The Jazz Piano Book

316 Pages·1989·14.79 MB·English

by  Mark Levine

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Jazz Piano

Book

By Mark Levine

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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The: a Pini o'F o‘Book by Mark Lepiie ‘ll
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i PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTORY
- TES =
L ~ ae » Pianist: Photogiaphet I
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_ 9% Kenny Bairon® tom Copt = 8
L . a 8 Jaki Byard ~ ‘Lee Taher “ 247
George Cables and Hibie Lewis, Edtie Moore) Jerry Stoll. gy. 289
- = oly a Chick Corea < Lee Timer te
Lo Dui Fingion indy Sagi Jongh Bg
Ae ‘a "Duke Elfington © Lee Tariner’ “©
- cg PEPEwn and Tis Beneg) PRO ese 8
Lo Be amt Fllnagin © lian McMillen“ 2a
: ‘Red Garland . Very! Oakland 138 5
- SM RL we eS BannyGrién ~ Jolin Gademan 293
[- Ch te home em, Hevbie Hancock Brian MeMillen > 96 24
OE A mm By faris ” Jey Sian 163
L aya (aud Bobby Hutcherson), Leg Tanner 2. 9. ® 65 *
“Abllultah takin" (CGypey Zaboroskie 276
- we Hank Jones Brian MeMitlen °° °225
- Wy oreo a Cobb) Lee Tanner -
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INTRODUCTION

loom fo Tie Jaze Piano Book

‘Acoustic azz piano is vast subject,

and! la cover the lon trom Jamas P

‘etmson through Gaci Taylor woud
take a book a thousand Umes the size of is one.
The Jazz Piano Back includes beginning thmugh
advancad lachrques and covers ihe parod fom
‘Bud Powel tothe present. The Information offered
here ig based on thal |leamed from the pianista
wo have influenced afd inspired ma; Bul Powell,
Horace Siver, Thelonious Monk, Wynton Kely Bl
Evans, Herble Hancock, MeCoy Tyner, Chick Corea,
Ede Pallas, Kanny Barron, and many others,
inoluging such non piatists ws John Colrane, Joe
Honderéon, Wayne Shoret. and Charlie Parker. |
‘ape fetunaio to be able fa work sh, andl rote the
minds of, savaral great musicians, aspecially Woody
‘Shaw and Dava Liebman. Ihave also nade good
{onuno to study wath our great teachars: Joo Pac,
Jala Byard, Hak Gverton, and Herb Pomeroy.

Although Te Jazz Piano Baek ie meant
‘primarily fr planiets, omer instrumentalists can so
ita wal, both ae an nitodueton o jazz plano an
26 2n aid to uneretanding harmony on their own
Inetrumants. Tha visuatalament of the keyboard
rmakas jazz harmeny more accossbla than on othar
Instruments. Many great hom players, basset,
‘gulansts, and drummars nave boen axcollent
lanisis as well, Including Charles bngusy Joe
(Chambers Jack DeJohnete® (all thtee of whom
have recorded plano albu), and Joe Henderson.

Nobody has aver laamned to play Jazz rom a
book ony. his ane wil hele guide you while yau
study vith a good teacher, Ison o as muct ve and
recordad laze as you can, ttansceba solos and
fongs from facatds, and, in ganeral, immerse
youtBal as much a6 possibia in tha wevid of JAZZ.

Much al his book involves music haory
Totes a good reason why music sheer Is not
calla muse trv. The ony uh isin the muse
Higa. Thoory ¢ an inolacual dance wa do
found the must, tying fo explain le dynamics,
“Theory ates trom erato era are rom musiclan
fo musicien. althouga there a confinuy inthe
evolution of jaz the musi that Jamas P. Johnson
layed inthe 1920s had changed racicaly by

“Gras Mingue, Mingus Pays ano, ipsa
# Jae Chambsre, Davee Exposure Muse Mi
lack Dalaba, Te Maa Alain, canes LLPABOS,

eee See ee cee oe
tho time Art Tatum and Fats Walla arcivod In he
1990s, Bud Powol inthe 1940s, 8H Evans Inthe
19506, McCoy Tyner and Herbie Hancock Inthe
39608, Mulgrow lllor the 19700, Benny Groen
Inthe 1608, and eo on. Keap your ears, and
Yur mind, open.

“This book has an urueval format, Raber thao
‘group all vicings in one section and Urea in
‘Snother, the eublecisattorrate throughout the book,
‘easy material prograssing lo mere sevaroed
Techniques. Abavo all | nave ted as much a9
‘posable o put lhe musical examples within the
‘Content of tunes tht ae a jazz musicians dally
‘eeguase. fom standards Hke ust Friends” to
‘waye Shoter's beautful and unusual “ntant Eyes."

INTRODUCTION 3

Palm Pros S155
= INTRODUCTION

vl

Note: Ta use this took, you shouldbe able to read
musi in both the reblo and bass cle, know the
mmafor scales and key signatures, and have some
basi knowledge of tervals and chords. Intervals
and tnads wie reviewed In Chapter One.

‘Tune Souroes: The New Ras! Book and The
Workts Greatest Fake Book, both prtished by Sher
Musis Company, P.O, Box 4a6, Petaluma, CA
£94969, ae the tno beal published sources of
slardards and jaz orginal. The very best way to
fear unes i to vanecibe them of of records
yourselt, and as your abllty 10 do so inptoves,
should Become your primary sourcs,

A nate on terminology and chord
symbols

ha unhappy fal thatthe chord symbols C, Ca,

(Gmal?, CHT, C8, and Ceo all mean prety much
‘he same thing and are often used interchangeably
(an be discouraging fo a beainner. nhs beak,
tsa the & symbol forall maloe chords. Many
‘musicians use shorthand symbols wring GTalk
rathor than G75, 49,11, BIS (which would yoo
rather read?) and Vico the same, As each new
‘chotd syrvol or term is troduced, fist alternate
tems oF eyimbls,

Mhnotale raised and lowered notes withn a
‘howd as + and b (C74l, C769), instead ofthe
equally common # ar symbols (C7AHl, C78).

‘The founh and gloventh are, silly speaking,
the seme note ina chord, use the erm fourth” on
major ard sus chords (C3 +4, Causé), and "leverih
fn dominant and minor chords (C7. C-

The sith and thinteenth are likewise the same
note na chord. [Jolow standard practice, using the
term "sia on major and minor chords (C8, C-6)
and whireerth on dorinarn chords {C71}

“The dictionary defritions forthe tems "scale
and mode’ ate ales denial, and hcausa Past
Jazz musicians use them interchangeably ao the
fame, [make a diaincion when the mad i
‘oct reference tots parent sla, a mn the ©
Dorian mode ofthe C major seals

Moat azz planste use the toms hae” and
vole interchangeably, and | do the same,

nO ar
See

Ih CHAPTER ONE =
tc Intervals and Triads — Review

Intervals

‘good detintion of an inervatig "the space
‘oetwonn two nats” Figure Tot shows the
intervals from the halt steptmingr sacand up

‘fhe octava, al based on migela G. The most

‘sommoniy used tarm is showa above gach interval,

along wh any atomate tome.

‘he chart that flows shows al the Intervals,
both ascending and descending, as shay eccur It
tunes fom the standard jazz repent. Uatoss
‘otherwise note, tha itenval In question Is the tt
‘wo melody notes of the song. Pay oach exampla,
and sing the interval. Wf you can sing an interval
acutely, fll be eastat to play whan improvising.
Listen carefuly te athe volcngs In ne axampces
ce Adar tnam wilbe covered in thi book. Aeotnote
folarence aller each song tile Tite a great recording
= are tna--In many cabos, tha ongial scaring.

i Figure 14
ain 2 ial minor rs rset int
om pas homey
pt OB rs #
- pave so00 peel sn sina
Seponed an Sigeartd ih
C7 ‘Siminished Sth
= ==
marsh snr orm cciere
— " Byres oh me