Minor Arpeggio Treatments

Welcome to jazz piano skills. I'm Dr. Bob Lawrence. It's time to discover, learn and play jazz piano. I hope everyone is doing great. I hope you all have had a fantastic week. fantastic weekend. Hope you had a ton of fun this past week breaking apart George Gershwin's, I got rhythm, such a great tune a jazz icon. I mentioned it last week. And it's worth saying again this week. One could very, very easily argue that I got rhythm is the most influential jazz standard of all time. It's classic 1625 Circle movement is a progression, all of us must come to terms with if we hope to achieve our goal of becoming an accomplished jazz pianist. So I hope last week's podcast episode help helped illuminate how to begin thoroughly breaking down breaking apart I got rhythm. Time spent studying, I got rhythm is time very well spent. Indeed. Today's episode, today's lesson is for the beginner, the intermediate player, the advanced player, and yes, even the professional player. Because honestly speaking, not all professional players have all the skills I am going to teach today under their fingers. I know this to be true because I know a lot of professional players. And today we are going to discover, learn and play various minor arpeggio treatments. You're probably asking what are minor arpeggio treatments? And why are they important? excellent questions. You should be asking these questions all the time about every jazz panel skill. And if you have a teacher that cannot answer such questions concisely and with clarity, then my advice to you is to get a new teacher quickly. So today, the very first thing I'm going to do is answer both of your questions. But before I do, I want to thank so many of you for becoming jazz piano skills members. As they announced last week, jazz piano skills converted to a membership format, allowing members access to all educational content. All educational podcast guides for every jazz panel skills podcast episode, all jazz panel skills, interactive and sequential courses, all jazz piano skills, masterclasses and of course, personal educational support provided by me. Well, the conversion has been a huge success, with many of you becoming members right away. And I am thrilled. Thank you so much. I hope you are loving, having access to all of the educational content and services. It's just as exciting on this end, to know that all of the great resources at jazz piano skills are now at your fingertips literally on demand anytime you need them. 24 seven. Very, very cool. For those of you listening for the first time, I want to personally invite you to join jazz panel skills. There are three membership packages to choose from. All of them ridiculously economical, ranging from $1.67 a day to 67 cents a day. Yes, you heard you heard me correctly. I know. It's crazy. Right. It's amazing. Take a second to visit jazz piano skills.com to get all of the details, and of course, join. Okay, let's get down to business. Let's discover, learn and play minor arpeggio treatments. So today you're going to discover multiple, minor arpeggio treatments. You're going to learn how to construct minor arpeggio treatments, and you're going to play the minor arpeggio treatments used by many jazz greats, jazz greats like Oscar Peterson, red Garland, George Sherry, Herbie Hancock, bud, Paul. So again, regardless of where you are in your jazz journey, a beginner and you're new intermediate player, advanced player or even the experienced professional, you will find this jazz piano skills podcast lesson, exploring minor arpeggio treatments to be enormously beneficial. Okay, first things first, let's answer those two very important questions that I mentioned earlier. What are minor arpeggio treatments? And why are they important? minor arpeggio treatments are simply various ways to play an arpeggio or a melody line, which of course an arpeggio is it's a melody. And the five treatments we are going to explore today are single note. unison line, octave with added fifth, locked hands. And fourth, these structures. Now the answer to question number two, why are they important? By learning how to apply different treatments to an arpeggio, we begin the process of learning how to apply various treatments to a melody, we begin to learn how to orchestrate as a jazz pianist. What does it mean to orchestrate? Well, according to the dictionary on Google, it means to arrange or direct the elements of a situation to produce a desired effect. musically speaking, it means you are artistic. And that is the ultimate goal here, right? You study music, because it's an artistic endeavor, and artistic outlet. It's a way for you to be expressive. It's a way for you to be you. So when you can move beyond a dot button approach. And what I mean by dot button approach, I mean, that approach where you're looking at a piece of music and you see a dot and it means play this note. You see another.it means play this note, or this button, right? That button, that note this button that note this button. That's what I call the dot button approach. So when you can begin to move beyond a dot button approach to music, and to play in the piano and move toward the application and context of shapes and sounds. Right? Then you can begin to think about musical treatments, you can begin to think like an artist. So there you have it. Concise answers, providing you with clarity as to why it is important to begin thinking about minor arpeggio treatments and why they are important. And if you have surmised that there must be major arpeggio treatments and dominant arpeggio treatments, and so on, then let me be the first to confirm for you that yes, there are indeed. And we will deal with those in upcoming jazz panel skills podcast episodes, but today, today we focus on minor arpeggio treatments only. So here we go. So I'm going to model today everything using C minor, okay. And when I speak of an arpeggio, I am speaking of the root, the third, the fifth, and the seventh. So for C minor, the C, E flat, G, and B flat. That's our arpeggio, ascending and decently. So the very first treatment, that's pretty straightforward. It's going to be a single note, a single note treatment, I like to call this the bud pile treatment, right? So we're going to actually practice arpeggiating, C minor, the C minor sound, using the root, the third, the fifth, and the seventh, only, single note, right, ascending and descending. With space on top and bottom. You're going to hear me play these arpeggios. And you're not going to hear me play just straight up and down. No, not how we do it. We're going to ascend we get to the top, there's going to be a little moment a little break, like a measure break to assess what we just did. How was it? How did it sound? what went well, what was good, what was bad, what was ugly, right? Then we begin our descent, we pause again at the bottom, and we go through the same assessment process. What was good, what was bad, what was ugly, right? This is called practicing. All right, we're just not going through motions, playing notes, ascending and descending mindlessly, we have to be engaged intellectually, and making some assessments as to how well we are doing. So when I bring the ensemble in here, you're going to hear me start off playing the arpeggio using half notes. First to begin ascending and descending. And again with the space on top and bottom for assessing, then you're going to hear me shift to quarter notes. Then you're going to hear me shift to eighth notes. And then you're going to hear me improvising using those notes, just the notes of the arpeggio. That's it. I'm not using notes outside of the arpeggio, I'm not using any approach notes, no, not any enclosures, half step approachment. Nothing, no fancy smancy stuff, I'm just using the four notes of the arpeggio. And I want you to also you know, you'll notice that I use half notes first, I just do it one time, then I do quarter notes one time, then I do eighth notes, one time ascending, descending, and then I improvise, but the reality of it is, when I'm practicing, I would be playing through using half notes several times, I would be playing quarter notes several times, I would be playing eighth notes several times. But for the sake of the podcast in the demonstration, I'm going going to go through each one just once, and then a little improvisation. Okay, so let's bring in the ensemble. Let's listen to single note treatment to the C minor sound, right using arpeggio motion ascending and descending using the root, third, fifth, and seventh. Alright, so here we go. Let's check it out. Nice, pretty darn cool, right? It's amazing how much music you can create by simply just using the root, third, fifth, and seventh, the arpeggio of the sound, right? Again, you do not need to get fancy, I would strongly encourage you to do not bypass this process quickly. And to move on to more advanced, right? Putting quotes there, right? advanced concepts, right, the better you can do single node approachment, the better the other treatments will go, Sis, that simple. Okay, so spend time with the single note approachment a lot. And right away, you're gonna see why because our very next treatment is the unison line or both hands, right, I like to call this the Oscar Peterson style where we're now going to play that C, E flat, G and B flat, the root third, five and seven. We're going to play it in both hands. Sunday ascending and descending. Okay, you can have these just one octave apart, you can split them if you want the two octaves. But I would recommend keeping it simple and closer, right one octave apart. So again, it's going to be the exact same thing that we just did, right, you're going to hear me I'm going to bring the ensemble and you're going to hear me play this treatment using half notes first, then quarter notes, then eighth notes, and then a little improvisation. And again, when I improvise, I'm not going outside the arpeggio, I'm using only the root, the third, the fifth, and the seventh. That's it. Okay, I really want to focus on articulation and my feel my sound, I want to sound like a jazz pianist. So there's more to it than just simply playing the notes, right? You know that. So let's bring the arpeggio up. Let's bring the ensemble and let's not bring the arpeggio we'll bring the arpeggio in but not until we bring the ensemble in. So let's bring the ensemble in. And let's listen to this unison treatment. Right of the minor arpeggio the unison treatment kind of asker Peterson style. So here we go. Let's check it out. Wow. Very cool. You know, it's amazing to me, just the addition of the arpeggio in a unison line, right? Both hands playing the same thing. How about just transforms the arpeggio presents an entirely different sound. Right? That's, that's the whole point of treatments, right? It's the same notes. The root, third, fifth and seventh. However, we are approaching to our plane of those notes in a very different way. We're treating it in a different way. Okay. I can hardly wait right? We have three more treatments to kind of explore here today. And you know, with, you know, which just reminds me that with every jazz panel skills podcast episode, Episode, there's always a ton to take in. There's always a ton to digest, conceptually, orally and physically. 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Okay, let's take a look at treatment number three, minor arpeggio treatment number three. This treatment, we are going to play our arpeggio using octaves. So now we have our C, E flat, G and B flat played in octaves, but we're going to drop the fifth of the octave in the middle. So when I play my C, I'm going to have a G in between them. three notes kind of a chime effect right. My E flat is going to have my E flat octaves are going to have a B flat in the middle. My g octaves are going to have a D in the middle. And my B flat octaves are going to have octave is going to have an F in the middle. So playing the arpeggio sounds like this now How nice is that? Right? I call this the red garland style. If you listen to red Garland, you'll hear him using this quite a bit in his plane. So you can play in your left hand play any voicing of a C minor voicing of your choice, and then play your arpeggio. Right if you take it up an octave if you want. Nice, very nice sound right, so let's bring the ensemble in. And let's place this into a musical context. And again, you're going to hear me play the arpeggio using the octave with the fifth the red garland style, first using half notes, then quarter notes, then eighth notes, and then a little improvisation, right. Again, I play the half notes one time, quarter notes one time, eighth notes one time, but in reality if I'm practicing, I would utilize those rhythmic approaches. I would practice them several times. So here we go. Let's bring the ensemble and let's listen to our treatment of the minor arpeggio C minor arpeggio using red garlin style octaves with the fifth. Here we go. Wow, how nice is that right? And again. Now our arpeggio sounds completely different our melody, right think of the arpeggio as a melody. This is how you could be treating a melody of a standard or any tune that you're playing right? So we're just using our arpeggio as kind of our drafting board if you will. Okay, so What a difference right now all of a sudden that C minor arpeggio with using the octave with octaves with the fifth dropped in the middle. That chime effect gives us an entirely different sound, an entirely different treatment to that melody line to that arpeggio. Very nice. So okay, let's, let's move on to melodic two minor arpeggio treatment number four. And this is what I call the locked hands treatment or the George shearing style. We're going to play our root, third, fifth and seventh in octaves again, but we're going to split the octaves instead of playing it in one hand, like we did with the red garland style, we're going to play take our left hand, play middle C, take your right hand, little finger, play the sea an octave above that middle C. So now we have an octave played using both hands. My left hand thumb is on middle C. My right hand little finger is on the C an octave above. Now I'm going to fill in my C minor sound right with with additional notes from the arpeggio so I'm going to have my E flat in my right hand, my G and my B flat. Very nice. Now I'm going to go to my E flat. I'm filling in between between my octaves I'm filling in with notes of the arpeggio and I have a G B flat c nestled in between my octaves E flat. Now I go to my G split between the two hands right. And now I have in between my octaves my B flat C and E flat. Now I go to my B flat my seventh. Again, octaves B flat split between two hands, my right hand my left hand with the C minor triad nestled in between them. So when I put this all together as a flowing arpeggio coming back down. Nice, right? Wow. Classic George shearing locked hands style. So now let's bring our ensemble in. Let's drop this into a musical context. Again, I'm going to play play the arpeggio using locked hands using half notes. Then quarter notes, then eighth notes. And then I'm going to improvise using locked hands. And again when I'm improvising I'm only going to use the notes of the arpeggio, the root, third, fifth and seventh. I am restricting myself to using those four notes. The logic is simple. You can get comfortable using applying this treatment using four notes before you can get used to applying it using seven notes or 12 notes right it only makes sense. So here we go. Let's bring the ensemble in. Let's listen to our melody was listened to our C minor arpeggio using ascending and descending motion with the George shearing locked hands style. Okay, here we go. Let's check it out. Now that is a classic sound, right that is a classic jazz sound used by just about every jazz pianist I've ever listened to. Right. So, man enjoy a locked hands treatment to any melody right? And certainly practice it on your minor sounds your minor arpeggios first to help get you started. Okay, I mentioned earlier the educational podcast guides, the illustrations, the lead sheets in the play alongs that are available for all jazz piano skills members to use and I strongly suggest that you do they're invaluable. They will maximize your musical growth and help you successfully digest today's lesson, no question about it right. All these treatments are mapped out for you using those educational guides. But I also want you to check out the jazz piano skills courses as well and again, easily accessible for all of you jazz piano skills members. The Jazz panel skills courses makeup, a tremendous sequential jazz curriculum that utilizes a self paced format packed and I mean packed with all kinds of goodies, detailed instruction and illustrations, in depth educational talks, interactive learning media, traditional guides and worksheets that you can download and utilize high definition video demonstrations in all 12 keys. I model every scale and all 12 of 12 keys so you can see hand movement, fingerings and so on. There are play along tracks and lead sheets for you to use. And of course, professional and personal educational support is provided by me as well. And all the courses as are the educational guides have easy access using mobile access using any of your smart devices, whether that be your laptop or desktop computer, your tablet, your phone, or your TV or even your watch. So be sure to check out the inner active courses at jazz piano skills.com. Okay, our final minor arpeggio treatment for today is what I call the fourth the structures commonly associated with players like Herbie Hancock, Chuck Korea. And the fourth these structures again, it's almost kind of like a locked hands approach, right, but we're using intervals based on the fourth as opposed to thirds traditional thirds, like we did with the George shearing style. So now we're gonna play our C minor arpeggio. But beneath each note of the melody, let's see the E flat, the G and the B flat, we're going to use common 40 structures, right? So my C, underneath my notes C and my left hand, I'm going to have an E flat and a followed by a D, G and C in my right hand, right. Then I go to my E flat, and in my left hand, I'm going to have a G and C followed by my F, B flat, E flat, and my right hand. Now I'm going to go to the melody out the melody note G or the fifth. In my left hand, I'm going to have a C, F, my right hand B, E flat, and then that g up on top. Now, my last melody note is the seventh, the B flat. My left hand I'm gonna have a D and a gene and my right hand a C, F, B flat. So when I play those shapes, those 40 structures as an arpeggio, it's gonna sound like this. Wow. Does that treatment change the C minor arpeggio or what? Wow. So let's bring the ensemble in. And let's listen to this treatment. Let's place it into a musical context. And see what we think. And once again, you're going to hear me play the treatment using half notes at first, then quarter notes, then eighth notes, and then a little improvisation using those shapes. So let's bring the ensemble and let's check it out and see what we think. Here we go. is so stinking cool, right? Wow. So hey, before I go on, I think I, I caught myself I gave you one of the voicings I said B instead of B flat, right, I think when I was given out, you know, I said, on the fourth e voice and I said, Gee, my left hand see and my right hand and I went F, and it's supposed to be B flat, E flat with the third on top. I think I said B. I don't want to confuse anybody, right? We're talking C minor. So it's always going to be E flat and B flat right the arpeggio. So I just mentioned that because I don't want to call cause any confusion unnecessarily. So anyway, so how cool were all the treatments right from a single note treatment like blood pile, to a unison line, right aka, unison line between both hands like an Oscar Peterson. Then a red garland approach right octaves in the right hand with the fifth dropped in the middle. Then classic locked hands George sharing approach. octave split between the right hand and the left hand filling in the chord tones and beneath those, between those between the octaves. And then the fourth e structures, kind of the Herbie Hancock Chick Corea approach, right? The five treatments to be able to take a C minor sound and play it as an arpeggio root, third, fifth and seventh, it will transform your plane. Right? How nice how artistic will it be for you to be able to orchestrate melodies that you play within the tunes that you are playing and utilize various treatments to do so. Wow. Well, I hope you have found this jazz piano skills podcast lesson exploring minor arpeggio treatments to be insightful, and of course extremely beneficial. Don't forget if you are a jazz piano skills member which you should be. I will see you on Thursday evening at the jazz panel skills masterclass at 8pm Central time to discuss this podcast episode lesson in greater detail and to answer any question that you may have about any aspect of playing jazz piano. Also, as a jazz piano skills member, be sure to use the educational podcast guides for this lesson and the jazz piano skills courses. Both of them will maximize your musical growth. Big time. And likewise, make sure you are an active participant of the jazz piano skills forums and private Facebook group get involved and make some new jazz piano friends from around the world. As always, you can reach me by phone 972-380-8050 extension 211 Bye Email Dr. Lawrence at jazz piano skills.com. That's Dr. Lawrence at jazz piano skills.com or by speakpipe found on the jazz piano skills website in the educational podcast guides as well as in the jazz piano skills courses. have tons of ways to get in touch with me. So, that's it for now. And until next week, enjoy the journey. And most of all, have fun as you discover, learn and play jazz piano