Category: piano

Piano day (2h)

  • Improvisation (Dan Haerle — Jazz Improvisation for Keyboard Players)
    • Lesson 11: Blues progressions
      • C blues scale over 3 classic progressions (I — IV — V, 12-bar major and minor), shell voicings with LH
      • C blues scale + corresponding Dorian / Mixo / Harmonic minor scales over the same three (with click)
      • F blues scale + passing scales over same progressions in the key of F

Observations

Next time, make sure to run through all Harmonic minor, Mixo and Dorian scales with right hand prior to improvising. Also play some exercises from “Jazz Piano Voicing Skills” book, maybe try improvising over them.

Piano day (1h 30m)

Blues day!

  • Improvisation (Dan Haerle — Jazz Improvisation for Keyboard Players)
    • Lesson 11: Blues progressions
      • C blues scale over:
        • I — IV — V in 3-7-9 — 7-3-6 voicings
        • 12-bar major blues (in 3-7-9 — 7-3-6)
        • 12-bar minor blues (in 3-5-7-9 — 7-9-3-5 — 7-1-3-b5 — 7-b5-7-9 — 7-b9-3-5 — etc.)
      • Mixo, Dorian and Harmonic minor scales over:
        • I —  IV — V
        • 12-bar major blues
        • 12-bar minor blues
      • Mixing up C blues scale with corresponding Mixo / Dorian / Harmonic minor scales over the same progressions

Observations

Finally, I’m progressing at jazz pian improvisation ! Mr. Haerle, sir, you’re the best! 😃

Piano day (1h 40m)

  • Improvisation (Dan Haerle — Jazz Improvisation for Keyboard Players)
    • Improv over major II — V — I in C, F, Bb, G and D
      • 2 left hand voicings (same as last time)
    • Improv over minor ii — V — i in C- and F-
      • Same 2 left hand voicings
      • Trying to stay within harmonic minor scale in RH and start on proper chord tonic
    • Writing down all “less-movement” fingering patterns for II — V — I

Piano day (1h 30m)

  • Improvisation (Dan Haerle — Jazz Improvisation for Keyboard Players)
    • Improv over major II — V — I in C, F, Bb, G and D
    • Left hand voicings:
      • 3-7-9 — 7-3-6 — 3-6-9
      • 7-1-3-5 — 3-6-7-9 (yes, not 3-5-7-9!) — 7-1-3-5
    • Improv over minor ii — V — i in C- and F-
    • Left hand voicings:
      • 3-b5-7-9 — 7-b6-3-5 — 3-5-#7-9
      • 7-1-3-b5 — 3-5-7-b9 — #7-1-3-5

Observations

I’m so glad that I spent some time with Mr. Haerle’s other book “Jazz piano voicings” before staring with this one. He’s using shell voicings all the time, and I’m already somewhat familiar with them, so that helps me adopt the improvisation concepts much quicker.