Introduction Pentatonic voicings are a valuable tool for jazz pianists and arrangers, as demonstrated by masters such as McCoy Tyner, Chick Corea, and Herbie Hancock. They provide a fresh perspective on voicings and can add depth and interest to your playing. In this interactive PDF course, Pentatonic Voicings by mDecks Music, you'll learn how to... Continue Reading →
If you’re a songwriter or a musician, you may have come across the term “harmony” before. But do you know what it means? Harmony is the simultaneous sounding of two or more notes, creating chords that give a sense of structure and tonality to a piece of music. In jazz, harmony is the best tool... Continue Reading →
Here's a step by step tutorial on how to create a chart in Mapping Tonal Harmony Pro 8 on an iPad Pro using "Alone Together". We go chord by chord showing the features in the app and at the same time explain jazz harmony and how to view jazz chords as harmonic functions. https://youtu.be/WVPyQhVl6bM You... Continue Reading →
There are 3 diminished chords that work on a completely different premise (than the other regular diminished chords) In this video we discuss the use of these chords in harmonic progressions from the Gospel and Jazz genre. #chords #musictheory #jazz #piano Jazz players and composers have used these diminished chords in their songs many times. Do you know these functions? They are diminished chords that break all the rules.
One of the best ear training exercises you can do to learn jazz standards and improvisation is Target Notes. Imagine this melodic line over the progression: We could use our classification method to classify each note against their respective chord. But this would be a futile effort, since this line’s main purpose is to land on the b7 of the G7... Continue Reading →
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 →
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 →
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