What should I learn to play like this?

[mm2703]

Hello all,

I've realized that I always play my standards with one "style" that I use throughout the tune. It can be a LH rhythmic, a way to split the chord between both hands or anything. I find it hard to switch from this first way of doing things to another, especially in a solo configuration. Would anyone have any tips for that?

My goal would be to be able to play/write something like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1w3PcvdT_7Q (until 1:02)

I just love the way there are no consecutive measures that sound the same way, it is so lively. And I am so far from it

Thank you very much for any help!

[engelbach]

Originally Posted by mm2703

Hello all,

I've realized that I always play my standards with one "style" that I use throughout the tune. It can be a LH rhythmic, a way to split the chord between both hands or anything. I find it hard to switch from this first way of doing things to another, especially in a solo configuration. Would anyone have any tips for that?

My goal would be to be able to play/write something like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1w3PcvdT_7Q (until 1:02)

I just love the way there are no consecutive measures that sound the same way, it is so lively. And I am so far from it

Thank you very much for any help!

mm2703,

If you could post a link to your own playing it might be easier to give you some advice.

Cheers,
Jer

[mm2703]

Hi Jer,
Glad you could stop by, I've always wanted to thank you for your helpful contributions that are all over Google
You're right, I should have included a sample. Here's a little something: http://picosong.com/3ZgR/
a) So Nice is an arrangement that I "wrote". I think it's too robotic and I'm not happy about it. It doesn't sound lyrical to me.
b) The Girl From Ipanema is another standard that I play a bit in robotic mode.
c) Third is a piece from Nino Rota called Kay in which I added some arpeggios of mine based on recordings I knew of the song. This is the one I like to play the best. But how do you learn to write like this I don't have the slightest idea. Every time I try to incorporate nuances in my playing it sounds cheesy. In So Nice's intro I cut some notes of the LH motif to give it an intro feeling but it doesn't work at all to me. I'm happy of the little riff at 0:35 though.
Thanks!

[engelbach]

Originally Posted by mm2703

Hi Jer,
Glad you could stop by, I've always wanted to thank you for your helpful contributions that are all over Google
You're right, I should have included a sample. Here's a little something: http://picosong.com/3ZgR/
a) So Nice is an arrangement that I "wrote". I think it's too robotic and I'm not happy about it. It doesn't sound lyrical to me.
b) The Girl From Ipanema is another standard that I play a bit in robotic mode.
c) Third is a piece from Nino Rota called Kay in which I added some arpeggios of mine based on recordings I knew of the song. This is the one I like to play the best. But how do you learn to write like this I don't have the slightest idea. Every time I try to incorporate nuances in my playing it sounds cheesy. In So Nice's intro I cut some notes of the LH motif to give it an intro feeling but it doesn't work at all to me. I'm happy of the little riff at 0:35 though.
Thanks!

Thanks for your kind words.

Well, this is tough.

What you need to do is to listen closely to what other piano players are doing. I'm sure you're already doing that, but what is in the way of incorporating their ideas into your own playing is the problem.

Here are a couple of general ideas.

Excessive "swing" is what sounds cheesy. A tune should swing only as much as it has to and no more. I realize that this seems vague, but again, by listening to others one can hear how much swing they impart. In general, ballads and very fast tunes have less swing, whereas medium tempo tunes have more.

Unless you're playing a Latin tune, stride piano, or ragtime, it's usually not necessary for the left hand to play a continuous ostinato. The rhythm of the tune is in your head, and the left hand can suggest it rather than stomp it out. Listen to Bill Evans playing solo piano, for example.

The left hand on the first tune is "square," because the rhythm doesn't have any momentum. It's hard to define "groove," but that's what it lacks. It's a matter of timing with a jazz feeling. Try just chording with shell voicings. Imagine a rhythm section behind you with bass and drums and try to fit your rhythm into that.

Girl from Ipanema: Bossa Nova is a very syncopated rhythm, not just "om-cha-cha om-cha-cha." Especially for solo piano, it might help to look up some rhythms and see if you can capture the same timing while playing along with a recording.

I would play the tune from The Godfather more rubato, without the arpeggios. You might try rolling the shell chords: 1 - 5 - 10.

Above all, there's no substitute for listening and imitating.

Cheers,
Jer

[mm2703]

Thanks for your answer! This is indeed tough, I was thinking maybe I should get lessons but who teaches this kind of stuff, ahah?

I am slowly starting to listen more to what other pianists do. I am aware of my problem so I guess I'm already in the right direction to fix it. Speaking of Bill Evans there is one astonishing intro he does on Green Dolphin Street on '58 Sessions for which I have the sheet. I'm going to learn that ASAP. Most of the time though pianists are not playing solo so it's pretty hard to get an idea of what they would play.

Anyway, I get your point on the LH. The thing is I started playing this rhythm because I found shell chords to be too thin. But it's probably better to be thin and groove than the opposite. I should also try mixing a bit of the two but this is so hard... Am I the only one to have this problem?

[engelbach]

Originally Posted by mm2703

Thanks for your answer! This is indeed tough, I was thinking maybe I should get lessons but who teaches this kind of stuff, ahah?

I am slowly starting to listen more to what other pianists do. I am aware of my problem so I guess I'm already in the right direction to fix it. Speaking of Bill Evans there is one astonishing intro he does on Green Dolphin Street on '58 Sessions for which I have the sheet. I'm going to learn that ASAP. Most of the time though pianists are not playing solo so it's pretty hard to get an idea of what they would play.

Anyway, I get your point on the LH. The thing is I started playing this rhythm because I found shell chords to be too thin. But it's probably better to be thin and groove than the opposite. I should also try mixing a bit of the two but this is so hard... Am I the only one to have this problem?

Unless you're playing a single-note solo line, the trick is to selectively fill in the missing notes with your right hand along with the melody. I say selectively, because you don't have to do it on every note.