Keith Jarrett Exercises, 2

Welcome to jazz piano skills. I'm Dr. Bob Lawrence. It's time to discover, learn and play jazz piano. Today you are going to discover 14 improvisational lines improvisational ideas that embody the improvisational approaches of jazz great, Keith Jarrett. You're going to learn how to construct improvisational lines that stylistically, reflect Keith Jarrett's approach to improvising. And you were going to play 14 improvisational lines, improvisational ideas that strategically explore the entire sound from the root through the 13th. So as I always like to say regardless of where you are in your jazz journey, a beginner intermediate player and advanced player or even if you are an experienced professional, you are going to find this jazz panel skills podcast lesson. Presenting 14 Keith Jarrett exercises Part Two designed to help you develop improvisation vocabulary, you're going to find this episode to be very beneficial. If you are new to jazz piano skills. 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And as a jazz panel skills member you also have access to the private jazz panel skills community, hosting a variety of engaging forums, podcast specific forums, core specific forums and of course, General jazz piano forums as well. And last but certainly not least, unlimited, private, personal and professional educational support is at your fingertips as a jazz piano skills member whenever and as often as you need it. Again, visit jazz piano skills comm to learn more about all of the educational opportunities and how to easily activate your membership. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to let me know I'm always happy to help in any way that I can. Okay, let's discover learn and play jazz piano. Let's discover learn and play some more. Keith Jarrett exercises part two, some more Keith Jarrett improvisational lines and ideas that capture his improvisational approach both theoretically and stylistically. But before we jump in, I want to take a few minutes to recap our journey over the past two months because we have covered a ton a ton of ground. We started back in April, with a thorough exploration of inverted melodic shapes, inverted minor, inverted, dominant and inverted major shapes. And this exploration this journey illustrated the importance of knowing inverse Not just harmonically but melodically as well. We are typically taught inversions as various ways to play chords harmonically. So that we can easily move from one chord to the next chord, utilizing minimal motion. And this is indeed, a legitimate function of inversions. However, if this is the only justification for learning inversions, that students are given then, jazz educators sell them inversions and students short by failing to address what one could easily argue and justify as even a more important role of inversions. And that is to equip jazz musicians, you and me with essential melodic shapes needed for developing jazz vocabulary for improvising. And this is what we spent the entire month of April dueling study in the inversions, melodically using ascending and descending scale and arpeggio motion. And, as if that wasn't enough to tackle, we incorporated the use of enclosures to add ornamentation to the inverted melodic shapes. Or as I like to say we camouflage the scales and arpeggios so that so that they do not sound like scales, and arpeggios. So after a thorough exploration of inverted melodic shapes, using ascending and descending scale, and arpeggio motion with added enclosures, we applied our new jazz piano skill to the most common and without question, the most important chord progression in all of jazz, the 251 progression. In other words, we placed the jazz piano skill that the inverted melodic shapes into a musical context. And then we took it a step further and devoted an entire podcast episode two exploring the 251 progression with the inverted melodic shapes using ascending and descending scale and arpeggio motion with enclosures to the classic jazz standard by one teasle per day, perdido. Wow. What an exploration what a journey it has been since the start of April. But guess what? We didn't stop there. Oh, no. There was still more unfinished business to address. So two weeks ago, we accepted the challenge to answer an obvious question that would be asked by any self respecting jazz aficionado. And here's the question. Do jazz pianist actually think in terms of ornamented ascending and descending arpeggio and scale motion when improvising? Great question. Well, to answer this question, we analyze the solo transcription performed by one of the most influential jazz pianist of all time, Mr. Keith Jarrett. The solo on the tune for from the my foolish heart album recorded in 2001. confirmed that ornamented, ascending and descending arpeggio and scale motion is without question, improvisational approach used by professional jazz pianist when soloing and in fact, one of the most striking revelations revealed from the analysis of the Keith Jarrett transcription was his ability to seamlessly blend arpeggio and scale motion. In other words, his ability to begin a melodic idea with arpeggio motion, and then effortlessly transition into scale motion to complete his musical thought, or vice versa to begin his musical thought with scale motion, and conclude his musical phrase with arpeggio motion. This musical revelation, as with all musical revelations, should lead us to the formulaic and methodical development of exercises, exercises that will help us successfully develop jazz vocabulary. So last week, we devoted the podcast episode to plan exercises that intentionally blended ascending and descending scale and arpeggio motion, from the root of the musical sound to the ninth of the musical sound, can why the ninth because another revelation that we discovered in the transcription, the Keith Jarrett transcription was his love for the sound of the knife. So for example, we developed exercises that would begin with scale motion played to the seventh, followed by arpeggio motion to the ninth, then scale motion to the fifth, followed by arpeggio motion to the ninth, then scale motion to the third, followed by arpeggio motion to the ninth. So the methodology the approach was to successfully continually shrink our scale motion while expanding our arpeggio motion. We then reversed the same formulaic and methodical approach to continually shrink arpeggio motion while expanding scale motion. So all of our hard work over the past two months has led us beautifully to our lesson today. Our grand finale, which we will discover 14 improvisational ideas, 14 improvisational lines that embody the improvisational approaches of Keith Jarrett. And in doing so, learn how to construct these type of exercises these types of lines or ideas that stylistically reflect Keith Jarrett's approach to improvising. And of course, we will play the 14 improvisational lines, 14 improvisational ideas through the entire sound from the root through the 13. How cool is this gonna be? So the agenda for today is as follows. Number one, I am going to present 14 improvisational lines, improvisational ideas. modeled after Keith Jarrett's approach to improvisation, using ascending and descending arpeggio and scale motion with enclosures. Number two, each improvisational line, each improvisational idea will be introduced rhythmic Lee using various combinations of quarter, an eighth notes, quarter eighth patterns, which is predominantly what Keith Jarrett uses. As the transcription illuminates. Take a look at that transcription again and you'll see he uses all quarter note, an eighth note ideas, rhythms. Number three, I will play two improvisational lines ideas from each note of the sound from the root, the third, the fifth, the seventh, the ninth, the 11th and 13th. One idea using ascending motion in one idea using descending motion. This jazz piano skills lesson is going to be a huge step forward for all of us wanting to discover, learn and play melodic ideas that are that are authentically jazz. So before we dig in, if you are a jazz piano skills member, take a moment right now to download and print the lead sheets for today's episode. All of the melodic ideas, all the improvisational lines and ideas that I am going to demonstrate today are laid out for you. You kind of want to have those in front of you as I go through each one. Alright, so here we go. improvisational line improvisation line or idea number one. The very well before I play, everything today is going to be modeled. I'm going to use C minor, the C minor sound again, for all of the demonstrations today C minor and the temple that I will be playing is 140 which is it's kind of a snappy town. I'm doing that more for the sake of time than anything else, I would encourage you to use the play alongs, again, that are included in the podcast packets, which provide you with a variety of play alongs utilizing various tempos. So you want to practice slowly, and you want to practice at a utilizing a wide range of temples as well. Okay, so here we go. improvisation line or idea number one, it's going to use a combination of quarter eighth notes. And it's going to sound like this here. Here's the rhythm. Right? So if you're going to count that one, pretty straightforward. Now, I'm going to take that rhythm. And I'm going to create a little melodic little improvisational idea, utilizing that exact same rhythmic pattern. And here's the idea. I'm starting on my route. I've been circling my third. I resolve it back to the root scale motion. That wine is this rhythm. Right. Okay, so now let's place it in a musical context in a musical setting. So let's bring the ensemble in. And let's check it out. Here we go. Pretty cool. All right. So now you have the idea for today, I'm always going to present First, the rhythmic pattern using a combination of quarter and eighth notes like Keith Jarrett. And then turn that pattern into an improvisational idea, or melodic line. All right, I will always play the rhythmic idea from the entry point of the improvisational line. So in this case, it was the root and I'm going to do the root again now with a descending line. So again, our rhythmic pattern is right. My melodic idea is start on my C, I'm using scale motion. My a, I'm using my A and F sharp to encircle the G the fifth. And then I resolve it on the tonic on the root c again. So the idea is all built from this rhythmic pattern. Okay, so let's bring the ensemble and let's place this improvisational idea, this improvisational line into a musical context into a musical setting. So here we go. Let's check it out. Nice. Okay, so now on to the third of the sound, which is the note E flat. So now I'm going to reverse my rhythmic idea. I'm going to place the eighth notes on council one and three followed by quarter notes on counts two and four. So the rhythmic pattern sounds like this. 123 and four, my melodic idea, my improvisational line, nice scale motion from the third to the fifth. Then I'm going to encircle the seven, the B flat, using an A, and C. Put it all together. Nice idea. So now let's bring the ensemble back in. And let's check this out. Let's place this rhythmic pattern in this improvisational line, this improvisational idea, let's place it into a musical context into a musical setting. Here we go. Let's check it out. Not too shabby, right. In other words, we don't have to overcomplicate this to create this, we don't have to overcomplicate this process to create really nice improvisational lines, improvisational ideas that are authentically jazz. So for the next idea for the next line, the rhythmic pattern again is going to remain on the third. And I'm going to create a descending line. So I'm going to start on my third my E flat. I'm using scale motion down to the note D arpeggio notion to the seventh B flat. And now I'm going to insert well my fifth my G with an F sharp and an A. So I get a nice idea, again. Tremendous. So let's bring the ensemble in. Let's place this improvisational idea. descending from the third, let's place it into a musical context into a musical setting and see what we think. Here we go. Let's check it out. Very nice, really nice. So now on to the fifth of the sound, the note G. Now my rhythmic pattern, I'm going to have two quarter notes, quarter notes placed on counts one and two, followed by eighth notes. On counts three, a pair of eighth notes on count three and a pair of eighth notes on count four. So the rhythmic pattern sounds like this 4pm improvisational idea, the improvisational line sounds like this. I'm using scale motion from the fifth up to the seventh. And then I'm going to encircle the route with a B natural followed by the note D resolving to the note C. So here it is again. One more time. Great little motif. Great little improvisational idea. So let's bring the ensemble in. Let's drop it into a musical context and see what We think Here we go. Let's check it out. Very, very cool, really nice idea. Now, stain with the fifth stain with our same rhythmic pattern. Again, 123 and four, we're going to play a descending line, starting from the fifth using that same rhythmic pattern. So I start on the fifth arpeggio motion down to the third, resolving scale motion to the ninth. And then I'm going to encircle my B flat with the note A, C, has been the seventh, an op fly. So the idea when played in time sounds like this. Classic jazz vocabulary. Very nice. So again, let's bring the ensemble in. Let's drop this melodic motif, this improvisational line, this improvisational idea. Let's drop it into a musical context into a musical setting and see what we think. Here we go. Let's check it out. Wow. Hopefully by this time, now that we're into it, you are starting to feel a little liberated, you're starting to say Hey, wait a minute, I can do this. I can. I can use this approach and start developing jazz vocabulary, I can start finding discovering my musical ideas. And indeed, you can. Absolutely you can. So now let's move on to the seventh of the sound to the note B flat. And now I'm going to reverse the rhythmic pattern. I'm going to play that place the eighth notes on counts one and two, followed by quarter notes on counts three and four. So the rhythmic pattern now sounds like this. Okay, the melodic idea. The improvisational line that comes out of that is going to be this. Again, classic jazz vocabulary. One more time. So what am I doing, I'm using it starting on that B flat. I'm going to encircle the root the C right away. So I'm going to play a B natural, followed by the note D, resolving to the tonic to the notes C and then straight arpeggio motion up to the fifth. So the idea is this. Again, classic jazz vocabulary. Let's bring the ensemble in. Let's drop it into a musical context and see what we think. Here we go. Nice, and indeed you can start developing your melodic ideas discovering your improvisational lines, your jazz vocabulary, if you employ is a systematic, a formulaic, methodical approach like we're doing today. As you can tell this is very different than doodling, we're not just simply sitting at the piano, doodling hoping, hoping to discover something that sounds good. And then only after discovering something that sounds good, we have no idea what we just did. So we cannot, we cannot replicate it from chord to chord or from sound to sound. Not a great approach. Again, randomness is never, never a very efficient or effective approach to utilize in hopes of developing your jazz piano skills. Just just not gonna happen. So now, let's stay on the seventh, same rhythmic pattern. melodic idea, the improvisational line that comes from that that I'm going to play is this. Pretty straightforward, using scale motion from the seventh down to the fifth. And then I'm going to encircle the third with the D natural, followed by the AF resolving to the E flat. So in time, one more time. Nice idea, again, classic jazz vocabulary. Let's bring the ensemble in. Let's place it into a musical setting into a musical context and see what we think. Here we go. Okay, it's time to move to the upper extensions of the sound. So now we're going to start our rhythmic ideas and improvisational lines and ideas from the ninth, the 11th and the 13th. So we start with the night, the note D. Now my rhythmic pattern is going to place a quarter note on count one, and then a pair of eighth notes on count two, a pair of eighth notes on count three, and a pair of eighth notes on count four. So the rhythmic pattern sounds like this. That's the rhythmic pattern. The improvisational line, the improvisational idea is this very Keith Jarrett, like starting on the ninth on the D, eighth notes up for the rest of the line starting on E flat using scale motion to the fifth No, I'm sorry, scale motion to the six or the 13. And then I'm going to encircle the seven from that a up to the C resolving the seventh note B flat. So I get this starting on the ninth scale motion to the 13th and circling the Sabbath, very nice. Let's bring the ensemble Len was placed it into a musical context and see what we think. Here we go. I can vary Keith Jarrett like. So we're gonna stay on that night, right? Here's the rhythmic pattern. Again, counting it 123 and four. Now the improvisational line or melodic idea that I'm going to play coming from that or utilizing that rhythmic pattern, when to start on my ninth scale motion down to the 13th down to the note a. Now I'm going to use F sharp and a to circle the fifth. Just like that. So in time, the melodic idea sounds like this. Once again, classic jazz vocabulary. So let's bring the ensemble in. Let's place it into a musical context and see what we think. Here we go. Let's check it out. Love it, absolutely love it. Okay, on to the 11th we go. So the 11th being the note F, we're going to now just reversed our rhythmic pattern, we're gonna play eighth notes on a pair of eighth notes on count one pair of eighth notes on count two, a pair of eighth notes on count three, followed by a quarter note on count four. So the rhythmic pattern sounds like this. For the improvisational line, the improvisational idea that I'm going to play, utilizing that pattern sounds like this very nice scale motion from the 11th to the 13th. Now I'm going to circle my B flat. Then I'm going to use an interval of a fourth eighth flat, resolving a half step down to the nine. So here it is. Here's the melodic idea in time. Very nice. One more time. Cool. So now let's bring the ensemble and let's drop it into a musical context and see what we think here we go check it out. Very nice. You know, just that little interval of a fourth that I dropped in there on that line. That has a nice it's refreshing right because It's a different, it's a different sound than just moving in straight scale motion or arpeggio mount motion based on thirds. And we'll be dealing with melodic ideas, building melodic ideas using force in upcoming podcast episodes. So that's just a little teaser there. So now we're going to stay with the 11th again, and we're going to stay with the same melodic pattern. Again, if I counted my melodic idea, my improvisation idea line sounds like this. I'm starting on that 11th on the note app, I'm using arpeggio motion down to the 797, F, B flat. Then I'm going to play the note 813 second little scale motion there. And now I'm going to encircled the fifth, using F sharp, A and G. So that the improvisational line in time sounds like this. One more time. Very nice. So once again, let's bring the ensemble back in, let's place it into a musical context into a musical setting and see what we think Here we go. We have now looked at us and Dean and D, sending improvisational lines and ideas from the root from the third from the fifth from the seventh from the ninth, and from the 11th. So on to the 13th we go. So, a rhythmic pattern, eighth notes, all the way crossed all the way through the entire measure, eighth notes on counts 123, and four. So the rhythmic pattern sounds like this. If I count it 123 and four, my ascending improvisational line improvisational idea, launching from the 13th is going to sound like this. Very nice. So what's going on, I'm encircling my B flat right from the very beginning. I'm playing note A, C, B flat scale motion from my seventh from my B flat up to my E flat to my third and then arpeggio motion from my third to my fifth to my B flat. Just like that. So that line in time sounds like this. Once again, I can't very Keith Jarrett, like so let's bring the ensemble in. Let's hear it in a musical setting within a musical setting and see what we think here we go check it out. Okay, so now we have our final improvisational line improvisational idea for today. Again, on the launching from the 13th from the A using all eighth notes, the rhythmic patterns Like this again, one, and two, and three, and four. My improvisational idea is going to sound like this. Very cool. So what's happening? Starting on my 13th, my a Sunday motion has that motion or scale motion up to the B flat. Now I'm going to encircle my fifth, F sharp and a. And now I'm going to encircle my third using the D and the F. So I have two enclosures in here. Again, very classic jazz vocabulary. So let's bring the ensemble in one last time. Let's place this improvisational idea, this improvisational line using all eighth notes into a musical context into a musical setting. Here we go. Let's check it out. Wow. As always, we have unpacked a ton of information today, we have unpacked a ton of information in just two very short months. My objective over the past two months was to successfully lead you to today's jazz piano skills lesson. And the objective of today's lesson was to illustrate for you how to successfully construct improvisational lines improvisational ideas that embody the stylistic elements used by professional jazz musicians like Keith Jarrett. I hope that I have successfully illuminated for you the importance of knowing your arpeggios and scales both conceptually and physically, to know to see arpeggios and scales as shapes, shapes that are built from the primary tones of a musical sound, the root, the third, the fifth, the seventh. I hope that I have helped you. Discover how jazz musicians approach the ornamentation, the camouflaging of arpeggios and scales so that they do not sound like arpeggios and scales. And today, my intention was to help you become comfortable with constructing authentic jazz improvisational lines, ideas throughout the entire range of a musical sound from the root all the way to the 13th. Without a doubt, this has been a whirlwind trip over the past two months that has covered quite a few essential jazz piano skills. So I would definitely encourage you to revisit each podcast episode several times. To help you thoroughly digest the concept, the skills. I would also encourage you to actively actively use the podcast packets for each of the podcast episodes, the illustrations, the lead sheets the play a lot, download that material, and use it actively use it. These educational tools can be downloaded and used when practicing and I promise you they will help you maximize your musical growth your jazz growth, growth and transform your plane. Remember, good old fashioned grunt work always, always produces the greatest results. Well, I hope you have found this jazz panel skills podcast lesson exploring Keith Jarrett exercises Part Two that stood out Physically explore an entire sound from the root through the 13th I hope you have found it to be very insightful and of course beneficial don't forget if you are a jazz panel skills member I will see you online Thursday evening at the jazz panel skills masterclass 8pm, central time to discuss this podcast episode lesson and Keith Jarrett's exercises in greater detail, and to answer any questions that you may have about the study of jazz in general. Again, as a jazz panel skills member, be sure to use the educational podcast packets, the illustrations the lead sheets to play alongs for this podcast lesson, and be sure to use the jazz piano skills curriculum the courses to maximize your musical growth. Likewise, make sure you are an active participant in the jazz piano skills community get involved and contribute to the various forums, make some new jazz piano friends always a great thing to do. And as always, you can reach me by phone 972-380-8050 my extension is 211 by email Dr. Lawrence, Dr. Lawrence at jazz piano skills.com or by speakpipe found throughout the jazz piano skills website. Well, there's my cue. That's it for now. And until next week, enjoy Keith Jarrett's exercises, part two, enjoy the journey. And most of all, have fun as you discover, learn and play jazz piano