Learning Big, Beautiful Ballad Voicings - Where to Start!

[@richardtindle8782]

Week's holiday and watching Jeremy's videos all day long, inspirational, but humble and real practical stuff.

[@jarkkojanhunen6121]

Thanks for being so humble, Jeremy!

[@richardtindle8782]

What a unique way to explain stuff I've never got before. Thanks Jeremy!

[@richardsprince6980]

PS this is how we were taught to play charts in class piano at UM years ago, ie. four note voicings, also taught at Berklee.

[@JeremySiskind]

Great, I wish someone had taught me this way!

[@richardsprince6980]

@@JeremySiskind 😂

[@kunzhiLiang]

Very great video！This is what I need and confused me in resent months. Thanks Jeremy, you are always the best jazz piano teacher on KZbin.

[@JeremySiskind]

Great! Thanks for your patience with me as I learn to teach better!

[@kevinwu7497]

@@JeremySiskind would you recommend starting with this book or your jazz fundamentals one?

[@brunopeers4330]

I'm gonna be totally honest that's how I learned to play ballads. That's literally one of the first exercises I got when I started with jazz.

[@JeremySiskind]

I wish I'd been taught it!

[@Gerard_2024]

Thank you for this profoundly honest admissión. Any more insightful learning gems to share with us ?

[@ScottDuncan53]

This lesson has just the right balance of the basics and the way to handle a problem area such as when the melody jumps high or when the bass wants to go too low.

[@JeremySiskind]

I'm so happy to hear that, Scott! I hope you're well!

[@caseydahl1952]

I plan to finally write out a voicing for every key for every chord quality for every melody note ... but it's going to take a while!

[@JeremySiskind]

I admire the dedication…but I don’t know if would recommend that! In my opinion, I’d work on music and learn some fun tunes while you’re figuring out these hand shapes.

[@avantijazz]

8:08 - "this is why I should prepare before making videos" - I very much disagree. Obviously you need to be somewhat prepared but it's useful to see the real world process of hitting problems and fixing them. When I taught high school math and pre-college I would often have a go on the whiteboard at a tough problem with my class and not immediately go down the right path, and we would backtrack and look again. That represents a more realistic way to show students that the teacher doesn't instantly know the answer to everything, and it makes the struggle of the student s more palatable. Anyhow, that's my 2c! Thanks very much I always love your teaching style and content.

[@evelynyturralde4113]

Great introduction! A good way to start out and explore the additional color tones after the 4 voices.

[@JeremySiskind]

Great! I'm glad you found it useful, Evelyn!

[@donm3986]

Great Video. Adding... for me, the diagram on page 66 of Playing Solo Jazz Piano conveys the idea of playing melody, bass and chord tones. To add the idea of beginners starting with essential tones, maybe the diagram could indicate under or inside the "Chords" box: "At minimum include essential 3rds and 7ths", or "Beginners include 3rds and 7ths, and more advanced learners add Color tones". Again, another great video. Thank you.

[@JeremySiskind]

Thanks for the thoughts, Don! Figuring out the best process is difficult…and personal for everyone!

[@richardkellman9930]

Beautiful and inspiring!

[@JeremySiskind]

Thanks, Richard!!!

[@rachelpalm7403]

The book is on my Christmas Wishlist. We'll see if anyone gets it for me.

[@JeremySiskind]

Yay - discounts are coming to folks on my mailing list. Make sure you subscribe! 😉

[@MichaelWolffMusic]

this a great way to learn a song. Bill Evans showed me this when I was 20 years old in 1972. I still base a lot of my concept of the American Songbook voicing on it.

[@JeremySiskind]

Well, I'm super late to the party, I guess. But if it's good enough for Bill Evans, it's definitely good enough for me. Thanks for the comment, Michael!

[@JeremySiskind]

I'm honored to see you pop up here! Let me know if you ever want to promote anything on the channel. 😉

[@davidkissinger3456]

Thanks neighbor for the mindset 😅

[@JeremySiskind]

Any time! I hope to see you around town soon!

[@matthewfairman9865]

Mindset...😀👍

[@JeremySiskind]

Thanks for watching, Matthew!

[@TheBrightSide101]

This is great! Love the new mindset. David Berkman recommends this exact method in the appendix of The Jazz Harmony Book. It's a really effective way to learn because it gives you incremental steps to help you build up the voicings. The rules listed in the Solo Piano book are also really great to get the full picture theoretically. Appreciate you merging that with something really practical!

[@grantkondo]

Best teachers are ones who are willing to change their mindsets! My approach to playing and teaching is similar to what your new mindset is! Except I'm perhaps much more lenient about doubling than I guess I should be haha

[@JeremySiskind]

Thanks much, Grant! I'm grateful! Perhaps I'm too strict about doubling 😝

[@walkercatenaccio]

Yes, this is what I'm working on. I see that the challenging A7 at the end of the 8 measures is secondary dominant to a Dm, so the flat 9th and flat 13th are indicated.

[@teemusalohalme5022]

Loved seeing your process of deciding the voicings, much more interesting and educating than people just showing how they are playing something. Any particular reason for flat 9s and 13s or just preference?

[@JeremySiskind]

They are the most common tones to add for dominant chords because A) they resolve downwards to chord tones; B) they are drawn from the parallel minor mode (C minor for C major)

[@richardsprince6980]

I realize if you can’t reach the tenth, play the bass note as a grace note. I like the bass on the down beat, the chord after, what do you think? Sometimes also the chord after the melody on the downbeat? Valid?

[@JeremySiskind]

Check out the video that posted today. I think it’s a good answer to your questions!

[@richardsprince6980]

@@JeremySiskind Yes, I saw that, thanks, you were reading my mind. I think the root as a grace note is more expected in stride, but if not stride, I somehow like the chord after the beat, especially if the melody is on the downbeat. I started doing this as an easy way to play the left hand softer than the melody. Btw, I used to play in Latin bands and there is a thing about implied 3-2 or 2-3 clave, depending on whether or not the melody starts on a downbeat.

[@pr1ctice]

Thanks for the video and book and OS course. Great teaching

[@jangerdes9245]

Great lecture again, thanks!

[@richardturek]

This is great. I like your mindset :-) Thank you!

[@JeremySiskind]

Thanks much for the comment, Richard! I hope you enjoy your practicing!

[@humblemai2211]

Thanks a lot 😂😂

[@walkercatenaccio]

By the way, not to be too wild, but once in a while you can play whole passages with minimal use of the third in chords, and go for that more-or-less modern spacey sound. It's OK to let the tonality float.

[@anyabongo1331]

Thank you for the posts, it really is inspiring and helpful. One thing I've noticed when I practice...and I haven't worked in the four note voicings just yet but I do know that in most instances less is more. My dilemma is when I play sometimes I revert to an octave in my right hand when the voicing I thought I wanted to play doesn't come as quick as I'd like. Mind you, in some instances it works but I don't want it to get too comfortable with them. I''m open to suggestions.

[@markahearn1]

Hello Jeremy. I understand the 4 part theory concept behind your learning suggestion here But physically my fingers just aren't able to switch through the changes smoothly/musically just yet. Would you recommend for me to dumb it down even further by playing just the bass, and melody line first? Or would it be more prudent for me to continue grinding my way thru with 4 parts? I just purchased your book and am currently going through the 2 hand voicing chapter with Danny Boy. Thank you.

[@JeremySiskind]

Hi Mark! I'd say either you write it out and practice small bits, or you do it without the melody in order to remove one of the elements that make it difficult.

[@markahearn1]

Thank you for the wise words. I am in the process of registering for your class at Fullerton College, filled out the request, just waiting for the approval. @@JeremySiskind

[@PianoWeekends.-.68]

Jeremy, great video again! This is what I needed to motivate myself! How much minimum time a week does one need to benefit from participating in your remote class? I have a crazy schedule but your class sure is very tempting!

[@JeremySiskind]

Yay, I'm happy to hear that! I think 4 hours/week and you'll see good progress in class (more is better, of course).

[@dagadbm]

quick question. i have been learning jazz for 3 years now and have played piano for 10+ years (so I have a pretty good understanding of technique and scales etc). However my jazz teacher was anything but oriented or had a coherent method of learning. So I basically need some structure in my life. Should I buy your piano solo book or the piano fundamentals one?

[@JeremySiskind]

Jazz Piano Fundamentals is a lot more clearly structured. If structure is what you're looking for, that's what I suggest.

[@chodaldomination]

There are times when you add more than 5 notes, is there any problem with inconsistency that you hear when you play voicings with 6 or 7 notes in an arrangement with predominantly 5 note voicings? Sometimes I feel like there is, as how can voice leading work smoothly if a voice is 'appearing' out of the blue and disappearing after. Also, do you find that playing chord notes or color tones below the tritone on dominants or (3rd and 7th on other chords) weakens the 'functional'-ness of the voicing, like making it less strong and more ambiguous (you already commented on this slightly in the case of the 4th/11th on the min7 chord)?

[@JeremySiskind]

I don’t think that there is any problem with moving between voicings of different numbers if notes. In fact. If the melody is high/bass is low, more notes will be necessary to make it sound full. 5ths below the color tones seem to be your safest bet in my experience, but use your ear, I think it’s possible to use other tones there.

[@francescomanfredi]

Yes Jeremy this is the lesson I was looking for! 5 voices are too much for my level! One question: when reading a lead sheet for the first time would you suggest playing 2 note shells in the left and 2 notes on the right or 3 note shells in the left and a more singing melody on the right?

[@JeremySiskind]

perfect - I'm glad it helped. I'd suggest keeping 2 notes in each hand in order to prepare for denser, fuller voicings.

[@javilalima]

Mindset

[@JeremySiskind]

I appreciate you checking out my videos, Javi!

[@bobbygadourymusic5476]

Mindset

[@JeremySiskind]

Thanks for watching, Bobby!!!