What You Need to Know About Reading Lead Sheets

[@HctrByn]

I found this excercise quite challenging. More than some other music that I have learned by memory. Because if you think about it, learning by memory is actually quite easy. You just memorize the score and you got it. In this case you are making decisions while you are playing...I definitely have to practice way more my 7 chords. Thanks for sharing!

[@knish69]

I would liken the brilliance of this lesson to a book written by legendary jazz drummer Sonny Igoe named "Get Your Fills Together". Yes this stuff is complex, but when you explain the meat of the subject matter, there is an underlying simplicity that gets uncovered, helping newbies like me to grab on and start practicing in the right direction. Thank you so much.

[@pesto12601]

Hey - just wanted to let you know... watched this video in 2015 when it came out... it is now 2019 and I can FINALLY play it comfortably! Now - ready to move on to your next video from 2015... ;-)

[@PianoGroove]

congratulations :-)

[@pesto12601]

@愚かなパンダ Yup!

[@sebastiannicolassantibanez7277]

let us know if you mastered the next video

[@Felsopk]

Ahahaha I watched this video just when was released but never practice, so now I am at the start

[@TheLordleeon]

Out of all online jazz tutorials here in yt, you're the best by far! Even a beginner like me was able to understand the details. Thanks!

[@PianoGroove]

Thanks Leo. You might like more of Hayden's lessons. There's lots of free ones here: www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/ - click into the various courses and anything without the padlock sign is free to access. Cheers, PianoGroove

[@bobbyholmes743]

I’m a Bassplayer and I do understand the importance of the Bassplayer practicing with the use of the piano but I was looking for something else on my lab top and found you, I’m glad I found you enough said 😊

[@petecypriot]

I just wanted to add my thanks to all the others. I have finally got to the end with a lot of practice and now feel ready to play this fabulous melody with your chord patterns. Ready to improvise and take on the entire tune. Beautiful.

[@jillytiffen6305]

I love the calm & clear way in which you explain things! 👏👏👌Need to find your 251 chord video first to start I think..but I love your arrangements..Particularly your ‘Autumn leaves’ covered in another video! My favourite but a little too challenging for me just yet! Thanks for helping us all! 😁👍

[@dannuttle9005]

I have learned a lot from this channel, but it was this video more than any other that combined knowledge gained with pure joy in learning to play a song. I have still not conquered the advanced voicings and have much work left to do, but I'm over the hump. That is what led me to go ahead and pay for a year's subscription to the site. A year from now, I know that I will have at least the 8 beginner jazz ballads under my fingers, hopefully much more. The dollar price is trivial in comparison for what I will get.

[@jonathanbishop6461]

YOU ARE AMAZING! YOU HAVE A MAJOR TEACHING GIFT!

[@PianoGroove]

+Jonathen Bishop Thanks Jonathen - Awesome.... glad top hear you enjoyed the lesson. You can find more free lessons here if you are interested: bit.ly/get-5-free-lessons Cheers, PianoGroove

[@tadeofanti5795]

Appreciate video content! Excuse me for chiming in, I am interested in your opinion. Have you heard the talk about - Riddleagan Smart Hands Remedy (erm, check it on google should be there)? It is an awesome one of a kind guide for learning piano fast without the hard work. Ive heard some incredible things about it and my friend Sam after a lifetime of fighting got great results with it.

[@Benny-hq2bk]

Great Video clip! Apologies for the intrusion, I am interested in your initial thoughts. Have you heard the talk about - Riddleagan Smart Hands Remedy (search on google)? It is a smashing one of a kind product for learning piano fast minus the headache. Ive heard some decent things about it and my friend got great success with it.

[@gogoteca]

Is it a Major teaching gift 7th?

[@colour2690]

This was great, been searching for "piano sheet music chords" for a while now, and I think this has helped. Have you ever come across - Nonason Ranincoln Genie - (Have a quick look on google cant remember the place now )? It is a great one off guide for discovering how to play the piano like a pro minus the hard work. Ive heard some interesting things about it and my partner got excellent results with it.

[@StreetArtistsOfTheWorld]

Learning so much! Thanks! How do you practice your chords that you can so easily build them in the left hand?

[@kaiklasher]

i just searched "lead sheet" in hopes to find something new i can learn. i definitely learned something new today!! thank you!

[@stevebhowanee164]

Mr Piano Groove your lessons are above excellence.

[@christophermball]

Forgive me as I come from a classical background, when you called out around the 3:30 mark "this looks like a 2-5-1 progression", that initially caught me by surprise since the key signature indicates C major and the chords in question weren't in that key (but rather in reference to the key of D major ). Since you identified additional 2-5-1 progressions that followed in other keys, it seems like the key signature doesn't really help as much in identifying chord progressions. Would you say this is true / typical? P.S. I've placed an order for your book recommendation - thanks!

[@pesto12601]

@Spanish Moustache i asked the same thing yesterday... and his reply was spot on - in jazz - throw out the rules and allow for some "flexibility".... you don't need to play all the notes in the provided chord... and often, chords are modified with augments and addon notes. lifetime of learning!!

[@rtucker1955]

Thank You! the extensions give the tune that special feel that soothes the soul.

[@RSTAR2009]

You are a great jazz piano tutor and I thank you.

[@PianoGroove]

+Ramon LeBlanc Harts Thanks Ramon. I'm glad you found the lesson useful. Cheers, PianoGroove.

[@keyofbrink810]

This is an amazing lesson for beginners. Even intermediates and advanced players can learn something from it. Your explanation and presentation is on point!! Thank you

[@PianoGroove]

That's awesome thanks for the comment.... glad to hear it's so useful to so many people. If you're interested in more lessons, you can sign up to get 5 exclusive ones here: bit.ly/get-5-free-lessons - they cover jazz standards, chords, voicings and improvisation :-) Cheers, PianoGroove

[@SimonFreston]

So great! Coming from a classical background I was doing exactly what you pointed out at the beginning and wondering why there was no jazz in the songs. Time to learn some new chord voicings

[@davesax11]

The other comments mirror my impression watching this for the first time. We all feel like beginners and a bit overwhelmed @ improvising or pulling it together, and this video opens up the secret pathway. The tune is interesting, not a beaten up war horse, and we see the process - even tho we know it will take much time to work through the steps to get there. But once we push through, we will be on the way - hopefully.....

[@beadyr4810]

Your video was very helpful. Shows how to play the melody over the chord. Thanks for sharing

[@caponataecazzilli]

THANKS SO MUCH! You're a very talented teacher! And this lesson gives me the desire to learn jazz piano! And I'll do! :-)

[@mannisle6751]

Absolutely perfect lesson! Thank you so very much!

[@hongyuan6073]

Thank you so much! This video opens the door for me, and I will learn to play jazz piano!

[@bengokie]

I've been looking for a lesson that can help me apply chord Voicing, 2-5-1, or whatever I practice to a lead sheet. Which note I should play on LH, which on RH to make them go together smoothly. Hardly anybody show me how or they are too difficult to follow. Finally, I found this one very helpful. Thank you so much.

[@PianoGroove]

+Beng OK Hi Beng, no problem. Check out the other free jazz standard lessons for more challenging tunes: bit.ly/jazz-piano-lessons Cheers, PianoGroove.

[@saadalhumaid8043]

Learning the piano from last week only and watching your video is totally changing the way i should be reading music sheets Thank you so much

[@C4rps]

Great explanation, really enjoying learning this

[@Niffie]

omg I LOVE THIS PROGRESSION SOOOOO MUCH!!!! THANK YOU!!!!111

[@alexpianoplayer15]

3:36 If I understand correctly, the basic A7=A(C#)EG; A9=A(C#)EGH; A13=A(C#)EGF, if we alter at will F into F# we have A13=A(C#)EG(F#). So, it could be A7 which includes A G B(H) C# and F# that we take from A7,A9 and A13 in the way we want it, right?

[@dannuttle9005]

Another mind-shatteringly great tutorial.

[@gogoteca]

This is amazing, you should really do more videos on lead sheets!

[@Socialstigma7]

Great lesson!

[@tantiftantif7453]

You explain things so well. Thank you.

[@Blank-zn2zk]

I watched Whiplash half an hour ago and I'm really interested in Jazz now lol

[@EmotionalUnknown0202]

Got interested to get scold by your Music Teacher?

[@VietNguyen-xg7od]

I feel so lucky to find such helpful tutorial!! Thanks a lot!! Anyway, about the A7 chord at the very last of the tutorial, you said you flat the 9th and the 13th. What is the theory behind this? Could you explain a little bit more when should we use it please?

[@PianoGroove]

+Thành Phạm Hi Thanh, Yes this is an altered dominant chord. Possible alterations include b9, #9, #11 and b13. You can add alterations to any dominant chord to create more tension. Check out this lesson for more information: bit.ly/altered-251s Cheers, PianoGroove

[@skaterhugs1147]

YES! I can finally play boondocks sounding jazz chords! Thank you!

[@miguelcasadoalvaro990]

Thanks a lot for sharing!! It was super useful!! What about the 5ths?? I've seen that sometimes they seem to be avoided in the voicings... What must be done with them?

[@adctm]

Same doubt here! Where did the 5ths go?? Please tell me if you have figured it out! edit: found come useful explanation: "Jazz harmonies often contain many notes, thanks to the common practice of extending the harmonies. Oftentimes, it is not desirable that all these notes be given equal weight in your voicing. It’s common to omit some notes when voicing these extended harmonies. The most common note to omit is the fifth of the chord. Because the 5th is an early pitch in the harmonic series (partial 3), it tends to strengthen the root of the chord without adding much character on its own." viva.pressbooks.pub/openmusictheory/chapter/jazz-voicings/

[@EM-qw7bj]

The fifth is the least important note in the chord , to piggyback on what Matheus said. The root is, well, the root! The third is necessary because it helps you distinguish Major from minor. And the seventh is what makes the chord a seven chord.

[@norakat]

At 3:37, you say A7 and play a chord, but the chord does not have the note E, and you have a Gb which is not part of an A7 chord. Also the first chord Em7, you are playing a 9th.

[@AAnilSahin]

Thank you very much for this. I moved over to jazz (from electronica pop) five years ago. But, I still have the problem that my playing still sounds like 'pop' and not jazz. With your help, I believe I will overcome this.

[@PianoGroove]

Hey Anil, my pleasure, glad you're finding the lessons useful. After this lesson I would recommend watching the lesson on Tenderly: www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/tenderly-jazz-standard/ - All the best, PianoGroove

[@andrewwright6893]

Brilliant lesson. If this is the easy stuff blimey haha. Great for a beginner jazz pianist. Nice one

[@pierresaintdaniel300]

You are very good professional

[@faqtum]

Very interesting! Thank you

[@guntursuryamdorl7670]

finally this video tell me what 251 means.. simple and informative..

[@n4t4nya]

how do you know what voicings to use

[@joshzing3937]

Strawberry you don't

[@EdwardMHadro]

Strawbe

[@curlymyhero]

As a classical/jazz pianist I learned that jazz is always additional notes above the tonic chord. In Miles piece here the A note doesn't resolve down to the G but begins as E11, with the scale note of F# added. In the next measure the Eflat is a flat 5th in the A major scale which resolves up to the 5th. The 3rd measure goes straight to D major 7th. Meaning this song is in key of D.

[@antonmakhatilov8008]

thanks. very clear lesson. I will start it immediatly

[@SimplyBmcHD]

Thanks for this, immensely helpful for someone looking to get into Jazz piano. One question, why does P.C in the real book look so different in the real book to how it’s played? In the book it just says 1 chord for four bars at the start but plays very differently

[@arsenewonger]

Great lesson thanks - is it important that the melody is always on top of the chord? Would you ever play it inside the chord?

[@jedzulaybar8761]

Thank you kind sir. Your videos help alot. If I could request a video, can you make one on properly interpreting a jazz-blues piece for solo piano. Thanks!

[@josephinebrown6631]

Thank you kindly.

[@gnarlicbread5140]

@PianoGroove Hey man,I've always wondered what are the chords in the intro? Thanks in advance!

[@StratosFair]

Yo, so I just finished learning this (without the chords extensions) and I'm wondering, as this is the first jazz standard I try to learn : how do I go from being able to play what you teach in this video to being able to play what's being played in the recording ? For instance if I want to improvise do I just loop over the progression with my left and play appropriate lines with my right ? Should I learn the walking bassline ? Any tips would be helpful, thanks

[@donnielessnau2643]

Well done. Thanks. What does it mean when you see this? Dm-7 / G9 sus 4-3?

[@just-groove-it-records]

Thank you for your time and effort; I'm just getting back to be serious with sheet music & theory and this is great work!

[@Addersea]

This is some really good explanation. But, it seemed to skip from 1 minute of reading lead sheets to outright discussing the basics of voice leading and chord voicings. That's past beginner, friend 😛 There are also a lot of assumptions in the tutorial - 'That didn't sound very Jazzy' to you, but to a beginner, it absolutely would. You also say 'Melody in the right hand, chords in the left', then immediately jump to voicing chords between both hands, which again, pretty intermediate. And that's BEFORE we get to the extended voicings!!!!! I'm sure you've learned a lot in 7 years, but feeding back to say I hope remembering *how* advanced you are is one of them! 🙂 That's not a bad thing at all, of course! It's just to say that differentiation as a teacher is important to develop and keep in mind in every lesson. I'm here as a jazz drummer but classical percussionist, with a couple of music degrees, revising my harmonic basics so I can start to learn jazz playing on Vibes/marimba. So for me, I have to say, cool tutorial! I understood it, information was clear, and the demonstrations were great. These bits will be a bit tricky to develop, but this will be really helpful for me in a few more weeks 😄 (BUT, that's why my feedback is highlighting that this isn't really beginner level! Hahahaha. Please take it as constructive, not an insult, and again I acknowledge a lot changes in 7 years anyway!)

[@raffysanjose04]

hey man, the thing is..II wanted to learn how to read notes, however I got so tired midway and just end up coyipng what you're doinf based on your fingers hahahhhahhaha cheers mate! my first time to try piano and I appreciate it more!

[@javiermrcomparte]

muchas gracias.Bendiciones

[@hallvardjrgensen2452]

Great lesson. Thank you very much!!

[@joseamellamatosmellamatos4594]

The Best piano Man in the class. Sacalabailar Joe mella de éste lado del éste

[@J-Rawls]

Fantastic lesson. Thank you so much!

[@cesaramaralofficial]

Is there a reason why you call the notes Db and Gb instead of C# and F#? That’s a little confusing

[@cortinasin4525]

Thanks. I am a beginner and it helps a lot.

[@BassF1sh1nCat]

Brilliantly explained,thank you !!!

[@Nootlest]

Hey :) hope you can answer here. I have the Berkeley jazz standards book and while they have sheet music similar to what I see in the video, they also have a bass clef. How do you read it then?

[@lucysunbeam1332]

First thanks so much for these videos! I’m wondering why your lead sheet is different than mine. I also have The Real Book Sixth Edition but Tune Up is on page 418 in my book. The melody and the chord changes are also slightly different. I don’t get it. Any ideas why this would be?

[@azersamaali2016]

Appreciate Video! Excuse me for the intrusion, I am interested in your initial thoughts. Have you ever tried - Riddleagan Smart Hands Remedy (Sure I saw it on Google)? It is a smashing one of a kind product for learning piano fast without the hard work. Ive heard some super things about it and my best friend Jordan at last got amazing results with it.

[@fiassejeanmichel9412]

Can you make a tutorial for some improvisations on these chords ?

[@mario_israel]

Thanks a lot!! 🌼

[@TanNguyen-ft4fc]

I might have missed this in another video but how do you know what notes to omit? For example, in your improved Em7, the B is dropped.

[@ttwa5328]

Nicely done--I have the sheet on this one an love to play it--although not as professionally as you. Good explanation, what 3 chords are you playing post the EbMj7-->>going to EM7 --G-F-E? Great instruction.

[@PianoGroove]

Hi there, which part of the lesson are you referring to? Please give me the minute:second

[@ttwa5328]

Around the 12:58--13:03 I believe you refer to them as so what chords? What chords are you playing?

[@PianoGroove]

I am simply taking the melody note and building a so what chord underneath. This is rehamonising the chord changes. When you move the same chord voicing around (parallel movement) it sounds great. The So What chord is also based on 4ths (which are harmonically ambiguous) and so these chords are great for rehamonising a melody line. Hope this helps and you can find more lessons here: bit.ly/get-5-free-lessons Cheers, PianoGroove

[@manuelhernandez2430]

As a horn it is easy to voice lead. But on piano idk I feel like my fingering gets all messed up any advice on fingering? It just doesn’t compute with me right now

[@Rain-jk2sx]

Hello I'm a begginer and I just wanted to know, so are the chordd always going to be played with the left hand or can it switch depending on what song and is the right hand always holding the melody

[@MLong3524]

When reading jazz music, do you do all of that thinking with the music in front of you at a gig right then and there or do you take the sheet music home first and study it then figure out how to improv over top of the changes.??? Seems like a lot of thinking to just do it on the fly!!!!

[@PianoGroove]

+MLong3524 Hi There, with lots of experience yes, you can do it on the fly. The same chord progressions (like 251s for example) occur over and over again in jazz so learning these progressions inside out will help you do it on the fly. Jazz musicians play the same standards for years so you do become very familiar with them. If you want to improv over a standard you would need to know the chord change and melody by heart so you can focus on improvising! Hope this helps :-) PianoGroove

[@MLong3524]

Thank you!!!

[@johnpope1473]

I liked this. If you could repeat across the 12 scales - that'd be super.

[@foscarv]

Amazing lesson thanks a lot

[@Robert-ts2ef]

Brilliant teaching. Cheers

[@jamelectro]

Wasnt the first a7 chord he played an a13? So confused!

[@dry509]

So the melody note does not have to be on top or the highest pitch note? Or is it? I am having a hard time following which finger is playing the melody?And is the the same technique as playing chord melody?

[@i_lub_katz5766]

Am also new to the piano and want to learn jazz is there anything here i can learn

[@justindoutre8544]

I appreciate the videos a lot. As a classical pianist, this stuff is awesome. Can you please incorporate other ways of playing in your lessons? What I'm getting at is, not everyone has spider fingers and can do the reaches you do.

[@PianoHeal]

Thanks ☘️😊❤️🎹🙏 6:04

[@Solomon.Y_Music]

For me little difficult ...can you please explain personally Will Take membership soon is psbl??

[@krisztianegyed6566]

Love your lessons! :)

[@macharptube]

I would prefer an explanation of the left hand block chord movement with right hand melody and solo ideas for a simpler explanation of this concept ..

[@CeeGusts_49Waves]

Would you kindly explain what you mean by “two”…FIVE /SEVEN?? I know what a fifth is , as well as what is meant by the dominant/seven, or five/7th. But I thought that the second which is two half steps from the tonic in a scale is called a Ninth in harmony!! Please HELP clarify!!!

[@ad2894]

How come the 5th isn't played?

[@danielsokolski7527]

Adam Francis It’s not that it “isn’t played” it’s more just not common to play it.It all comes down to what YOU like. But basically the major function of the 5th is to support the base of the chord (like the E in a C Major 7 chord can be omitted because it isn’t as “influential”) The 1 and 3 of the chord do most of the “work” so they are kept,and from there it just becomes a matter of preference. It’s kinda like if you bought a pair of shoes,but then hotglued a button on each shoe. The button doesn’t contribute much to the overall shoe much,it just makes it look slightly different. So some people would prefer to just remove the button in the first place to give a cleaner look (The shoe is the chord,and the button is the 5th) Sorry if that was confusing lmao

[@dannuttle9005]

The 5th doesn't add to the definition of chords. Major, minor, dominant 7, all have the same note for the 5th. (Of course, diminished and augmented chords are another matter.) I think of it like this: you can make an omelet or a souffle. Both require eggs (the root note). There are other things, beyond eggs, that distinguish an omelet from a souffle. Those are the 3rds and 7ths of a chord. The 5th, the 13th, the 11th, etc., those are the extra ingredients you can throw in that change the flavor, maybe very much, but they don't change the basic "thing". A souffle with chipotle sauce is still a souffle. (Gourmands may disagree with me on that.)

[@eyalnetz7317]

Can I ask what’s the name of the software which shows what you are playing ?

[@awakeamericanow]

As a serious question, how long do you think it would take an average but motivated person to acquire the depth of knowledge, regarding a seemingly almost infinite variety of chords and their relationships, inversions, etc, needed as an essential prerequisite to bring your demonstration to life, as a musical entity? The true answer must be in the order of several years of dedicated application to guided theory and guided practice.

[@PianoGroove]

Yes a few years of study. Cheers, PianoGroove

[@saominh3964]

Thank you very much

[@gideonmensah4951]

Nice video. But I want to understand how u will improvise on tunes. Eg how autumn leaves sheet music is less how to make it long in my play with improvisation.

[@ByCoreyLaury]

So Lead sheet is used to deliberately make the player improvise? Lead sheet can be used in any genre correct? Like gospel? Or rock? Etc. Thanks.

[@angelathomas1159]

THANK YOU !!!

[@neya2222]

Great simple giving... Thanks

[@xiamomusic]

could u tell me which the vst or software is using in the video? vmpk?

[@anansiackhasone3428]

How you do two staves

[@isaahliu]

Thanks for this great lesson!

[@rssoulclassics9880]

excellent sir .......

[@canefan17]

Would you recommend the new fake book for us to purchase?

[@treylehman4902]

I have a question about chord extensions. why are they notated as 9ths, 11th, and 13ths when they could be 2nds, 4ths, and 6ths? is it about the reason how they're just 3rds built on top of each other?

[@PianoGroove]

Hi Trey, we call them 9, 11, and 13 because they are the highest extension in the chord. If the 7th isn't present, then the 13 is always referred to as the '6.' If you said C2, of C4, for example, you are implying that the **7th isn't included**. But you would usually refer to these as Cadd2 or Cadd4 which basically means a C triad with the additional 2 or 4. If you see 9/11/13 it means the 7th of the chord should be in there too. When you keep building up above the 7th, this is when things start to sound jazzy as you have a very rich and lush chord. It can be confusing, hope this explanation help :-) Cheers, PianoGroove

[@dieppham3757]

Is this a real song? Can you tell me the name? Thank you very much

[@PianoGroove]

Yes the song is called Tune Up by Miles Davis

[@alexpianoplayer15]

4:06 A7 includes notes H and G? Incredible. A 7 can only include A, D flat, E and G

[@PianoGroove]

Hi there, you are correct that the most basic way you can play an A7 chord is A-C#-E-G but in jazz you would very rarely, if ever, play the chord like this. There are many other notes that you can play to make the chord sound more interesting and jazzy. You should look into extended and altered harmony - you can find many lessons on pianogroove.com Cheers, PianoGroove

[@alexpianoplayer15]

PianoGroove 13th for A7 would then be F and not F sharp, wouldn't it ? However in notation we have A7 and not A13.

[@PianoGroove]

Hi there, the 13th of A7 is F#, F natural is the sharp 5 of A7. I would recommend that you revisit the theory on extended and altered voicings. As for the chord symbol..... here is an important point that you need to understand with regards to chord extensions: Jazz musicians often abbreviate chords to just ‘7’, eg. G-7 or C7 - even if the chord contains higher extensions such as 9, 11 or 13. This is like shorthand. It also applied to lead sheets…. just because the chord symbol says ‘7’ … you have the freedom to add in extensions and alterations. That is the beauty of playing jazz music… you have a lot of freedom to interpret chords how you want to. Another important point: If the chord is G-7, as a jazz arranger, you need to decide how to play a G-7 to produce a nice sophisticated jazzy sound. You need to understand that with any chord, you have the creative freedom to choose what notes to include, your options for minor chords are root, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th & 13th (if you add another 3rd on top of the 13 you are back to the root so 13 is the highest extension). The options for dominant chords are more complex because you can add alterations. Generally speaking, the higher the extension you include, the richer the sound will be. Complex doesn’t always mean good, sometimes just a plain chord with the root, 3rd, and 7th will sound just fine. Variety is the key. Hope this helps :-) Cheers, PianoGroove

[@alexpianoplayer15]

PianoGroove, I notice that it's not like in classical music theory where such combinations as 11th, 13th are even non being considered as chords. When we want to add 9th and then 11th and then 13th we should add a major third to the previous chord or a minor one ?

[@lionelcampos9868]

Love it 😍

[@josedimas160]

Great master