In my touring career with artists like Colin Hay of Men at

Work, Wilson Phillips, and my own band, it has always been

challenging to find time to practice. Thats why Ive come up with
my own exercises that can be played in minimal time, and that
focus on a balance of stretching, stamina, speed, relaxation, and
finger independence. The following exercises are the basic tem-
plate that I use. I must credit my early piano instructor, the late
Harry Fields, for influencing my technical routines. Theyve
stayed with me all of these years!
Hear audio of this lesson at keyboardmag.com/lessons.
PLAY I T! TEN MI NUTE TECHNI QUE
FINGER
INDEPENDENCE
by Kiki Ebsen
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Ex. 1. Parallel sixths. This is great for opening up your hands. Do one hand at a time, and modulate up a half-step each time until
youve played through all 12 keys. Holding your middle finger down while you play puts the focus on finger independence. If you feel ten-
sion, stop and go to your other hand. Remember, youre not going for speed here, but learning to use your fingers deliberately.
Ex. 2. Trills on fingers 1 and 2. Just like the previous exercise, holding your fingers down requires slower, more deliberate playing,
which develops finger independence. Here, youre playing trills with fingers 1 and 2 (thumb and index fingers) of each hand while holding
sustained notes with fingers 3 and 4 (middle and ring fingers). Practice each hands part separately, then put them together.
Aside from performing with artists such as Christopher Cross, Tracy Chapman, and
Colin Hay, Kiki Ebsen has also maintained an active and acclaimed career as a
leader in her own right. She appears on the A-Train compilation Nu-Jazz, and will
soon release her first cover CD, Cool Songs Vol. 1. Ebsens original album, The
Beauty Inside, is due in May. Visit her at kikiebsen.com. Jon Regen
D
O
U
G

M
A
C
K
E
N
Z
I
E
34 K E Y B O A R D 0 4 . 2 0 1 0


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Ex. 3. Trills on fingers 3 and 4. This flips the pattern from Exercise 2 on its head. Now its the thumb and index finger holding the notes
while the ring and middle fingers trill away. You can also work up to this by omitting the sustained notes and just doing the trills.


1
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Sustain 1st finger
Move up and down a C scale on each repeat


5

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4 1 4
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5 5
4 1
2
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2 5
Repeat exercise sustaining each finger using finger positions below
Ex. 4. Octave shake. Using both hands, play this as fast as you can without feeling tension in your wrists or hands. This is a great
exercise to insert between the more concentrated finger-independence ones.
Ex. 5. Five-finger trill combo. Play this with both hands, as fast as you can while maintaining even tone and tempo. On each repeat,
move both hands up the scale of C in whole steps, then down the same way. This exercise combines all the aspects of finger independ-
ence, strength, speed, and relaxation, and takes a bit of stamina to build up to.
PLAY I T!
35 0 4 . 2 0 1 0 K E Y B O A R D
Whether youre a seasoned pro or just starting out,
synthesizers like the Minimoog Voyager add a whole new dimen-
sion to your sound. Here are a four of my favorite licks and tricks
to get you started on the journey!
Hear full audio examples of this lesson at keyboardmag.com/lessons.
PLAY I T! SYNTH SENSE
MOOG ON!
by Scott Chasolen

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Outside-in. I like to create tension by playing synth lines in and outside of a key, over an open vamp. This line uses major triads in vari-
ous forms and rhythms, over an F pedal point. It begins with Eb, B, and Db triads in the first phrase. In the second phrase, Eb, Gb, A, C,
and Eb major triads in an ascending triplet pattern create tension. The line finally resolves back to F minor. This works well with a synth
patch that uses two sawtooth waves and a partially open filter.
Polyphonic trick. The Minimoog is monophonic, but an easy way to play multiple pitches on any monophonic synth is to tune the oscil-
lators to different intervals. In this E Phrygian melody, the first phrase is one pitch on one oscillator. For the second phrase, oscillator 2 is
tuned to a fifth above oscillator 1.
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A6 Dm6 A6 Dm6 F m7 G7 F m7 G7

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Funky swing
Harmonic illusion. Shifting harmony beneath a melody often creates the illusion that the melody has changed, even when it hasnt. This
two-bar phrase in A repeats, with the chords (played on piano) changing the second time around. Im using three oscillators (two square
waves and a saw) all in different octaves, slightly detuned. Flip on the release switch on the last note of each phrase for sustain, then turn
it off at the start of the next one.
Funky bottom. This bass line in G minor evokes Herbie Hancocks Headhunters era. The Minimoog is still the axe of choice for a fat
bass sound. This patch uses all three oscillators (one square and two saws this time) all in different octaves. The mod wheel opens and
closes the filter, and Ive added some resonance for extra effect.
Scott Chasolen is acclaimed for his keyboard work as a founder of instrumental
group Ulu, his prog stylings in Pink Floyd tribute the Machine, and the piano-driven
jazz-pop of his solo project SC3. For more info, visit scottchasolen.com. Jon Regen
J
A
C
K

B
E
N
A
S
36 K E Y B O A R D 0 4 . 2 0 1 0
Your choice of chord voicings and the
style in which you play them is one of the
most crucial decisions you can make at
the gig or recording session. This is as
true for simple rock as it is for complex
jazz; perhaps even moreso for rock,
because its important that over the
course of the song, your voicings adapt to
the emotional mood or even the lyrics of
the current song section. These examples
show how Id approach the problem while
keeping to a rock aesthetic no jazzy
chord extensions allowed!
Keyboardist and composer Scott Healy has played
on TV with Conan OBrien since 1993. Visit him at
bluedogmusic.com. Audio of this lesson is at
keyboardmag.com/lessons.
PLAY I T! THE CHORD DOCTOR
VOICINGS TO FIT
EACH SONG SECTION
by Scott Healy
Ex. 3. Verse. 3a pares down the voicing to two notes in the right hand. Doubling the inner octaves of the D chord makes the D/F# and
G chords sound rich. 3b uses the pedal to break up the chords between the two hands, adding an extra level of dynamics.
Embellishments like the add9 grace note on the G chord add even more harmonic interest.
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D A a) b)

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*doubled-note
D/F

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D C G D C G D C G

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Ex. 1. Intro. 1a grounds the intro with a simple triad in the right hand, and a strong octave in the left. Always listen to the melody the
top notes of the chords make to see if it fits what other instruments are doing. 1b uses a new inversion, making that melody more pro-
nounced. 1c changes the inversion again, yielding a sound thats brighter, but not as melodic.
Ex. 2. Alternate voicings. I might change to voicings like this when the singer comes in. 2a simplifies the chording with a voicing that
keeps the hands close: fifths in the left hand work nicely. When you move to the G chord, try B in the bass. Its an interesting sound. The
fifth finger of the right hand can hold the A through all three chords. 2b spices things up by rocking the right hand back and forth, and
breaking up the left-hand notes rhythmically. Accent the strong beats and youll drive the track; play it softly and youll blend in.
38 K E Y B O A R D 0 4 . 2 0 1 0
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D G a) b)
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Ex. 4. Chorus. 4a accentuates the intensity of the chorus. Playing fifths in the left hand against simple triads in the right is bright and
effective. 4b creates a fuller sound via octaves in the right hand, and adding an extra note to the right-hand voicing. The more octave-
doubling, the more sound and power. 4c gives the chord added melodic shape via an octave spread in the right hand. Use the pedal to
run the chord tones together, then change to the new chord on the downbeat.
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PLAY I T!
Ex. 5. Final verse and chorus. 5a builds the song by accenting right-hand Ds, while also laying a left-hand foundation of octave roots
and midrange triads. Dont over-pedal, otherwise the tones get muddied. 5b rocks out on the chorus with the octave and fifth. Play
strong, accented eighth-notes, hitting fuller voicings on the offbeats.
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39 0 4 . 2 0 1 0 K E Y B O A R D
In 1928, George and Ira Gershwin
composed the iconic song I Got Rhythm. In
the years following, the harmonic structure of
this timeless classic has become the back-
bone of countless songs written and/or per-
formed by such varied artists as Charlie
Parker, Kenny Rogers, and even the Beatles.
Not only has I Got Rhythm been
recorded by a plethora of vocalists and
instrumentalists, it has also become a
measure of a musicians improvisational
skills. A big reason for this is the I-VI-II-V (or
III-VI-II-V) progression in the A-sections of
the tune. Because these harmonies are
in so many standard tunes (jazz, pop,
rock, gospel, and country), if you can
improvise over Rhythm Changes, you can
improvise over a lot of other tunes in a
variety of styles.
The structure of Rhythm Changes is
the 32-bar AABA form, with each section
consisting of eight measures. The A-sec-
tions contain the I-VI-II-V progression. The
B-section consists of dominant seventh
chords starting on the III7, moving in a
cycle of fourths. To hone your skills, isolate
the sections, and practice playing on
each of them before putting the parts back
together. Then, youll be ready to use these
devices on dozens of tunes!
Hear audio of this lesson at keyboardmag.com/lessons.
PLAY I T! JAZZ
A RHYTHM
CHANGES
PRIMER
by Andy LaVerne
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B maj7 Gm7 Cm7 F7 ,

Ex. 1. The I-VI-II-V progression in the key of Bb. This progression is repeated in the first four measures of I Got Rhythm in the A sections. Although the original was in
the key of Db (as were many songs composed in that era), the most common key for Rhythm Changes these days is Bb.
Ex. 2. The melody of I Got Rhythm is drawn from the major pentatonic scale (1, 2, 3, 5, 6). The bulk of the melody in the A-sections uses four of the five notes of that
scale. This right hand improvisation uses the Bb major pentatonic scale, along with the blue notes b3 and b7. The b7 is introduced in measure 5, to reinforce the
modulation to the IV chord, a pivotal harmonic movement in Rhythm Changes. Notice the subtle difference between the first and second endings a good way of keep-
ing your place in this AABA form.
Jazz pianist, composer, and longtime Keyboard colum-
nist Andy LaVerne has played and recorded with such
renowned artists as Frank Sinatra, Stan Getz, and
Chick Corea. A Professor of Jazz Piano at the Hartt School
of Music at the University of Hartford, his latest CD is
Live at the Kitano, Vol. 1. Visit him at andylaverne.com.
40 K E Y B O A R D 0 4 . 2 0 1 0
Ex. 3. The first half of the B-section starts on the III7 and moves up the cycle of fourths. Left hand voicings consist of guide tones (thirds and sevenths) and roots. The
right hand is using the dominant diminished scale, always a good choice for use on dominant sevenths.

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Cm7 D dim7 , Dm7 G7 Cm7 F7
Ex. 4. In the second half of the bridge, were preceding the dominant seventh chords by minor seventh chords (often called II-Ving). This gives us more chords to play
on, and adds some extra movement, while retaining the underlying harmonic intent. The right hand lines outline the minor seventh chords with some added chromatic
tones. Notice that the seventh of the minor chord resolves to the third of the dominant seventh chord.
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Gm7 C7 F7
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G7 Cm7 B maj7/F , F7 B maj7/F ,

1. 2.
PLAY I T!
Ex. 5. The final A-section. By outlining the chords in the right hand, the tune almost plays itself. Along with a few choice chromatic tones, you can weave an eighth-note
improvisation over the moving changes quite nicely. The diminished chords are common substitutions for the dominant sevenths in the first two measures. For dramatic
effect, we end on the tritone substitution of E7#11.
41 0 4 . 2 0 1 0 K E Y B O A R D