Presented by Dr. Bob Lawrence
Jazz Piano Skills
https://www.jazzpianoskills.com
Jazz Piano Skills Podcast
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Keywords
chords, music theory, jazz, practice techniques, improvisation, music education, Band in the Box, musicianship, chord families, ear training
Summary
In this conversation, Dr. Bob Lawrence discusses the importance of practicing chords by family to enhance musicianship. He emphasizes grouping chords together, understanding their sounds, and practicing them in a musical context using tools like Band in the Box. The discussion covers practical techniques for mastering chord shapes and the significance of integrating mental, auditory, and physical aspects of music learning.
Takeaways
Grouping chords by family aids in understanding music theory.
Using software like Band in the Box helps create practice contexts.
Practicing chords in various inversions is essential for mastery.
Simplicity in practice allows for better retention of chord shapes.
Spelling chords enhances both theoretical and practical knowledge.
Integrating mind, ears, and hands is crucial for musicianship.
Practicing at a comfortable tempo is more beneficial than speed.
Labeling chords while playing reinforces learning.
Paper practice can be an effective tool for musicians.
Always seek help and guidance in your musical journey.
Transcript
Practicing chords by family. What a great way to get these these chords and these shapes these sounds under your hands in your ears sorted out in your mind. And so when I talk about
chords by family. I'm talking about just grouping all of your C chords together, all of your F chords, all of your B flat chords together. And I'm talking about the primary sounds of music, major, dominant, minor, half-diminished and diminished. Now, when we practice these shapes, when we practice these sounds, we want to place them, if we can, in a musical context, right? So I like to use a software application called Band in the Box where I can quickly create a backing track. And here you can see I have a backing track that has the five primary sounds of
major, dominant, minor, half, diminished, and diminished, each chord for two measures. I'm going to model this for you. Now, I have selected a bossa nova beat just because it's typically, I have found with students, it's easiest, it's easier than a swing beat to hear count one. Now, if that's still difficult with a bossa nova groove, then use a rock beat. It doesn't really matter, right? The objective here is to get the chords under our hands. So the groove is really irrelevant. So I have a bossa groove here. I'm going to start being in the box. I'm going to show you how I practice this.
So I start always with root position. Major. Don't do anything fancy. This is not a comping exercise. So don't get crazy with rhythms. Play the chord, study it, live with it, learn it. Once comfortable, maybe move to first inversion. Same exercise, right? Moving through the shapes. Say the labels as you play it. C major seven, C dominant seven, C minor seven, C half diminished seven, and C diminished seven. Move to second inversion. Third inversion.
You want to play the same shape in both hands, the shapes in your right hand, you will be using to improvise, to use for improvisation. So important, right? Spell the chords C dominant, C, E, G, B flat, C minor, C, flat, C half diminished, Spell them. So much can be done with this simple exercise of practicing chords by family. Like I said, don't do anything crazy with the rhythm. The objective is to get these shapes, these sounds, into your hands.
Keep it simple. I was playing at a tempo of 130. You don't need to play it that fast. Slow it down. Keep it nice and relaxed, nice and comfortable. Run through the chords in root position, first, second, third, and versions. Be able to spell those chords. Of course, you can practice spelling the chords away from the instrument. I like to call it paper practice. But you want to know these shapes, these sounds intellectually, physically, orally, right? All three phases of becoming a musician. The mind, the ears, the hands.
So, practicing chords by family, what a great way to get these shapes and sounds under your hands. If you have any questions, by all means, do not hesitate to reach out to me. I'm always happy to help you discover, learn, and play jazz.