Learning Bill Evans Solo Technique

[@MainAttractionProd]

I am a Berklee College of Music grad, major is alto sax, but I play a lot of piano and never heard that concept before. Very eye-opening. That one little nugget should provide months of practice - thanx!

[@weeklypiano]

Thanks Kanne! To practice swing rhythm, I'd take the following steps: 1) Start with a metronome playing triplets. Pick a piano riff/line and play on the first and 3rd note of each triplet, to mimic the swing feel. Get this perfectly in-sync. 2) Speed that up until you can play it perfectly at higher tempos 3) transcribe Bill Evans playing some lines, and play along to those recordings over and over again to get the feel. The actual swing feel is not metronomic, so that part is very important.

[@infinitelymusical]

I've been an Evans student and enthusiast since the late '70s. Had the chance to see him live in '78. As a pianist, he is one of my deepest influences. That being said, I give you a total thumbs-up for sharing your improvisation ideas and talent. Very enjoyable and instructive. Kudos, my brother!

[@GregSperoMusic]

Thank you!! It's really wonderful to get encouraging words from supporters like you. There are lots of people on youtube who are looking only to criticize, and though I do appreciate constructive criticism, it's wonderful to have people like you join in my spirit of sharing with positive encouragement.

[@TheTilde]

Thanks a lot. Neither did I ever heard this concept before and it helped me tremendously. I suscribed to your channel. One more time thank you. It's people like you that makes this world go round.

[@MarkKamoski]

Thanks so much. It is nice to have a simple general-rule or musical-idea to keep in mind, rather than the fine details of the mechanics. Please keep more like this coming.

[@weeklypiano]

My pleasure! Definitely trying to find time to make more of these :)

[@lilledrum]

Loving your videos, I'm gleaning a heap from just watching and absorbing by osmosis... Thanks for existing and putting your heart and soul into what you do

[@sertyfy]

you seem to have a understanding of music in theory and your fluent in your playing thumbs up man i liked it!!

[@drsentell]

hey!! these are really good!WFD is my favorite tune of all time and Bill Evans is IT. You are really laying it down and making it doable. Thanks...you're it!

[@estook]

JFC - I loved this. Keep it up - I love hearing you talking and playing through musical puzzles. And your playing, wow.

[@suzannegay7648]

Thanks so much for sharing, what a great tip! I look forward to playing with that idea. Please keep making videos! Much appreciated

[@Pablo80198]

bro i could listen to your stylings all day

[@7notemode]

Interesting concept. Thanks for posting!

[@DaGhost141]

>"learning bill evans solo technique" >Plays bass notes jk

[@ministerofmuzic4183]

I love this - yes I am a piano player and I am trying to explore this concept more

[@snorrikarl9162]

Great content love to watch your videos you are a good performer and a teacher. A lot for me to learn from, i study jazz piano in Iceland and have a concert after 3 days, this inspires me thank you.

[@ANightatClubS]

I would like more of these, yes. I find these valuable!

[@Rosliggar]

Very valuable! Make some more videos like this one!

[@billiongenius]

Love it - this song is beautiful. I have the cannonball adderly version and the one with Tony Bennett singing. Bill Evans was a master, and you Dina great job showing some of the techniques.

[@auxhead]

I love it! Have been playing all my life, but don't do Jazz. You are very talented. Just discovered Bill Evans and wanna learn! His music is improving my quality of life. What an incredible player...I want more videos!! Keep it up!!

[@weeklypiano]

Tommy Muellner, a great jazz pianist based out of Chicago who I got to know at the Chambers jam sessions in Niles when I was back from college during the summers of 2003 to 2007.

[@IanTranSend]

You did a great job with communicating the concept. Works well for Bach and a lot of baroque music too!

[@ZalinskiPlays]

Thanks for posting! I just found your channel. Makes me want to get back to playing.

[@Abovedarim214]

this should definitely have way more views..Great stuff!!!

[@rriddiough26]

I love your playing, man. Keep these videos coming.

[@JohnWalterJazzPiano]

Lovely valuable stuff. Re "correct" chord changes discussion: I have just been listening to a whole bunch of Bill Evans stuff from across the decades and one thing seems very clear, the changes change. and develop over time. So when you transpose a piece you are freezing a moment in time, go back 10 years and it can be quite different. It seems to me a jazz musician has a remit to adapt changes to suit their own style and the mood of the times within which they are living.

[@dan27music]

Thanks, I've been trying to learn what you are playing Great video

[@weeklypiano]

Thanks! I absolutely will. What other things do people want to learn on piano?

[@ricardofranciszayas]

You Sir, are a beast!!! Beautiful ideas and great explanation. Excellent

[@weeklypiano]

Ricardo Francis Zayas thank you. I’ve learned so much since I did this video, and am due to create another more thorough video on Bill Evans soon...

[@diapason007]

Hey that was really useful! Please do more!!

[@Danielz0rz]

I really like that idea, and you can really play, man. I'm a beginner jazz musician, and what you said definitely helped!

[@SaloLoyo]

Great playing man!!! Congratulations, videos like this should have millions of hits. Keep up the great work. Salo Loyo

[@JustinRKN]

This is great stuff! Thanks so much for doing these, Weekly. Love to see more.

[@educapro]

Nice. It's the principal within the technique that makes your video palatable. Nice. Anyone can learn from you. Keep up the great work, we need more encouraging people like you who don't mind sharing. The negative folks are like water on a ducks back, they roll off and dissipate. :)

[@Nexodaedalus]

Great video, really enjoyed that. Looking forward to seeing more!

[@Csibon13]

@jasperwoods whenever you see a minor chord do an arpeggio where the first note is an eighth note and the next three are a triplet group. the arpeggio specifically is 3-5-7-9. if its a 2-5 progression then you can do that arpeggio and play alt. tones on the dominant chord in eighth notes after the arpeggio (because im assuming theres two chords chopping the measure). that there is easy evans. i know im making it sound way to simple but thats a popular one that he used. oh, & also have good touch

[@ripsirwin1]

Great video! I loved the part from 3:40 to 3:45, it sounded especially like something Bill Evans would play. Keep up the good work!

[@tylerkysar1496]

I definitely want more of these

[@rickyodom]

as a rock guitarist,i understand the goal point thing."fool in the rain" by zep is good example of how it works on the fretboard.this really cool.

[@weeklypiano]

Guys, guys, please, lets forget about the negative posts that people have been posting and just forgive eachother for the sillyness. It never feels good to get in verbal fights with people, even in this distant digital format. It's easy to let our egos get in the way of the real reason we started playing this wonderful music. Putting people down only brings us down. Lets lift eachother up so we can all thoroughly enjoy the beauty of every moment of this life we share.

[@treborsrewop]

Bravo! I've been trying to avoid the impression of "rambling" in my solos; this is a practical and elegant means of introducing structure--both audible and structural--to improvisation. Thanks.

[@claitontesch]

Very handy, indeed, post more, please.

[@psychlos21]

I enjoy how you approach the song. Would love a segment on scales and riffing. Would love to see a slowed down version of the improvised, fast riffing parts.

[@weeklypiano]

Cool beans. I did check out his playing, and he is indeed a fine pianist. I wanted to include him in all this by sharing his instruction with my fans as well. We started a good conversation, but I didn't receive an instructional video from him to put up. I'd even upload it on my own page if he gave me one to share ::hint hint::

[@jamessingleton4856]

Brilliant! You're one very talented guy.

[@db1815]

Really useful! I really like Evans' way of soloing so this was great!

[@dfaria1000]

Thnx for sharing. Could u kindly share ur patterns of improvisation? They sound great, but could not follow the notes u were playing or how it all connected together so well.

[@weeklypiano]

Totally. I'll try to get to creating a video showing different patters of improvisation. If you want that question to get to the head of the line, I just started offering custom lessons online here: weeklypiano.wordpress.com/2014/11/13/your-own-customized-lesson/ Thank you again for your question - it's on my list!

[@peewal2008]

Great video, very instructive. You play jazz great!

[@weeklypiano]

Thank you! I am a big fan of Schenkerian analysis. I studied it thoroughly when I was a composition major at UIUC with Guy Garnett.

[@HamiltonProvonsha]

Very nice. You're a very skilled pianist!

[@BrianMegilligan]

If you listen to his interview with Marion McPartland on Piano Jazz (ca 1979), he talks about the background structure of a song and always being aware of it. He didn't specifically mention Schenker, but it was clear those concepts were what he was thinking about. It's not apparent if Marion ever really understood what he was trying to communicate though. Great post! Thanks!

[@musikidfl412]

Awesome keep these coming these are great!

[@sntf7]

Nice playing! Smooth.

[@grigoridj]

@weeklypiano Thanks a lot for the reply, i'm gonna try it right now. Btw, I just finished watching your christmas video and it totally made my day. Cheers!

[@cbro777]

i find this valuable, please do more.

[@weeklypiano]

lol, you're on to something there, but it's much more complicated and deep than that. It's not about how many times you can use that note - it's about how you get to that note, and how you develop the ideas that lead to that home tone. The best rappers often do a similar thing with syllables, and take you on verbal and rhythmic journeys away from and back to the same syllables, and sometimes the same words. There's a hugely deep art/study to it (i've played with some of the best rappers too)

[@philiperiskallaleal6010]

Amazing solo man. I wish I could follow you better. I am a beginner in solos. By any chance, would you have other video lessons like this incredible video, but aiming for a beginner students? Any way, thank you very much for the lesson. It's amazing.

[@NotJustTheScreen]

Awesome stuff man very helpful. Keep it up.

[@SharmaYelverton]

Cool concept. Post more.

[@000TheOtherGuy000]

nice stuff there. looks like i'm going to learn some more improvisations now ;) greez from switzerland

[@davidfariaphd1497]

Brilliant and extremely valuable...thank you.

[@capedmarauder]

Your improvisation is hot too! Thanks for posting!

[@jermelkidd3230]

Good job on the head and Improv. You're amazing.

[@weeklypiano]

Thank you!

[@brh062222]

Beautiful. Very Schenkerian IMHO. Well thought out and presented.

[@FRANKENTWO]

It should be on You Tube called ''A Postcard From Bill''. I recorded it with a trio back in March 1994. It's on a Japanese label called Jimco. I don't know if it's still avalibile, but you can try. Best of luck in your quest. Frank

[@weeklypiano]

@grigoridj Absolutely. I should probably make a video on this, but in short, if you play the root on the down beat, and the 5 and then the 3 above that 5 on the 2nd beat (in a 3/4 meter), you'll get a good outline to lay the right hand on. That's a sort of "fake stride piano" thing that works nicely many solo piano situations.

[@weeklypiano]

@bkaye absolutely - hearing is the most important piece of the puzzle. Academia often forgets that, and as jazz education becomes structured, teachers often lose sight of the most important points.

[@weeklypiano]

Thanks for these questions! I'll do my best to make a video answering these questions soon.

[@Treezycane24]

Man those are some incredible runs u were doing... Is there any way u could do a video just on runs for example (5:24-28)when u were speeding up on your right hand while the left hand just held down the chords. I have been trying for years to do it but the notes were so fast to pick up

[@stephenrothman6058]

Looks like others have made comments similar to what I was going to say. That was helpful. Can you talk and show a little about use of scales in your solos? Do they figure in at all, either as a partial scale or as a pool of notes to draw from? Someone once told me that rapid long runs in jazz were just knowing where you are and where you want to go and using a scale between. Do you think you hear every note you play before you play it, or do you just hear the accented notes and fill in between them with scales or arpeggios based on your knowledge of harmony and theory? Lastly, what is the best way for a jazz pianist who plays mostly by ear to develop some of the skills like speed, dexterity, hand independence, and good tone. Should one study classical piano, or is it enough to learn Bill Evan’s solos?

[@RASFw]

dude, this is amazing

[@weeklypiano]

thanks Geoff!

[@SIRONEDRAGON]

Great playing and a very cool idea : )

[@localpm]

Brilliant job.

[@mgypsy2003]

nice job,the solo lines were very good!

[@mauricioaguiar4764]

Very good great teacher .... from Brazil😊😊

[@GregSperoMusic]

Hey Frank, I did a search just now and couldn't find it - could you send me the exact youtube address where you explain the Waltz For Debby changes you were talking about, so I can post it for my viewers' benefit?

[@weeklypiano]

@danieljones013 You're actually on the right track. It's not exactly a formula, but there are definitely guidelines that, when combined with your own creative voice, will allow you to create phrases that make sense. I'll try to incorporate this into my next video!!

[@weeklypiano]

@danieljones013 The phrases are different every time because I don't actually have a set phrase that I am planning on playing every time. You're actually correct; the note choices leading up to the goal tone are generally chord-tones of the chord that I'm on at any given point in the tune. Other decisions play into the note differences as well, though. I also have contour in mind, so I'll often pick a line of notes that fits melodically into the contour that I'm envisioning.

[@williamcarrmusic]

As a person who really struggles to teach themselves, how can I learn to solo like this? I don't just want a beginner's guide. I want to know the levels from start to finish what to practice and implement in my playing to become this great. Please help me and let me know!

[@lydmode]

Good on you for sharing mate.

[@lummy57]

great very valuable! Do more, I like seeing your hands for voicings and your target note idea is not new but its fun to see it!! Good playing, love Evans too!!!

[@uratenie]

1. do you have perfect pitch? (absolute) 2. how many years must practice for jazz improvisation ? (sorry for bad english)

[@kjuergens1985]

This video is very helpful. Can you give an example of a specific recording where Bill used this exact technique?

[@grigoridj]

Wow, that was awesome! Do you have any tips for the left hand to accompany yourself when playing this piece without a bassist?

[@rmackjr09]

5:26 PLAYYYY SIRRRRRRR!!!!! AWESOME VIDEO

[@AllyssonGemelli]

Hey nice job. I wish I could improvise like you. So how you play your left hand? Is it like a block the chord? Do you put the root and the VII grade on left hand always?

[@ZeAlfredo]

I have been listening to alot of bill evans but i still can't hear this technique applied although he does use alot of melodic development aka repition/ sequencing. However, i do believe i havve created the formula of which we spoke. it goes as follows, correct me if im wrong. "When creating a new phrase choose a strating tone and direction. vary rythmn and/or interval of each note (or keep them the same randomize). Decide when to end and end on a chord tone."

[@weeklypiano]

@bkaye I totally agree - this is just a piece of the puzzle. However, the masters were also mentored and taught ways to think about music by their colleagues and masters, which I would akin to people learning techniques via youtube and social media learning these days. No doubt, however, that it requires a depth of intense study from within.

[@Seczko_07]

Highly valuable info

[@weeklypiano]

Thank you!!

[@weeklypiano]

Lol, chiiiill, I didn't say I'm a Bill evans expert - just trying to help show people a concept that a friend of Bill taught me, because people were curious about it. If my changes need to be tweaked, and you're interested in helping, I'd love to see a video with the correct changes - please upload and let me know, and I'll post it here so people can get even more out of this. Peace and love, brother. Weekly

[@LoniBaylor]

You play beautifully

[@allen_el_punyito]

you've got the skills, the glasses...you ARE Bill Evans!!!

[@esperanto2550yt]

GREAT LESSON and GREAT HAIR

[@weeklypiano]

Thanks!!

[@chiropathe]

very helpfull and great teacher

[@BrendaBoykin-qz5dj]

Thank you,Sir🌞⭐🌹⭐🌞