March 24, 2026

Sweet Lorraine, Solo Piano

Podcast Packets Illustrations Lead Sheets Forums Jazz Piano Skills Community Summary This episode explores the art of solo jazz piano, focusing on harmonic and melodic analysis, improvisation, and practical approaches to playing solo. Dr. Bob Lawrence shares structured methods to develop mastery, emphasizing understanding music fundamentals and applying them creatively. Keywords Jazz Piano, Solo Piano, Harmonic Analysis, Improvisation, Music Education, Jazz Techniques, Practice Strategies ...

Podcast Packets
Illustrations
Lead Sheets

Forums
Jazz Piano Skills Community

Summary
This episode explores the art of solo jazz piano, focusing on harmonic and melodic analysis, improvisation, and practical approaches to playing solo. Dr. Bob Lawrence shares structured methods to develop mastery, emphasizing understanding music fundamentals and applying them creatively.

Keywords
Jazz Piano, Solo Piano, Harmonic Analysis, Improvisation, Music Education, Jazz Techniques, Practice Strategies

Key Topics
Structured educational process in jazz piano
Harmonic and melodic analysis
Improvisation development and motifs
Solo piano approaches and harmonic motion

Takeaways
Mastery is built on structure, not just information.
Focus on understanding music fundamentals deeply.
Use harmonic neighbors and half-step approaches for motion.
Practice with intention and clarity, not complexity.

Titles
Mastering Solo Jazz Piano: 4 Essential Approaches
The Art of Solo Jazz Piano with Dr. Bob Lawrence

Sound Bites
"Information alone is not mastery."
"Master less, do better."
"Practice with intention, not complexity."

Support the show

Warm Regards,
Dr. Bob Lawrence
President, The Dallas School of Music
JazzPianoSkills

AMDG

00:00 - Introduction

02:51 - The Importance of Structure in Jazz Education

06:14 - Understanding the Seven Facts of Music

09:09 - Exploring Sweet Lorraine: A Solo Piano Perspective

13:22 - Question of the Week: Left Hand Techniques in Solo Piano

15:05 - Mastering Voicings for Solo Piano

18:04 - Creating Motion and Harmony in Solo Piano

21:00 - Developing a Practice Outline for Solo Piano

24:09 - The Shift in Mindset for Solo Piano Playing

26:47 - Final Thoughts and Preparing for Suite Lorraine

33:11 - Premium Content Message

WEBVTT

00:00:32.399 --> 00:00:34.399
Welcome to Jazz Piano Skills.

00:00:34.479 --> 00:00:34.880
I'm Dr.

00:00:34.960 --> 00:00:36.000
Bob Lawrence.

00:00:36.079 --> 00:00:41.119
It's time to discover, learn, and play jazz piano.

00:00:42.000 --> 00:00:44.159
Week four is here.

00:00:44.960 --> 00:00:54.320
In week four, well, since the start of 2026, week four is the week we focus on solo piano approaches.

00:00:54.960 --> 00:00:56.240
So important, right?

00:00:56.560 --> 00:01:05.040
Because all of us, the reality is all of us spend more time playing solo piano than we do in a group or ensemble setting.

00:01:05.280 --> 00:01:12.159
However, the ensemble experience is, as I like to say, the gateway to learning how to play solo piano.

00:01:12.560 --> 00:01:23.280
It's the gateway because what we experience in the ensemble is what we try to emulate or recreate when playing solo piano.

00:01:23.840 --> 00:01:30.319
That is why practicing with backing tracks, using the technology of today, right?

00:01:30.560 --> 00:01:32.879
Those backing tracks become very important.

00:01:33.200 --> 00:01:40.239
It's an amazing and incredibly convenient way to simulate an ensemble experience.

00:01:40.480 --> 00:01:43.359
Bottom line, take advantage of the technology.

00:01:43.599 --> 00:01:46.560
It's there, we should be using it.

00:01:46.959 --> 00:01:52.480
Anyway, today is all about deepening our understanding of solo jazz piano playing.

00:01:52.640 --> 00:02:02.560
We start the month with a harmonic analysis, we follow it with a melodic analysis, then improvisation study, and then we cap it all off with solo piano approaches.

00:02:02.799 --> 00:02:03.680
It's nice.

00:02:03.920 --> 00:02:10.400
It's nice because jazz piano skills, jazz piano skills is an education.

00:02:10.960 --> 00:02:11.599
Truly.

00:02:11.919 --> 00:02:13.280
Real education.

00:02:13.520 --> 00:02:14.960
It's refreshing.

00:02:15.360 --> 00:02:27.360
Especially in this day and age where the learning trend, especially online, is about the delivery of standalone data chunks masquerading as education.

00:02:28.159 --> 00:02:32.719
What I mean by that is it's a lot of here's a voicing trick.

00:02:33.039 --> 00:02:34.879
Here's a cool scale you can use.

00:02:35.199 --> 00:02:37.840
Here's a hip lick to learn, or how about this?

00:02:38.000 --> 00:02:39.599
Here's a really cool chord.

00:02:40.080 --> 00:02:45.360
Personally, I find that to be uh incredibly shallow.

00:02:45.520 --> 00:02:48.479
And honestly, for most people, very confusing.

00:02:48.879 --> 00:03:00.800
It is so important to know, and I think if you are a regular jazz piano skills listener, then you do know that information alone is not a system.

00:03:01.280 --> 00:03:04.479
It is not an educational process.

00:03:05.199 --> 00:03:11.840
Bottom line, information without a process, a sequence, uh does not produce mastery.

00:03:12.159 --> 00:03:19.120
Jazz piano skills is built on a structured educational process that repeats every single month.

00:03:19.360 --> 00:03:22.800
It's not random, it's intentional.

00:03:23.280 --> 00:03:25.520
Week one, our harmonic analysis.

00:03:25.680 --> 00:03:29.439
We study the form, the changes, harmonic function, voicings.

00:03:30.000 --> 00:03:30.719
You know why?

00:03:30.879 --> 00:03:36.159
Because if you don't understand the architecture of a tune, everything else is guesswork.

00:03:36.639 --> 00:03:39.759
Harmony is without question the foundation.

00:03:40.080 --> 00:03:43.919
Week two, our melodic analysis, right?

00:03:44.319 --> 00:03:49.840
We move to the melody, not casually, not just to play the head, right?

00:03:50.159 --> 00:03:58.479
No, we we transcribe it, we check out fingerings, we look at the phrases, target notes within those phrases, and explore various melodic treatments.

00:03:58.960 --> 00:04:00.479
Very structured.

00:04:00.879 --> 00:04:01.520
You know why?

00:04:01.680 --> 00:04:04.560
Because melody is the blueprint for improvisation.

00:04:04.719 --> 00:04:12.479
If you don't know the melody deeply, your solo, well, your solo will definitely reflect that.

00:04:12.639 --> 00:04:16.079
Now, week three, improvisation development.

00:04:16.480 --> 00:04:23.759
Now and only now do we improvise, meaning after we know the melody, after we know the harmony.

00:04:24.000 --> 00:04:26.000
And even here it's structured.

00:04:26.160 --> 00:04:34.959
We we like to dive into melodic pathway composition, uh, motif development, of course, chord scale relationships.

00:04:35.199 --> 00:04:38.319
Bottom line is improvisation is not a guessing game.

00:04:38.480 --> 00:04:40.000
It's informed movement.

00:04:40.160 --> 00:04:43.040
It's again, it's intentional design.

00:04:43.519 --> 00:04:48.480
And then week four today, solo piano approaches, we expand.

00:04:48.639 --> 00:05:02.879
We explore, golly, we're gonna be exploring this year everything from stride to shared hands to harmonic subs and additions, um, various ways, robato approaches, arrangement uh concepts and orchestration.

00:05:03.199 --> 00:05:07.199
Um, but now, but now we're building on something stable, right?

00:05:07.279 --> 00:05:08.879
We're not decorating confusion.

00:05:08.959 --> 00:05:19.360
We're able to focus on solo piano with clarity because we've done our harmonic analysis, melodic analysis, improvisation development.

00:05:19.600 --> 00:05:21.040
And here's the real key.

00:05:21.199 --> 00:05:25.839
We repeat this exact same process every month.

00:05:26.160 --> 00:05:31.839
New tune, but we retain the same educational framework.

00:05:32.160 --> 00:05:33.439
This is huge.

00:05:34.160 --> 00:05:39.519
Because mastery, again, is not built on novelty, it is built on structure.

00:05:39.839 --> 00:05:40.240
Right?

00:05:40.480 --> 00:05:45.040
Other other sites provide information, no doubt about it.

00:05:45.439 --> 00:05:47.680
There's a lot of information out there.

00:05:47.920 --> 00:05:50.879
But jazz piano skills presents a method.

00:05:51.120 --> 00:05:57.600
A method you can follow, a method you can trust, and a method that actually builds musicians.

00:05:58.560 --> 00:06:01.680
And that's why students don't just learn tunes here.

00:06:02.560 --> 00:06:02.800
Right?

00:06:02.959 --> 00:06:06.720
We develop the essential jazz skills.

00:06:06.959 --> 00:06:31.040
Of course, all of this sounds good, which it is, but even with solid educational process, which we have in place, the study and practice of all these organized, structured, essential jazz piano skills will not have a profound impact on one's development if they are not governed by, guided by a crystal clear conceptual understanding of how music works.

00:06:31.439 --> 00:06:32.319
And guess what?

00:06:32.480 --> 00:06:33.120
We have that.

00:06:33.279 --> 00:06:35.279
We have that here at Jazz Piano Skills.

00:06:35.360 --> 00:06:50.160
We have a crystal clear understanding of how music works, and we confirm our crystal clear understanding of how music works every week through the profession of our seven facts of music.

00:06:50.879 --> 00:06:53.120
So with that being said, it's time.

00:06:53.839 --> 00:06:55.279
It's time to do it again.

00:06:55.360 --> 00:06:58.000
It's time to declare the seven facts of music.

00:06:58.160 --> 00:06:58.879
What are they?

00:06:59.040 --> 00:07:03.519
Fact number one, music is the production of sound and silence.

00:07:03.759 --> 00:07:09.839
Sound, of course, being major, dominant, minor, half diminished, and diminished.

00:07:10.319 --> 00:07:15.839
Fact number two, sound is produced harmonically and melodically.

00:07:16.000 --> 00:07:16.959
That's it.

00:07:17.199 --> 00:07:25.439
Fact number three, when sound is produced harmonically, we're playing chords, or what we re often refer to the chords as voicings.

00:07:26.000 --> 00:07:31.279
Fact number four, when sound is produced melodically, we are playing scales in arpeggios.

00:07:31.839 --> 00:07:36.160
Fact number five, when playing scales and arpeggios, we are moving in one of two directions.

00:07:36.319 --> 00:07:38.480
We're either going up or we're coming down.

00:07:38.639 --> 00:07:40.000
Again, that's it.

00:07:40.240 --> 00:07:50.000
And fact number six, we have to camouflage and decorate the scales in arpeggios so everyone knows that we're playing something more than scales in arpeggios.

00:07:50.319 --> 00:07:58.959
We decorate our scales and arpeggios with tension, or what is often referred to as chromaticism, notes that fall outside of the harmony.

00:07:59.199 --> 00:08:05.920
And finally, fact number seven, to make facts one through six interesting, we add rhythm.

00:08:06.720 --> 00:08:19.279
This understanding of music allows us to easily validate what we study, why we study it, and how we study it.

00:08:19.519 --> 00:08:30.319
And if we do not understand the what, why, and how of what we are doing with our instrument, we are running in place at best.

00:08:31.279 --> 00:08:34.000
So today we certainly are not gonna run in place.

00:08:34.080 --> 00:08:43.120
We are gonna make some serious uh advancement in our musicianship and our ability to play the essential jazz piano skills.

00:08:43.440 --> 00:08:46.080
We are going to explore solo piano approaches.

00:08:46.240 --> 00:08:50.720
So today we are gonna continue our exploration of Sweet Lorraine.

00:08:50.799 --> 00:09:04.799
We're gonna discover Sweet Lorraine, though, from a solo piano perspective, and we are going to learn how to begin creating harmonic motion and movement, using, of course, the chord progression of Sweet Lorraine.

00:09:05.039 --> 00:09:14.240
And we are going to play the most iconic progression in jazz, and we are going to harmonically decorate it.

00:09:14.559 --> 00:09:38.000
So, as I always like to say, regardless of where you are in your jazz journey, a beginner, an intermediate player, an advanced player, or even if you consider yourself a seasoned and experienced professional, you're going to find this Jazz Piano Skills Podcast lesson exploring sweet Lorraine, solo piano approaches to be very beneficial.

00:09:38.399 --> 00:09:45.440
But before we get started, I want to, as I always do, welcome all of you first-time listeners to jazz piano skills.

00:09:45.519 --> 00:09:50.240
If you're new to the podcast, if you're new to jazz piano skills in general, welcome.

00:09:50.399 --> 00:09:56.080
We're glad you are here, and I want to personally invite you to become a jazz piano skills member.

00:09:56.240 --> 00:10:00.559
And your membership comes with many very cool perks.

00:10:00.720 --> 00:10:09.679
Number one, as a jazz pianel skills member, you have access to premium podcast content, which means that you get to listen to the entire podcast episode.

00:10:09.919 --> 00:10:15.440
The first half of every Jazz Panel Skills podcast is free for everyone to enjoy.

00:10:15.759 --> 00:10:17.919
We deal with the question of the week.

00:10:18.080 --> 00:10:21.519
We lay out the educational agenda and the lesson rationale.

00:10:21.759 --> 00:10:36.559
The second half of every podcast, for members only, we deal with the lesson content, the demonstrations, and of course, we explore the podcast packets, the illustrations, the lead sheets, the play-alongs.

00:10:36.799 --> 00:10:42.080
These are educational materials that I design and develop for every weekly podcast episode.

00:10:42.159 --> 00:10:48.639
And I encourage you to have these in your hands when listening to the episode to get the most out of it.

00:10:48.879 --> 00:10:52.639
As a jazz panel skills member, you also have access to the online courses.

00:10:52.720 --> 00:11:02.080
These are comprehensive, sound-based, self-paced, and sequential courses focusing on harmonic, melodic, and improvisation development.

00:11:02.320 --> 00:11:10.480
You also, as a Jazz Panel Skills member, have a reserved seat in the weekly masterclass that I host every Thursday evening, 8 p.m.

00:11:10.799 --> 00:11:12.000
Central Standard Time.

00:11:12.159 --> 00:11:23.279
And I know it's not the best time for everyone, but these masterclasses are recorded, and you can watch the class at your convenience, and you can watch it as often as you wish.

00:11:23.519 --> 00:11:33.120
As a Jazz Panel Skills member, you also have access to the online private jazz panel skills community, which hosts a variety of educational forums.

00:11:33.279 --> 00:11:38.159
There are episode-specific forums as well as general jazz forums.

00:11:38.399 --> 00:11:48.320
It's a great place to meet folks, get some member, get some uh assistance and feedback from members, and also provide some uh feedback and assistance as well.

00:11:48.559 --> 00:11:59.840
We also have a weekly forum that uh houses our weekly listening list that is put together for every weekly podcast episode, which is a killer.

00:12:00.480 --> 00:12:04.879
And um it's uh available to all the members as well.

00:12:05.200 --> 00:12:14.000
And then as a jazz piano skills member, you have access to uh educational support, private, personal, professional support whenever you need it.

00:12:14.159 --> 00:12:20.320
So all of these amazing privileges, these perks are waiting to help you discover, learn, and play jazz piano.

00:12:20.399 --> 00:12:25.360
So check it all out at jazzpianelskills.com and of course become a member.

00:12:25.600 --> 00:12:30.639
But if you get to the site and you have some questions, uh do not hesitate to reach out to me.

00:12:30.720 --> 00:12:37.679
I'm happy to spend some time with you and answer any questions that you may have and help you in any way that I can.

00:12:38.159 --> 00:12:51.120
Finally, if you are not receiving the Jazz Panel Skills blog every weekend, uh please take the time to join the Jazz Panel Skills email list, which you can easily do at the Jazz Panel Skills website.

00:12:51.360 --> 00:12:57.600
Every weekend I publish a blog that uh summarizes the podcast episode in writing.

00:12:57.679 --> 00:13:01.279
Uh it's about always about about a four-minute or five-minute read.

00:13:01.440 --> 00:13:06.799
Definitely worth checking out to help keep you on track both conceptually and physically.

00:13:06.960 --> 00:13:22.240
So, again, if you're not receiving the podcast blog, uh weekly blog from Jazz Panel Skills, head over to Jazz Panel Skills, join the email list, and you will begin to enjoy and benefit from the weekly blog.

00:13:22.480 --> 00:13:25.919
All right, so let's get on with the question of the week.

00:13:26.000 --> 00:13:31.360
And this week's question comes from Kevin Miller in Columbus, Ohio.

00:13:32.000 --> 00:13:33.440
And Kevin writes, Hi, Dr.

00:13:33.519 --> 00:13:47.919
Lawrence, I've been working on trying to play tunes solo at the piano, but I get confused about what my left hand should actually be doing.

00:13:48.480 --> 00:13:59.679
Sometimes I try bass lines, sometimes chords, sometimes both, and it ends up feeling cluttered or inconsistent, at least in my opinion.

00:14:00.000 --> 00:14:06.080
Is there a right way to approach the left hand when playing solo piano?

00:14:07.679 --> 00:14:12.159
Timely question, because that's what we're going to be dealing with today, Kevin.

00:14:12.320 --> 00:14:14.480
It's a fantastic question because you know what?

00:14:14.639 --> 00:14:36.080
This is exactly well, this is exactly why we have this week this year, solo piano approaches, because this is where most students, young jazz pianists, begin to feel overwhelmed when they are confronted with playing solo piano.

00:14:36.480 --> 00:14:38.879
Okay, so let me give you the short answer first.

00:14:39.120 --> 00:14:47.279
Your left hand, uh, the job that your left hand has in playing solo piano is honestly, it's simple.

00:14:48.480 --> 00:14:53.600
It's your left hand's job is to support the music, not compete with it.

00:14:53.840 --> 00:14:54.159
Okay.

00:14:54.720 --> 00:14:58.799
And I think that's where I think that's where we most of us get in trouble.

00:14:58.960 --> 00:14:59.279
All right.

00:14:59.440 --> 00:15:04.639
Most students think solo piano means um I have to do everything all at once.

00:15:04.960 --> 00:15:07.759
Bass lines, chords, rhythms, fill space.

00:15:08.159 --> 00:15:08.960
And you know what?

00:15:09.120 --> 00:15:36.159
When we start thinking like that, um, it typically leads to clutter, it leads to tension, both musically and physically, which leads to confusion, which then uh impacts time in a negative way, which, of course, all of that adds up to equal, not a good solo piano playing experience.

00:15:36.639 --> 00:15:38.720
So, Kevin, listen to this very carefully.

00:15:38.879 --> 00:15:48.720
There is no single, as you said, correct thing or cor correct way that your left hand uh should be doing, right?

00:15:48.960 --> 00:15:50.799
A correct thing that your left hand should be doing.

00:15:50.960 --> 00:15:59.120
There there are actually multiple approaches, and your job uh uh uh and this is very careful listen to this very carefully.

00:15:59.279 --> 00:16:04.480
Your job is not to try to use all of them all at the same time.

00:16:05.440 --> 00:16:15.679
It is to choose the right one for the moment and for the tune that you are playing and the treatment that you are uh going after when playing the tune.

00:16:16.080 --> 00:16:16.639
Alright.

00:16:16.879 --> 00:16:20.639
So let's simplify this, alright?

00:16:20.879 --> 00:16:32.799
So uh your left hand your left hand the the left hand begins with simple um I say simple, but okay, let's leave the word simple out for a second.

00:16:33.120 --> 00:16:34.639
Voicings, alright?

00:16:35.200 --> 00:16:43.360
Your left hand begins with voicings, and at jazz piano skills, I like to talk about voicings uh categorically, right?

00:16:43.519 --> 00:16:45.519
I like to put voicings in the categories.

00:16:45.679 --> 00:16:51.360
So we have two note voicings, we have three note voicings, four note voicings, and five note voicings.

00:16:51.440 --> 00:17:01.200
So two-note voicings would be something like the root and the third, or the root and the fifth, the root and the seventh, or the third and the seventh, or the seventh and the third, right?

00:17:01.440 --> 00:17:08.319
Very common to use two-note shapes, two note voicings when playing solo piano.

00:17:08.880 --> 00:17:33.200
Three note voicings are our traditional shells that we address every single, every single uh month when we do our harmonic analysis, our traditional shells, 379 and 735 structures, and then our contemporary shells, which are three-note shells as well, but they're built uh using primarily the interval of a fourth.

00:17:33.440 --> 00:17:41.920
And then we have our four-note voicings, which are our block voicings, root position, first, second, third, inversion, inversions, right?

00:17:42.160 --> 00:17:50.000
And then we have five-note structures, which uh five-note voicings, which are my two-handed structures that I teach, two in the left, three in the right.

00:17:50.240 --> 00:18:02.640
So I want you to think of this: that voicings is number one job of the left hand, and we have four categories of voicings: two notes, three notes, four notes, and five notes.

00:18:02.720 --> 00:18:11.599
Now, ideally, you want to have all those in your arsenal when playing, but all of those are not necessary to play solo piano.

00:18:11.839 --> 00:18:13.920
Okay, but that's it.

00:18:14.160 --> 00:18:19.759
I said simple earlier, not simple in terms of getting them muscle memory.

00:18:20.000 --> 00:18:40.400
Obviously, it takes a lot of practice, but the way that I break them into categories and organize and structure these voicings, hopefully that simplifies the thought process that helps you to be able to get these shapes uh under your hands and in your ears uh as quickly as possible.

00:18:40.559 --> 00:18:41.200
All right.

00:18:41.759 --> 00:18:44.079
All right, so now keep this in mind.

00:18:44.160 --> 00:18:48.160
You you do not need more voicings, honestly.

00:18:49.839 --> 00:18:52.880
So two, three, four, five note structures.

00:18:53.039 --> 00:18:54.319
There isn't much more.

00:18:54.559 --> 00:19:02.960
And honestly, even if you find more, which I I know you will as you surf the internet and YouTube, there's no no doubt about that.

00:19:03.599 --> 00:19:12.240
The return on your investment with trying trying to learn more than what I just outlined for you is very questionable.

00:19:12.400 --> 00:19:18.559
The bottom line is this, Kevin, you need mastery of less.

00:19:19.599 --> 00:19:21.359
Mastery of less.

00:19:21.759 --> 00:19:29.039
Now, once you're comfortable with these shapes, with these voicings, we can begin adding movement, but not random movement.

00:19:29.200 --> 00:19:34.160
As you'll see today with our study of Sweet Lorraine, it's not random at all.

00:19:34.319 --> 00:19:37.039
It's again, it's very intentional.

00:19:37.680 --> 00:19:48.240
Um we create this movement with what I call um harmonic neighbors, you know, typically half-step approachments to your target chord.

00:19:48.720 --> 00:19:57.680
So maybe instead of just playing a two, five, one, maybe you're playing a two flat six to the five, right?

00:19:57.839 --> 00:20:00.880
So a half-step approachment into the five.

00:20:01.119 --> 00:20:05.519
So, but we'll talk about more of that when we get into uh sweet Lorraine today.

00:20:05.680 --> 00:20:14.880
So listen, music loves motion, and one of the strongest types of motion is that half-step resolution.

00:20:15.279 --> 00:20:20.240
So instead of just landing on a chord, we like to approach it, right?

00:20:20.400 --> 00:20:24.319
But you got to know your voicings in order to do this.

00:20:24.640 --> 00:20:30.400
And the best way to really learn this skill is not really through a tune, as it is with any skill.

00:20:30.559 --> 00:20:41.200
It's about extracting this skill and practicing it outside of the tune so that it can be natural to do and lean upon when playing a tune.

00:20:41.440 --> 00:20:52.240
And so you take these harmonic neighbors, uh, these uh half-step approaches, and you apply them to common progressions like 2-5-1, 1-6-2-5-1, 3-6-2-5-1.

00:20:52.480 --> 00:20:54.720
And again, we're going to be doing that today.

00:20:54.960 --> 00:21:12.400
So now your left hand begins to uh lean into chords, connect harmony, uh, and create this forward motion that I think that's your is what you're looking for in your solo piano playing, but but not like you said, not to uh create clutter.

00:21:12.559 --> 00:21:24.079
Of course, we want our left hand to sound intentional, sound connected, to sound like jazz, to feel alive because there's uh organized movement, movement that makes sense.

00:21:24.240 --> 00:21:25.920
Again, not cluttered.

00:21:26.240 --> 00:21:39.839
So the arsenal that I outlined for you just a few minutes ago, the two note, the three-note, the four note, the five-note voicing, I think mission number one if you're wanting to improve your solo piano playing.

00:21:40.160 --> 00:21:46.240
Now, trying to do with that being said, trying to do too much too soon, right?

00:21:46.960 --> 00:21:59.599
Um trying to add voicings that you're not ready to play too soon, or trying to uh add stride movement or bass lines or full chords, adding everything.

00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:07.599
At once before mastering the foundation, foundation being harmony, melody, and time.

00:22:08.240 --> 00:22:10.559
This is the biggest, this is the biggest mistake.

00:22:10.640 --> 00:22:15.759
This is what leads to the cluster that you were referencing in your question.

00:22:17.119 --> 00:22:25.359
This is the biggest mistake that I think everybody uh makes when trying to uh develop solo piano skills.

00:22:25.440 --> 00:22:25.759
All right.

00:22:25.839 --> 00:22:31.680
And I'll talk more about that uh a little later here in the podcast when we deal with sweet Lorraine.

00:22:31.839 --> 00:22:36.319
So um let me say something that's very important, Kevin.

00:22:36.559 --> 00:22:43.839
Your left hand um is not responsible for keeping time.

00:22:45.119 --> 00:22:46.640
You are, right?

00:22:47.759 --> 00:22:50.079
Time is eternal.

00:22:50.559 --> 00:22:52.400
And I mentioned this last week.

00:22:52.480 --> 00:22:55.759
Uh we talked about it in the podcast uh in the master class.

00:22:56.079 --> 00:23:02.559
Uh time is not in a chord, it's not in a melody, it's not in your left hand, it's not in your right hand, it's in you.

00:23:03.039 --> 00:23:06.640
And this is time is the key to playing solo piano.

00:23:06.960 --> 00:23:10.720
Uh time is internal.

00:23:11.920 --> 00:23:14.319
Your left hand will sound unstable.

00:23:14.480 --> 00:23:19.200
Well, everything will sound unstable if your time is not stable.

00:23:19.519 --> 00:23:19.839
Okay.

00:23:20.640 --> 00:23:27.200
So we want harmonics, we want to have command of voicings, and we want to have a command of time.

00:23:27.519 --> 00:23:31.519
The goal is not, again, the goal is not to do more with our left hand.

00:23:31.680 --> 00:23:35.599
The goal is to do actually, the goal is to do less better.

00:23:35.759 --> 00:23:36.720
Think of it that way.

00:23:36.880 --> 00:23:38.559
Do less better.

00:23:39.039 --> 00:23:39.599
All right.

00:23:39.759 --> 00:23:49.119
So, Kevin, I would I would say that uh here's the outline, here's the practice outline that that I would recommend for you and for everyone.

00:23:49.279 --> 00:23:50.799
Okay, here it is.

00:23:51.039 --> 00:23:57.359
Number one, start with one voicing type.

00:23:57.920 --> 00:24:02.480
They can be traditional shells, they can be blocks, contemporary shells.

00:24:02.640 --> 00:24:04.799
Makes honestly it makes no difference.

00:24:05.119 --> 00:24:09.519
But but start with one voicing type.

00:24:10.960 --> 00:24:14.799
Number two, lock in time.

00:24:15.680 --> 00:24:22.960
Practice playing those voicings through your tune, whatever tune it is that you're playing solo piano.

00:24:25.119 --> 00:24:27.359
Lock in time with those voicings.

00:24:27.440 --> 00:24:32.640
Number two, we want it relaxed, steady, no rushing.

00:24:33.680 --> 00:24:39.440
Number three, uh add harmonic uh neighbors to your progression.

00:24:39.759 --> 00:24:51.440
If we're needing to feel or you feel like you need to create harmonic movement, and the best way to do this is half-step approaches into your chords.

00:24:51.519 --> 00:24:53.519
And again, we're gonna be dealing with that today.

00:24:54.480 --> 00:25:01.200
Number four, add motion, add motion um gradually.

00:25:01.359 --> 00:25:05.839
Like, for example, when I talk about motion, like like stride motion, right?

00:25:06.640 --> 00:25:13.119
This be this is um inserted gradually and slowly.

00:25:13.440 --> 00:25:24.960
And number five, the last part of developing jazz piano, uh solo jazz piano skills, the spread voicings, fuller textures, that all comes last.

00:25:25.599 --> 00:25:32.160
A lot oftentimes everybody wants to try to put that number one, but that's actually step five in my process, not number one.

00:25:32.400 --> 00:25:36.880
So again, number one, you gotta have a command of one voicing type.

00:25:37.359 --> 00:25:38.319
You have to.

00:25:38.559 --> 00:25:45.920
Number two, your time has to be relaxed, steady, locked in, no rushing.

00:25:46.319 --> 00:25:55.200
Number three, the addition of harmonic, what I call harmonic neighbors, half-step approaches into your chords.

00:25:55.440 --> 00:25:59.519
Number four, adding motion like stride.

00:25:59.680 --> 00:26:07.039
And then five step five, spread voicings, fuller textures, uh, again, that comes last.

00:26:07.519 --> 00:26:11.119
So the big shift mentally for you, Kevin.

00:26:11.200 --> 00:26:28.079
I think for everyone listening that's wanting to develop solo piano skills, the big shift, uh, instead of asking what should my left hand be doing, I think the real question is, what can I do with my left hand right now?

00:26:29.359 --> 00:26:35.119
Because whatever that the answer to that is, you can play solo piano with that, whatever that is, right?

00:26:35.279 --> 00:26:45.039
So again, the big shift, the big mental shift, instead of asking what should my left hand be doing, you should be asking, what can I do with my left hand right now?

00:26:46.079 --> 00:27:02.480
So solo piano, remember this solo piano is not about filling space, it's not about uh it's not about um how fancy I can I get with my left hand, how fancy can I get with my right hand?

00:27:02.880 --> 00:27:11.920
Um it it literally is about what can I do with my left hand right now, and can I do that in time?

00:27:13.359 --> 00:27:27.119
Bottom line, I guess what I'm trying to say is that your left hand doesn't need to do everything, it just needs to do one thing with clarity, with direction and intention.

00:27:27.200 --> 00:27:37.119
And if you have that one thing in time with clarity, direction, and intention, you'll have people sitting and listening to you play soul, jazz, piano all night long.

00:27:37.599 --> 00:27:40.319
Your question, Kevin, is awesome.

00:27:40.559 --> 00:27:43.680
I think everyone could ask the exact same question.

00:27:43.759 --> 00:27:48.880
It's a question that we're gonna be actually dealing with today with our study of sweet Lorraine.

00:27:49.359 --> 00:27:55.359
You know, we're gonna explore uh various voicing types, harmonic neighbors, controlled left-hand movement.

00:27:55.440 --> 00:27:57.920
We're gonna do all of that today with sweet Lorraine.

00:27:58.160 --> 00:28:03.119
And as we do this, um we're gonna lock in on number one clarity.

00:28:03.279 --> 00:28:05.200
Are the voicings simple and supportive?

00:28:05.440 --> 00:28:06.880
Number two, motion.

00:28:07.279 --> 00:28:09.920
How are the chords being approached?

00:28:10.079 --> 00:28:10.400
Right?

00:28:10.559 --> 00:28:15.839
Because solo piano, solo piano playing is not about doing more.

00:28:16.000 --> 00:28:21.279
It's about doing the things I can do right now and doing them well.

00:28:22.160 --> 00:28:27.599
Well, Kevin, I hope this uh answer uh provided some clarity.

00:28:27.920 --> 00:28:34.960
If not, if I've pro if I've created more confusion, uh by all means, please reach out to me, let me know.

00:28:35.039 --> 00:28:42.160
I'm happy to spend some time with you and and dive deeper into uh your question and help you in any way that I can.

00:28:42.400 --> 00:28:44.319
So, all right.

00:28:44.880 --> 00:28:52.880
It is time for us to discover, learn, and play sweet Lorraine, solo piano approaches.

00:28:53.279 --> 00:28:58.559
All right, so we go through this outline um every week because it's important.

00:28:58.880 --> 00:29:08.640
You know, our approach, uh, the rationale behind how we uh approach learning uh a tune.

00:29:08.880 --> 00:29:10.559
And we do it the same way.

00:29:10.720 --> 00:29:15.599
And again, genre, as I stress every every week, makes no difference.

00:29:15.839 --> 00:29:23.680
We would be doing this same process if we were studying a rock tune, a pop tune, country folk, RB, it doesn't matter.

00:29:23.839 --> 00:29:32.000
Of course, we're studying jazz here at Jazz Piano Skills, but this process remains the same regardless of the genre.

00:29:32.240 --> 00:29:36.319
Number one, and most important, uh listening.

00:29:36.640 --> 00:29:48.079
And we want to listen to, when learning any tune, we want to listen to various artists, professional musicians, amateur musicians, vocalists, instrumentalist, pianist, makes no difference.

00:29:48.240 --> 00:30:04.480
And this is why we have a listening list that goes along with every podcast episode so that we can spend time actively listening to various artists perform the tune that we are studying.

00:30:04.640 --> 00:30:08.640
It has a profound impact on our development.

00:30:08.960 --> 00:30:15.680
Number two, harmonic analysis, form, changes, function, common movement, voicings.

00:30:16.799 --> 00:30:23.440
Number three, melodic analysis, melody, phrases, targets, various treatments.

00:30:23.680 --> 00:30:25.759
Again, we do all of this every single month.

00:30:25.920 --> 00:30:38.240
And then improvisation development, we look at melodic pathways, motif development, core scale relationships, arpeggioscale movement, tension, uh, and of course, uh rhythm.

00:30:38.559 --> 00:30:44.720
So again, learning to tune, we go step by step through this process.

00:30:44.880 --> 00:30:48.720
It's thorough, it's complete, and it's effective.

00:30:49.039 --> 00:30:57.279
So already this month, obviously, we've already completed our harmonic analysis of sweet Lorraine, our melodic analysis of sweet Lorraine.

00:30:57.519 --> 00:31:02.240
Last week we looked at improvisation development using Sweet Lorraine.

00:31:02.400 --> 00:31:07.279
Now, today it's time for us to do some solo piano approaches.

00:31:07.839 --> 00:31:12.799
And with that being said, our educational agenda for today is as follows.

00:31:12.960 --> 00:31:18.720
Number one, we are going to listen to definitive recordings of Sweet Lorraine.

00:31:18.880 --> 00:31:22.720
Again, this list is found within our forums.

00:31:23.359 --> 00:31:36.079
Number two, we are going to isolate the most common jazz progression of all time and use it to develop solo piano skills.

00:31:36.319 --> 00:31:50.720
And number three, we are going to use, I mentioned it in uh the question of the week, harmonic neighbors and other harmonic devices to help us create motion, harmonic interest when playing.

00:31:50.960 --> 00:31:56.960
So if you are a jazz panel skills member, I want you to take just a few minutes right now, hit the pause button.

00:31:57.039 --> 00:32:04.160
I want you to access and download, print your podcast packets, the illustrations, the lead sheets.

00:32:04.240 --> 00:32:08.960
There are no play-alongs uh this week because we're talking about solo piano playing.

00:32:09.039 --> 00:32:11.279
So your illustrations and your lead sheets.

00:32:11.359 --> 00:32:21.519
Uh again, your membership grants you access uh to this material, and you should have this material in your hands when listening to the episode if you can.

00:32:21.680 --> 00:32:28.720
And you certainly should have this material sitting on your piano or your music stand when practicing throughout the week.

00:32:29.039 --> 00:32:34.000
Okay, so now that you have your podcast packets, we always start with our lead sheets.

00:32:34.079 --> 00:32:43.039
I'll talk about what we're going to be doing with the illustration uh uh toward the end of the podcast, but we're gonna start with your lead sheets, and uh you have two lead sheets.

00:32:43.200 --> 00:32:43.599
That's it.

00:32:43.759 --> 00:32:52.240
But again, remember this big things, big things come in small packages, and you will soon find out that that is indeed the case.

00:32:52.400 --> 00:32:54.000
So we have two lead sheets.

00:32:54.079 --> 00:33:02.720
But now, um before going any further, I want to kind of just talk you through both of these lead sheets.

00:33:02.799 --> 00:33:05.440
Uh, lead sheet number one, of course.

00:33:07.839 --> 00:33:10.640
Thank you for listening to Jazz Piano Skills.

00:33:10.799 --> 00:33:20.000
The remaining premium content of this episode is available to Jazz Piano Skills members at Jazz Pianoskills Podcast.com.

00:33:20.160 --> 00:33:28.480
Visit jazzpianoskills.com to learn more about membership privileges and become a Jazz Piano Skills member.

00:33:28.799 --> 00:33:29.759
Thank you.