Triads to Melt Faces

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#triads #jazzpiano #jazz #jazzimprovisation

[@ultramother]

Adam thank you so much! This is a revelation. You decrypted the functional beauty of the diminished scale for me. What a gem this video is! What a treasure trove your channel is. Many thanks and love to you guys :)

[@TheJQ1971]

I'm a guitarist and this really opened up a whole new way of looking at diminished scales. We tend to be "patterny" as guitarists. I never "saw" those 4 major and minor triads.

[@MAYNOR82]

For someone like me who no longer plays jazz in a live setting but continues to listen and learn, this has been MIND BLOWING!!!🤯🤯 This is truly a jazz improv/theory gem! I’m getting out my 🎺 and getting back in the game with your channel for real!

[@neilsaunders9309]

I'm glad you dislike the half-step/whole-step whole-step/half-step thing, too, Adam. It's one of those things that is staggeringly unhelpful in practical terms.

[@JoePariseauMusic]

I absolutely LOVE when you break the fourth wall! You already know what the student is thinking or rather assuming you should do to apply this scale!

[@PianoWithJonny]

Nice Adam! I really love the major to minor triad pair sound. Keep up the great work!

[@billiongenius]

Every time he said “so, all we have to do now is…”, I was like, “Yeah! That’s what I’m going to do!” And then, he would say, “No…that’s not what we want to do…” man, I’m a sucker.

[@loulou7137]

😅

[@RockYourTeeth]

I love the idea of learning scales in their context of resolving to something, instead of just scales by themselves.

[@scottc3974]

1. Choose a dom. chord 2. Travel a tritone and find a minor chord inv. from the 4 diminished chords of the chord in step 1. 3. Play a musical pattern with the 6 chord tones. 4. Resolve to a tonic chord a fourth below your dom. Chord from step 1. 5. Thanks Adam.

[@dr.brianjudedelimaphd743]

Chopin wrote it, Schoenberg published it , Barry Harris made it accessible to the masses...

[@KarlHenriksen1936]

What?

[@lange555]

Bartok axis theory maybe i think that is the man who wrote it down as it. And yes Mendelssohn, Chopin, Liszt and many others romantic composers played a lot with augmented or neapolitan 6 and diminished or minor cadences over major. Yeah Barry ruled down for citizens 😂

[@cns7139]

Years ago, I discovered these dominant 4-noters to remember diminished scales…. Very helpful, Adam! Also loving the major minor triads.

[@justin.johnson]

Definite missing gem with this one. Thankful for social content platforms and amazing teachers like this to help fast track debunking unsolved music mysteries. For veteran cats like me these fresh simple perspectives glue together years of fragmented and missing puzzle pieces. Thank you sir.

[@Dggb2345]

Amen

[@arthurmee]

This is by far the best vid/tutorial I've seen on the diminished scales. You opened up the secret of applying them effectively. Much appreciated. Thank you.

[@ytkindferalcat]

How to harmonize the diminished scale has long been a mystery for me- Thank You Sir!

[@jerryballard371]

You’ll also notice that each of these is also a ii-V-I, not just a V-I. Its what Barry Harris means by ‘Don’t think ii-V… just think V’

[@ricktangora9413]

As a guitarist, I had this scale under my fingers, but the way I used it sounded so contrived and obvious, like the whole tone scale. Thanks for opening these doors.

[@gtrpaulj]

Along with so many others, I want to thank you for this incredible information. I have never really understood how to use the diminished scale tones outside of a diminished (or 7b9) chord and what you teach here is so cool! Thank you, Adam!

[@peterhaslund]

Please don't put a Brecker, any Brecker, in with Train

[@malcolmmillar7702]

Not sure if you guys do requests but if you do. I would kill to be able to understand some of the harmony and licks anomalie plays :) killer stuff as always!

[@dereksimke9117]

That would be amazing!!! Yes please 🙏🏻

[@FreepowerUG]

This is some of the best music tuition I've seen on KZbin, absolutely phenomenal lesson 👌👌👌

[@jerryballard371]

As loath as I am to give up the secrets of Chromatic button accordion (you know, the non-piano right-hand that looks like a cash register), the brilliant thing about the layout is that those rows of buttons are the 3 diminished 7th arpeggios. So long story short, every one of these triad pairs, for all keys, can be done on CBA accordion using 4 triad shapes, simply sliding up and down the keyboard. The instrument almost seems to be created with this (not to mention most of Barry Harris’s teachings) in mind. And this video was a life saver for me because I was still restricting myself to the diminished scales, which , while still easy on CBA, aren’t nearly as musical as these. THANK YOU!

[@alaingrenier3232]

Merci beaucoup ! Quel cadeau! Thank you so much ! Such a great gift!

[@luigiarredondosax]

Bro, imma be honest I got my bachelors but this was a masterclass man...I didn't understand it to this depth till now, Thank you so much!

[@stringtheoryx]

"Melt faces like Brecker" Well put. I heard Michael quite a bit, but one of the astonishing performances was with Elvin Jone's band at BlueNote. He's standing in Coltrane's shoes and not holding back, just absolutely going for it. Then joined by George Garzone, who was in a more tonal frame of mind that night, but still strategically outside. Antoine Roney, several others on stage. That should have been an album. Also heard Michael at front row of several "Tenor Summit" concerts at Birdland. Brecker, Liebman, Lovano in one of the incarnations. Liebman was inside the spirit of the piece, but Brecker was the most delicate voice. It was enlightening to see the thought behind every note. And he was always a gracious spirit. I've talked to Michael at his gigs, and he was always humble, and very self-effacing. But as Elvin said, "An absolute virtuoso." He had impact on how I think about music and where it comes from.

[@yggdrasil9039]

0:45 you cut Michael Brecker off just as he was about to melt about 50 faces with a descending series of superimpositions over the IV chord.

[@augustusbetucius8279]

I just think about it in terms of chord tones or intervallicly (sp?). Over the V chord, you just add the b2, m3rd, b5, M6, b7. Thinking that way the chord and key don't require any thought, you just use those intervals. Per Robben Ford, come up with melodies using those intervals and you're on your way.

[@ericgaudette4309]

Do you mean the b2 etc, of the V chord or the key you’re playing in?

[@scottbaekeland9750]

An interesting approach.Always like your videos. Another method is to not even think about the diminished scale at all and to just see it as (in this case) an F7 dominant scale with the scale degrees 1-b2-b3-3 #4-5-6-b7-8 . This way one can see how close it is to a blues type approach with a couple tweaks. A little off topic. I see many books talk about two diminished scales (1/2 step whole step or whole step 1/2 step) and it always seemed to me that it was easier to think of it as one scale starting on a different degree.

[@tetraqartet6798]

You can justify the 2 notes of the diminuished scale which are not in blues scale (b2 and 6) just by considering 2blues pairs at the distance of a minor 3rd (i.e. A + C blues scales). Then you'll have your complete A or C diminuished scale

[@scottbaekeland9750]

@@tetraqartet6798 The 6 is part of many blues like 1-3-5-6-b7-6-5-3 . The b2 can be used in a displaced minor blues lick like this: 5-b7-8-b9(b2)-8-b7-5

[@ArthurRosch]

Aside from the great lesson, the "writing", i.e. the light comic tone, is beautiful. Now I gotta practice this stuff! Keep my home town safe for jazz, guys.

[@PaulTheSkeptic]

I don't think I'm picking up on everything you're laying down. You're going "Look at this, then that B flat." That's not a complete thought. What are you saying? Couldn't you explain it more, precisely and say the things you actually mean to say. Is it me? I'm not following. I think maybe what you're saying is that in order to maximize face melt, you construct licks that hit the chord tones but not just the chord tones before then resolving with a resolve lick. And then there was more involved, I think, that I didn't quite pick up on. Then after learning some of the licks, now I think you mean that we're connecting arpeggios with those scale notes in order to achieve maximum meltiness of the face. Yeah, I think you could've been clearer about the goals and methods. You can't always just play something and expect everyone to see what you did. But it was a cool lesson once I got the gist of it. I hope this comes off as constructive criticism and not butthurt.

[@tiluriso]

This is awesome. Guitarist here, this channel has offered me consistent new ways to hear and visualize chord patterns options and voice leading movement. Thanks so much.

[@JoseGarcia-eadgbe]

Great Lesson my man 💫🎵🎶🎵🎶🆒 however maybe help out by explaining some of the enharmonic elements that occur, your very first notation references the G#,and F# then you suddenly got to Ab and Gb in your chord spelling and minor third movements. Also a Cb appears later etc etc . This may help some people just beginning 🫶🏼💎🤘🏼🎸

[@charlottemarceau8062]

Ah yes thank you! (I'm just starting to pick out the diminished chords and scales on the fretboard, i really like your way of thinking in terms of these little dominant cadences! Nice way to break it up and not, as you say, clinically climb up and down!)

[@breakfastplan4518]

1:13 that shift to the up close shot with the 100% REAL dialog is where its at. I would love to see more cuts like this where you and peter are being 100 with us. LOVE THIS!

[@joeb4349]

Adam: Great post. But it ain't fair -- you can EASILY play tenths . . .

[@loulou7137]

YESSSSSSS!!!!!

[@bassplayer9432]

I've always found the concept of triad pairs quite nebulous but this makes it much easier to understand - thanks for this video!

[@ryeguyify]

fantastic video! Wonder if you or any folks here have suggestions for effective ways of learning in all 12 keys. It seems to take me a long time to move into another key and repeat the ideas. Eventually I want to be able to just think in terms of where I am relative to the root, but I'm not sure if the snail's pace I go to figure these all out is worthwhile. A potential strategy: use a software like MuseScore to transcribe into different keys, then play them to get into muscle memory, later making more "intellectual sense" of what I'm doing. Grateful for any ideas. Maybe it is best to just do it the "hard way" that I mentioned, and perhaps write down what I played so that I can return to practicing new keys?

[@rodrigocortez6099]

face melting class! Gonna practice my ass off these patterns. Thank you this is great content

[@Mynelka]

I don`t know about that, it sounds a little weird ... ppl who want to use these scales should already have their ears pretty well developed so why not just have them learn the scale and let them create their own lines that work for the piece of music they work on ... there is no limit to human creativity so it should be more fun than practicing some prefabricated licks ... if they lack creativity and ears these patterns will be useless to them anyway.

[@Tmidiman]

Ok, so you started with examples of face meltiness, then you taught triad pairs, all good. But you never brought them together to show how they related to each other. Did I miss that part? How is what they played related to what you taught? Serious question. Thanks.

[@mrwoo40]

Whoa!!!!!! I need you to give me private lessons….I live in the area…….Thanks Adam….

[@jlr022159]

I learned the diminished scale and used it a lot over the years but… I never really studied the magic of it’s chordal content… that’s what makes this video fantastic! Thank you for this wonderful lesson!

[@gregdouras8796]

I started hearing Thelonious Monk, "Well You Needn't" when the triad pairs were introduced in minute 8.

[@matthewl6565]

Wtf my mind has been blown - gonna be using this all the time

[@dantelopes7026]

I love how easily you break down the content vs. the function. Showing practical examples of how soloists think is crucial for student development especially if they have an ear for sound already

[@sachachanyan]

Sorry but 10 minutes into the video and none of my body parts is melting yet..... 🤷🏻

[@creepingequinox7359]

Michael brecker at Newport jazz festival ❤️❤️

[@reneotten7376]

There wasn't anything in the video that melt my face. To me it sounds like characterless jazzy note soup.

[@CWBella]

I really like thinking of this as a dominant resolving to its tonic; makes much more sense to think of this functionally.

[@kevinvotaw2916]

confused why you're calling it F7, are you playing the Ab or the A for the third?

[@MikeTaylorPiano]

Awesome stuff Adam Thank you for sharing your knowledge 🙌🏼

[@tobjafranz1187]

melt melt :-) This is sooo informative and then also FUN to watch! I'm super happy to have found this resource and i'm considering taking the course!

[@piracycan]

There’s a video by Kent Hewitt.. he used scales up and down. I think the resolve is tricky.

[@udohoerhold5337]

This is amazing. Being able to crystallize the theory to make it practical is such a huge help. Also, the video editing is great in this.

[@laurensblinxma5006]

Dear Adam, why isnt there a resolve to G? The sixth being a chordtone of Bflat

[@boboscurse4130]

So, as someone who is completely new to this scale, do you guys agree with this approach to learning it? Edit: I went through this again with more focus and it's amazing. It demystifies "that sound" I've always wondered about. Man! I wish I was younger. :)

[@vahpr]

This was great, thank you

[@superbroadcaster]

As a country player that learned theory the hard way while playing and still building lots of finer details of theory, understanding how jazz theory is utilized is amazing for playing. I can't stand talk about dominants and substitutions and so on, I just want to know how to use intervals well and how those face melting bebop solos actually work over scales while sounding like they're being completely random.

[@enrikosingapari]

Whoooaaa never knew diminished can be soooo beautiful and still easy to understand, one of best diminished lesson ever, thankyou so much

[@srigato]

Adam there are lessons even in open studio about Coltrane pentatonics? I need for my exame but i don t find anything

[@nielsdeminitair]

Sorry to ask but how to get from this training to this: 11:43 I feel like i got the transitions from minor to major triads under control but it still feels like an excercise somewhat

[@ndhjazz]

Thanks to you and Peter for all the Podcasts and Videos. I enjoy them and they are very helpful! I have a request: how would each of you take on practicing the odd changes to Dizzy Gillespie's "Con Alma"? I can hear a walk down but the changes just seem odd yet beautiful. It's a great tune and I'd like to play it more often, but I seem to get in a rut. Any help is appreciated. Thanks and keep up the great work!

[@barbietripping]

Sounds like Quinn from SnazzyLabs.

[@Blondesax]

Whoa, truly the most mind-blowing (face-melting) one of these in a very long time, and they're all super dope!

[@bobbykopas5358]

If you start the scale on C, C#,Eb, E etc. it appears very symmetrical on the keys. If you visualize the notes it's like a "M" shape followed by a "W" shape Each shape has 2 white keys and 2 black keys. Handy for non piano players (me) to play around with this scale and not get lost and play wrong notes. I think I stumbled across the triads hidden within at some point (noodling on a clavinet) but had no idea what to do with the discovery 😅

[@DanielBarberMusic]

That’s one of the other (of the 3) diminished scales. The one Adam used in this video scrunches (technical , ha!) around the F, and the other one scrunches around the B. Fun to “see” these different shapes and how the visual and musical proportionalities work out. 🎹😊

[@jamiethesubtledeceiver1585]

you have one of the best mthods for teaching on here! love your work!!

[@cuoredibue4180]

I'm going to practice so hard on this stuff i'm going to melt myself.

[@JuroJanik]

Video production, content, humour, Rhodes, everything perfect!!! Thank you :)

[@DanielBarberMusic]

This is a great reframe for dim scales. Can’t wait to get home, shed and shred!

[@timbrundage3745]

Haha, right when I said... got it! Adam hits the side camera lol.

[@DuschOne]

6:28 last chord in triads list is Ab minor, but Ab mi aug (??) is wrong, or not?

[@86larsonrd]

This is a wonderful reference and resource. The tritone sound it releases is the best.

[@GoDrex]

6:50 sounds like something from ELP

[@rumpelRAINS]

The editing is great in this video.

[@tizianorosso3288]

I love how almost all your videos have UNISON ads 😂

[@StevesSlideandJazz]

While you are playing I am transposing to guitar!

[@philipphaberland4810]

dude the only thing that's melting is my brain from learning these

[@BrianKabalaMusic]

Absolutely loved this lesson Adam! And that Rhodes tone just wow

[@DarthCalculus]

The tones you demonstrated at 6:30 are used heavily in the later seasons of Star Trek deep space nine

[@d3a1990]

Impeccable explanation. So happy to have found your content

[@trabrex7697]

All I listen to is Coltrane. Dominant diminished.

[@lovejazzloverap]

That Rhodes is clipping audio folks

[@craigsproston7378]

Why when you resolve to Bb triad you play a G ?

[@unclesam6985]

playing G in the left hand for Bb major is a bad idea

[@houmm08]

You're a bloody genius mate

[@BrunoMigliari]

Very helpful insights! 🤘

[@rafaelevoramartorell]

Dope 🔥 video Adam! Thank you very much! BTW is it possible to make a deep dive into that Chick Corea face melt run his doing at the beginning of this video?

[@fabriquesound1274]

6his video is ammmmmmmmmmmmazing differ and 6here is pdf uf

[@lautaroortiz2891]

I thought inmediately on the Three Stooges.

[@arthurrosch5378]

PIANO LESSONS I have ten fingers. The piano has twelve notes plus octaves therefrom. I tell my fingers each day “land somewhere new. Somewhere you’ve never been. If it sounds good then lead me forward. IF it does not. We go again. Ten fingers. Twelve notes and octaves. Fingers: spread yourselves newly. Knuckle middle finger rise a bit. Good. Now…listen. OK? send five left fingers to the lowest octave teach them where they belong repeat the patterns repeat the patterns bring the fingers back up then throw them like dice at the keyboard let them fly repeat the patterns again repeat the patterns: over time my fingers know things, acquire sense and pitch before my ears know before my brain knows my fingers know. And, strange as it may sound, always listen to your fingers.

[@Toddobvious]

You lost me when you started to complain

[@miguellogistics984]

Dissonants, Extensions, Alternates OH! MY! Coltrane and Jimmy Page's Radioactive Solo, Tears for Fears Rule the World Solo... This is the STUFF right here. and the Term Melting Faces, I thought I was the only weird one saying such as that. Going from charting some 70 70's and 80's rock tunes into notes for myself in a matter of 3 weeks in 2009, which was a whole lot of major 6ths and 5th Pentatonics (Blues with and without Diminished 5ths), and then 5 years later working on 90's and 00's Rock it was so refreshing to run into sus2/9 (diminished 2nds) that were not mere passing tones. But chordal to the structure of the tunes. Stone Temple, Pilots Foo Fighters.... That explains the inherent darkness or emotional lethargy in the progressions and thus the tunes over all. But it was fun working with.

[@billboy3076]

Young Sir Most excellent from someone much older then you. You've got a very bright future. Thanks for sharing. Lol. One of the joys of music is that we can never know it all, but we can continue to learn forever. Smile. Sir Adam thank you.

[@momoruirui3518]

Hey Adam. Gracias por la explicación. Impresionante conceptualización. Por eso la universidad ahora es Universal.

[@markomarsenic8912]

11:08 wrong chords notated above the melody! sould be B7 F-7!

[@OpenStudioJazz]

We're super-imposing the shapes of a B triad and an F minor triad over an F7 chord.

[@bassmonk2920]

Open new doors and camera angles.....

[@Composer19691]

I love this channel!

[@MomLAU]

I like this, and I ordered a copy of the pdf...but I swear, if a person made a drinking game out of the phrase "face melting" or "melting faces", they'd be drunk before the video was 1/3 of the way thru. Enough already!

[@jaycielle]

Within 90 seconds, you both brought up & wonderfully explored a concept that so many people don't get - there's not two diminished scales, there's just one symmetrical-shape scale that adds context to the music that's there (technically 2 exist in 12TET A440 temperament, but the shape is always the same) People think of the dim scale like it's dissonant but it's more of a game-changer - nice major stuff becomes nightmare music, whereas the right dominant chord becomes heaven with I Every other scale becomes wildly different things when split into modes - do that with the dim scale and you just get the dim scale (same with whole tone btw)

[@jonasmartinsen3439]

I have always used the diminished scale as a pattern or diminished arpeggios, never knowing about the major triads. (Guitar player)

[@toddoliver168]

lol "no that is not easy-peasy, it's so boring" hahaha