Left Hand Voicings: Fundamentals and Secret Sauce

[@euca9569]

The Gm9 bill evans voicing- I discovered it by accident- it was one of the best discoveries I’ve ever made.

[@marvindias1377]

Cool bro! So cool!

[@TopazDr]

How does it go if I may ask?

[@TopazDr]

F - A - Bb - D ?

[@alexernst4150]

7-9-3-5

[@euca9569]

@@TopazDr yes. I play Gm7 more than Gm9. F-G-Bb-D. I also like F-G-A-Bb-D for a thicker sound.

[@Ebi_J]

Overlaying those numbers really helped me with visualizing everything quickly. Thank you.

[@NoahKellman]

You’re welcome!

[@bungbr7654]

the voicing is so smooth. the explanation is also smooth. not complicated for a newbie like me

[@jackwernermusic]

Once had a teacher call b7-9-b3-5 the "I Feel Pretty" voicing (because they're the first notes of that song). Definitely a little clunky, but it stuck with me!

[@wimcooijmans8271]

Funny 🙂 My teacher once played it and since then (40 yrs ago) I use it a lot .... Just love the sound !!

[@bobdevon7631]

So glad that I found your channel, it’s so refreshing to see videos targeting intermediate to advanced pianists and not have things over explained

[@graphicsociety1]

Best video on jazz voicing! ❤

[@zlfkrs]

Teşekkür ederim ✔

[@RocioSanchez-sc4kt]

Thank you for this! I understand music theory but im very much a visual person and this HELPS SO MUCH

[@NoahKellman]

@@RocioSanchez-sc4kt hey so glad you found it helpful!

[@alexemhardt3762]

Noah, it‘s so nice to follow you in your sympathetic way of explanations… great theaching! Thanks for sharing

[@NoahKellman]

Thanks Alex really appreciate that!

[@John-p7i5g]

I could honestly listen to that opening for an hour

[@contenidoamateur2125]

Muchas gracias Noah eres mí profesor ❤

[@alexendrix6]

Mr.Noa U r the best piano teacher i ever found.Thx a lot!🙏🎶

[@edwardvivenzio5843]

Rick,and Noah,two of the finest humans on the face of this planet,much love,and respect for both of you guys!

[@NoahKellman]

Right back at you, Ed 🙏 thanks for the comment man

[@terrymiller111]

Your improvisation example was beautiful.

[@jonathanstephensmusic]

This was a very good breakdown. Thanks for giving several practical examples!

[@98BlackTransAm]

This video puts the "fun" in fundamentals.

[@Phaseish]

THE OUTRO TRACK SLAPS

[@BeyzilMusics]

the shifting exercise in the end is exactly what i was looking for, great idea!

[@gstyle11]

Bravo Noah !!!

[@jonwhite549]

This video and the exercises in it helped open up my playing in a short time, and the exercises get more enjoyable the more you get comfortable playing in the keys.

[@petersage6637]

Really a blessing having your vids to reference Noah

[@NoahKellman]

Thanks Peter glad you are finding them helpful!

[@New_in_jazz]

Thank you very much.

[@JoelYeoh]

Hi Noah! I believe moving Chords in intervalic manner is called "Constant Structure". Keep up the awesome content and beautiful piano work here 👍🎹🎶😀

[@NoahKellman]

Thanks Joel! That does sound familiar. 🙏

[@kalacsaron1207]

Nice..

[@rogermcfarlane4620]

I think I've heard this referred to a parallel motion as well.

[@jonc4856]

Great, great content. Super informative yet concise, organized, visually appealing, and engaging. Can't believe you're making this free for us!

[@jarbasgoulartdecastro9104]

Perfect! I´m a guitar pro studying piano. I can do arrangements but when it´s time to improvise I think : "And the left hand now???" I like sophisticated chords!!! Thanks a lot!

[@marcomariotti3457]

Great lesson thank you !!!!

[@OmegaHilip]

I isn’t realize there were tutorials on left hand voicings. I needed this. Thank you.

[@dannuttle9005]

I'm just now entering the world of extended dominant chords, with a bit more but limited familiarity with 3-6-9, so-what voicings, sus chords etc. I think I'll be working on the material in this video for a couple of years. There is another wonderful channel called Jimindorothy. You two are very similar in one sense when you play...your eyes travel to far-off dimensions. I want to look like that.

[@greenflare3125]

Music is a language, it takes time to reach proficiency. Just like in spoken language, once grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary, and fluidity among other thing all become natural, then you can start to express yourself, liberated from the chains of blurry comprehension

[@opdahlmann]

I am a guitar player, but your channel is probably the best I follow now. Thank you!

[@gymasipixel172]

thank you sir

[@WhistlebirdInfinity]

Your videos are really helping me, and I am glad you mentioned the idea of having fun with the exercises, it helps my attitude and reminds me that my best, most creative experiences have often been while feeling like I was back to being a little kid just experimenting on our beautiful Yamaha U1 my Mom got us during the folks crappy divorce. Best move she could have made, since my Dad always got us the bottom of the barrel free pianos! Sorry if that was TMI

[@NoahKellman]

Not at all! Really glad to hear the videos are helping. Yeah I find it really easy sometimes to forget how important it is to have fun even while practicing. Have you ever checked out Kenny Werner’s books?

[@WhistlebirdInfinity]

After never really checking out any books on music at all, I have gotten myself into the deep end and gotten Nicolas Slonimsky - Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns...I have learned most of my modes from playing accordion in various "world music" or " trad" bands, I am definitely a fan of Allan Holdsworth, Frank Zappa, and John Coltrane, and when I heard they all studied this book I had to get it...it's really weird so far and I like it, but maybe when I am done with that I will try the Kenny Werner. Thanks again for your great videos and inspiring words.

[@eliotlee7567]

I'm like your Dad in collecting crappy pianos as a piano technician. There is no need to spend so much money on a piano, unless you can afford it of course!

[@WhistlebirdInfinity]

@@eliotlee7567 ours were always in bad repair. I'll bet you at least fix yours!

[@kwood9955]

You seem like a silver lining kind of person! 🌤️ I admire that in people.

[@antjamnow1286]

Planing is correct in my book. Great work here, man! All those hours of editing and filming are paying off.

[@juanfernandez-bacatoledo7032]

I was trying those voicings on the piano and i realize that the altered chord (min 12:11) can be though as the bill evans 5th voicing (Ej: G7 is F-A-B-D) but with the base in the tritone. If we put the Db on the G7 Bill evans voicing, we create this: Db-F-A-B-D, wich is the Galt. Its maybe difficult to undertand cause my english isnt so good, but it is easy for me thinking in this way. I hope this could help you!

[@maxlieSB]

This video is excellent

[@fednercherelus5586]

Gifted brother

[@CharlesAustin]

Like the freedom !!

[@scottmoyer1357]

GREAT.

[@ImmortalIdeas]

Thank you!!!

[@dreonthekeys88]

The cat is out of the bag! So much jazz piano gold!

[@Compassiron1]

Beautiful voicings. Thank you. Not a jazz guy but you make this nice and accessible

[@dontothepiano]

From what I know/learned the term “Bill Evans Chords/Voicings” are kind of being used interchangeably with “Block Chords” and rootless voicings, as they’re usually between an octave. Thanks for the great Tutorial!

[@NicolasAiziczon]

Increíble, super útil, super claro. Lo mejor es la recomendación de "Cómo estudiar" thank you so so much

[@2005rosebud]

Good content Thanks for posting

[@RC_Cola2020]

Great review. Thanks.

[@NoahKellman]

Sure thing, Richard. Thanks for your comment.

[@rosedotson8907]

Excellent lesson! Thank you, Noah.

[@tayqueese5335]

Thank u big daddy u rock

[@eduardog8758]

Thanks from México city 🎹😁

[@scottfoster3643]

Thank you very much good sir 🙏

[@scottfoster3643]

I have been hitting this idea hard! Just wrote one of my favorite pieces I have written to date based on this info. The internet can be a great thing when used wisely

[@kalacsaron1207]

Awesome.. 😘

[@tresornkele9069]

Thanks a lot for this super video !

[@DarkerSeuss]

As a producer and composer this video was great, stealing these concepts for my disco work!

[@wayneg6682]

Thanks for great work ya do. Just discovered your page, looking forward to more of it.

[@MrFedemoral]

Nice one noah!

[@IsaLima18080]

Hi, Noah !! Thank you from Brasil

[@NoahKellman]

Hey, you're welcome Izabela!

[@sergiosilvanicacio]

Sounds nice!

[@Dankflamio]

I love your content!

[@yungkg3495]

Great info thanks so much

[@geminimusicstudios9197]

So great, love the channel, live the playing

[@NoahKellman]

Thanks much appreciated 🙏

[@darwinbirot6480]

so good it made me subscribe…thanks man!

[@gabrielmirandamartinez8451]

Great stuff!!!

[@romanbemolin]

ty

[@C12389]

I first encountered these voicing in books by John Mehegan. Both sets of voicings show up in Bill Evans' playing. Mehegan traces the first or "A" voicings back to Chopin and the second or "B" voicings to Ravel. Hope this helps.

[@NoahKellman]

Oh wow, very interesting. So much of what we used today was already used by classical greats, they were obviously in different contexts to some degree. Thanks 🙏🙏

[@C12389]

Thanks for responding! IMHO you would find Mehegan to be an awesome kindred spirit throughout all four volumes of his series. Vol 2 has some great solo transcriptions. Vol 3 has an excellent discussion of stride. Vol 4 sets out the "A" and "B' voicings.

[@kenledeen9694]

Definitely ---- I've always thought of these as A & B from Mehegan, applied not just to ii - V - I but to all the chord characteristics.

[@C12389]

KL, another favorite A&B person is Mark Levine, particularly his Jazz Piano Book from the '80s.

[@C12389]

A key guideline when employing A&B voicings is preserving what Al Zulaica , my old piano teacher (used to play with Cal Tjader), used to call the "fat" sound, keeping the voicing above the C below middle C and not letting it creep up past the G above middle C. Thus, I will usually choose the A voicing for D-7 but the B voicing for G-7. Also, using A voicings with a root-7 in the left hand is a good way to begin exploring all sorts of good stuff by Horace Silver.

[@LonzCantiLife]

its nice to be here early and be able to apply everything you teach 🔥🙏🏾

[@NoahKellman]

Thanks for working on the lessons! Appreciate you you make all the teaching worth it 🙏

[@LonzCantiLife]

@@NoahKellman as always!!! 🙏🏾

[@Tyrell_Corp2019]

9:22 Pink Floyd's - The Great Gig in the Sky - at the 2 minute and 50 sec mark. (Even they were hip to Evans) 😉 Awesome video. Subscribed.

[@KucharczykKamil]

Nice... Like it:)

[@vonmadeit7395]

Noah > Glasper. You’re the man Noah don’t you ever forget that .

[@fagnerpozzattooficial5385]

Top mestre 👏👏👏👏

[@scottrim143]

love it

[@FranciscoA.22033]

Hello Noah...aqui no Brazil não conhecemos com esse nome mas simplesmente de Rootless Voicings.

[@salastuto139]

Fucked me up at the end

[@stephenrothman6058]

I learned the Bill Evans ii V I voicing as 3579, 7936, 3569 or the inversions of all of them - 7935, 3679, 6935. Or in minor, b3b5b7#9 (well it’s really just a natural 9 or 2 of the Dorian, but I mean like in Emin7b5 it’s G Bb D F#), 7#93b13, b3569 (e.g. his recordings of Israel) or the 2d inversions of each of those. And he does use those as such, but of course varies a lot. I think it’s picking the right variation for the situation that makes him sound like Bill Evans whereas I still sound like me.

[@ThePianoMan1953]

I love to play (what I call) "crunch-chords" in slow ballads. I remember the moment I found the voicing for A7 #9 13 as a "closed-chord." (below middle C) G,C,C#,F. or 7,b3,3,13. I love that close dissonance. I always think of Bill Evans when I play that chord!

[@stephenrothman6058]

​@@ThePianoMan1953 That's b9 b13 if you mean F not F#. Bill Evans also makes wonderful use of a b13 natural 9 like in C#7 chord in 9th bar of The Two Lonely People, and then b9 natural 13 going to b9 b13 in A7 in 10th bar, b9 natural 13 in the Gb7 in the 12th bar, b9 natural 13 going to b9 b13 in the the Eb7 in the 13th bar, b9 natural 13 going to b13 in the D7 in the 14th bar and it continues on for several bars from there. It's a mostly chromatically moving melody that you would think would be a bit dissonant, but he tweaks around with the alternations of all of the dominant chords in a way that makes the passage lyrical and singable. It's quite amazing. There is a transcription of this recording by somebody named Lucas Gottfried. I don't recall whether it's free or I purchased it, but I recommend it to anybody who likes Bill Evans.

[@ThePianoMan1953]

Oh, I had to trot over to my keyboard! ;-) Yes, you are correct about the 13th. I never realized that it is, in fact, a flat 13. (I do have a pretty close relationship with the major and minor 7ths, flat or sharp 9, sharp 11, but the 13th I have not spent any time thinking about it) But, I think there is a misunderstanding about my second note, (which I meant to convey as a #9 rather than a flat 3rd) I think of it as a major and minor 3rd next to each other but, realize the flat 3rd is technically a #9. Thanks It's cool how "into it" you are! 🙂

[@silviomp]

You got a new sub in 10 seconds

[@livvy94]

How do you get better at switching between chords like this this quickly?

[@axeljosemancillaalfaro9744]

Esa improvisación se escucha muy buena

[@NoahKellman]

Gracias Axel 🙏🙏

[@kencory2476]

That motion through chromatic, whole-tone, minor thirds, and major thirds can be called root movement.

[@assambaaline6959]

Bill Evans a monster in Jazz you too NK

[@stephenkyambadde7393]

I feel you to aught to have said something about the right hand recommended scales/patterns that would go along with the left hand chord Voicings. This is very important for the beginners. Thank you

[@NoahKellman]

Hey Stephen, thanks for the feedback. I think you might find this helpful- kzbin.info/www/bejne/eaTSc2WlbbV7nKs

[@nezkeys79]

8:00 that chord with an E added at the top is also cool. G Minor 13?

[@dumisanidhlamini621]

I'm kinda shy with my left hand, cause I used to play alone. I'm better though now. Hello 😀

[@ivana13music65]

Hello Sir Noah... Can you share me what Scale did you use in your right hand? Thanks..

[@recordjazz]

Just subscribed to your channel! Your the man 👌🏽

[@NoahKellman]

Thanks appreciate that 🙏

[@Rantalytics]

The C#Minor9Flat7sus3overDB chord. Often associated with Atlanta based vocalist Two Chainz Chord.

[@utahlivebands1753]

Cool to play 10ths in the bass for stride piano if possible :)

[@ganglezz]

Nice to finally see a jazz video that doesn’t treat the audience like 5 year olds.

[@nickjones5641]

Voicings built off the 3rd are Rootless A, and built off the the 7th are Rootless B.

[@heidialina]

Great instruction! I went to look for your Jazz Foundations book and video but couldn’t find it on your site. Can you provide a direct link?

[@ALF8892]

7:50 its a Bb Major 7 2nd inversion but in this jazz context its acting as a Gm9

[@bluch251]

Two basics...3, 7,9 or b7, 3, 6. Build off the b7sus also and you use the space for all alt chords. First basics are ...3rd first, or b7 first...the rest is garnish. All the rest is root block, cluster, spread with pinky and thunb with internal cluster. Learn all your chords first...then devote time to invert them every way possible. Inversions are key and understanding the keys that relate. Modes and scales will be automatic. Just my two cents.

[@ekathe85]

You are a good man Noah. I'll be punishing the sh*t out of my left hand applying these. Subscribed of course. Thanks.

[@eliotlee7567]

What's the software that identifies the chord when playing it?

[@kirkreese2240]

Great content and teaching style man! I've known them as " stock " ii V I voicings.

[@NoahKellman]

Thanks Kirk! 🙏

[@markahearn1]

I always referred to them as "Jamey Aebersold" voicings only because that I first learned them. I like your term better, "stock" voicings.

[@AntonCorazza]

I know I'm not the only one who thought cat said "we get this shit" at 7:17 Jokes aside, very informative video Noah, thank you. Suscribed and notification bell all that

[@NoahKellman]

Lmao I totally hear that. Maybe it’s what I was actually thinking…? Thanks appreciate that Anton 🙏

[@Sic4ce]

both are Bill Evans voicings from what I was taught

[@TheNewJavaman]

Funny, I love Bill Evans but learned that Gmi9 voicing from Robert Glasper. Side note, you should consider noise reduction for your microphone audio, which would help with hearing the keyboard

[@Steve.Dennis]

Nice. What software is identifying and displaying those chords?

[@jerbib9598]

What your settings on the Nord keyboard?

[@jonathandeutsch3991]

hi noah. lots of great content as usual. do you find stacking the thirds for a voicing to be 'hip' enough? I had a teacher who hated that voicing (the dmi 9) that youre using.

[@andrewcampbell2903]

Noah , Isn't it better to say that a G7 is in the key of C ( major in this case ) for although it has the Gmajor triad it does not occur in that key despite being closely related . People just learning harmony may be confused thinking that G7 is somehow a G major chord .

[@NoahKellman]

Hey Andrew, what I meant to say is that whenever the chord switches, we now think of the numbers as 1 being the root of that chord (as opposed to the numbers sticking to the key), but it’s very possible the way I phrased it could be confusing! Thanks for the heads up always appreciate the feedback

[@thestagerocks]

I just want to know how a human keeps all that in their head. Sincerely, a fantastic music who is somehow not even in the same universe as you.

[@NoahKellman]

Ahh thanks that's so kind of you to say. Maybe that's why my friends complain I never remember anything?

[@nezkeys79]

Dm9 is basically Fmajor7 if you have a bass player XD

[@NoahKellman]

Hahah yep 100%