I played Chord Chess with Jacob Collier

[@zacksthetics]

the lead sheet already comes with chords guys

[@JuneLee]

true

[@aloysiuskurnia7643]

well they're creating tungsten sheet

[@musicboiscores]

​@@aloysiuskurnia7643 Waiting for someone to make a platinum sheet ...

[@HaukeRenken]

😂😂😂

[@osamucabral]

😂😂😂😂

[@nikanj]

I love when they both giiggle. I don't know what they're giggling about but I balieve it's something like "you resolved my add13 to the median of the Eb augmented hahaha."

[@YOSH931]

Honestly you aren't wrong. Music theory is like a more fun version of math.

[@modeswitching]

Ah, the classic Leeopolitan Opening, countered by the Hyperlydian Gambit.

[@TrochiTV]

Pretty sure they surpassed theory by the third move.

[@isaiaha8395]

this joke requires you to be in a specific set of people that understand both chess terminology and music theory to understand

[@Guitar56man]

Stalemate in the end game, definitely.

[@scarcat2469]

Chord chess is a good name for this because similar to chess I understand what’s happening in theory but in reality I have no clue how any of this is being done

[@alexanderallegra432]

Mah

[@Jamienewman0]

​@@alexanderallegra432 : It's actually fairly simple conceptually. Any note can be harmonized in a bazillion different ways. So they're playing two standard jazz tunes -- with melodies that will be familiar to anyone who knows jazz standards - keeping the melody notes at the "top" of each accompanying harmony, which ensure that they're easily heard, and then building complicated and unconventional harmonies (that are often non-functional) underneath those notes. These two are just very good at constructing such harmonies, and using good voice leading to get from one to the next. But, yes, they're both very good at it. Give it 10,000 hours and you'll be right there with them.

[@jaycielle]

And it's still exciting as long as you know the absolute basics of the game

[@jazist7254]

@@Jamienewman0 Reharmonization...

[@PabloEnver]

I think I'll go study real chess and beat Magnus Carlsen. Looks easier than playing with you guys.

[@CrowClouds]

Lmfaooo

[@aintnocapinhere]

As someone who loves both music theory and chess, I wholeheartedly agree

[@arunkarthikma3121]

​@@aintnocapinhere As someone who loves both, it's not even close. The average joe is closer to Collier than they are to even an IM. Put in a couple thousand hours on your instrument, and you can achieve this. But even if you dedicate your whole life to chess, most people will only ever become FMs. No one can touch Magnus in classical, hes in a completely different sphere.

[@Legendoftherock]

Agreed

[@TheTeddyPlayGames]

​@arunkarthikma3121 Jacob is the current magnus of music if you're comparing like that, but the truth is chess is just harder than taking turns playing chords

[@calebmichaelgordon]

1:02 …. I think Jacob Collier apologizing about a mistake is a better end time sign than the April 8th Eclipse

[@Scriabin_fan]

Glaze

[@gabrieljabbour547]

There is a fine line between genius and smacking random keys

[@davidreber7816]

It's like a music playdate.

[@ares6186]

I think you can omit the "like"

[@wa_wa_wee]

omg thats so heckin cute 🥺🥺....

[@MusixPro4u]

Highest level of harmonic sophistication in the game. Seriously doubt there're a lot of people who're that fluent in harmony.

[@TangerineGrove]

What a joy to see you two in the same room again! Two incredible minds creating some truly beautiful moments together. I'd love to see more of this with Jacob or any of your other musical friends!

[@andrewkahler6399]

What we're seeing is a full-blown conversation in the language of music, complete with phrases, context, pacing, emphasis, one predicting what the other is about to say, even down to the mumbles in agreement, thought, laughter, etc. Not to mention the harmonic "innuendos" that I'm probably unaware of. It's crazy how this isn't just interesting musically but also linguistically.

[@nahmemusic]

Bro now that you have taken the time to write the sheet, it would be dope to hear it in time for context. Please please please, haha. Only then can you judge if the choices were great. But funny video tbh.

[@JuneLee]

good point!

[@MinurielVilquen]

+

[@SpencerTwiddy]

Yeah as I was watching the video, I expected this in the second half and was actually disappointed to learn the rest of the video time was more of the same.

[@Oldthesis]

@@JuneLee We need it!

[@HurriedDragons]

Yep me too ​@@SpencerTwiddy

[@lunameriweather7693]

dude- you're so lucky to know jacob personally and i'm glad i get to know him through his music

[@modalmixture]

Two hyperdimensional beings having a friendly conversation.

[@KevinTPLim]

best comment 😂

[@Croustisam]

You mean Two Hyper-Super-Mega-Meta dimensional beings having a friendly conversation

[@danielkerlinsky3084]

Few of us are likely to know or guess how much June Lee contributed to Jacob’s evolution by being there, understanding, and giving transcriptions that validated… for those of us who gained in confidence in the classical nature of Jacob’s lifting music out of the categories we assumed were covering the whole field. To see June and Jacob playing together - June not only understanding but contributing to subtlety and gentle beauty - supports the imagination of the longevity and duration of how this music is spreading. This opens the heart in so many ways…

[@michelezaraofficial]

❤

[@ColocasiaCorm]

Or Jacob contributed to Junes evolution

[@ChukMeier]

We need some resolution. It's a neverending journey.

[@idealmodernsystems]

"Anyway, here's Wonderwall...."

[@Justauri-asdfghjkl]

This is what I imagine clouds sound like when they converse

[@ErikBongers]

Wow, that's a really nice image!

[@dvp39]

​@@ErikBongers He meant Spiders talking

[@jayferler4617]

This is amazing. They are literally communicating with each other through sound

[@jayferler4617]

Wait that’s how talking works lol, you know what I mean though

[@DanielBarberMusic]

@@jayferler4617How music works, too… 😊

[@Jordarr8994]

This is just mind boggling

[@brilongenecker]

The speed that you both can come up with your next chord is amazing! Thos was really interesting to watch.

[@twostep919]

This is probably what a real wizard fight would look like.

[@itsritakim]

Don't know well about chords but it's delightful to see the two geniuses having fun with chords✨

[@nickcox3906]

0:32 Achievement unlocked: Play a chord that makes Jacob Collier say "oooh nice"

[@marinooliveira4204]

i love how it's so natural you guys don't even take any time to make a decision

[@eliasbachner1898]

This was awesome! Would love to hear it in time afterwards as well!

[@israelstrommusic]

This is madness

[@dantwaddell6746]

Your equal levels of genius made Jacob feel human and seen. Bravo

[@ColocasiaCorm]

Agreed. Jacob is not at all patronizing here

[@lyricalcarpenter]

this may be my favorite thing in the world

[@RisikoAO]

Given time, and some trial and error, I could find the "next chord" but like that on the spot? No way. It must be nice to have perfect pitch and that amount of knowledge.

[@zebgordon354]

This is all relative tho, you could do this if you know the first chord and have a good ear

[@RisikoAO]

@@zebgordon354 first try with no errors? hell no, not me.

[@EvanSchmit524]

@@RisikoAOI think the beauty is that there are no errors!

[@GizzyDillespee]

There are no errors in conversation, either... but it's easy to say something that doesn't make sense. Some of these chord follows, in this video, don't make sense to me in their context. I also think my hands don't always play what my ears want to hear... with these 2, I'm sure that still happens every once in a while, but not as often. I'm not sure whether that's all down to experience (practice, just playing) or if perfect pitch helps that?

[@michaelhuit]

@@GizzyDillespee In a very loose sense, I think it just comes down to patterns. Once you understand the patterns and relationships well enough, and ingrain it, this sort of thing just becomes a bit of fun and good sport :))

[@GHRiz]

For me, the I'll Be Seeing You clip was much more fun, because I'm more familiar with the tune, so I could relate the crazy chords to the melody and "follow along" easier. Regardless, this is just great. :)

[@SehrLukas]

thanks for letting us witness your nerd-out :-) it's a great joy and a chill vibe

[@agustinavarece]

1:54 What?? I feel a chromatic way to go around circle of fifths and it's so nice. Wow so good to see you two. Thank you!

[@ELGM429]

I love watching you two play.

[@sccrguy610]

This reminds me of the scene in Ocean’s 12 (13?) where Linus gets taken along to a secret meeting where they all talk in coded phrases, but Linus doesn’t know what the code is. Turns out, they were just messing with him, there was no code. The way these two just sit at the piano and create these chord progressions and chuckle to themselves about it makes me feel like Linus, and I’ve got a B.A. in music education.

[@Bahimo3154]

Hope there's Part 2

[@rileyabarker]

this was such a jacob collier june lee video

[@SauloRoston]

One day I'm gonna play this games with you guys!!! MUCH LOVE FROM BRAZIL!

[@Johncowk]

The bonus clip was beautiful!

[@ToCoSo]

best thing ever, loved it, so good how playing with someone else can carry you to new places

[@maniphaces]

Can we have more of this, maybe a series + workshop type deal on how to approach doing this as a pair of beginner/intermediates? Please and thank you.

[@foo0815]

What are the analogies to check, mate, stalemate and zugzwang in chord chess? ;-)

[@ThePenelope04]

You guys bring me such joy!

[@Nicenigel14]

I really want to hear it edited together, or played by someone else, so it sounds how it would for an actual song 🥹

[@juanpabloperez2889]

Hello June Lee, I'm writing to you from Argentina! You could make an explanatory video of what each instrument does in the Cameroonian song called KOPOLO. It's a mystery to many musicians around the world and will be greatly appreciated by your community! Thank you for your great work!

[@JoeDavisMusic]

I NEED TO DO THIS OH MY GAAD

[@tejs1234]

I am so thankful to have you and Jacob do joyful little magical moments like this on my media - those ears on you guys' heads are insane! I can't follow!!! - but I just bathe in the dissonance and lay down on the floor.

[@AdamHelland]

This has the same vibe as Devil Went Down to Georgia, only difference is if you beat Collier at chord chess you win whatever colorful pants he is wearing that day.

[@CJski]

Suddenly I'm transported back to when I was 9 and walked in on my parents having sex.

[@georgehiggins1320]

At 2:18, Couldn't you also renotate the Ebmaj#9#11#12 as "B7#9/Eb"? I saw a couple other B7#9 upper structure shapes that Jacob played, so I'm curious why you chose to notate it this way instead of staying with the pattern.

[@samuzII-V-I]

what a treat! beautiful.

[@1pepituh]

When the father takes his 2 kids to a music store and they see a piano there:

[@colinmignot6309]

so many gems thank you

[@ivanfaigenbom5300]

Love this video

[@배장은-s5n]

You guys are just hmmmm…. Too good! Thanks for sharing. Too beautiful ❤❤❤❤❤

[@heavypiano]

That was just lovely

[@sophiafakevirus-ro8cc]

Olympic Nerd standard

[@oliveryoung2260]

I expected this to be like “knight to g7” and they were gonna sing ‘kniiiight’ while playing a g7 chord

[@june-ls1hw]

Oh man I smiled this entire video. I wish I could watch more

[@jeffroweb]

Any timeline on a new sheet music project? I’m excited for an arrangement of Little Blue! :) Sounds like you had fun with the chord chess!

[@june-ls1hw]

I would kill to see you guys do more

[@forrestsun956]

Now we need Rick Beato to explain it all.... :)

[@SonicArtist313]

Brilliant and fun!

[@jazzerson7087]

Write a book please June, jam packed with crazy chord progressions and reharmonizations!

[@luisbaldas2118]

I would love to see all together like an actual piece

[@jeremiahsweeney6577]

This simultaneously feels so endlessly far out of reach but also incredibly inspiring!!!

[@yomega69]

3:34 has me dead haha

[@MelodicEgghead]

3:34 IDK chord = c#-9 #5 #15 add4 ??? I know the C# minor is spread out with that sharp 5 so it's not all played with one left hand... I also don't know much about theory and only just figured out what the minus sign and triangle meant, as well as being mind blown about seeing sharp 15 and 12 lolol I don't read, just self-taught with perfect pitch, but nowhere near as cool and great as Jacob; I would know, I just saw him perform live a few hours ago in brooklyn!!!

[@jonahblank1893]

@@MelodicEgghead Actually, I'm seeing it more as an Amaj13#11add4/C#

[@MelodicEgghead]

@@jonahblank1893 You're probably right lol. Yours looks way better

[@88KeysMan]

That IDK chord. 🔥

[@MelodicEgghead]

3:34 IDK chord = c#-9 #5 #15 add4 ??? I know the C# minor is spread out with that sharp 5 so it's not all played with one left hand... I also don't know much about theory and only just figured out what the minus sign and triangle meant, as well as being mind blown about seeing sharp 15 and 12 lolol I don't read, just self-taught with perfect pitch, but nowhere near as cool and great as Jacob; I would know, I just saw him perform live a few hours ago in brooklyn!!!

[@darkcnotion]

I want a song with that now

[@marinooliveira4204]

you should make a harmony with june video for every technique you mentioned at 0:11

[@quinn7894]

1:03 is the nicest chord progression

[@trumpetsuazo]

Absolutely lovely

[@foomeeh]

this is great and fun🐸🎼♟️🎼♟️🎼♟️

[@realizbac4624]

SpongeBob and Patrick in the IMAGINATION box

[@sigil5772]

Brilliant and astonishing skills from you both, but I'd have liked to hear the tunes with these voicings played more or less in time to hear the logic within the whole structure (I have an aesthetic structure response which you have denied me arrrrrrrrrgh!)

[@alanmassalov3683]

i absolutely love you guys.

[@Scriabin_fan]

I need to find a friend to do this with

[@BuckPowers]

Very clever and entertaining. I'd like to suggest a variant: Metronome Chord Chess (effectively the same thing in tempo, even better if you swing it). Neither player gets to pause between chords (unless it's a musical rest). AND each player will necessarily have to think of the next chord before the other player is done playing. Harder? Probably. It might produce less adventurous harmonizations at first. But I'd bet you two could master it. Then you'll have to do a live set. 🙂 It's a new form of improvisational performance!

[@muzikorius3378]

It's almost like you're hitting random stuff but not actually

[@omarrihani2599]

You're probably some of the only people in the world capable of playing this game 😍

[@CanaanZhou2002]

Where can I even learn this level of music theory

[@Ryan_Kiernan]

Opposite of chess in terms of competition tho, they way you have to work together is something else. I guess understanding your “opponent’s” strategy is similar lol

[@mikegleim5241]

A conversation only a couple of people in the world can have. Reminds me of Chick Corea's Piano Improvisations Volumes 1&2 !

[@georgehiggins1320]

At 2:06, I ain't never seen anyone sus the b7 for the maj7, but I suppose it's allowed in this fight.

[@MelodicEgghead]

3:34 IDK chord = c#-9 #5 #15 add4 ??? I know the C# minor is spread out with that sharp 5 so it's not all played with one left hand... I also don't know much about theory and only just figured out what the minus sign and triangle meant, as well as being mind blown about seeing sharp 15 and 12 lolol I don't read, just self-taught with perfect pitch, but nowhere near as cool and great as Jacob; I would know, I just saw him perform live a few hours ago in brooklyn!!!

[@NicHeuwGuitar]

This is the closest to listening to two extraterrestrial aliens having a conversation. We know there's information exchange but there are no spoken words, and it goes over my head like whoosh. Having said that, I recognize the sheer brilliance!

[@joshuasellers4473]

Wow new chord piano sample pack just dropped. Lofi beat makers are greedily running their hands together right now

[@snoopy_next_door]

Beautiful game of chess😮😮

[@Trumpetis1]

How did you learn jazz harmony? I have been trying to learn it for so long, but I just cant figure out how you choose what chord to use and when. Do you need to go to college or is there some way to learn it on your own? Or do just have to be a natural with harmony?

[@DanielBarberMusic]

Definitely something you can learn. There are many approaches to it but I like Jacob’s approach which, as I understand his explanations, is “sound-centered.” Start with feelings and raw sounds, and gradually refine. This is how I have come to teach improv and it is super fun and rewarding to do this. You don’t have to know chord names to make the sounds these guys were making. But the more you play and get new ideas and ways to put them into your own mental map, the more likely you are to recreate what you like and to consciously create new stuff. Fun journey, for a lifetime!

[@coma-body-stilllife]

A true treat

[@lupash]

Absolutely crazy stuff. Can I borrow some of these stunning progressions? lol

[@kalebrhea5822]

This is a fantastic game!

[@gabebabe1]

Thanks guys - enough material here to write 50 songs and a couple of symphonies

[@kojionkong7058]

It takes two to play a great game.

[@fkeyzuwu]

at 2:24, what is the reason why you didnt call the #12 a #5 instead? i don't know the conventions for these more uncommon extensions, just curious

[@DanielBarberMusic]

One idea is that when the 7th (m or M) is in the chord, any additions are often referred to by their “extension”. (Not always, though, like… Cm7b5). If there’s no 7, you’d say “add2.” With a 7, you just put a 9 in there. (C9)

[@ohwhen7775]

I had literally this exact idea except I can't play piano 😂But the way I imagined it was announce to an audience that I was gonna play a game with Jacob and that the rules of the game weren't even gonna be mentioned and that no talking was involved, at which point I'd go to the piano and play a chord waiting for Jacob to "figure out" what the game in question was, this probably won't ever happen but I'm 100% sure he would've picked up what I was putting down rather quick indeed.

[@ohwhen7775]

And actually no harmonizing of a specific tune was would be done, just random chord improvising, it looks like such fun.

[@jamesonrichards5105]

a game only seven people can play but many can listen

[@MrFYoung]

I'd like to hear this harmony played in sync with the melody at tempo

[@dominikn19]

MASTERMINDS.

[@dabi_]

I would love to learn how to understand this, but I literally have no idea where to start

[@ChyPPy-zj7vr]

10 days on watching chess champions playing chess and now this pops up? 😍😍😍😍 ❤🎉