Pianobreaks Basics - Guide To Jazzy Chords and Improvisation

Pianobreaks.
com Pianobreaks Basics: Guide to Jazzy Chords and Improvisation
By Mark Meronek
http://www.pianobreaks.com Mark Meronek 2012
This guide is for people who have very little piano experience and who want to learn jazzy chords and piano improvisation. Here I've laid out the fundamentals of what I've learned over the past 10 years in what I thin is the fastest! most effective way to teach someone to play "eautiful jazzy chords and improvise with feeling. I thin of the piano as an exciting! "oundless mode of self# expression! never as something dull or "oring! so I tend to focus on your enjoyment and teaching you how to play "eautiful chords as $uic ly as possi"le. I use chords to teach piano fundamentals at the same time! so that you spend less time practicing scales and more time learning chords you can apply immediately to your playing. %eel free to share this guide with as many people as you want to. Than s for reading and I hope you find this helpful& # 'ar
The 3 a!s o" Pianobreaks

1. (lways ma e sure you're having fun while playing piano. 'a e it fun "y always gravitating towards what you li e to play. ). *top playing stuff that's "oring to you and start to explore the chords and songs that you love. +xplore possi"ilities without needing permission! and throw out all of the crap that you don't li e. If it doesn't feel li e something you want to play! throw it out& ,ever "og yourself down in scales or "oring exercises. +ver. -. Treat piano as a relaxation time! a "rea from the stresses of life! wor ! school! and everything else. .on't ever let stress or anything else interrupt this sacred time for you. (ny 'have#tos' or feelings of o"ligation will poison your love of music and the pure! "eautiful authenticity you already have to "ring to it. /eep your piano time as a time where you are free to express yourself however you want to! in whatever way you want to! solely for your own enjoyment.
Jazzy Chords and the #3$% &oicin'

Chord () * P+ayin' a C Ma,or %th Chord
%irst focus on learning the names of all the notes! from (#0! that'll help a 12T. %or now let's just focus on an easy major scale li e 3 major! which is made up of all of the white eys starting from the note 3 and going up the piano until you hit 3 again. 2nce you learn this 3 major scale and the 4 notes in it! try playing a major chord "y playing the first note of the scale 536! and then playing every other note from that note 53 + 0 76. *o again! to play a 3 major chord! first learn the major scale 5all white eys6! then start from the note 3 and play every 2TH+8 note in that all white eys scale! which ends up "eing 3 + 0 7 in your left hand. 9ou'll notice that the .! the %! and the ( were s ipped "ecause you are playing every other note from 3! meaning that after the 3 you s ip the . to play +! you s ip the % to play 0! and you also s ip the ( to play 7. This 3 'ajor chord! 3 + 0 7! is also called a 1 - : 4 voicing 5a voicing is just another name for a 'particular way to play a chord!' you can pretty much su"stitute 'chord' for 'voicing'6 "ecause those are the notes you're playing in the scale. The 3 is the 1! the . is the )! + is the -! and that continues until you reach the next 3 note! which is the ;th 5or the 1 again6. If you were ta ing classical lessons! you would pro"a"ly end up playing a '1-:' voicing! rather than a 1-:4 voicing! which is called a 3 'ajor chord. Try that out and play 3 + 0 in your left hand! and if you repeat those notes up the ey"oard you'll notice it sounds really classical. The jazz voicings that we're going to play include the 4th note! rather than stopping at the :! so they are called 3 'ajor 4th chords 5"ecause of the included 4th note6.
<lay this 3 'ajor 4th chord 53 + 0 76 in your left hand with every finger except your middle finger unless it's uncomforta"le for you. This is the fingering that wor s for most people though! so when you're playing these "eginning chords just remem"er to 'flic yourself off "ac wards' every time you do 5it's just a funny thing I tell my students to remem"er their fingerings! they tend to remem"er it too6.
-ddin' the .i'ht /and * # 3 $ % &oicin'

(fter you can play that chord! try to add the )nd! -rd! :th! and 4th notes to the chord with your right hand. *o for 3 major 4th! with your left hand you play 3 + 0 7! and then with your right hand you play the )nd! -rd! :th! and 4th notes of the 3 major scale! which are . + 0 and 7. 0et good at playing that chord voicing! with the 1 - : 4 in your left hand 51H6 and ) - : 4 in your right hand 58H6. If you are playing the right notes! a 3 major 4th chord with the ) - : 4 on the top! you'll play= 1H # 3 + 0 7 and 8H # . + 0 7 at the same time! and it should sound really nice and jazzy. To learn that chord in another major scale! just repeat the process you did with 3 major "y first learning a major scale 5i.e. % major scale6 and finding out which notes are the 1st! )nd! -rd! and so on! and then playing 1 - : 4 in your left hand 5for % major it would "e % ( 3 +6! and ) - : 4 in your right hand 50 ( 3 + for % 'ajor6.
0o+oin' on Ma,or Chords

2n these major chords you can play the 1 - : 4 in your 1H and solo freely with your right hand. Try playing all white eys with your right hand first. .on't worry a"out how it sounds! just have fun playing the chord in your left hand and soloing in your 8H.
,ow try playing the same chord in your left hand! and solo using only the ') - : 4' voicing in your right hand! and move that chord up the piano! playing those same notes 5. + 0 76 up high on the ey"oard! then lower. >hile you're soloing on all white eys! if you ever want to land on notes that sound good! you can just play the notes of the ) - : 4 and they'll always sound good. >hat I mean is that those notes! the )nd! -rd! :th! and 4th notes! will always sound good over a major chord! so playing them in our right hand is a really good idea since we're trying to start soloing "ut don't $uite now which notes sound good yet. 9ou can solo on those ) - : 4 notes as well as the all white eys scale! and all of those notes will sound good except the ?th! so it's a good idea to try to play the ?th faster than the other notes and use it as a 'passing tone' rather than holding that note out for a really long time 5try it! play 3 + 0 7 in your 1H and hold the note % in your right hand and notice how it sounds pretty dissonant over the 1H chord6. @ust as a $uic note! soloing on this ) - : 4 voicing in your 8H is called an 'arpeggio!' which means you are playing a chord! "ut playing each of the notes separately instead of as a single chord. (lso! I will sometimes refer to chords as 3 'ajor! 3 'ajor 4th! or 3 'ajor 4 chords! "ut they all mean the same thing! they are all 3 'ajor chords.
Chord (# * The 12 Chord1
,ow that we now a 3 major 4th chord! let's ta e those notes in our left hand! and move all of those notes up "y one note in this 'all white eys' scale! 3 + 0 7 "ecomes . % ( 3. This chord 5we'll call it a '.' chord6 can "e used along with the 3 major 4th chord to solo! so definitely learn those two chords and get really good at going "etween them with your 1H so you can solo in your right hand with some scales.
@ust li e the 3 major 4th chord! you can play a ) - : 4 in the right hand for the . chord! so you'll "e playing 1H . % ( 3 and 8H + % ( 3! which should sound li e a really full chord. Try going "etween that chord and the 3 major 4th chord and see how nice and smooth it sounds. %or soloing over these two chords! you can play either the all white eys scale 53 major6 or the '3 pentatonic *cale' wor s really well over it too. The 3 major pentatonic scale is a : note scale 5penta means :6 and it is a scale "ased on the 1 ) - : and Ath notes of the major scale! so in 3 major! the 3 major pentatonic scale is 3 . + 0 (! and you can play it anywhere on the ey"oard to solo over these two chords. ,ow let's add some new techni$ues to these two chords 3 3 'ajor 4th and the . 3hord=
http://www.pianobreaks.com
Mark Meronek 2012
0imp+e and Po!er"u+ Chord Techni4ues

Peda+in' Bse the right pedal only! the other two really aren't that useful when we're starting out. The right pedal sustains notes so that you don't have to hold them in your hands while the sound still plays. (n easy way to test this is to eep doing this exercise= 1. Hold 8ight <edal .own ). <lay 1H # 3 + 0 7 8H # . + 0 7 -. 1ift "oth hands off the ey"oard while holding down the pedal /eep doing this exercise until you have total control of holding the sound for as long as you want. 5ave Chord This is a really great techni$ue! I use it a ton in my playing. 8ather than playing all of the notes of a chord at one time! you can play the notes as if there were a 'wave' going from the left side of the ey"oard to the right side. Bse it on the 3 major chord you already now. >hat will actually happen is that from the left to the right! your left hand will play in your pin y 3! then your ring finger will play +! then play 0! 7! and continue up without stopping to the ) - : 4 in your right hand. 'a e sure you play each note from the left to the right and H21. .2>, each note that you play! so in the end you will end up playing ; notes going from the left to the right! with each note held down. It will sound really "rilliant if you get it right! li e a "eautiful wash of sound that sounds li e a waterfall! I thin that's the "est way I can descri"e it in writing. .efinitely a techni$ue to master.
Mark Meronek 2012
Bass 6otes >henever you are playing any chord! you can always go down lower on the ey"oard and play the '"ass note!' or the '1st' note of the chord that you're playing to give you a nice strong sound. %or the 3 major chord! let's ta e 1H 1 - : 4 8H ) - : 4 and play that chord! "ut this time sustain the chord with the right pedal! and HIT TH(T 7(** ,2T+! extremely loudly& <lay the '1!' or in our case! 3! down really low on the ey"oard. Try playing the chord again! and then sustain the sound! then 7('! hit that "ass note. The reason I'm putting that in caps is "ecause I don't want you to just play li e Coh that's cool!C I want you to feel the power that you can have when you play that "ass note as loud as you can to give your chord strength and power. *o again! play the full 1H 8H chord! then play the "ass note D722'D! and then play your chord again. It will sound li e C3hord! 7ass ,ote! 3hord!C and then after that you can move the whole chord up on the ey"oard too! so you're starting it at the next 3 with your left pin y! which will give it a light feel! especially if you ma e it a wave chord. Movin' Chords in 7ctaves This is similar to what was just done with "ass notes! "ut it's something I do so often that it's good to go in a little more detail a"out it. (ny chord that you learn as a chord voicing with "oth hands can "e ta en up or down an octave! which really gives it a "eautiful sound when you com"ine it with 'waving' the chord. *ome chord voicings will "e too high or too low! so my rule of thum" is to follow the 'goldiloc s principle' "y ma ing sure it's not too high to where it's so high that it sounds "ad! "ut also that it's not so low that the sound is muddied up from the "ass.
Minor %th Chords

,ow that you now how to play a 'ajor 4th chord! I'll tal a little more a"out the difference "etween 'ajor and 'inor chords. To me 'ajor chords tend to sound happier! and just have a strong! "right! and enthusiastic feeling when you hear them. 'inor chords tend to "e more smooth and they can evo e a sense of sadness! dar ness! longing! or other similar emotions. To play a minor 4th chord 5again! don't worry a"out the name too much! it's just a 'dar sounding chord'6! play the major chord 5i.e. 3 major # 3 + 0 76 and then flat the -rd and 4th! which are + and 7. >hen you flat those two notes! + and 7 "ecome +" and 7" so the chord you play for 3 minor 4th is # 1H # 3 +" 0 7"6.
0harps and 8+ats

If you don't now what sharp or flat means! just loo at the ey"oard and see that if you sharp a note! it moves up "y one note on the ey"oard! including the "lac notes. *o 3 sharp is just starting at the note 3! and then moving it slightly up to that "lac note right a"ove it to the upper right. %or flats! . flat would "e that *('+ ,2T+ as 3E! "ut you got there in a different way! "ecause you started on .! and then you flatted . to ma e it go to the upper left. *o when you flat! you move left or down! and when you sharp you move up! or right. 3E and ." are the same note! they are just two ways of naming the note that is to the upper left of . and the upper right of 3.
P+ayin' Minor %th Chords 5ith Both /ands
2 so "ac to the minor 4th chord ###F >hen you flat those notes of the 1H 1 - : 4! you end up with 3 +" 0 7". >hat happens now is that the 3 major scale of all white eys that we
were playing "efore is replaced with a scale where the + and the 7 are flatted to +" and 7". >e changed some notes in the chord in our 1H! so it needs a different scale to go along with it in the 8H! so the 3 minor scale is no longer 3 . + % 0 ( 7 3! it is now 3 . +" % 0 ( 7" 3. @ust li e the major scale! we can add the ) - : 4 in our 8H as well! except this time we are using a different scale! so in the 1H and 8H you'll have= 3 minor 4th chord 1H # 1 - : 4 # 3 +" 0 7" 8H # ) - : 4 # . +" 0 7"
9ey 2i""erence Bet!een Ma,or and Minor %th Chords

The only difference "etween major and minor 4th chords is that the minor 4th chord has its -rd and 4th notes flatted. That is a ey distinction that is really! really important. To go from a major to a minor 4th chord! li e 3 + 0 7! you ta e the -rd and the 4th notes! and you flat them! so 1 - : 4 "ecomes 1 "- : "4. >hen you go from a major to a minor 4th chord! the scale that you solo on in your right hand always changes too! so just "e aware of that. *ince the scale changes! you can call it a 1 - : 4 or a 1 "- : "4! whichever is easiest to remem"er. ( good rule to remem"er is that if your 1H chord is changing! your right hand scale that you can solo in and form chords from is pro"a"ly going to change too. >e'll just call this the 'minor 4th scale' for now! "ecause it's the scale we use over minor 4th chords 5major scale with the "- and "46! "ut it's good to eep in mind that the technical jazz name for this scale is the 'dorian scale!' just in case you ever hear that term in the future.
Gettin' Com"ortab+e 5ith Minor Chords

(fter you've got that voicing down in "oth hands! try playing a 3 minor or major chord and holding it with your left hand! and then playing around with your right hand on the 3 minorGdorian scale. @ust solo without rhythm to get yourself started. Try it in 3 'ajor! 3 'inor! and . 'inor. The scales and chords are as follows from "efore= 3 'ajor *cale 5all white eys6 # 3 . + % 0 ( 7 3 3 'ajor 4th 3hord # 1H # 3 + 0 7 ###### 8H # . + 0 7 3 'inor 4th *cale # 3 . +" % 0 ( 7" 3 3 'inor 4th 3hord # 1H # 3 +" 0 7" . 3hord *cale # 5all white eys6 . 3hord 3hord # 1H # . % ( 3 ###### 8H # + % ( 3 ###### 8H # . +" 0 7"
Bse the right hand notes to solo! it can really sound "eautiful if you just play the notes as an arpeggio in your right hand 5your 8H ) - : 46 just li e you did for soloing "efore. Thin of them as guide notes that will sound good. 9ou'll want to weave around while you're on that specific chord! and play the main scale too when you want to "ranch off from just playing ') - : 4 arpeggios.' 2ver time try different note com"inations that sound good over each of those previous chords and scales. 2ne really cool progression you can play is just going from the 3 minor 4th chord to the . chord 5which is actually a minor 4th chord too! so it is a ) minor chord progression6 and try switching from soloing
li e this= 3 minor 4 # 1eft Hand # 3 +" 0 7" ############ 8ight Hand plays 3 minor *cale # 3 . +" % 0 ( 7" 3 and then you *>IT3H to= . minor 4 # 1eft Hand # . % ( 3 ################ 8ight Hand plays . minor *cale # 3 . + % 0 ( 7 3! and then you switch "ac to 3 minor and go on for as long as you want. This can sound 08+(T! especially if you add in "ass notes! wave chords! and if you play the full chord with the pedal down and the ) - : 4 in your 8H. Try playing the full chord! holding the pedal down! and then immediately freeing up your right hand and soloing on the corresponding scale holding the pedal! it can sound really "eautiful as the notes mesh together from the pedal and the chord having "een played first. (ctually just playing the ) - : 4 voicing or a - : 4 H voicing in your right hand on top of a "eat can sound great! try it with just playing= 3 'inor 4th # 1H # 3 +" 0 7" ##### 8H # +" 0 7" . . 'inor 4th # 1H # 3 +" 0 7" ##### 8H # % ( 3 + >hat we did here is # we too the ) - : 4 and moved the "ottom note to the top note! so for 3 minor 4th! the 8H # . +" 0 7" "ecame +" 0 7" .. This is called a - : 4 H voicing "ecause they are the notes of the scale we're in. 'a e sure for a chord li e . minor 4th! or the . chord! you start counting the 1 from the .! rather than the 3 li e you might "e used to. >hichever chord you're on! that chord note is always the 1. %or a 3 chord! 3 is the 1! for a . chord! . is considered the 1. *o a - : 4 H voicing in your 8H over this . 'inor 4th chord we've "een playing is going to "e % ( 3 +! "ecause the -rd note from . is %! the :th note from . is (! the 4th note is 3! and the Hth note
from . is +. ( $uic concept to eep in mind # notes really only go up to the ;th! so when I say 'Hth' I actually just mean the ')!' "ut one octave higher on the piano. 9ou can always su"tract 4 from any note a"ove ; and you'll get the exact note you would "e playing 5i.e. if I say play the 1-th of 3 major! su"tract 4 to get A. *o the 1-th of 3 major is the note (. If I said play the ;th! you would su"tract 4 and just end up playing the 1 an octave higher. *imilarly an 11th would just "e the ?th.
8indin' Ma,or and Minor %th Chords 8rom -ny Ma,or 0ca+e
To find (,9 'ajor or 'inor 4th chord from a major scale! first learn any major scale. 2nce you learn the major scale! form a chord in your 1H with the 1 - : and 4th notes of the scale. 1et's try this for 0 major 50 ( 7 3 . + %E6. In 0 major! the 1 - : and 4th notes of the scale are 0 7 . %E! so that would "e your 1H voicing for a 0 'ajor 4th chord. In your 8H you could play the ) - : 4 or - : 4 H voicing! with the ) - : 4 "eing ( 7 . %E. %or a minor 4th chord! you would ta e that 1H chord and flat the -rd and 4th! so you would get 0 7" . %! and in your 8H you would play ( 7" . %. The new scale you would solo on for the minor 4th chord would "e the 0 major scale with ) notes flatted! so the scale would loo li e= 0 ( 7" 3 . + %. @ust ma e sure you now how to find a major scale! and ma e the chord in your left hand from the 1 - : and 4th notes of that scale while soloing in your 8H with that particular major or minor scale. 7efore going on to the next section! I would just have some fun learning more major and minor 4th chords and playing their corresponding scales. Here are some cool ideas to try=
Mark Meronek 2012
0!itch bet!een : minor to 2 minor %th + minor 4th # 1H # + 0 7 . ###### 8H # %E 0 7 . + minor 4th scale to solo on # + %E 0 ( 7 3E . + . minor 4th # 1H # . % ( 3 ###### 8H # + % ( 3 . minor 4th scales to solo on # . + % 0 ( 7 3 .
8 ma,or %th to C ma,or %th % major 4th # 1H # % ( 3 + ##### 8H 0 ( 3 + 3 major 4th # 1H # 3 + 0 7 ##### . + 0 7 *olo in all white eys and stic to those notes in whatever 1H chord you are on.
- minor %th to 2 minor %th . minor 4th # 1H # . % ( 3 ##### 8H # + % ( 3 ( minor 4th # 1H # ( + 0 ##### 8H # 7 3 + 0 *olo in all white eys and use "ass notes to ma e it sound really powerful
Mark Meronek 2012
Practicin' * 2eve+opin' 8+uency 7n Chords and 0ca+es

I tend to ma e up my own exercises while practicing! and one of the exercises that has really helped me over the years was ta ing the chords I now 5. minor 4th! % major 4th! 3 minor 4th! etc.6 and soloing in their scales with my right hand. I would practice in a very specific way though! "ecause I would ta e the chord in my life hand 5e.g. 3 minor 4th 1H # 3 +" 0 7" and . minor 4th 1H # . % ( 36 and play that chord ? times! for four "eats. *o I would play that . minor 4th chord ? times on a steady ? "eats in my left hand slowly! and then I would play 1 note in my 8H for every "eat that I played in my left hand. This might sound a little confusing at first! "ut all I mean is that you "asically have a steady "eat going on in your head! li e 1! )! -! ?! and you play a chord on each of those ? "eats in your left hand! so you're playing the same chord ? TI'+* in your 1H on each "eat! and in your right hand you use the scale you're on 5i.e. . dorian or all white eys6 and play a note on every "eat too! so you'd "e playing ? notes total in your right hand in that scale you're on. The notes in your right hand are just random notes in the scale that you are improvising! and each time you play a chord on the "eat in your left hand! you should "e playing a note in your right hand. 9ou can continue this on for as long as you want to get comforta"le! and you can always speed up how fast you are doing it to get more and more fluent with the scale in your right hand! while also playing the chords constantly in your left hand. (t some point you will speed up so much that you are playing chords too $uic ly in your left hand and it's getting pretty crazy to play that fast! so then you can move to playing 1 chord on each "eat in your left hand! "ut now with T>2 notes in your 8H! for every 1 "eat in your 1H. *o now 9ou'll play the 1H chord li e
1! )! -! ? and you will end up playing ; notes in your right hand. @ust ma e sure that you are playing 1 chord in your left hand. It would loo sorta li e this= Time###############F 1H 1 ) - ? 8H 1)-?:A4; *ee how the 1H plays ? times! and the 8H ends up playing ; notes totalI This is just a diagram to show you how on the )nd time you play your 1H chord! you will "e playing your -rd note at the exact same time! and the same with the 1H - and the 8H :th note! so if you can line those up to "e exactly together it will sound li e you are playing 1 chord in your left hand for every ) notes in your right hand. 9ou can eep doing this and still play ? "eatsGchords in your left hand! and play ? notes in your 8H for every 1 chord in your left hand! so that would loo li e this= Time######################F 1 ) ? 1 ) - ? : A 4 ; H 10 11 1) 1- 1? 1: 1A The reason why this exercise is so useful is "ecause it ma es your 8H fluent in any scale you choose to solo in! and you get really used to playing a major 4th or minor 4th chord in your 1H multiple times. It helps to connect a particular scale! li e our 3 minor 4th scale 5dorian6 on a 3 minor 4th chord! and then you get increasingly fluent in it as you increase the speed at which you're doing the exercise. The other cool thing a"out it is you can "e creative and ma e whatever melodic lines you want in your right hand! you definitely don't want to just "e playing the scale up and down! you want to s ip around and ma e little 'phrases' of notes that sound "eautiful to you in that scale! on that chord.
2nce you get really good in one scale and can play ? 8H notes for every 1 1H chord at a pretty fast speed 5a "pm of A0 is plenty6! then you can try it on another chord! in another scale. I recommend trying it with 3 'inor 4th and . minor 4th and using their respective scales "ecause it sounds great to go "etween them! and you will get increasingly more fluent in "oth of those scales. (t that point! you can integrate "ass notes! wave chords! arpeggios! etc. and it will sound great. I recommend highly recommend practicing in this way! and as you increase the speed it will feel great when you're a"le to ma e melodies on the fly! even though you started "y just playing random notes in your 8H in that scale. If you're just starting out! start *12> and gradually increase the tempo with a metronome. @ust search metronome on google or pic up one at a music store and use it to practice. *tart with the 1 1H chord 1 8H note for ? "eats! and continue doing that until you are comforta"le with it at around ;0 "pm! playing (11 different notes in your 8H! then continue to 1 1H chord ) 8H notes! then 1 1H chord ? 8H notes! and speed it up until you are fluent in that scale! a"le to improvise notes at a fast pace. 9ou might have some trou"le with ' nowing what notes to play!' and feeling li e you can't just 'play random notes!' "ut just start out playing 32'<1+T+19 random notes first. It's not so much the notes you're playing as that you're staying on tempo and ma ing sure to play 1 8H note for every 1 1H chord! it can sound horri"le at first! "ut eep at it until you can summon these random notes in your 8H easily. (t that point you'll want to start ma ing little melodies that come to you while you're playing! and exploring with the note choices. Have fun with it! create "eautiful melodies! and get fluent in minor 4th and major scales&
The 7rder o" 0harps and 8+ats

,ow that you now how to find 'ajor 4th chords! 'inor 4th chords! and you now a good exercise to help you get fluent in each of their scales! let's tal a"out an important concept called 'The 2rder of *harps and %lats.' Introduction to the 17rder o" 0harps and 8+ats1 >hen you learned how to go from the 3 'ajor *cale 5all white eys6 and find the 3 'inor 4th scale 5dorian6 "y flatting the -rd and the 4th notes of 3 'ajor! the E of flats in your scale went from 0 sharpsGflats 53 'ajor scale6! to ) flats 53 dorian6. This 'counting sharpsGflats' concept is really important! "ecause it allows you to $uic ly now which scale you need to play if you want to solo on a chord. How it wor s= 'ajor scales tend to "e classified "y how many sharps or flats they have. It's really easy if someone says to you CHey # play in 7" major! ) flatsC or C. major! ) sharpsC and you now exactly what they're tal ing a"out! "ecause you will automatically now which scale you can solo on in your right hand. This is also a huge advantage "ecause you can figure out the chords to use in your left hand with whatever scale you're in as well. .ifferent major scales have different num"ers of sharpsGflats. +xamples= The % major scale has 1 flat! the . major scale has ) sharps! + major has ? sharps! (" major has ? flats! etc. There are 1) different major scales! and each major scale has its own major 4th chord! minor 4th chord! and minor 4th scale you can use. >hat's really cool is that you can ta e any major scale you've learned! and use TH(T scale as a minor scale.
>hat I mean is that our 3 minor 4th scale! with ) flats! is actually the exact same scale as a 7" major scale! "ut we're just starting on 3. The 7" major has ) flats! and the 3 minor 4th scaleGdorian scale has ) flats as well! "ecause we added ) flats to 3 major 50 sharpsGflats6 to get ) a scale with ) flats 5after flatting the -rd and 4th6. This concept can "e a little confusing so I want to ma e sure it's really clear for you! "ecause once you understand it! it can add a lot of power to your soloing and understanding of how chords and scales relate to each other. Minor %th Chord and -ddin' 8+ats >henever I turn a 'ajor 4th chord into a 'inor 4th chord! I add ) flats to that major scale. The 3 'ajor scale has 0 sharpsGflats! and I add ) flats to it to ma e a 3 'inor 4th scale 5dorian6 that has ) flats. This is all great when you have a scale li e 3 'ajor! which starts with no sharpsGflats! "ut what if you have a scale with ) sharpsI *harps and flats cancel each other out when they are added to one another. It's just li e math! where a #) J ) K 0. Thin of flats li e a negative sign and sharps as a positive sign. *o if I add ) flats to a scale with - sharps! what am I left withI 1 sharp! "ecause ) sharps were cancelled out "y the ) flats I added. This might "e weird to thin of sharpsGflatsGscales in this way! "ut "ear with me! this simple 'math of sharps and flats' can really pay off in the long run.'
Mark Meronek 2012
;uick 0harps<8+ats ;uizzes %or these $uizzes! just answer with how many sharpsGflats you would have in the following scenarios 5haha this feels li e school! I don't mean it to "e! "ut I promise this is the closest my lessons will ever get to it&6 )= ;uestion: If the . major scale has ) sharps! and I ma e it into a . minor 4th scale 5dorian6! how many sharpsGflats do I haveI -ns!er: I have 0! 0 sharpsGflats! "ecause when I add flats to a scale that has ) sharps in it! those sharps cancel out and I'm left with no sharpsGflats. This means that for . minor 4th! I can solo in all white eys. #= ;uestion: 'y 7 'ajor scale has : sharps. I ma e it a dorian scale 5minor 4th scale6 "y adding ) flats. >hat am I left withI -ns!er: - sharps! so over a 7 minor 4th chord! I can play in the scale of - sharps. 3= ;uestion: 'y scale has 1 flat 5% 'ajor scale6! I want to play an % minor 4th chord. How many sharpsGflats am I left withI -ns!er: 9ou flat twice to ma e an % minor 4th chord! and now your scale has - flats! so you can solo and form chords in the scale of - flats.
Mark Meronek 2012
>= ;uestion: ( 'ajor scale has ? sharps 5+ 'ajor6! I ma e an + minor 4th chord! what scale do I solo on in my right handI -ns!er: *cale of ) sharps $= ;uestion: 'y major scale has - flats! I ma e a dorian scale "y flatting twice! what scale do I play inI -ns!er: : flats To answer all of these $uestions! the only thing I've done is added ) flats! and if there are any sharps! those sharps are cancelled out. If you have a scale li e 0 major! which has 1 sharp! ma ing it a minor 4thGdorian scale would cancel out 1 sharp! and then add 1 flat! so for 0 minor 4th our scale would have 1 flat in it. I only use this to demonstrate that once you're 'out of sharps' from the major scale! then flats are added. ?sin' the 17rder o" 0harps and 8+ats ,ow that you now how to find out how many sharpsGflats you would have in your dorian scale! you might "e a little confused on how to use it. If I say I have ) flats... what does that even meanI This is where the 'order of sharps and flats' comes in. 2nce you've figured out how many sharpsGflats you have! you can use the shortcut '7+(.03%' to tell you which flats or sharps you need to change.
9ou can thin of it li e this= The order of flats goes from the left to the right! and the order of sharps goes from the right to the left *********@***********7rder o" 8+ats**********@*****************@
7+(.03%
A*********A*****7rder o" 0harps***************A*************** *o let's say that the dorian scale I just found has ) flats. %rom the order of flats! I now that the scale I would solo in has a 7" and an +". ,ow let's say I had ? flats in my scale # I would flat 7! +! ( and .! which means I would have 7"! +"! ("! and ." in my scale. *cale of - sharps # %E 3E and 0E would "e sharped! "ecause I am going from the right to the left in 7+(.03%! which is the order that sharps are added in. 1et's say I have a minor 4th scale of : sharps. >hich notes would "e sharpedI %E 3E 0E .E and (E Brin'in' It -++ To'ether * Practica+ -pp+ications 9ou can really learn any major scale and minor 4thGdorian scale at this point! and this is where it gets really cool. *ay we want to try soloing on a . minor 4th and an + minor 4th chord! "ut we don't now what scale to solo on. How would we find "oth scalesI
>ell %or the . minor 4th! you could ta e the . major scale! which has ) sharps! and flat it twice! which would leave us with 0 sharps or flats! which is also the 3 major scale. *o "asically for the . minor 4th chord! you can solo in all white eys! 3 major! "ecause "oth sharps were cancelled out. %or the + minor 4th chord! you would first loo to the major scale to see how many sharpsGflats it has 5? sharps6! and then flat it twice to give you a scale of ) sharps. ,ow that you now the order of sharpsGflats! you can use 7+(.03% to tell you that %E and 3E are the only notes that are sharped! so in your right hand you can play the all white eys scale "ut with %E and 3E! and that will "e the scale that sounds good. 2 let's say you want to play 0 minor in your left hand and you want to find the scale to solo on in your right hand. 0 major has 1 E in its major scale! so you would add ) flats to that! which leaves you with 1 flat! "ecause 1 sharp cancelled out! and in your right hand you can solo in a scale with 1 flat. >e now that flat is 7" "ecause of 7+(.03%! so you would just ta e the all white eys scale and su"stitute the 7 for the 7"! and that's the scale you can solo in. 9ou could also figure out the chords for your left hand li e this! "ecause for the 0 minor 4th scale! with 1 flat! you could just ta e 1 - : 4 from 0 in that minor 4th scale! and that would "e your 0 minor 4th chord. In this case! since the scale is all white eys with only a 7"! in your left hand the chord for 0 minor 4th would "e 0 7" . %! and you could solo on that 1 flat scale in your right hand. 2 one last example # % minor 4th # The % major scale has 1 flat! which we flat twice to give us - flats! so we can solo in - flats in
our right hand. The - flats that are flatted are 7"! +"! and (". In our left hand we can play % (" 3 +"! or 1 - : 4 starting from % in this '- flats' scale. Bse all of this nowledge you've learned here a"out sharps and flats to help you solo on new minor 4th chords. +very time you learn a new major scale! you can pic a major 4th and minor 4th chords to solo on! find out the num"er of sharpsGflats there are in the minor 4th scale! and then solo on that scale in your right hand! while using the major scale for the major 4th chord. 7ne Important Connection to Make >henever you find out 'how many sharpsGflats' there are for a minor 4th chord! li e! say! 1 flat for 0 minor 4th! notice that you can either thin of it in terms of a minor 4th scale! or a major scale. >hat I mean is that the 0 minor 4th scale is the same as the % major scale! "ecause they "oth have 1 flat. 2nce you start ma ing those connections! playing with scales and chords "ecomes really easy on major and minor 4th chords. *ay that in my music I have the chords '% major 4th and 0 minor 4th' right next to each other. If I ever saw that in my music! I would now that I can play the % major scale over "oth of those chords! "ecause I already now that 0 minor 4th has 1 flat! and % major has 1 flat! so I can just use the same scale on "oth of them. The ta e home point of all this is that whenever you find a minor 4th scale to solo on! you can also thin of it in terms of a major scale! li e the . minor 4th scale is (1*2 the 3 major scale! "ecause they "oth have 0 sharpsGflats. (ll other minor 4th chords are connected to major scales too! and as you learn more and more! you will ma e more of those connections that allow you to solo a lot easier "ecause you are thin ing in terms of sharpsGflats and major scales.
P+ayin' Jazz 0on's and Chord Pro'ressions

This section will "e more a"out playing chords for more traditional jazz songs! "ut a lot of these chords and scales can "e used in jazzy hip hop! soul! fun ! "lues... really whatever other type of music you want to learn.
2ominant %th Chords

@ust as we just went over major and minor 4 chords! there is another chord called a dominant 4th chord that you should now. .ominant 4th chords can "e differentiated from major or minor chords "y how they sound! "ecause they always sound li e they want to resolve to another chord! which is often a major chord. .ominant 4th chords just have an interval of ) notes that are very dissonant! or that just don't sound good together that ma es them want to CresolveC to a major chord. 'ajor chords are "uilt on the major scale! and minor chords are "asically the major scale with a flatted -rd and 4th! "ut dominant 4th chords are actually just the major scale! "ut with a flatted 4th and that's IT! no flatted -rd! "ecause dominant 4ths eep their regular -rd. Try playing a dominant 4th chord! 5which in music will "e notated "y a letter and a num"er! li e 046. %irst learn the 0 major scale 50 ( 7 3 . + %E 06. <lay 0 major 4 "y playing its major scale and then playing the 1 - : and 4th! so 0 7 . %E just li e we've "een playing in our 1H. Then flat the 4th note! so you are left with 0 7 . %. This is your 0 dominant 4th chord! 04. *ince it is a dominant 4th chord! 04 wants to resolve to a major chord! so try playing that 04 chord! and then play a 3 major 4 chord! 3 + 0 7. 9ou'll notice that there is a ind of 'resolution' from the 04 to the 3 major 4 chord when played after one another.
This is a very common progression that I will get into on the section a"out )#:#1s! "ut for now just now that dominant 4th chords always sound li e they want to resolve somewhere to another chord. (lso! as a $uic note! minor 4th chords are usually written li e 0# 4 or 0min4! so if you're playing jazz song just "e aware of that in the music to tell you what chord to play. >hereas 0'aj4 or 0 'ajor4 would mean a 0 major 4th chord! dominant 4th chords are always just a letter and a num"er! so we just write 04. 1et's loo at the differences "etween these - types of chords= major! minor! and dominant 4th chords. Here are all - in 3 major with their corresponding scales 1H 3hord 3 major # 3 + 0 7 3 major scale # 3 . + % 0 ( 7 3 3 minor # 3 +" 0 7" 3 minor scale # 3 . +" % 0 ( 7" 3 3 dominant 4th #3 + 0 7" 3 dominant 4th scale # 3 . + % 0 ( 7" 3
&ery Important Concept * Make 0ure Bou ?nderstand ThisC
9ou can find out how to play (,9 major 4th! minor 4th! or dominant 4th chord for any note easily "y always going "ac to the major scale! playing the 1 - : 4 chord! and then flatting what is necessary. %or example! if I want to find out how to play % minor 4 in my left hand! I should learn the % major scale first! then play the 1 - : 4 % major 4 voicing 5% ( 3 +6! then since it is a minor 4th chord
that we want to find out! I flat the -rd and the 4th! so the chord ends up "eing % (" 3 +". (nother example is ( minor 4! how do I find that chordI <lay the ( major scale! form an ( major 4 chord "y playing 1 - : 4 5( 3E + 0E6! then since we want to play ( minor! we just flat the -rd and 4th of that chord to play ( 3 + 0! which is the correct chord. To find a dominant 4th chord! it is the exact same process! li e for ( dominant 4th! we just ta e the ( major scale! form an ( major 4 chord! then flat the 4th note and you will have your ( dominant 4th chord. @ust remem"er that you 2,19 flat the 4th to get a dominant 4th chord from the major. %or a major 4th chord it is even easier! "ecause all you have to do! just li e 3 major! is to learn the 3 major scale! then play 1 - : 4 from 3 53 + 0 76 and you don't even have to flat any notes since it is a major chord. 0hortcut To 8ormin' Ma, %th3 Min %th3 and 2om% Chords Here is a shortcut to remember the differences between major, minor, and dominant 7th chords and how to get them: Take a Major Scale and play 1 ! 7 in your left hand, then: ! 7 in Major
"or Major #hords $ %on&t do anything, just play 1 scale "or Minor #hords $ "lat rd and 7th "or %ominant 7th #hords $ "lat 7th 'nly (ou can play the ) these chords ! 7 or
! 7 * +oicing in your ,H for any of
Mark Meronek 2012
#*$*) Pro'ressions
( )#:#1 is a type of chord progression that is used fre$uently in all inds of music! and in my opinion it's really the most important chord progression to learn if you want to play jazz. ,ow that you now what major! minor and dominant 4th chords are and how to form them! I can teach you )#:#1s "ecause they are just an arrangement of those - types of chords. %irst though! you might find it helpful to now what a C eyC is! li e when I say the C ey of 3 major!C what does that really meanI ( ey means that the chords of the song you're playing are "ased on the same major scale! li e for 3 major! all of the chords you are playing would mostly contain white eys "ecause you are in that C eyC of 3 major. 0etting "ac to )#:#1 progressions though! here is an example of a )#:#1 in the ey of 3 major! try playing the chords with the left hand as shown= . minor 4 # 04 # 3 major 4 1eft Hand Loicing . minor4 # . % ( 3 04 # 0 7 . % 3 'ajor 4 # 3 + 0 7 This should sound li e a nice little chord progression that 'resolves' to the 3 major chord! which just means that it sounds li e Ceverything is where it's supposed to "eC "ecause the dominant 4th chord 'resolved' a little of its dissonance! or tension! in that chord "y going to the 3 major chord. ( perfect song that demonstrates what )#:#1s sound li e is the song C*unday 'orningC "y 'aroon :! you can hear the first
chord! which is a nice smooth minor 4 chord! and then a dominant 4th chord that has a little "it of tension! and then finally a resolution "y that dominant 4th chord to the major 4th chord. ,otice that the notes . and 0 are the )nd and the :th notes in in the 3 major scale! this is why the progression is called a )#:#1. In a major scale! each note in that scale! li e the 1st! the )nd! -rd! ?th etc. have a corresponding chord that goes with them when you are in a ey.
Ma,or 9ey Chords
*o if you are on any major scale! you can try forming a chord "y just playing one note! and then playing every other note in that scale from that note you are playing. That might "e a little confusing! so to demonstrate= If I am in 3 major! and I pic one note 5let's say the note %! which is in the 3 major scale6 and I play every other note from that % note in the 3 major scale! which is all white eys! then I will end up with % ( 3 +. I got this from starting from % and then just playing every 'other' note in the 3 major scale! so I started on %! s ipped the 0 so I played (! then I s ipped the 7 to play 3! and then I s ipped the . to play + and ended up with % ( 3 +. 9ou can do this with any of the notes! li e try starting on the -rd! +! and playing every other note in the 3 major scale! which would end up "eing + 0 7 .. >hen you do this with any of those notes in a major scale! you will end up with a chord that corresponds to the following in the ey of 3 major= 1 # 3 C'ajor 4C # 3 + 0 7 ) # . C'inor 4C # . % ( 3 - # + C'inor 4C # + 0 7 . ? # % C'ajor 4C # % ( 3 + : # 04 or 0 C.ominant 4C # 0 7 . % A # ( C'inor 4C # ( 3 + 0 4 # 7 C'inor 4C %lat : # 7 . % (
*o notice that for any major scale! the chords will "e just li e this! even if you go to another scale li e 0 major. if you form a chord from the 1 in 0 major 5the C1C note would "e 06 and play every other note from that 0 I, TH+ ey of 0 major! you will end up with a 0 major chord! 0 7 . %E. This is the same type of chord you would get if you did it just li e a"ove! where you ta e the 3 major scale! start from the 1! and play every other note from that 3 note! you will get a 'ajor 4th chord. If you start from the CAth noteC in the 0 major scale! which would "e +! and you play every other note in the ey of 0 major! then you will end up with an + minor chord! + 0 7 .. 9ou can try this for any major scale and use the a"ove chords as a guideline! try it for the % major scale. >hat would "e the C1C chord in the ey of % majorI (ccording to what's written a"ove! the 1 chord in a major ey will (1>(9* "e a 'ajor 4 chord! so the C1C chord in the ey of % major would "e % major 4. >hat would "e the C)C chord in the ey of % majorI >ell you loo for the )nd note in the % major scale! which is 0! and then you go every other note from that note! in the ey of % major! and since the ey of % major has a 7" in it! you will end up with a 0 'inor 4 chord! which would "e 0 7" . %. 9ou can just ta e any chord you might need to now and test it with this shortcut ta"le a"ove! li e if I want to now what the CAC chord is in 3 major! just go to the Ath! and we now that in a major ey! the A chord is (1>(9* a minor 4th chord. This may "e a little confusing "ut just now that these are the types of chords that you will get if you play a major scale! pic a
note in that major scale! and play every other note from that note. 9ou will get the same C indC of chord depending on what the num"er of the note is! li e the -rd would always "e a minor 4th chord! the : would "e a dominant 4th chord! the 1st would "e a major 4th chord! and so on according to the template that is written a"ove.
Back to #*$*)s and P+ayin' Jazz
*o what does this all have to do with )#:#1s and playing jazzI >ell since )#:#1s are just an arrangement of chords "ased on a major scale! if you want to find out how to play a )#:#1! then you should now that the C)C signifies a minor 4th chord! the : would "e a dominant 4th chord! and the 1 would "e a major 4th chord. In other words! an easy way to play this progression is to first learn a major scale! li e let's say the % major scale! then go to the )nd note and play every other note from that note in the % major scale 50 7" . %6! which ends up "eing a 0 minor 4 chord! then go to the : and do the same thing "y playing every other note and you will get 3 + 0 7"! then go to the 1 which is % and play every other note from that note in the % major scale! and you will end up with % ( 3 + to give you an % major chord. >hen you're playing jazz songs you will see these C)#:#1C chord progressions constantly and it will "e written li e this 5)#:#1 in the ey of 3 major6= .#4 04 3'aj4! or . 'in4 04 3'ajor4! or many other ways! they can "e written with varying notation "ut these are pretty common ways of writing them! where the CminusC sign means Cminor.C 9ou will also see triangles that mean Cmajor!C and yes I now it's weirdGconfusing "ut some musicians must have li ed geometry "ecause they use circles and circles with lines drawn through them too! "ut we'll leave that for another time.
/ #*$*) Pro'ression in C Ma,or *o let's explore a )#:#1 progression li e the one a"ove in the ey of 3 major! written= .#4 04 3'aj4 *o you will see the progression loo almost exactly li e this on a jazz music sheet 5also called a 'lead sheet'6! since jazz sheet music often only has the chords written plus the melody line. This is different from normal sheet music "ecause in classical music there is one staff for the tre"le clef and one for the "ass clef as opposed to jazz where there is usually only the tre"le clef and a chord written a"ove it. *o "ac to this )#:#1 progression! what ma es it so specialI >ell when you have a progression li e this! and you notice it in your sheet music! it ma es choosing what notes to play a lot easier when you are soloing. If you see a .#4! 04! and 3 major 4 chord written right in se$uence li e that! what ma es )#:#1s so special is that in your right hand you can solo in the C eyC of the 1 for that whole se$uence of chords. *o! if you see .#4 04 3 'ajor 4 in your music! then you can play the chords in your left hand! and solo over the 3 major scale in your right hand the whole time! over all of those chords. Try it now! play this progression as follows= .#4 # . % ( 3 04 # . % 0 7 3 'ajor 4 # 3 + 0 7
%or this 04! just note that I inverted ) of the notes! so if you
played it li e 0 7 . % "efore! I just too those top two notes down and moved the . and the % to the "ottom of the chord instead to ma e it easier to play with your left hand. This can "e done for any chord! li e a 3 major 4 chord is 3 + 0 7! "ut you can also just play 0 7 3 + and it will "e the +M(3T *('+ chord! it is still a 3 major 4 chord! just inverted. It may loo a little weird to play a 3 major 4 chord li e that! with 0 7 3 +! "ut I assure you it is still a 3 major 4 chord even though it loo s weird and it doesn't have your pin y playing the 1 5the note 36. (s long as all of the notes are "eing played in the chord! it is still the same chord.
0o+oin' 0ca+es 8or a #*$*) Pro'ression

*o over this chord progression! you can play any notes in the 3 major scale! all white eys! solo as long as you want while playing these chords! and it should all sound good. Nuic tip= the note + is a great note to land on and will sound good over all of the chords if you want a note to land on when soloing. )#:#1s are also really useful to now "ecause over this entire )# :#1! you can also solo on pentatonic scales! just li e the 3 major pentatonic we learned earlier. 2ver this )#:#1 in 3 major as you are playing the chords with the left hand as noted a"ove! try playing the 3 'ajor pentatonic scale! which would "e 3 . + 0 ( and continue up the ey"oard while you switch chords in your left hand. This should sound pretty good over this progression! and I would spend some time to just mess around on it! going up and down the pentatonic scale while you play those - chords 5and once you get to the 3 major 4 then you restart at the . minor 4 chord and just eep playing .#4 04 3maj46.
Mark Meronek 2012
?sin' the B+ues 0ca+e To 0o+o 7n a #*$*) Pro'ression

(nother scale you can use to solo over a )#:#1 is called the '7lues' scale. The 7lues scale is formed "y ta ing the following notes= 1 "- ? ": : "4 1 *o the 3 "lues scale would "e= 3 +" % 0" 0 7" 3! and it should sound very... "luesy& I don't thin there's another term to descri"e it "esides what it is! just imagine a country hic playing a "anjo or harmonica and singing the "lues on this ind of scale and I thin you'll get the picture. *o what do "lues scales have to do with )#:#1sI >ell if you notice a )#:#1! li e say this 3 major )#:#1 we've "een wor ing on! you can use the "lues scale of the CAthC note of the ey that you are in. *o since we are in the ey of 3 major and this is a )#:#1 in 3 major! then we go to the Ath note! which is C(!C and we can play the ( "lues over a )#:#1 in 3 major. ( "lues is as follows= ( 7lues *cale # ( 3 . +" + 0 ( Try using this scale over the )#:#1 in 3 major with those same chords you've "een playing! which are! for your 1H= .#4 # . % ( 3 04 # . % 0 7 3 'ajor 4 # 3 + 0 7 and now solo in ( "lues in your 8H. It should sound really cool! especially if you play the . +" and + really $uic ly.
#*$*) Turnaround Chords

9ou can also add a turnaround chord to the end of this )#:#1! which is just a chord that ma es the chord want to CturnaroundC "ac to the ) so you can just eep playing the )#:#1 over and over again. 9ou can "asically use this chord as a ind of 'reset "utton' that ma es you turnaround "ac to the ) chord. The way to find the turnaround chord is to play the dominant 4th chord of the Ath note of the ey you're in. That might sound confusing! so let's "rea it down. >e're doing a )#:#1 in the ey of 3 major! so since we now the ey we're in! we can go to the Ath note! which is (! and play ( dominant 4 as a turnaround chord. *o now our progression is .# 4 04 3maj4 (4! and I will just tell you straight out how to play the (4! "ut could also find it yourself "y first nowing the ( major scale! then playing 1 - : 4 for ( major! and then flatting the 4th since it is a dominant 4th chord 5not the -rd though! flatting the -rd is only for a minor 4th chord&6= .#4 # 1H # . % ( 3 04 # 1H # . % 0 7 3 'ajor 4 # 1H # 3 + 0 7 (4 # 1H # + 0 ( 3E *o what you've learned so far is how to play a )#:#1! the different chords that are in a major scale! scales that you can use to solo over them )#:#1s 5pentatonic of the 1! "lues scale of the Ath! 'ajor scale of the 16! and how to find turnaround chords 5the dominant 4th chord of the Ath6.
Mark Meronek 2012
Coo+ 0ca+e "or the -% Turnaround Chord

*omething a little more advanced you might want to try is to solo over this )#:#1 in the 3 major scale! "ut then when you get to the turnaround chord! (4! you can solo in the harmonic minor scale of the ?th of (! which would "e . harmonic minor. Harmonic minor scales are just a major scale with a flatted -rd and a flatted Ath! so 3 harmonic minor would "e 3 . +" % 0 (" 7 3. If you don't understand this and it's getting too scale#y for you! that's totally cool! instead just try playing the scale "elow on the (4 chord and you'll see how cool it sounds. The . harmonic minor that you would play over this (4 chord would "e= . 'ajor *cale # . + %E 0 ( 7 3E . so flat the -rd and Ath . Harmonic 'inor *cale # . + % 0 ( 7" 3E . *o try playing that . Harmonic 'inor scale over the (4 chord in your 1H 5+ 0 ( 3E6 when you are turning around "ac to the ) to eep playing the )#:#1 and it should sound really cool.
P+ayin' 8rom The 1.ea+ Book1
If you want to learn jazz songs! I would suggest "uying a '8eal 7oo !' which is a collection of jazz songs! and try to play easy songs with chords you've already learned! li e 3 major or 3 minor or . minor. The song C%ly me to the moonC and C(lice in >onderland!C as well as C+milyC are pro"a"ly doa"le at this point! or at least you can read some of those familiar chords and play them immediately. If you ever see a 'aj4! 'in4! or dominant 4th chord you don't now yet! then you can always go "ac to the "asics and as yourself= CHey how do I form a 7 major! 7 minor! and 7 dominant 4th
chordIC C>ell first I learn the 7 major scale! and play the 1st! -rd! :th! and 4th notes in the scale in my 1H! and that will "e my 7 'ajor 4th chord. I can solo on the 7 major scale. 7 minor will just "e that same chord! except the -rd and the 4th will "e flatted! and I can use that scale instead. %or the 7 dominant 4th chord! I will only flat the 4th! so I will play "asically the major chord with a flatted seventh in the left hand! and solo on the 7 major scale with a flatted 4th! instead of the regular 7 major scale.C /nowing how to do that! and "eing a"le to find and play the chord you want to play! when you want it! as well as nowing the scale to solo on it! is an incredi"le power that allows you to get started playing and soloing through jazz songs. 2f course! there are other chords that you might not now yet! li e diminished chords or augmented chords! "ut don't worry a"out those right now. *tic to songs that have a lot of maj4! min4! and dom4 chords so you can practice forming them and soloing on their scales! it's really fun to just pic random songs and try them out to see if you li e them. >hile you'll need to learn to read the notes for your right hand! in the tre"le clef! the cool thing a"out the 8eal 7oo is that you don't have to read "oth the left and the right hand at the same time! you can just read chord sym"ols to tell you what to play with your 1H! and just read the melody to the song for your 8H instead. The song sheet 5also called a lead sheet6 will just say something li e '3 maj 4' and have the melody notes! which means you just play 3 major 4 in your left hand! play the melody in your right hand! and after you play the melody you can solo on all of the chords that are written there with the scales you've either learned! or now how to find.
>hat is really important though is learning those chords you already now in the other eys! and recognizing the relationships "etween the chords so you aren't limited to just chords "ased off of 3.
istenin'3 Improvisation3 and The 8+o! 0tate

1istening is also incredi"ly ey to getting good at piano! or just playing music in general. If you started out as a "eginner in this guide! this is a really important point to touch on. /eep in mind this is all my opinion and my experience in learning jazz and improvising! "ut I thin it's essential that you understand what it feels li e for me or another jazz pianist when you improvise freely from the heart. I can't spea for others! "ut this is my personal experience=
Music as an'ua'e
To me! music really is a language! and there is so much truth in that common saying when you thin a"out it. 0o chec out some really amazing jazz pianists li e /eith @arrett or 2scar <eterson! and watch their mouth while they're playing. It's pretty crazy to thin ! "ut their mouth and tongue actually moves while they're playing! or if not! they ma e slight sounds as they play that are "arely noticea"le 5well! in /eith @arrett's case it's a "it more noticea"le... good times6! "ut definitely still there. I've noticed that that same thing actually happens to me too! where my tongue moves when I play! and I thin it comes a lot from having to learn how to vocalize rhythms as you learn piano. 'y point is that when you play music! you are actually communicating with the audience and expressing yourself to them in much the same way you do when you're tal ing! and they interpret it and have emotional responses to it in much the
same way as well. If you want to get "etter at piano and improvisation! this is HB0+ in helping you progress! "ecause if music is just li e learning a language! the most important part of learning is I,<BT! not output. Thin a"out it! a "a"y doesn't even learn to spea until it has hundreds 5thousandsI6 of hours of input from all of the adults spea ing around it! and music is really the same way. 'ost li ely you already listen to a lot of music! "ut you definitely want to listen to tons of music in the style that you want to play! so that just li e a "a"y! it can get internalized in your system so it feels natural when you actually go to play it. (nd just li e phrases and sylla"les that the "a"y starts to spea ! as you listen to more jazzGhip hopGsoulGclassical! all of the music will start to spontaneously come out in your playing through your melodies and chords! 'the "uilding "loc s of the musical language.' 9our chords and melodies are your phrases and sylla"les! and the measures and "ars are your grammar! etc. etc. I thin you get the point! "ut it is really true at a deep level& (nyways so the cool thing that happens is that as you listen to music and learn more and more chords! you have more and more ways to express yourself through the language! either "y copying what 'other people are saying' and trying it out for yourself! or "y forming your own 'sentences' "ased on what you want to convey. If you end up listening to a jazz pianist and copying his melodiesGharmonies and style of playing! it's li e learning a new way of expressing yourself! and all of his 'sentences' and 'ways of spea ing' are stored in your "rain for use at the most opportune times when you're improvising. It happens to me really often! where the music that I've listened to comes alive spontaneously in my improvisations! without even having to try. 9ou'll find yourself $uoting the same melodies or phrases from your favorite jazz pianist and have no idea how it came at the
exact! perfect time! without any conscious effort on your part. It's really an awesome feeling when that happens! and the only way it can ever happen is from tons of listening! and learning new chords "uilding "loc s to express yourself. (fter you have that thousands of hours of input! and after learning so many different ways of expressing yourself from hundreds of different pianistsGmusicians through listening! you are free to just "asically forget a"out everything! and start playing whatever comes to you in that moment. >hen you do that! you open your mind to allowing your unconscious! your 'creative side!' whatever you want to call it! to ta e over! and you don't consciously have to strive to do anything. In this state! your mind draws upon every single melodyGchordGway of expressing yourself through the piano that you've ever heard! and it uses them to improvise spontaneously in the moment! and you're left in this space where you don't even have to try to do anything! it all just flows and is effortless and joyful. That's really what I love a"out playing piano and improvising in a nutshell! that feeling of freedom and "oundlessness when I'm playing. 7h... T/-T 8ee+in'C 9ou pro"a"ly already now the spontaneous feeling I'm tal ing a"out from your own conversations with other people! "ecause in my experience! it's really similar to when you're just having a really good conversation with someone you care a"out and everything flows naturally. It's li e that feeling when you're in a social situation or at a party where everything you do and say is (>+*2'+! no matter what you say. 1i e you are saying all of the right things at exactly the right times! in exactly the way you want to convey it! and you're constantly amazing yourself at how witty and awesome you are. 9ou as yourself Cwhere the hec did that come fromI That was hilarious&C It's that feeling where you're just flowing from person
to person! effortlessly connecting on a deep level with all of them! and you don't even have to stop to thin or worry! it's just really joyful and fun. That flow state! of just playing and doing without thin ing! is what happens when you learn how to express yourself freely on piano. It's really the same thing that a professional tennis player or a good spea er goes into! "ut it's so frea ing cool "ecause you get to do it through music! and you don't even have to spea to affect people and touch them emotionally through the music. That feeling can only happen once you have had a lot of exposure to music! "ut almost everyone has "een listening to some ind of music throughout their life! I don't care if it's @ustin 7ie"er or 0angnam *tyle! you are already exposed to tons of chord progressions just "y hearing them. It just gets "etter and "etter too as time goes on! "ecause you learn more and more jazzy chord progressions! scales! melodies! etc. and have a lot more input to draw from in your creativity. *ometimes you can listen to a completely different genre of music! and somehow that melody will come alive without your thin ing a"out it! and you'll end up playing a 5why am I using this example...6 @ustin 7ie"er melody on your 3 major 4th and . major 4th chords! and you're just li e C7a"y! 7a"y! 7a"y 2hC and then you as yourself C>H+8+ TH+ H+3/ .I. TH(T 32'+ %82'IC in anger! 5or sheer joy "ecause you love the 7ie"er6! "ut then you realize that it's a similar chord progression! and then you say Cwow that's cool! I wonder what other melodies use this progressionIC 5hint= 3 maj4 to . min4 with a ) - : 4 voicing is what the mario star song is "ased on6. (ll I'm saying is that the music that you listen to can really affect your playing and the more you listen to! the more cool things start to happen in your playing. I can definitely say that for me! I would never have "een a"le to
play jazz or improvise li e I can now without having listened to years upon years of jazz! hip hop! classical! and other genres of music constantly throughout my life. 1istening also helps you play with other musicians! "ecause just li e a conversation! all the mem"ers of the group are constantly communicating and you'll only "e a"le to get a vi"e for what each person is wanting to 'say' if you're familiar with many different styles of music! their 'way of spea ing!' their 'grammar!' and the sort of 'unspo en guidelines' for how to respect each other in that communication. (nyways I'm "ela"oring the point! "ut what I'm really saying is= 1I*T+, T2 T2,* (,. T2,* 2% 'B*I3 I, TH+ *T91+ TH(T 92B >(,T T2 <1(9 (,. IT >I11 H+1< 92B8 <1(9I,0 I''+,*+19&&&&
Mark Meronek 2012
8ina+ Points
This guide is the "est I've "een a"le to thin up to help someone get started learning jazz chords and improvisation. It's "een really challenging! a little crazy! and tons of fun for me to condense my thoughts and "rea down the fundamentals of what's helped the most in my 10 years of piano playing! and I hope you've gotten some great use out of this. I've taught you a lot of ways to find and play chords! so now use what's in this guide and com"ine it with improvising from the heart. <iano is not all notes and scales! it's a"out a real human "eing "ringing their soul to the ta"le and conveying their emotions to all that are listening. If you're ever performing on stage or for other people! remem"er to really give it all you've got # you never now whose life you might affect at a really deep level with your playing! especially when you "ring as much of your own authenticity! passion! and excitement that you can muster. If you want more resources for these inds of jazzy chord progressions and improvisation techni$ues! I have 1; free video lessons you can watch at <iano"rea s.com. They are full lessons on incorporating these jazzy chords and techni$ues into your playing! so definitely chec them out if you're interested. .on't forget the 3 a!s o" Pianobreaks! and always remem"er to eep your piano time as 92B8 time! not anyone else's! with no shoulds or o"ligations. /eep the piano as a completely sacred place! free from all of the stresses and distractions that life throws at you. +xpressing yourself honestly on piano is a really "eautiful thing too! so don't "e afraid to share that "eauty with others! "oth through your own playing and "y teaching them how to play "eautiful music. I hope this guide has "een a positive influence on "oth your piano playing and your life with music. Ta e care! and remem"er 5as corny as it may sound! it's true&6= ,ever stop playing what you love& #'ar

Pianobreaks Basics - Guide To Jazzy Chords and Improvisation

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Pianobreaks.

com Pianobreaks Basics: Guide to Jazzy Chords and Improvisation

The 3 a!s o" Pianobreaks

Jazzy Chords and the #3$% &oicin'

-ddin' the .i'ht /and * # 3 $ % &oicin'

0o+oin' on Ma,or Chords

Chord (# * The 12 Chord1

Mark Meronek 2012

0imp+e and Po!er"u+ Chord Techni4ues

Minor %th Chords

0harps and 8+ats

P+ayin' Minor %th Chords 5ith Both /ands

9ey 2i""erence Bet!een Ma,or and Minor %th Chords

Gettin' Com"ortab+e 5ith Minor Chords

Mark Meronek 2012

Mark Meronek 2012

Practicin' * 2eve+opin' 8+uency 7n Chords and 0ca+es

The 7rder o" 0harps and 8+ats

Mark Meronek 2012

Mark Meronek 2012

P+ayin' Jazz 0on's and Chord Pro'ressions

2ominant %th Chords

&ery Important Concept * Make 0ure Bou ?nderstand ThisC

! 7 * +oicing in your ,H for any of

Mark Meronek 2012

Ma,or 9ey Chords

Back to #*$*)s and P+ayin' Jazz

0o+oin' 0ca+es 8or a #*$*) Pro'ression

?sin' the B+ues 0ca+e To 0o+o 7n a #*$*) Pro'ression

#*$*) Turnaround Chords

Mark Meronek 2012

Coo+ 0ca+e "or the -% Turnaround Chord

P+ayin' 8rom The 1.ea+ Book1

istenin'3 Improvisation3 and The 8+o! 0tate

Mark Meronek 2012

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