one I'm thinking of was a trumpet player not a drummer? More info please3...

[@KentHewittpiano88]

Trumpet player...associated w/ Duke Ellington.... and Count Basie.

[@mosesmabarak894]

Kent! Love your humor and talent! This helped a lot! My question is...when you go “outside,” where are you goin? To the half step (or more)above C minor and doing the same scale and coming back? Thx!

[@KentHewittpiano88]

The outside playing is somewhat random, except a good idea is to go up or down a half step and then work in stepwise (whole steps) from there using a repeating pattern (melodically or rhythmically). That sounds better and makes more sense, to me, although I don't always do that.

[@mosesmabarak894]

Thx Kent! Sent you a friend request via Facebook: StephenKatie Mabarak

[@giannagiavelli5098]

can you help how to play Shirly Horn's softly?

[@KentHewittpiano88]

No one can imitate her......and I would not even try to analyze her playing, even though I love her. (my all time favorite singer/pianist)

[@arjaydeleon336]

Can i buy the book? How? Thank you

[@KentHewittpiano88]

Thanks for asking. Go here for all the details: www.kenthewitt.com/my-book

[@ricpegoli8062]

Ken, speaking of minor scales, what does this famous Cuban pianist use between 0.10 - 0.17? kzbin.info/www/bejne/iXa0oaNorduKj5I

[@KentHewittpiano88]

Remind me to come back to this...I'm a week behind on my comments. Thanks for sharing!

[@ricpegoli8062]

@@KentHewittpiano88 Hey Kent, just a reminder to tell us about what scale he uses for this intro. Thanks

[@LukasVlcek]

KH what is the out-tro song?

[@KentHewittpiano88]

Never Let Me Go...from my trio recording "Time on my Hands" available on CD Baby. Thanks for asking.

[@philluvschips3787]

This is why my left hand is having trouble playing some chords, how you stretch from 'G' to up to '2 x Bs' and still get that index finger to to play 'F' - MAN thats crazy.

[@FrantzesElzaurdia]

Play it with the pedal

[@KentHewittpiano88]

You can do what I call the jump technique, sustaining the bottom note with the pedal while "jumping" up quickly to the upper notes with the thumb and index finger.

[@yolandaromero6755]

Someday we,ll meet again.

[@KentHewittpiano88]

We will meet again, and Bill Evans said it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/emGsp5Slnpmnf5o

[@20alphabet]

That explains the greasy piano keys.

[@KentHewittpiano88]

Ha!...good one!

[@nihadhayani9641]

Ur voice snorking while playing is irritating

[@KentHewittpiano88]

So sorry!