Tangerine, Harmonic Recap #jazzstandards #jazztunes #jazzharmony

🎹 Jazz Piano Skills: Kicking Off “Tangerine” – Harmonic Analysis Week

Dr. Bob Lawrence opens a new month of Jazz Piano Skills with excitement and focus: a new month means a new tune—and this time, it’s the 1941 classic “Tangerine.” As always, Dr. Lawrence guides students through a structured three-week exploration—harmonic, melodic, and improvisational—and this week marks the completion of the harmonic analysis.

🧠 Skill-Centric Learning
Dr. Lawrence emphasizes the skill-centric nature of jazz study. Each tune serves as a vehicle for mastering core jazz piano skills. During the harmonic analysis of Tangerine, students explored:

- The form of the piece
- Unique chord changes and harmonic functions
- Common harmonic movements within the progression
- A variety of voicings: traditional block and inversion voicings, left-hand shells (traditional and contemporary), and two-handed structures

He reminds listeners that without these essential skills “under our hands,” we can’t truly play tunes. Skill mastery, not tune memorization, is the foundation of jazz fluency.

🎼 The Seven Facts of Music
Revisiting a concept he often teaches, Dr. Lawrence highlights the Seven Facts of Music—the conceptual framework every jazz musician should understand:

- Music is the production of sound and silence.
- Sound can be produced harmonically or melodically.
- Harmonic sound involves chords and voicings.
- Melodic sound involves arpeggios and scales.
- Arpeggios and scales move only up or down.
- Chromaticism decorates and adds tension.
- Rhythm makes it all interesting.

Understanding these seven facts ensures that technical skill is always grounded in solid musical understanding—concept drives development.

🎶 Question of the Week: Smooth and Connected Chords
This week’s listener question came from Dina in Grand Forks, North Dakota, who asked how to make her chord transitions sound “smooth and connected.” Dr. Lawrence addressed this by teaching how to use inversions—a crucial step toward achieving a fluid, connected sound in progressions like the II–V–I. He encouraged everyone to check out the full podcast episode for detailed demonstrations.

📘 Studying “Tangerine”
Dr. Lawrence breaks down Tangerine’s form as A–B–A–C, a variation from the more common A–A–B–A or A–B–A–B structures found in many jazz standards. He urges students to internalize this form and begin hearing how it shapes the tune’s flow.

For those studying along, he recommends:

Using the worksheets in the Illustrations Packet to practice reading both chord symbols and harmonic function lead sheets.

Working with backing tracks (available in tempos from 100 to 160 BPM) to practice harmonic skills in real musical time.

Remembering that teachers can’t teach time—it’s developed by experiencing time. Backing tracks help you do that safely at home.

Dr. Lawrence also encourages students not to feel pressured to apply every concept across the full tune. “Work on just two, four, or eight measures if needed,” he says. “You’ll still make real progress.”

🎧 Community and Resources
Listeners are encouraged to visit the Jazz Piano Skills Community for:

The Tangerine listening list featuring pianists, instrumentalists, and vocalists from every genre.

The new blog post, which summarizes the harmonic analysis.

The latest YouTube Quick Tip and Harmony Challenge, both available on the Jazz Piano Skills YouTube channel.

📅 Looking Ahead
Next week, Dr. Lawrence will dive into the melodic analysis of Tangerine, continuing the skill-centered journey toward improvisation mastery.

☎️ Stay Connected
Students can reach Dr. Lawrence anytime through the contact form at JazzPianoSkills.com or by calling The Dallas School of Music at 972-380-8050.

And, as always, he closes with his signature call to action:

“It’s time to get busy. It’s time to discover, learn, and play Tangerine.”

🔔 _Don’t forget to subscribe for more Jazz Daily Challenges!_

*Jazz Piano Skills*
https://www.jazzpianoskills.com
#jazzpiano #jazzpractice

*Jazz Piano Skills Membership*
https://www.jazzpianoskills.com/jazz-piano-skills-membership-privileges.html #jazztutorial

*MEMBERSHIP COUPON*
Use the Coupon Code YouTube20 to receive a 20% Membership Savings

*Weekly Challenges*
https://www.jazzpianoskills.com/challenges
#rhythmchallenge #scalespractice #musicscales #improvisation

*Quick Tips*
#jazzlessons #jazzimprovisation #jazzimprov

*Jazz Piano Skills Podcast* #jazzpodcast
https://www.jazzpianoskillspodcast.com