I have recently started to pick up on block chords from Mark Levine's Jazz Piano book. I must say that it takes a lot of practice to get it going. For the sake of practicality and relative ease, I have skipped the George Shearing style in favor of drop 2's. While they sound very rich and amazing, I must say that sometimes they don't seem too practical. Can one say that there will come a point of mastery where you can just drop a few lines worth of block chords ad lib soloing? There seems to be soo much mental work to get all the notes right.

While thinking of this topic, I have looked into the Red Garland style block chords, which to me seems more practical in a real time playing sense. It's relatively easy (left hand doing rootless voicing in-sync, while right hand do octaves with fifth in the middle). And boy, does it sound good when Red's doing it! One thing though: I have relatively small hands. I can stretch an octave fine, but sticking in a fifth might be it uncomfortable. I wonder if I can get by with just fifths and dropping the bottom note on my right.

What do you guys think? I feel like I can keep my drop 2s for pre-arranged parts, and develop more of my Red Garland block chords. Or am I completely wrong in trying to avoid the effort of really mastery drop 2s?

This is what you need guy. I have this video and it covers all the block chord styles by many great jazz professions such as Red Garland, George Shearing and Oscar Peterson.

http://www.playpianocatalog.com/block-chord-styles.html

Othello,

I can kind of solo on shearing block chord although I haven't really mastered it. I used to work out an entire chorus worth of block chord solo beforehand and practiced it like a classical piece. Once I got pretty good at that, I was able to make variations on them. So at first you might have to work everything out beforehand.

I've also transcribed block chord solos and learned the solos in different key and that was helpeful too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5gcMTD8jZc

I learned gearld claytons solo by ear without writing it down, and learned to play along with it.. and then I learned it in different keys.

Also, it's important to remember that you can kind of cheat.. sometimes you don't have to play a different voicing every time, and you can get away with just changing the top note. You'll notice different tricks like that once you start transcribing.

Yea, Block Chord solos are really hard but if you put time working on it eventually you'll be able to use them.

Although block chords have such a distinctive sound and technique, each pianist who has applied them into their style modifies the application, depending on the situation. Bill Evans, George Shearing and Oscar Peterson are block chord masters, but each pianist sounds different pulling them off. They can be studied in a 4 way closed chord or drop 2.

Dick Hyman, a piano/player teacher with exceptional skills has a basic block chord lesson on youtube at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-CI9FABTw4

This is explained quite well, although to learn and play block chords in 4 way closed and drop 2 in all 12 keys will take a lot of patience and hard work. Try to just concentrate on one key at a time and then move up chromatically to gain facility.

Bill Evans has a cool arrangement of "Witchcraft" played with block chords. Check that out if you can find it. It is a good example of blocks in action.

katt

I'm in exactly the same situation, Othello. The only difference is that I decided to skip the drop 2's and go with the Shearing style. I'd play and record both, and listen, and usually preferred the sound of the Shearing (doubling the top note).

If you drop 2 seems tedious, try doubling the top 2 instead just doubling one. Nat Cole used this. In low registers use drop one or avoid doubling due to sonority concerns.