When I was a young student of jazz (ahh...the olden days!) I was on what seemed like a never-ending quest for a way to play solo jazz piano that didn't make everything sound like a ballad you'd hear in a cocktail lounge.  The ragtime and stride pianists back in the day could make people dance with just a piano, why couldn't I?  

While I'm still working hard on my solo piano skills (never stop learning!), I've discovered a few techniques along the way that I've found helpful.   The one revelation I'm going to share with you all today is...drum roll...HALF NOTES in the left hand!

Half notes?!? you might ask?  That's right.  Plain old half notes in your left hand can do a lot more than you think.   Half notes in the left hand are imitating what a bass player does.  If you want your solo piano playing to sound more like a band, you have to stop thinking like a piano player and think like an arranger instead.   Each hand (or better yet each FINGER) is its own instrument.  In this example, your left hand is the bass player.  And the bass is where the groove comes from.    

So the left hand (bass player) is going to start by playing half notes.  The reason we start with half notes comes from what actual bass players play.  In a medium swing tune, before a bass player starts walking on all four beats (i.e. quarter notes), he/she plays what's called a two-feel, aka two notes per measure, aka half notes.   A traditional bossa nova player plays plain old half notes to lay the foundation of the groove.  So that's where we will start with our left hand!  

Try it over a few different tunes -- some with a swing feel and others with a straight 1/8th feel (i.e. a bossa). Play just the melody on top of it.  You'll be suprised at how much the half notes in the left hand add groove!
Here are a few rhythmic embellishments to try after you've mastered the plain half notes.  

1.  Add 1/8 note pickups to each half note.
2.  Add a quarter note on beat 4 so each measure is half, quarter, quarter (or do this every other measure).
3.  At the beginning of a four measure phrase, anticipate the first note on beat 4 of the previous measure.  
4.  Write out a bass line that uses all three of the above techniques.  

If you practice this a lot, soon enough you'll be creating your own rhythmic embellishments, all with an underlying half note groove.  

In the following two-part video tutorial, I teach you an arrangement of Sonny Rollins' "St. Thomas" that uses this technique.  I hope you enjoy the videos, I've been working hard in the lab on upping the ante with the audio and video and quality. Please tell me what you think, I'm always looking for ideas on how to get better. While you are at it, let me know if you have any song requests for future videos!

Happy Shedding! 

Joe Zawinul, the great keyboardist and composer from Austria, wrote his most famous composition, “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy” during his time playing with the Cannonball Adderley Quintet.   I’ve played and taught this incredibly versatile song in all sorts of contexts – I’ve performed it on gigs with trios and quartets and love to teach it to students whether it be to small combos or solo pianists.  The catchy melody, gospel chord changes, and soulful feel make this tune irresistible. 

In the following in-depth video tutorial, I show you how to play an intermediate level solo piano arrangement of this jazz classic.  Download and print the sheet music below.  

Happy shedding!

I am always trying to keep students inspired to play (and practice!) piano by teaching them songs they know and love.  This goes for students of all ages of course, but sometimes it's hard to get younger students to tell me what songs they enjoy.  I was happy when a parent mentioned that her son loved the songs from Mary Poppins.  Immediately, I thought of  "Chim Chim Cher-ee," a personal favorite. 

I grew up on the songs of Mary Poppins (and other Disney movies) so it's embedded deep in my musical memory.  A few years back,  my view of Chim Chim Cher-ee changed when a friend and fellow musician introduced me to John Coltrane's version -- in classic John Coltrane fashion, he takes a melody we all know and love and uses the simple harmony as a spring board for brilliant modal improvisation.  Check it out:

It's no wonder that Coltrane and other jazz musicians (most notably Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong) have recorded versions of this song.  The simple minor melody and chord changes are beautifully constructed and make for a great instrumental melody as well as a form over which to improvise.  I loved the instrumental versions of the song so much it became a regular tune I played with my trio during live performances.  It wasn't uncommon that members of the audience would ask me after the show, "What was that song you played?  It's so familiar, I just can't place the name of it."  "Chim Chim Cher-ee," I'd happily tell them.  Everybody loves Mary Poppins.  

Here's an arrangement of the song I created for beginner piano students.  The melody is divided over two hands which stay in one position the entire song.   Note that I've transposed the song to A minor (it was originally in C minor) to make it easier to play.  

A few things to think about when learning this arrangement:

1.  Rhythm!  I think it's important for new students to be exposed to a lot of music in 3/4 time.  Often, they'll see most of their music in 4/4 and have trouble feeling measures that only have three beats.  To really get the feel of 3/4 I'll have students clap quarter notes and count 1-2-3, 1-2-3 until they really feel the one as a strong beat.  Or they might tap their foot on beat 1 and clap on 2 and 3.  This can also be transferred to the piano:  middle C on beat one, and a C one octave higher on beats 2 and 3.  Anything so that the 3/4 can be FELT!  

There's also other bits of challenging rhythm in this song.  The pairs of eighth notes that happen in the first few measures can be tough.  However, if the student knows the song, he/she will play the eighth notes correctly and not even think about it!  

A last rhythm to take note of is the dotted quarter note + eighth note in measure 3.  It might help to clap the rhythm of measures 3 and 4 a few times to make sure this rhythm is properly played.  The rhythmic cell of a dotted quarter + eight note is a common one, so it's a good one to really feel.  

2.  Hand position & Note Reading -- this arrangement purposely stays in one hand position the entire song.  The left hand thumb is on the D above middle C.  The right hand thumb is on E above middle C.  Stay there and you should be good!  Try not to write in the notes letters or fingers for the song.  Instead read the SHAPE of the line.  Remember when notes go from a line to the next space (or space to the next line) that's called a step (or second).  It's just the next white note up or down.  When notes go from a line to the next line or a space to the next space that's called a skip (or third).  That's means it skips over one white note to the next.

As an added exercise for beginners, say the note letter names as you play them.    

3.  Accidentals -- aka Sharps and Flats aka Black Keys -- There are a few to watch out for in this song.  In measure 7, you'll see an A# (the black key directly above A).  In measure 19, there is a G# (the black key directly above G) -- play this one with finger 3.  

4.  For the advanced student!  Don't be fooled if you are a more advanced player, there's still plenty you can do with this song.  Try playing the entire melody in your right hand.  Use your ear (or listen to the recording) to find some bass notes work with the melody.  You also could try to transpose the melody to other keys by ear.  A good one to start with would be C minor (the original key of the song).

Happy Shedding!