My Foolish Heart: Journey Through The Real Book

A jazz piano lesson to help you learn jazz standard “My Foolish Heart,” by Victor Young and Ned Washington.
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One of the all-time great ballads 0:08
The Real Book, Volume 1, 6th Edition 0:12
Understanding the historical context of each jazz standard 0:43
The tune’s association with Bill Evans 1:00
The history of “My Foolish Heart” 1:15
Many of the popular songs of the pre-rock era are now known as jazz standards 1:58
The musical form of “My Foolish Heart” 2:20
The overall musical “arc” 3:21
A slowly rising melodic line 3:26
Rising harmonies to parallel the melody 4:31
Delayed gratification 4:55
The parallel between “My Foolish Heart,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and “Begin The Beguine” 5:10
Similar to “My Funny Valentine” 5:25
Planning the beginning of the performance 5:36
Seeing where the music takes us 5:55
Starting rubato, up the octave 6:17
Left-hand countermelodies 6:28
A slightly arpeggiated texture 6:37
Chordal texture 6:39
Easing into tempo 6:45
Arriving at a jazz ballad tempo for the high point in the melody 6:54
Hinting at a classic, slow stride feel 7:30
Loosening up the rhythms a bit 8:05
More 8th note-based again 8:21
A chromatically-descending “alto” voice 8:26
Beginning the improvised solo 8:39
Continuous motivic development 8:51
Polytonality 10:08
Bebop 10:20
Playing with the melody’s repeated note 10:23
Improvising on the tune’s melody 10:45
Trills and tremolos 10:53
Double-time feel using block chords 11:05
Fun! 11:57
Back to the groove 12:01
Contrary motion 12:04
Reprising the melody, while continuing the double-time feel 12:08
Returning to the original jazz ballad feel 12:40
Playing trills with the left hand 12:43
Look at the right hand here a few times 12:47
Relaxing the groove 12:50
Rubato 12:58
Continuing the RH alto line with the LH 13:00
Some LH motion in triplets 13:04
Adding a tag 13:08
Bell-like voicings, a la Art Tatum 13:11
Reflective 13:16
Bringing back the melody one more time for the ending 13:31
Looking for the right voicing to end on 13:49
Bbmaj13 - LH: Bb D G/ RH: C F A D 14:02
“So What” voicing - LH: D G/ RH: C F A 14:09
A coincidence? 14:25
Musical inspiration 15:08
Here are some more Free Jazz Piano Lessons for you at the KeyboardImprov website: keyboardimprov.com/free-begin...
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.com/get-starte...
For Zoom and Skype lessons, please email me at [e-mail].
Enjoy the journey, and "let the music flow!"
Ron

[@jj-kop7579]

Hi, loved the performance. Seeing you play and learning how to implement it into my playing is a fun process. I'm Bill Evans grandson and I too have a love of jazz and play jazz piano interesting enough, but I find it fascinating that I'm watching a master who learned from my grandfather; it is just very interesting to see the impact he had on other people much more than me.

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Thanks! It's interesting, because I was becoming too influenced by him when in my teens so I stepped away from listening to him for a few decades. Now I can enjoy his playing without overly copying it.

[@larrysaidman]

Love that transition in and out of double time.

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Thanks Larry! Yeah, I enjoy that too, and I only go there when the music is leading in that direction.

[@song4night]

Beautifully played, with an underlying feeling of suspense, a quiet brooding...

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Wait till you hear the next one!

[@song4night]

@@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453 Great!

[@brendaboykin3281]

Beautifully played, Maestro. It "sings" so intuitively, just focusing on melody and text, I'll now take the next step of analyzing it, and becoming even more intimate with this jewel. Thank you for your presentation. 🌹😎🌹

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Enjoy your exploration!

[@benninda]

Thank you, Ron. Loved your insight regarding the structure/arc of the piece. The gradual build of it does, indeed, have a way of pulling the listener along. A beautiful song, beautifully played!

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Thanks, Dana - much appreciated!

[@HectorDavidPoloCheva]

Always enjoyable...thanks for sharing your master classes with us...

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Thanks Hector!

[@rogerfrankham3890]

Very interesting, thank you! (And I didn't mind the movie, mainly to get to hear the theme throughout of course)

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Thanks, Roger, and glad to hear about the movie. I remember watching the movie Laura years ago for the same reason!

[@anilec333]

Most beautiful version I have heard

[@TOMETLE]

I love your real book journey ! Thanks so much for making this :)

[@oliviaedralin1436]

Love love love your improv❤

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Thanks Olivia!

[@tomaspa]

Thanks Ron!!!! This one of the songs I play. Very useful lesson and beautifully played. I recommend Eliane Elias’ version (she dedicates it Bill Evans)

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Thanks, Tomas - I'll check it out. She's a wonderful musician!

[@mudbone7706]

Beautiful playing. Might I suggest you make an album available with a program of highlights from this series?

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

That's a great idea. I've thought of it before, but the licensing fees would be too high. I would have done it 20 years ago when people still bought albums, but these days I'd rather give it away for free on KZbin.

[@brendaboykin3281]

Thank you, Ron, one of my faves. It's time for me to sing it again, now with a post-60 romantic heart. The lyrics are tender, but not sappy. A question arises:have you ever seen the film"On Green Dolphin St."? (not I. Sounds like a bad grade B British murder mystery). (I'll have to go back an see your vid on On GDS; perhaps you mentioned it.) 🌹🌹🌹🌹

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Good question. I've never seen it, and don't have any time for TV or movies nowadays, unfortunately. But it would be fascinating to watch those old films, where so many of the standard songs were initially introduced!

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

I enjoyed watching the movie Laura when I was in college, for exactly this reason.