If you want to adapt popular music to jazz, the best approach is to think of the harmonic functions (rather than just the chords) and then use techniques of tonal harmony. In the following video we show how to turn a very basic piano version of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" into a jazz... Continue Reading →
There are many ways to expand and develop a chord-voicings vocabulary. A standard approach is to stack simple structures (triads, quartals, dyads) on top of other simple ones, thus creating a richer color palette for your voicings. These structures are usually called Upper Structures. In the Upper Structures over complete Jazz Standards Progressions book collection... Continue Reading →
For a piano player, knowing how to voice chords is an essential skill, not only for comping (accompanying or laying the chord progression for others player to improvise over), but also to use those voicings as an improvisational aid. All piano players get many melodic ideas or lines from their voicings. Other instrumentalists also take... Continue Reading →
What's new in version 7.8.8 (soon to be available)The new version 7.8.8 (already waiting for review on the App Store) will offer four AMAZING ADD-ONS:1000+ Jazz Standard ProgressionsBird Bebop ProgressionsUpper StructuresTarget NotesNow you can import progressions with hand-made full analyses created specifically for Mapping Tonal Harmony Pro. There are two add-ons with progressions: The 1000+ Jazz Standards... Continue Reading →
Mapping Tonal Harmony Pro 7.5 can now sync audio tracks with harmonic progressions. This new feature is great for developing a better understanding of tonal harmony while listening to real-life examples from the masters performed by great musicians. Troubleshooting iTunes Tracks Some files are not allowed in Mapping Tonal Harmony Pro. These are DRM... Continue Reading →
Here's a song by Billy Strayhorn that I've always loved and never fully analyzed until writing The Jazz Standards Progressions Book. I've been fascinated by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn compositions since the first time I heard an Ellington album, about thirty years ago. Since then I greatly enjoyed their rich harmonies, rhythmic vocabulary and... Continue Reading →
Here's a musical concept nobody taught me at school. While analyzing 1000+ jazz tunes for The Jazz Standards Progressions Book, I noticed a great number of songs in major keys tonicize the IV degree at the beginning of the bridge. It's usually preceded by the V/IV, landing on the IV at the beginning of the... Continue Reading →
