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Playlist Description:
This is a list of acoustic piano videos on youtube
Now Playing:
Crystal Silence - Chick Corea
uploaded by 7notemode at youtube.com
This is a Chick Corea tune that is haunting and spare. The modal changes interest me the most with this song. His duo with Burton on vibes is amazing. I play it out of time and without swing to maximize the feel, but it is improvised. If I were to do this over, I would not do this as slow and would put more energy into it, but I was thinking "tranquil" at the time.
Stella by Starlight- jazz piano solo
uploaded by 7notemode at youtube.com
This is a great Victor Young tune. It's usually played fairly slowly, but this is an up tempo version. The chord changes make this song interesting to me.
'Round Midnight - Thelonious Monk
uploaded by 7notemode at youtube.com
This Monk tune is so melodically and harmonically sophisticated and interesting. O.K., I should have used a metronome, but I uploaded this video anyway. Part of the time I play "outside" or against the chord structure. I try not to go so far out that I get lonely, which I tend to do when I play for myself. Besides Monk, Bill Evans playing this is my favorite.
Dolphin Dance - Herbie Hancock tune
uploaded by 7notemode at youtube.com
This Hancock tune is usually played in a restrained, laid back style, i.e. with a "west coast cool jazz" feel. The brilliant and unusual chord changes give this piece a floating feeling that does away with the usual dynamic arcs of tension and resolution found in more traditional "I-VI-II-V-I" type jazz compositions. In order to make it sound a little bit different, I decided to play it slightly uptempo and to play the changes as if it called for the same dynamic rise and fall of more traditional tunes, even when that is not what the chords changes are calling for, at least from my perspective. Something else I try to do in order to switch it up a bit is to vary my comping between light and dense voicings. I play two or three notes that imply a chord without explicitly stating it, or I try to go really dense, with lots of color tones to obscure the underlying chord. That is pretty much what I was thinking when I played this piece.
Lush Life - jazz piano solo
uploaded by 7notemode at youtube.com
This wonderful Billy Strayhorn tune is usually played in a slow, melancholy way with an emphasis on the chromatic structure of the melody and chord changes. I wanted to do a more energetic version and focus on the syncopation of this piece as much or more than the chromatic structure. Chick Corea did an up tempo verson on his Expressions CD. I used his version as inspiration, but I didn't copy any of his licks in order to keep it original. I think it is an extra challenge to do something different with classic tunes that are so well known, but this was fun to record.
The Dolphin
uploaded by 7notemode at youtube.com
This is a terrific tune that doesn't get played enough. The only recordings I know are by Bill Evans and Stan Getz. If anyone knows of other recordings, let me know. In my opinion, this tune is all about expressing joy. I can't play it without feeling it. This was a quickie GarageBand concoction that I put together on a Sunday night. Speed was the priority, not perfection. I only did two takes, took the better of the two, mistakes and all. The feeling comes through though. I enjoyed the heck out of doing this song.
How Deep Is The Ocean -- jazz piano solo
uploaded by 7notemode at youtube.com
This is waaay looser playing than my other posts. I give the blame/credit to the Korean restaurant we ate at last night. They made my order twice as hot as I had requested. Additional beer was quaffed to dull the burn. I am a total alcohol lightweight. Anyway, I came home, immediatly sat down and recorded this last night. It's a good thing I didn't drive if this is an indication of how I was operating heavy machinery! I only did one take, because at the time I thought I sounded *Great* I mean why get hung up on hitting the right notes, right? ...This morning, listening in the light of day, I'm not so sure about this recording. I had to laugh at myself a little bit. I'm going to post it because I had so much fun playing last night. This tune has great changes. I especially like the George Shearing version off of his My Ship album, which is one of the best solo jazz piano albums of all time. Also, I did this without a metronome, which is probably self evident. I hope you like it.
Quiet Now
uploaded by 7notemode at youtube.com
This is a response to JazzVideoGuy's post of Denny Zeitlin playing his brilliant composition "Quiet Now" at a Berlin Concert in 1983. The link is : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMf-Ztg0GYM I have heard and admired this tune many times but I never played it until I watched Zeitlin's performance on YouTube. Bill Evans played this piece often and beautifully. The tune has a classic, contemplative feel. Zeitlin and Evans play the piece with luscious dense chords and color tones. This piece lends itself to that and I believe this is the approach with the most possibilities. However, I actually used that as an element to react to. In the head, I was slightly less dense, but fairly close to the Zeitlin/Evans intent. During the improvisation, I tried to open up the chords and put more space around the melodic lines. It is slightly more modal and the chords are less fully stated. It doesn't swing in the traditional sense, but it is a great improvisational piece due to its structure and chord progressions. I can see why Bill Evans played it so often.
I Loves You Porgy - modal version -- jazz piano solo
uploaded by 7notemode at youtube.com
I did this version as a contrast to my first I Loves You Porgy post, which can be found at the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKme90czc8o The first Porgy was done in the key of F major. This version was played in G major. I think the overtone series in G major is more open and more accommodative of this style. I recently had a conversation with Lot2Learn and Volvoxburger about different approaches to music theory and how it is applied in real time. This piece references that conversation. The first version was laid out using chord progressions to create arcs of tension and resolution. Consonance and dissonance are used to create this dynamic. There is a hierarchy of intervals that is used where some are considered harmonious, others are considered to be dissonant. In this version of Porgy, I did away with chords per se, and thought about the structure of the piece as a series of modes. Most of the modes have seven different notes. I do my best to only play notes within the mode (one of the 7 notes of the modal scale), and I try to make no value judgment as to which intervals are more or less harmonic . All intervals are treated as if they are equally pleasing to the ear. I didn't do this completely and I use a fair amount of major voicings, but I did try to move in that direction. I don't know if it will come across on the audio on youtube, but I made liberal use of the pedal, which is unusual for me. I am trying to stretch and emphasis the overtones of the piano as an effect. I try to repedal decisively between mode changes so it doesn't sound sloppy, but I let the pedal linger as long as I am in the same mode. All of this analysis flies out the window when I am playing, but I did think about it before and after I played the piece.
Response to Lot2Learn (Aeolian Mode Free Improv)
uploaded by 7notemode at youtube.com
Aeolian Mode Free Imvrovisation: By way of explanation, I had been encouraging Lot2Learn to post something solo and out of time. He said he had never done this because it was "outside his comfort zone" . I took him at his word and didn't expect much. Boy, was I wrong!! His free improvisation is a knock out and not to be missed! I felt I should post a response in kind. This piece is a free improvisation as well. It was spontaneously composed and played - late at night with no forethought. Just as L2L imposed some structure on his piece by using a downward chromatic structure, I set some limitations on this piece as well. I played this in the mode D aeolian. There are seven notes in this mode: D,E,F,G,A,Bb,C. Except for a couple of mistakes, I only play these seven notes the entire piece. I only use chords that are constructed from this modal scale. Setting restrictions actually helps in free improvisation because it narrows your options and makes choices more clear. This was done very casually, like I play for myself late at night, with no real performance in mind. This is my handshake to you L2L!!
Tenderly - jazz piano solo
uploaded by 7notemode at youtube.com
Tenderly is a beautiful tune that usually demands thick, lush chords. It's melodic structure and chord voicings give the piece a style and sound that is very much 'of the period' when it was composed in the early 1940's. I tried to inject a little bit of a modern sound in this performance by editing out many of the lush chords and making them a little bit more open and ambiguous. I also tried to use a more angular approach and more silence in the phrasing to play off the lyrical way this piece is usually interpreted. For me it's a trade off. This approach takes away from some of the beauty of the piece, but also adds something a little bit different. Art Tatum and Oscar Peterson do amazing versions of this tune. George Shearing has a great version on his My Ship albulm as well.
Who Can I Turn To? -- jazz piano solo
uploaded by 7notemode at youtube.com
This is a tune that has great melodic and harmonic structure. It gives the player a lot to work with because the tension and release are so well built into the song. I decided to to a slower, out of time version that highlights the harmonic movement of the song.
Come Rain or Come Shine
uploaded by 7notemode at youtube.com
I really like this tune, but it very much has a time stamp on it. I played this in a fairly dated, retro way, mainly because I find this song resists sounding modern even when I try to make it sound more contemporary. I decided to give in to the fun side of this dated sound and not try to make the song something it didn't want to be.
Skylark
uploaded by 7notemode at youtube.com
This is a wonderful Hoagie Carmichael Johnny Mercer tune that lends itself well to harmonic substitutions. I pushed the harmonic subs pretty far out, but I hope the integrity of the song still holds together.
Lister-Sink Method: Training for Piano / Misty
uploaded by 7notemode at youtube.com
This is a different kind of post for me. This video is an excerpt from my 'Lister-Sink Method' lesson today. I haven't been studying it long. The Lister-Sink Method is a unique approach to piano playing developed by Barbara Lister-Sink. It incorporates her unique perspective and also integrates elements of the Alexander Technique with the Russian Release method among others. It makes for a tension free method of playing that is quite freeing. I have just started to learn her method. Most of the lesson is focused on playing one or two notes in an attempt to master 'the basic stroke', which focuses on tension free playing coming from a place of balance. My teacher, Barbara Lister-Sink is nationally known for her injury rehabilitating training technique. You can hear her cueing me in the background. This was a terrific lesson today. Her website is www.freeingthecagedbird.com Click DVD and watch her play. Her form is a model of effortless mastery. It is quite beautiful to watch. I hope to get close to her form someday. Back problems kept me from playing for years, but between correcting my playing form and studying Gyrotonics, I have no back problems to speak of anymore. Sorry for the bad audio quality. I had not planned on using the video of my lesson on youtube, but I thought this might be interesting and a way to spread the word. The formula for me overcoming my back problems is The Lister-Sink Method, Alexander Technique, and Gyrotonics. Oh, and the song is Misty. I was mainly focused on releasing tension, not the notes. As a result, most of what I play are riffs, not melodies, but there is some music in there somewhere. Thanks for listening.
All The Things You Are
uploaded by 7notemode at youtube.com
This great Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein tune is a well known and often played jazz standard. The chord changes are great for improvising. This is a standard version of the song using standard changes and a standard tempo in the most commonly played key. This was a very casual performance, and I hesitated to post it. I decided to post it anyway because of a few interesting moments. You may want to compare this to an earlier post of mine called "Of All The Things", which presents the tune in a very different style. Also, I just have the camcorder audio track for this video. For some reason I was keeping time by counting out loud for part of the song. Don't ask me why. I usually don't do that. I appreciate your interest in my playing. Youtube has been a fun outlet for me. Thanks for listening.
'Round Midnight (revisited)
uploaded by 7notemode at youtube.com
I decided to do a reconsidered version of Round Midnight. My first version was pretty much a straight ahead take with the traditional key, chord changes and tempo. As a contrast, I tried to go in a different direction and go further out on this version. I moved the key up a major third to G minor to avoid the temptation of playing similar voicings to the first post. I also don't play a traditional head before improvising. Instead, I reference the melody in snippets throughout the song, but I improvise from the start. I really enjoyed doing this, and I hope you enjoy it.
Blue Monk -- Jazz Piano Solo
uploaded by 7notemode at youtube.com
Here I'm just noodling around on a blues piece. No metronome and I went too long, but I was enjoying it.
A Song For You -- piano solo
uploaded by 7notemode at youtube.com
I posted this song as a contrast to my recent posts of Round Midnight (revisited) and Skylark (revisited). In those two performances, I tried to change them by adding elements to the tune, including harmonic substitutions and different style elements. I am posting 'A Song For You' as a contrast to that approach. In this tune my focus was to take away as much as I could and reduce it to its most basic elements. There aren't a lot of fireworks here, but at it's core, this song is has a simplicity to it that I wanted to explore. The performance is on the introspective side. It is improvised, even though I am not generating a lot of movement. Leon Russell wrote and recorded it in 1970. Donnie Hathaway sang it in 1971, and The Carpenters put it on their album in 1972. As a vocal piece there is a naked vulnerability to this song that is deeply emotionally resonant and speaks to me. I hope you enjoy it.
A Child Is Born -- piano solo
uploaded by 7notemode at youtube.com
This tune was written by the great trumpet player Thad Jones. The most moving recording of this song is on the album "Upon Reflection- The Music of Thad Jones" by Hank Jones (piano) and Elvin Jones (drums). This album was recorded by his brothers as a tribute to Thad Jones after his death. George Mraz plays bass. I chose to do a simple, classical interpretation due to the purity of this song. I play it in Db, which has nice overtones and sings well for this tune. This was played similarly to 'A Song For You' -i.e., a simplified chord structure with no significant chord substitutions. I tried to focus more on the presentation of the notes rather than changing the notes. I really enjoy doing this tune. I hope you enjoy it as well.
Oh How I Love Jesus/ How Great Thou Art Medley
uploaded by 7notemode at youtube.com
RE: WATCH IN HD: You may need to pause for a minute to let it start loading. I am experimenting with the best settings for download. I've had requests to play a gospel song, so I thought I would post a couple of hymns. This is where it started for me. I grew up playing traditional southern gospel in a Baptist Church. Like so many other piano players, this is where I first learned to improvise. This is a throwback style from a time when you needed a lot of power to fill the auditorium with sound. Today with electronic keyboards, it's not so much of an issue anymore. I so enjoyed playing these moving, beautiful hymns. I hope you enjoy it as well.
I Fall In Love Too Easily -- jazz acoustic piano solo
uploaded by 7notemode at youtube.com
I have posted a companion score and midi file on my website, www.7notemode.com This is a streamilined version to share some of the voicings I'm using. I also included a basic bass line as an example of how to get started doing a walking bass. I have had a lot of requests for teaching material, so this a bit of an experiment for me to see how much interest there is. This tune is from the 1945 film "Anchors Aweigh", and was a standard played by Miles Davis and Bill Evans. The Miles Davis recordings of it are amazing. I took a fairly standard approach to it, using some chord substitutions, but I didn't go that far out. This is an unusual structure because it is only 16 measures long, and plays in a repeating AB pattern. Something about the changes makes me want to go over and over it. It's very circular. I never get tired of playing it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did playing it.
Wave by Jobim - with a friend on congas
uploaded by 7notemode at youtube.com
This is a quick recording of a jam session with a friend. The jam was a lot of fun. I met Alfredo the same day this was recorded. He mentioned that he played congas and was from Cuba, so I didn't waste any time inviting him over to the house to play. The audio is from a flash camera. Next time I will record with better sound.
You Were Always on My Mind (Elvis & Willie Nelson Tune)
uploaded by 7notemode at youtube.com
Click on the "Watch in HD" link at the bottom right for stereo. Really well constructed tunes lend themselves to improvisation and different interpretations. This tune is so solid, I tend to hear it with a classical vibe. I couldn't stick with a strict Ionian only scale (like my Improvisation in D major video) because it has a II dominant 7 chord in it that goes outside the E major scale. That said, I tried to stay within the notes of the E major scale as much as possible. This tune was published in 1972. Johnny Christopher, Mark James and Wayne Carson Thompson wrote it. It has been covered by everyone from Elvis, Willie Nelson, and The Pet Shop Boys to Fantasia, etc. Brenda Lee introduced it. I have to admit that Brenda Lee was my favorite female singer when I was growing up. I hope you enjoy it. Did I mention that I really love this song? :-)
Black Orpheus (Manhã de Carnaval)
uploaded by 7notemode at youtube.com
Alfredo came over with his congas, and we had a terrific jam session, plus he brought several CD's of Chucho Valdes, who is one of my favorite piano players. This tune is called Black Orpheus (in english), after the 1959 Brazilian movie by the same name. The song was a big part of the popularization of samba in the US in the early 60's, and has become a jazz standard. The recording of the piano and congas was done with a Rode VideoMic, which attaches to my camera. I added the bass and clave later. When I layered the video, there was a blank patch on the bottom left, so I added the cartoon to fill the space. I get a kick out of that cartoon.
You Don't Know What Love Is -- jazz acoustic piano solo
uploaded by 7notemode at youtube.com
This is a wonderfully deep tune by Gene De Paul and Don Raye, which was published in 1941. It was originally written for an Abbott and Costello film. Lennie Tristano did an amazing version that can be found here: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00123NJKM/jazzstandards-20/ref=nosim I decided to take it down to Eminor and I used a little bit of flamenco style ornamentations. This is one of the saddest songs I know, but deeply satisfying to play.
Willow Weep For Me - with companion tutorial video
uploaded by 7notemode at youtube.com
www.7notemode.com This is a link to purchase a companion 40 minute Video Tutorial on Willow Weep For Me. I am trying to see how much interest there is in this extended tutorial format that goes beyond what I can post on YouTube. Basically, I am sharing my thoughts and approach to the tune. I would appreciate feedback as to whether this hits the mark or not. The midi file and pdf transcript are included for $4.50 using PayPal. This piece is done in a simple blues style using the blues scale as the base. My playing is a bit more casual than usual. Basically I'm just blowing over the changes in an informal way, which is more like I play for myself. I hope you enjoy it.
Somewhere Over the Rainbow -- piano solo
uploaded by 7notemode at youtube.com
I thought I would throw my hat in the ring with Somewhere Over the Rainbow. This iconic Harold Arlen tune has been done many different ways. The challenge for me is to find something new in something very familiar. Of course, Jarrett's performance is foundational. I believe nobody did it better than Judy Garland herself. She captured perfectly a sense of reflective hopefulness and a yearning for something better. She produced one of the purest and most true performances ever recorded.
You Don't Know What Love Is (revisited) jazz piano solo
uploaded by 7notemode at youtube.com
I have attached this video as a response to my first post of You Don't Know What Love Is. I actually recorded this version first. I thought it might be interesting to show a contrasting version. The first one is in E minor and has a more modal style with flamenco type ornamentations. This one is in F minor and follows a more traditional jazz model. This tune was written in 1941 by Gene De Paul and Don Raye.
Georgia on my Mind -- jazz piano solo (Zoom H4n recorder)
uploaded by 7notemode at youtube.com
This is a great standard tune by Hoagy Carmichael. The challenging part is keeping the rhythm steady and the swing going at such a slow tempo. I wanted to set the beat without a metronome, so there are some tempo variations in it. This is more just plain vanilla playing instead of performing, so it's pretty laid back and informal. I enjoyed doing it. I hope you enjoy listening to it. I used a variation on the chord progressions for the A section: F -Em7b5-A7-Dm-Dm7/C-Bm7b5-Bbm7-Eb7-Am7-D7-Gm7-Db7-C7-F My other recorder broke, so I'm trying out the new Zoom H4n recorder, just using the built in microphones. I have the unit 18" over the dampers, inside the case, pointing toward the back of the piano. I tweaked the sound in Logic with phase inversion, reduced stereo width, EQ, compression, reverb and an AdLim.
Sophisticated Lady - jazz piano solo
uploaded by 7notemode at youtube.com
I plan on doing a tutorial on this Duke Ellington tune. Hopefully I can get to it next week. The thing that is so great about this tune is the complexity of the melody and how the harmony is so much a part of the sound, that you really can't mess with it that much, or it doesn't sound like Sophisticated Lady. For that reason, I just kept it in the original key with the original changes. I also borrowed heavily from the Ellis Marsalis version, which is just terrific. He is just the consummate musician. I recorded this differently than I did with Georgia on my Mind. I have the Zoom in the same position, which you can see in the upper right of the frame, pointing 45 degrees down in line with the second hole of the piano. I also added a ribbon mic over the bass strings and mixed it in to give it a thicker sound. I hope you enjoy it.
Pannonica by Thelonious Monk - piano solo
uploaded by 7notemode at youtube.com
This tune was dedicated to Pannonica Rothschild, Monk's long time patron and friend. He lived with her the last several years of his life. I got to thinking about this tune after seeing The Jazz Barroness on HBO. I can't recommend this documentary highly enough! It is great Monk history and background. I had heard the piece many times, both from Monk and from Chick Corea on Now He Sings, Now He Sobs, but I had never played it until I watched the HBO special. This is a great tune to play. I hope you enjoy it. I recorded using the Zoom H4n and an Apex 205 ribbon mic that has been modified by Michael Joly at Octavamod. I mixed and processed the tracks in Logic on a MacBook Pro.
Nefertiti - Miles Davis Wayne Shorter Herbie Hancock - practicing to metronome
uploaded by 7notemode at youtube.com
This is an example of practicing playing with a metronome. On the Pianoworld forum, there was a thread on the chords to this piece, and there was another thread on using a metronome to play. I decided to combine these and play Nefertiti to a metronome to put an example out there. I have the metronome set at 56 bpm. When it is this slow, I let it click on the upbeat (the AND) of 123 and 4. For faster tunes, it clicks on the downbeat of 2 and 4. My goal when I'm practicing to a metronome is to really focus on the flow and get as deep in the pocket as I can. When you really get into the pocket, it should sound like the metronome is following you, and not the other way around. I have moments of that, but it is more of an aspiration. Sorry the metronome isn't louder. I miscalculated it's placement distance from the microphone. Re: Nefertiti : Some songs really lend themselves well to the piano....This is not one of them! On the 1968 Miles album, the horns played the melody over and over while the rhythm section improvised to their repeated melody. I just tried to give an impression of the tune without getting very specific about what I was playing. I left a lot of voicings out, so the sound of the chords could be inferred by the listener, filling in the blanks.
Temya
My favorite music ... Thanks!