Mr. PC: Journey Through The Real Book

A jazz piano lesson to help you learnJohn Coltrane’s jazz standard “Mr. PC.”
Take your LH playing to the next level with my free ebook: Jazz Piano Left Hand Techniques: keyboardimprov...
You'll find my book, The Inner World of Piano Improvisation, on Amazon.
Learning jazz standards “in context” 0:12
How I get started with jazz 0:37
John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps” album 1:10
The bassist Paul Chambers 1:20
The challenging repeated notes in the melody 1:37
Embracing the journey 2:02
A 12-bar minor blues 2:34
Various LH techniques 2:42
Modal improvisation 3:06
Improvising with fourths 3:17
Chromatic improvisation 3:22
Using the blues scale 3:32
Pentatonic scales 3:36
Atmospheric textures 3:42
Thinking “out of the box” 3:47
Starting right away with the melody 3:56
Roots and 5ths in the left hand 4:10
C Minor Pentatonic scale and Dorian mode 4:23
Building upon a short motif 4:36
Paying tribute to Coltrane’s “sheets of sound” concept 4:48
Using the Blues scale 4:56
Arpeggiating RH voicings with extensions 5:08
Bringing in LH rootless voicings 5:16
LH shell voicings 5:23
Getting more rhythmic with the LH 5:28
Chordal improv over a walking bass 5:41
Single-note improv 5:52
McCoy Tyner-style LH patterns 6:08
Rhythmic interplay 6:19
A repeated-note motif 6:23
4ths and 5ths in the right hand 6:37
A melodic left-hand part 7:07
Motivic development 7:27
Bitonality 7:32
Bringing the solo to a conclusion 7:36
Reprising Coltrane's melody 7:43
Adding a tag 8:09
Slowing down for the ending 8:14
An atmospheric flourish 8:21
Each of us playing the blues in our own way 8:3
Going through The Real Book together 9:10
Video course 9:44
Here are some more Free Jazz Piano Lessons for you at the KeyboardImprov website: keyboardimprov...
Thanks for joining me on this musical adventure, and please LIKE, COMMENT and SHARE this video with your musical friends.
If you'd like to start my full video course, you'll find it here: keyboardimprov...
For Zoom and Skype lessons, please email me at [e-mail].
Enjoy the journey, and "let the music flow!"
Ron

[@soulubilityofficial6635]

Just started watching this series, and it’s excellent! Thank you for this!

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Thanks! I'm having a great time going through the book like this!

[@parkerchace]

So astonishing seeing you go through the different style of jazz piano applications. You're truly a master

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Thanks Parker! It's just a matter of being really interested in all these things, and staying with it over a long period of time. Also, I studied piano with some great teachers. Good luck with your playing :)

[@steveha2865]

Very musical performance! I noticed that Tommy Flanagan's comping used a mixture of minor 6th and minor 7ths. You can feel the mood change from modal to "Night in Tunesia" behind the sax solo. FWIW, on Giant Steps (a song that I almost never get to play) during the first few bars of the head the bass line descends, i.e. Bmaj7 D7/A Gmaj7 Bb7/F Ebmaj7 and then again on the Gmaj7 Bb7/F Ebmaj7 Gb7/Db Bmaj7 changes. A bit of trivia but I'm surprised that nobody ever plays it that way. Keep up the great work. Very nice.

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Great topics, Steve! We can absolutely use details like these in our own playing, and it helps us as musicians to notice them. I think that Giant Steps moves so fast that most players just try to follow Coltrane's sax line!

[@insidejazzguitar8112]

Enjoy that! I love your attitude about not being perfect. I’m not a pianist, but have you ever tried using two fingers per key on those quick repeated notes?

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Good point! I've tried it, but never practiced it long enough to do it well. I guess I'll keep muddling through!

[@song4night]

Amazing, Ron. Shows your knowledge of jazz piano, how you're able to go into so many approaches.

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Thanks - it's what happens when you stay with something for so long!

[@song4night]

@@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453 yes😊👍

[@nikolaicarlsen9312]

Beautiful and inspirational playing! Thanks!!

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Thanks Nikolai!

[@AFSoar01]

Awesome! I loved the breakdown of all the different styles you could use to improvise over the chords. Thanks Ron!

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Thanks, John! It's a very flexible tune.

[@mattf9076]

Outstanding!!

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Thanks Matt!

[@Zeesboy]

Thanks man. Nicely done.

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Thanks!!!

[@brendaboykin3281]

🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@Eldorias]

In fact Tommy Flanagan himself just plays quarter notes without the repeated notes in the melody in his trio version of this tune, so I guess we don't have to play them ^^

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Yes - I forgot about that since I haven't listened to that album since I was in college! He puts in a couple of 8th notes here and there, but basically plays quarters. Thanks for the reminder!

[@Eldorias]

@@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453 Yes you're right he sometimes doubles a few notes, thanks for your great video !

[@Remi-B-Goode]

The volume of your voice is a little bit low, anyway thanks for the interesting vid!

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Thanks for the good feedback, Rémi! I put the mic a little lower because it looks better, and I guess it made the volume too low. I'll keep experimenting with it!