This INSANE Technique Makes Keith Jarrett Untouchable

[@RickBeato]

Fantastic explanation and demonstration Pierre! 🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@pierrejpiscitelli]

🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@mrdavies7894]

Rick said it for me! Thanks, Rick! ❤

[@aerialcombat]

praise from Rick Beato!

[@kevinbush4300]

@aerialcombat Yup… I would feel better about myself just because I’ve watched a video that Rick has. But this IS a really good demonstration/explanation.

[@kipponi]

Rick made interview with Keith❤.

[@wae2kwick4u]

Polyrhythmic finger-drumming....percussive-harmonic-melodic gestalt.... improv exploratory open-ended meditations....What an inspiration and thanks for your timely reminder...every drummer-pianist should be doing it daily 🤩

[@radiokid2]

I did an interview with Keith for Jazz Times and asked him about the "impossible" things he did...he had coherent answer: he said that if your hearing (inner ear) was strong enough that your fingers wouldn't have to be searching and scuffling. That made sense because when my own hearing was really good on a given night, my fingers weren't "worried" about "how" to play. On bad nights, I was "trying" to play and "trying" and "succeeding" are mutually exclusive concepts. Ha!

[@pierrejpiscitelli]

That’s very insightful. Sounds like the flow from his brain to the fingers was really unrestricted.

[@tedl7538]

It sounds like the great advice in a long essay I downloaded about focus and flow in performance, which is essentially to not think about the mechanics of the process, but instead to "play the ideal music that's in your mind."

[@pureeschaap]

But all based on years and years of practicing, playing, listening et cetera. Only "flowing" isn't enough to produce such results as a Köln Concert, hell, even improvise it :)

[@DannyHood-j]

You’re searching for notes when your ‘inner ear’ isn’t working? Or is it from NOT being able to play the Melodie’s ‘you hear in your head’ fast enough? The best day of my life (at home I have to stop figure it out note for note in my head. Extra finesse, new way approachin a scale?. Seems impossible, As if you haven’t already played same thing ,upside down, backwards, sideways, 30 years hence

[@j.davidtaylor2565]

wise words from a wise man. When I use my ear I can play jazz. If I have to get cerebral too much then I get jammed up. No wonder Keith needs a quiet venue to play at his best

[@Archimusik]

Great video! I'm excited to stumble across this because I watched that very Keith Jarrett video about 2 years ago and commented on how amazing it is. Another commenter asked me to describe what was so unusual and this is what I posted: "Well, first of all, his ability to establish such a rhythmically dynamic ostinato and maintain it throughout the piece is incredible. Then he begins a simple harmonic riff that basically just oscillates between the tonic and dominant. Then he begins the melodic invention, at first diatonic - exploring the whole scale - then venturing into borrowed harmony, and then finally into a full use of chromaticism. Around the middle of the piece, his left hand and right hand completely diverge, as though two different pianists were playing together. That little harmonic refrain from the beginning returns periodically throughout the piece, as if to give the listener something to grab onto. And under all of this, that ostinato never wavers. Then, as if that wasn't enough, he brings the train into the station (so to speak) with a wonderful decrescendo of tempo, rhythm, and harmony, bringing it all to a perfectly satisfying conclusion. To think that this is all improvised, on the spot, is simply jaw-dropping to a classically trained musician like me. I don't particularly like jazz music and I certainly don't listen to it regularly. But some performers rise so high in their accomplishments that even those who don't follow that field can recognize and appreciate it. I place Keith Jarrett in that group, along with people like Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, Yo-Yo Ma, and perhaps Martha Argerich."

[@pierrejpiscitelli]

Very well said. Yes!

[@mybrucester858]

touche..Martha Argerich..well done musical explanation

[@Paroles_et_Musique]

I am classical pianist and can play easily most difficult things, but when I see that ostinato I feel humble, that would require dozens of hours of practice for one bar only. Great video, thanks a lot.

[@chrislinhares7311]

Keith Jarrett is transcendent. I cannot say that of any other jazz pianist.

[@methimpikehose]

I spent hours and hours many years ago trying to learn to improvise over that exact ostinato. A wonderful piece by Jarrett!

[@JesseMason]

Same! ❤

[@1masterfader]

Ostinato's appear to be related to Stride piano. I wouldn't be surprised if it derived from Stride. Stride, to me, is more difficult cause you are playing and Ostinato with the left along with chord changes. I love Keith but Art Tatum was a master at ostinatos and stride. Listen to Art Tatum play "Begin the Beguine". This is a serious ostinato with blistering piano lines. I believe Keith Jarrett would agree.

[@TimothyGondola]

I love that ostinato by Keith and have been practicing it for a while, thank you for the analysis!

[@PedroBroggini]

You are a talent as a speaker, teacher and musician. I loved this video!

[@pierrejpiscitelli]

Made my day. Thanks for the kind comments 🙏🏻

[@mimichaten]

In his interview, in 00s I guess, Keith said he even wanted to let his left hand play free. It's the time when he started to play shorter improvisations than an hour long ones. At the same time, Shostakovich influences were detected in his later solo piano concerts.

[@quogir1]

I think he's the only person who did Justice to shostakovich

[@JesseMason]

COMPLETELY agree. I listen to that encore AT LEAST once a week. Absolute bliss. 😊

[@epsisphal]

I like how calm and relaxing this video is.

[@pierrejpiscitelli]

That's the goal-- life is stressful enough!

[@persistence_of_vision]

Good points... the way I once heard it explained was "The left and right hand are not independent, they are INTERdependent." This is the most profound thing any music teacher ever said to me and I never forgot it.

[@pierrejpiscitelli]

Amazing. Great way to think of it!!

[@joostc4750]

Why is that so profound?

More Keith Jarrett content please!

[@TheKristijanFunaric]

Greatest living musician.

[@pierrejpiscitelli]

💯

[@victoza9232]

@TheKristijanFunaric You're certainly entitled to your opinion, but there is no one greatest musician.

[@j0pj0p]

Love it. KJ is indeed a legend and I hadn’t seen that performance of his before. Now that we’ve got the left hand down, I’m already looking forward to your next video where you will take us through how to play Keith’s RIGHT hand…

[@pierrejpiscitelli]

Ok maybe I’ll do that!

[@spiritwanderer777]

​@@pierrejpiscitelliI wouldn't, it would just be copying which while hard is doable. better to come up with your own music

[@pierrejpiscitelli]

​@@spiritwanderer777 That is eventually the goal. But, it's important to realize that we need to build up a "vocabulary" of things to say. Transcription of existing phrases is an amazing learning tool, and that "imitation" will eventually lead to "emulation." In other words, when learning a language, we have to read and understand existing works and vocabulary in order to eventually use language in our own original way. But yes, just sitting around and copying Keith's phrases all day without an end goal, wouldn't be the best idea!

[@KMPSA]

To me it’s his use of legato and non legato in bebop lines that gives him a very unique sound. Most jazz pianists only use non legato for bop lines.

[@richoneplanet7561]

'very difficult' ostinato - very well said - he blows my mind 👍🏼

[@GrotrianSeiler]

These are really good videos. Clear, and comprehensive, and not too long. Great

[@timbruer7318]

I've been aware of this ostinato for years, and this is really well explained. It's worth mentioning that the first version of it is on the Bremen and Lausanne concert album from 1973, and that version is more mind boggling than the "Last Solo" one by quite a large degree - it's a superhuman performance. Keith is a stunning musician.

[@pierrejpiscitelli]

I agree with you. I first heard it on the Bremen double album as well!

[@timbruer7318]

@@pierrejpiscitelli Great :) FYI in this bootleg, there's a small excerpt of it somewhere as well, so it seems maybe it evolved out of an improvisation. It wouldn't surprise me though, in a documentary he said the My Song was originally an improvisation....kzbin.info/www/bejne/mJvIZaOqp9Slis0

[@chartliner]

The first version of it was on a solo concert from 1972 in Europe as someone posted on here, the 73 version is more refined and he did it as an encore, so he must have practiced the 72 version which came about from improvising in his reverie, his altered state of consciousness, like a trance. He was doing live composing back then, playing something from nothing in front of an audience, Miles Davis asked how he did that. There has not been any other musician that did that as far as I know.

[@Tethysmeer]

Bach shall have improvised in church, people were crying. It may be a tale but I can imagine it to be true.

[@dizzyworldwide]

Yes, he played it a few times. I heard it in Antibes in 1978.

[@andydrucker7145]

I have to shout out Keith's ostinato + improv introduction to "What Is This Thing Called Love", on the Whisper Not album. It's my favorite jazz solo and was a rich subject for months of study and practice---which just made it seem even more amazing.

[@pierrejpiscitelli]

Oh yeah! I actually learned it back in college with one of my teachers! So good.

[@gerardandreani]

Thanks for this clear explanation of the Ostinato technique. I do definitely share the same view on the artist!

[@nikospielvogl]

aaahhh I love this ostinato by Keith Jarrett as well! So great that you picked this up, very well done 👍

[@pierrejpiscitelli]

Thanks for watching!! 🙏🏻

[@oselini]

Also the other Keith (Emerson) was pretty good at ostinato. Check out "Tarkus"

[@pierrejpiscitelli]

Tarkus is one of my all time favorites.

[@marckane179]

Really Great Teaching Pierre. I hope you get an opportunity to meet Keith in this life.

[@oboeviolin]

He lived next door to me at the Cabrillo Festival in California many years ago. I'm a wind player. Just loved hearing him practice. He worked so hard.

[@brandonzweiback1132]

I saw him live at Carnegie years ago. Wonderful, and I hope he recovers from his stroke symptoms.

[@pierrejpiscitelli]

Lucky you! I wish I had gone to see him...

[@mrnickderaiche]

One could create a left-hand ostinato and with the right hand work through Syncopation for the Modern Drummer, by Ted Reed. There are many rhythms and phrases there, all presented in a logical manner. I still use it for building independence as a drummer and I’ve been playing for over 30 years.

[@pierrejpiscitelli]

Totally!

[@ACE-sx8mo]

Well presented, your respect for Keith is heartfelt.

[@pierrejpiscitelli]

I really appreciate that 🙏🏻

[@Piak2517]

Thanks for the excellent explanations. I went to see his concerts twice, one solo and another with the band, back in the 80's while I was a student in the US. Still listening to his music today.

[@mikezooper]

Thank you! I’m struggling at piano 😂 Great to see talented people like yourself talk about people like Keith.

[@ukaykeys]

Congratulations, Pierre - you nailed it. It's funny, I thought about making a video about this issue years ago, too - but never did, so you took the burden from me 😂. Fact is that Keith usually is performing one or two ostinato based improvisations per concert - a huge reservoir! I use many of them just to noodle around in the morning or when teaching improvisation, and it's always a lot of fun!

[@pierrejpiscitelli]

Ha! Thanks for watching.

[@JilleneLuce]

Thank you so much for your link (above) to Keith Jarrett's Encore performance. I've been seeking this life-changing recording for ages! (lost my record collection decades ago)- and thank you too, for detailing the left hand of this amazing composition and teaching us the term "Ostinato" 🎶❤💃🏼

[@Anna-eu8px]

That sounded so beautiful! I’m an ‘on again off again’ intermediate senior. I’m tired of relearning pieces every couple of years, so this might be a nice model for playing. Just the effort looks like fun.

[@edgenovese]

Such a easy going pace to explain this. What you know and how you bring light to is so refreshing. Clear and so well spoken... you have a true gift for teaching. Do you? Thanks very much for this. One of the most enjoyable Vids I've seen yet. And I'm Picky! all the best.

[@pierrejpiscitelli]

That’s very kind of you. Thanks for watching! 🙏🏻

[@dino2400]

I listen to the Koln Concert many times per year, I think already 35 years long. It never ceases to amaze me. But I must confess, your explanation now of his obstinato techniques suddenly makes a LOT of sense. I also watched the 5 minutes of Tokyo. Indeed incredible. What an amazing technical musician. Thanks for explaining !!

[@jelk1188]

Technique aside, the sheer volume of inspired music he has created makes him a genuine, undisputed musical genius. It has been a pleasure and a privilege to follow his works and I know my life has been better for it. Thanks for the wonderful dissection.

[@wyattoutlaw2370]

Koln Concert part 2C always brings a tear to my eye.. simply because it is so beautiful. He is masterful.

[@ThierryPianoSolo]

Thank you so much for talking about Keith Jarrett and analysis his work (I hope there will be other videos). I work on a lot of transcriptions with audio as a support. This is invaluable musical material. I read in an interview with Keith Jarrett that he considered himself a workaholic. I think that in addition to his innate talent, there is a huge amount of work behind it, which few people imagine (to reach this level). Just subscribed to your channel ✓

[@pierrejpiscitelli]

Yes, I think that both are often true in the case of artists such as Keith. Absurd natural talent PLUS a great work ethic. Thanks for watching!!

[@chrisc5029]

this is exactly the piece i was thinking of when you asked the question. i remember when i first heard this (from the concert record), i thought: how can he get that much INDPENDENCE in his right hand? i had never heard anything like it before, nor have i heard anything like it since. it is like he has two minds. incredible.

[@cccguzman]

Your demonstration of Keith Jarret's ostinato was excellent, and immediately led to a breakthrough in my improvisation. It will, of course, take a lot of practice to perfect, but the difference melodically was immediate. Thank you.

[@skattman11]

Hi Pierre...nice explanation of ostinatos...i ve learned a great ostinato when i began...It s from Emerson 's TARKUS...do you know this Band?? Emerson Lake & Palmer...😊

[@pierrejpiscitelli]

I've listened to Tarkus and Brain Salad Surgery more times than I can remember!

[@sonicairmusic]

You’re a very impressive pianist Pierre! I myself grew up listening and learning a lot of rock&roll music, as my dad used to play licks & rhythms on the guitar, then ask me to repeat them on piano. It was so difficult, however I’m so very grateful for the hours he spent coaching me. I now am a very experienced and accomplished Blues/Boogie pianist and very much interested in learning more jazz piano. Studying the greats is so useful. I am a huge Elton fan and also adore Dr John’s New Orleans style - RIP bless his soul!! Thank you for your videos! Have a great weekend mate.

[@pierrejpiscitelli]

Thanks very much!

[@luisuriashermosillo6804]

I met Keith in 1966 at Slugs in NYC. He was playing then with Youseff Latiff. In one if his solos, he started playing the strings directly Witherspoon his fingers. I really liked that! That year, I also met John Cage's great pianist, and we talked long, with humor, about forms of producing sounds, beyond music. I talked to Keith after they finished pkaying, recognizing that he was incredible in letting his hands and whole body just express all the sounds that he, lets say, contained. He was clearly a very natural person, no ego in between him and his works. A great natural plentiful person can not but be a plentiful high quality works creator. You learn with your mind but you do directly with you body, with all you integrated in your life vital experiences. The more you walk around in all kinds of ways, run, jump, dance, the more you dominate your body and will be able to do amazing things, for a sofa kid, always just sitting, watching and thinking, believing thinking and reasoning is the most. The place, Slug's, was named after an expression by Gurdjieff saying that humans are false coins, fake money, slugs. Hope Keith is content, with his best health and times with all conscience in eternity, as he always is being, bringing us panoramas of his strolls around. A huge embrace!!! 🙏🤗🌟🤗🙏 A Mexican in the North. 🙏

[@alcorton]

Your explanation is a real "eureka" peak point. Thanks Pierre. I believe that Keith is like a miracle,. In boilogy called sometimes a "singularity" . Too much for us, but an eternal nourishing source for all the musicians.

[@EixtremeDrummer]

I never heard something similar to Keith playing piano. Thank you!

[@blakeangelos]

Keith's solo on that is so amazing. How he cleanly hold LH ostinatos is so remarkable. Great video Pierre.

[@gerardosantiago9317]

Man you explained it in such an amaazing way. Congratulations and greetings from Madrid, Spain.

[@mi16chap]

I have recently started playing and have been following your Van Halen jump tutorial and was struggling to get the left hand moving at an independent rhythm to the right. Nicely timed video for me, will definitely look at this as practice and take a break from Jump!

[@pierrejpiscitelli]

Great to hear and hope it's helpful!

[@brettmatthews8061]

I've always loved that technique. Thanks for helping me name it!

[@Michel-r6m]

The story behind the Köln Concert is just awesome! Knew the album since the 80's but back then it wasn't my cup of coffee. Watching a brief documentairy got my interest and bought it shortly after 😎

[@enricomarconi8358]

I couldn't agree with you more Pierre! That clip is an encore that he does from time to time, and he's incredible. According to Keith he doesn't practice improvisation... but he's Keith. In the recording that you mentioned (the Köln Concert) you'll hear some laughing at the beginning (and a small microphone issue) that is as Keith took the signal that the concert hall had to tell the audience that the concert was about to start which he turned into the opening theme of Part I. Bravissimo Pierre!

[@pierrejpiscitelli]

So cool. And it was also the wrong piano! But the bright quality of that inferior instrument brought out a lot of great music.

[@SergeBach]

Bonjour Pierre - Very good explanation ! Thanks you very much for sharing it ! Have a great joy of creating in music and life ! Serge

[@SergeBach]

Thank you very much for your answer ! "Music gives wings to the spirit" (have said Platon) - This is true !

[@musamor75]

This is really an informative short tuto. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@ElektroHornz]

You're great Pierre! I'm happy to run across your channel today. I share your love of the piano and of master Keith Jarrett. Thank You!

[@pierrejpiscitelli]

🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@CSMtheMariner]

I just heard the Koln concert for the first time. Amazing performance and incredible back story !

[@cuorefelino]

I remember Glenn Gould saying in an interview that he trained himself to be able to separate the mechanics of the left hand from the music flow by playing the left hand part while listening to music on radio at high volume.

[@JoshWalshMusic]

Love this. Fantastic demonstration.

[@pierrejpiscitelli]

Thanks for watching!

[@hathouses]

Loved this video! So many music related videos are just clickbait, overtly long, or stuff ive heard before. This was great, mad interesting and a breath of fresh air

[@matthiasebbing8085]

Well explained! I teach piano (and percussion) for more than thirty years. You are a great teacher! 🙂

[@gerry30]

I would've thought you were going to say Keith's ability to improvise counterpoint. While not on the same level of harmonic complexity, I would say that despite people looking down their noses, George Winston (self-proclaimed as not a jazz musician) was pretty amazing in the category of ostinato left hand while improvising in the right hand. His versions of Holly and the Ivy and his original pieces, Hummingbird, Colors/Dance, February Sea and others by their machine-like and unrelenting character would probably be a good stepping stone towards Jarrett's use of the technique. Then on the classical side you have the Passacaglia of Leopold Godowsky.

[@GiovanniAloiArtifact]

Amazing video -- thanks for the great work. I love Keith Jarrett. This video helps me to better understand the complexity of his compositions.

[@pierrejpiscitelli]

Thanks for watching!! 🙏🏻

[@PeterPoppe-x2z]

Absolute great how you explain this. I’ve been trying to play Keith Jarret since I was 10. Very interesting how this is shown!!

[@pierrejpiscitelli]

Thanks for watching!

[@st_beil]

Große Klasse ... heute und hier habe ich mehr gelernt als in vielen anderen Klavierstunden. Danke Danke Danke

[@atassano2001]

Thank you so much Pierre. I knew that Jarret was so good. But I didnt know, I could appreciate the beauty of his interpretations, but didnt know what is it. Now its perfect! Thanks again!!

[@Dr.FrancescoAmicoPhD]

Brilliant explanation and eloquently put concepts

[@TheMusikpoet]

I agree with you, one of the greatest musicians of our time. Thanks for the very interesting video. I bought the Köln Concert on LP twice in a row because I heard it so often. I can't believe he improvised it all, it's great. Good music will survive any time... I'm very happy to subscribe to your channel... thank you

[@pierrejpiscitelli]

Thank you for watching!

[@LouisWaltersSouthAfrica]

Great video, thank you. It is a lesson for every teacher out there, classical, jazz or otherwise.

[@lucbeaugrand]

Technique is one tool to express yourself and many pianists are gifted, Yuja Wang, Martha Argerich,Lang Lang, Keith Jarrett,Brad Meldhau,Chick Corea,Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson and others. In the case of Keith Jarrett is forte is the lyrical playing using ears only and no preconceived pattern except from melodic phrases took from romantic era ,( he did played all the bebop languages at early age and with is trio Jazz standard). Jarrett was also the only pianist being able to play like Ornette Coleman. Try the exercise: On a Cmin chord play only C D Eb F G B ( avoid A or Ab) and do anything and it will by ear reach a pendulum of melodic Cm G7 Cm G7. Try it on reverse cycle of fiths ( Cmin Gmin Dmin Amin etc…) My point is you can’t only explain is genius by his only ability to play ostinato ( Meldhau is far way out now ) Jarrett improvisation is a mixture of Rachmaninov-Ornette Coleman- Bud Powell for the diatonic playing. Jarrett is the Glen Gould of jazz. Lyrical voice to a musical phrase. Corea was the Picasso cubist pianist Meldhau is the Jackson Pollock of the piano with a pop rhythm like a drummer in 16th 32th rythmes.

[@mattpiet239]

You had me until you compared Mehldau to Jackson Pollock. I don’t understand that comparison.

[@lucbeaugrand]

@@mattpiet239 I am talking about the outside playing ( bebop Powell Triton sub, Coltrane’s changes, Brecker post Coltrane outside playing , Steve Grossman modalism outside playing,Corea diminished scales outside playing, Marsalis triads outside playing,Mike stern bebop outside playing, Hancock -Davis outside playing ,Garbarek chromatic outside playing and at last in the spectrum you have Meldhau with a very stretchy outside playing using something descending runs made of 3 augmented scales divided by a chromatic connector. As Jarrett and mostly in this ostinato in F he is playing with mostly modal interchange to be able to play outside F major to F locrian F mixo to F aeolian etc … As the early Corea with holland and atschul is free jazz is still mathematically constructed as opposed to Paul Bley, Cecil Taylor or Anthony Braxton . From Kandinsky to pollock in painting.

[@davidsheriff9274]

​@@lucbeaugrandJackson Pollock loved jazz,he used to listen to it while he painted, but interestingly enough,he was mainly into dixieland and swing era big bands. I would have thought that he would be all about bebop considering where he was coming from artistically.

[@chartliner]

I heard Keith in Vancouver in June 1974 improvise solo piano, it was mind blowing (Vancouver Sun Jazz critic Bob Smith wrote the same thing then), a religious experience, extremely high energy with thick gospel chords. Another Piano teacher on youtube went further, he said that KJ was the greatest pianist of the recorded era. That particular piece you demonstrated from the Bremen Lausanne album was a more refined version of an earlier improvisation from 1972 in Europe as someone posted below though. Back in the 70's Keith admitted to his brother Scott (guitar player and singer that made an album with Keith) according to my friend Nels Guloien who was his drummer that there were other pianists that were better than him, but Keith did get more and more technical as the years went by although his most creative time may have been the 70's. Rick Beato posted this as the most beautiful 2 minutes of music (the energy is comparable with the Vancouver concert of 1974)... kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZnPKiXZ6qtaNrK8

[@DamienSawyer]

Damn. That linked video is one of the most incredible things I've ever seen. I was literally speechless for 10 minutes.

[@TrazomGV]

Very instructive and useful video! You have very nice approach and motivating way of presentation, moved by your personal love for good sounding music. Congrats!

[@pierrejpiscitelli]

Thanks so much! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@ntandoscrayonbox]

The video you're referring to was probably one of my first K Jarret introductions... most probably my first conscious introduction to ostinatos.

[@vivifalabella]

Great point Peter! I loved your explanation as well.

[@JohnParadise-xj1mi]

What about Ray Manzarek of the Doors? Playing the Doors Bass lines with his left hand? I don’t know if Ray was playing ostinatos. But this made me think of Ray. Although he may not be way up there in the jazz/keyboard pantheon. He was pretty amazing, and made some enjoyable music.

[@pierrejpiscitelli]

He was great! I don't see any of this as a "ranking" system. Ray was amazing, Keith was amazing, and Chick Corea was amazing too! Keith and Ray are very different musicians, but both wonderful in their own ways.

[@JohnParadise-xj1mi]

@@pierrejpiscitelli Yes, I don’t consider it ranking system either. But, you don’t usually hear people talking about Ray Manzarek, and I think he deserves some attention. But I knew you would appreciate him. ❤️ You should do a video on Ray! How does he make that rain-like sound on Riders on the Storm, for those of us keyboard beginners. That’s probably an easy one for you guys.

[@calcairecamhi]

Yeaaah would be great to find, or ask them directly, how they did learn interdepence !

[@Dabaiko]

Amazing explanation, this is one of the many reasons I love Keith Jarrett! I think maybe he perceives the left ostinatos as a percussion thing

[@paulwhetstone0473]

Nice ostinato tutorial and info about Keith. I noticed it’s a lot easier to sustain your first ostinato by leaving out the final eighth note on bass C. The same goes for Keith’s ostinato by leaving out the final barred sixteen notes. As far as practice goes, I would start playing very slowly with a METRONONE and very gradually build up speed. You might give Simeon ten Holt’s Canto Ostinato a listen. Jeroen van Veen’s solo piano recording is a masterpiece.

[@mybrucester858]

i so agree Pierre..you made me think of his amazing rendition of Summertime which has some ostinatos going with left and lesser degree with right carrying rhythms of a bass & drummer all in one..would love to see a sheet music of that some day as my ear has difficulty picking up all the nuances..jusy adore that piece..thanks for sharing the greatness of KJ

[@SevdalijaDamir]

Great video! I haven't heard of Keith Jarrett before, but now I have a perfect excuse to discover him. Thanks! One correction - some people do learn one hand, then the other, then smash it all together. I learn new pieces that way, as I have never been able to sight-read the piano stave, despite graduating music.

[@jakereosti]

I find that I find a lot of freedom quickly when you also add in continuous dotted eighth notes into the rhythm practice with the ostinato - and also dotted quarter notes. Like a 4:3 and 3:2 polyrhythm.

[@sergiosaraceni2633]

Congratulations from Rio de Janeiro, Pierre!! I will follow you!!

[@pierrejpiscitelli]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@jennifer86010]

For me, it was not Keith's left hand rhythmic accompaniment. It was his left hand harmony. The amazing chords of his left hand, created a huge variety of emotions, from dark mysterious and foreboding intrigue, to heartbreaking and touching love and sentiment. Often, Keith would only play only two or three notes in his left hand, yet they were just the right notes to evoke profound emotion. As a jazz pianist, I am still trying to figure out and find those magical notes Keith played, which evoked so many deep and profound emotions in me..

[@pierrejpiscitelli]

Part of the magic was that Keith created beauty with and without harmonic complexity. Some of his best moments are lush meanderings of giant, gorgeous triads! Always amazed me.

[@cyberoptic5757]

The keyboard players I performed with in the past, typically had a small repertoire of 1 or 2-bar ostenatos but could use them in multiple keys. Nothing like Jarrett. Great video

[@pierrejpiscitelli]

It’s really hard and takes practice! Thanks for watching.

[@louise_rose]

Big Keith fan here, even though I was a bit late to discover him - I really only picked up on him around 2000 when I was around thirty (I grew up both listening to rock and soul and within the classical music community, and from around the late 90s began taking an increased interest in jazz). He is such a multi-faceted artist, really a kind of renaissance man when you consider the wealth of genres, groups and bands he has been involved with. :) One thing I would have loved to see from him is - a recording of Beethoven's final piano sonata, no.32 in C minor. The luminous second movement prefigures jazz piano (or ragtime) in the famous fourth variation, and its open-ended expansion of the piano as an instrument also seems to presage some aspects of Jarrett's music (or Messiaen and Prokofiev too, for that matter). I have a couple different recordings of it with different iconic pianists, from Brendel and Arrau to Mitsuko Uchida, and would have liked to see how Keith would have played it. :)

[@muziko]

That’s my favorite type of improv, over a vamp of some sort. Keith does many other things as well but that particular style is quite impressive just to witness. His early straight ahead stuff is equally amazing.he’s in it fully 100% in the moment. I love his album Facing You.

[@pierrejpiscitelli]

Me too! Amazing album.

[@MorganBouldin]

I agree wholeheartedly with your viewpoint, I have always felt this way. I know there are gods of the piano, but can you imagine any of them (Art Tatum, O.P., Bill Evans, Bud Powell etc) being able to perform these difficult ostinato passages along with seemingly impossible right-hand improvisations And while vocally scatting .....I get blown away just thinking about it. Oh Pierre I almost forgot, how does he do it while standing and seemingly never holding down the sustain pedal. Great post, great observations!

[@eivindlvdal7207]

Best video I’ve seen in a long while. Thanks! 🙏

[@pierrejpiscitelli]

Wow, thanks!! 🙏🏻

[@lesliebush3095]

Very nice video Pierre! Thank you.I have a request-Could you please do a video on how a beginner improvisor on the piano could use voice leading to improvise! Thank you

[@pierrejpiscitelli]

Great suggestion! I plan on doing some improvisation videos in the future :)

[@michaelnickelmusic]

The song is you - Live in Philharmonie, Munich, 1986 - Please listen to the first 70 seconds … never heard such an piano intro. It remembers me on your Ostinato explanation.

[@GregHarradineComposer]

His ostinato technique is just out of this world isn't it! Great video, thanks Pierre!

[@paulvillarreal1588]

Wonderful stuff. No doubt. For me personally, I’ve seen both Hiromi and Chucho Valdes do equally or more mind blowing things… just speaking to what resonates with my soul. Not here to be “competition” guy.

[@pierrejpiscitelli]

Both amazing and inspiring artists in their own right!

[@jeffstao4617]

if you are drummer Before being pianist this is quite natural, this is the music you tend to do, i love Keith ,i love this video 👍

[@casuEye]

Thanks. Your explanation is illuminating.

[@minnyh]

Great stuff very inspiring! Love the tone on your keyboard too.

[@pierrejpiscitelli]

Thanks!!

[@DelaneyStudios]

please what presentation software are you using with the on screen music and lit keys and actual keyboard, how many camera's I appreciate this. tu.

[@DelaneyStudios]

Also, what about Art Tatum :) I absolutely appreciate Keith J.

[@humblerambler]

Great exercise to practice! Solo left hand doesn't feel that hard but it takes so much attention and adding right hand is a quite challenging for me. Hope few more hours will make left hand more independent.

[@BornIntoThis20]

Nice video! When you said Jarrett + ostinato I immediatly thought of this concert you linked ❤ I think when you're the one coming with your own ostinato ideas / improv it's always easier to play and sync both hands at speed than when trying to reproduce one from another pianist, but I guess that's kind of obvious!

[@pierrejpiscitelli]

I think it's difficult no matter what as you are learning that interdependence wether or not you composed the obstinato 🤣

[@BornIntoThis20]

@@pierrejpiscitelli Obstinacy makes for a good obstinato hehe

[@calcairecamhi]

Well yes, in my experience, my own ostinatos are based on interdependent patterns that I'm already mastering, especially if I'm doing it while improvising :)

[@thomasnuesch6016]

Thanks Pierre, this ostinato is beautiful and really very hard to improvise on it, I worked also on it. I usually go even one step back with my students and even when I practice something so hard. Before I play different notes in the right hand, I play just whole-, half-, quarter-, eightnotes etc. Then I play for ex. One quarternote two eightnotes until I can mix different rhythms on just one note, then I proceed as you do..

[@pierrejpiscitelli]

Exactly! That's the way to do it.

[@mogglie]

5:02 as a lifelong amateur drummer I approve this message. Once all the rhythms become one dance you rock it. Like learning to walk takes a coordination of like 200 muscles. But then you get it into me movement and all of a sudden you just express yourself.