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I was looking for some LH action

Hi Petar! Nice to have you on board! I'm impressed *anyone* has read throught the whole thread!

And so to a version of Autumn Leaves that I *can* recognise. I've been watching a lot of muppets lately (sick child at home), and the freshness of their interpretation always inspires me!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlBp8IYjUfo

thanks.. I'm glad to hear about your Croatian friends.

I have to catch some time for recording and to figure out what's the best way to record. But before that I'd first like to try and polish things to be confortable enough to record something decently.

God bless,
Petar

P.S.: I changed the nick. The first one was a mistake

That was very funny! Their approach really simplifies things...

OK, I've done my best shot at analysing this prelude. Anyone want to compare notes? I've got stuck in a few places.

here's what I got

C | D-7 | G7 | C | A- | D7 | G | Cmaj7 | A- | D7 | G |
C#dim | D-7 | G#dim | C | Fmaj7 | D-7 | G7 | C | C7
Fmaj7 | Cdim | C-6 | D7 | G7 | C | Gsus7 | G7 | Adim
C | Gsus7 | G7 | C7 | Fmaj7 | C

OK, so my first problem was bar 14. Up till there I agree with you (he he, I must be getting something right here). I'll copy and paste and add in the 'cosmic analysis'

C (I)| D-7 (II)| G7 (V)| C (I)| A- (II of V)| D7 (V of V)| G (V)| Cmaj7 (I)| A- (II of V)| D7 (V of V)| G (G)|
C#dim (VII of II)| D-7 (II)|

Agree so far?

Then we get to the diminished chord in bar 14 which is either F, Ab, B or D, and I'll be blowed if I can work out how to work this sort of thing out. You say G# dim, knotty, which is fine. That makes a VII of VI, which is a close moon on VI and ought to go to A min planet or another A chord. But we both agree that the next chord is C. So - this is just a little surprise?

I can live with that. I just want to know if I'm getting the general gist of the star-chart right.

I'll continue in another post.

this is indeed the only one that doesn't really fit the solar system. So maybe the next chord is not C but A-7 ? works for me.

The other thing is the sus chords, they're not in the solar system, but I think we can agree that this is just a passing chord to G7

The C in bar 15 could be a rootless A min 7! Brilliant!

Or it could just be a surprise. Either way, it's fine.

OK, I'll continue now from bar 16:

| Fmaj7 (IV) | D-7 (II)| G7 (V) | C (I) | C7 (V of IV)
Fmaj7 (IV)|

Bar 22 is a dim chord on F#, A, C or Eb. You have gone here for C dim, however I don't see that in C cosmic. The only one I see is D# dim (VII of III). However, according to Randy, the next chord ought to be an E min 7, or another E chord, and while I honestly can't work out what chord is in bar 23, it's certainly not an E min 7.

You have described the chord in 23 as a C-6 - a C with a minor 6th? I've not come across that before. I'm honestly very confused about bar 23.

Can we agree that 24 is a G7?

As for the sus chords, I'm just treating them as dominants. Randy's major cosmic also doesn't have any altered chords, so I'm just not worrying about them just now.

Tlt,

those few tense bars are confusing. The chord in bar 23 spells a C-M7, which I just wrote as C-6.

Agreed on bar 24, G7. So maybe we can think of 23 as some sort of D-7b5. With the G7 having a b9, that gives us some sort of minor 2 5.
Note that I don't particularly hear the 2 5.

This is really getting me curious about the rest of the well tempered Klavier, or, as I like to call it, Le clavier bien tempéré.

Altered chords are just regular chords, but somehow, I do not really see sus chords as altered because I think they have their own harmonic purpose.

OK, now I have 22 as a D# dim (VII of III).

In bar 24 I had disregarded the C as a passing note and called it a D dim, which as you say gives us some sort of II V I. If I count the C then it's the first time I've seen a chord which is both fully and half diminished.

Good one, Johannes, you've totally confused us!

On the other hand, if I really want to make it fit Randy's solar system, I could make it a Ab dim (VII of VI).

But I increasingly feel that Bach just liked the sound of those notes together, and that's why he wrote it, unaware as he was, of Randy's book.

From there on, it's pretty straightforward, with the exception of the sus chords.

This is new theory for me, and I can see it's helpful. I certainly would have struggled to see why, for example, bar 32 has Bb.

Nice one, thanks knotty!

I'm wondering about the syncopation - seems like you all use that a lot with the left hand chords with comping. I play most Latin tunes syncopated. Any tips, accenting the offbeat with jazz, etc? Thanks.

Many tricks here and some can get complicated. I'm trying to get a Syncopated LH version of My Romance but I'm still struggling so let me practice it more (I'm doing 1 and 1+).

Most syncopated patterns though (typical in jazz) is Charleston based (1 and 2+) and if you start skipping some it sounds more unusual than it really is. What I mean here is that you don't always play the two notes. Sometimes you go 2+ 1, or 2+ 2+, then back to 1 and 2+. It's still based on a fixed charleston rhythm.

In contrast, Latin is played straight (downbeat syncopated).

If you practice Charleston at all tempos, it does become automatic where I don't count. My hand will just play it.

There's a little bit of a variance here though because a swing feel is enhanced by delaying the 2+ slightly. This is a matter of feel as 2+ implies a dotted quarter rhythm. It's not exactly a dotted quarter. So when in doubt, hang back just slightly more.

Here's Charleston in Notation

http://www.box.net/shared/3rd5ug414d

Something I just wanted to note to our group here....

One my BOX.NET Files for this thread has been downloaded 3222 TIMES!

That is incredible. I think some website must be linking directly to this thread.

Well, jazzwee, whattaya know? We're not the only ones obsessed with jazz. (I can't claim any of my files have been access quite so many times.)

I feel like I've hit a bit of a brick wall lately with improvising. No doubt, this is the hardest thing to attempt without a teacher. This one I had to force myself to do - though I love the head.

Birks Works (Dizzy G arr Pete Churchill) from the ABRSM Jazz Piano grade 3 book:
http://www.box.net/shared/gtrfua7j7o

Who knows? Maybe it'll entertain the lurkers.

TLT, what you're learning here actually ls "vocabulary". Jazz solos have a certain sound, at least in bebop and blues, and you're applying it little by little.

Notice for example the head of this tune, you hear that distinctive melody right? Try to squeeze a little of that pattern into the solo. Next try to apply a little Blue Monk Melody and so on. What I don't realize is that over the years, all this is in my head so I can pull out it without thinking or looking at the keyboard.

Have you ever tried creating alternate melodies from a basic motif like you hear here? Meaning you use the same motif but change a little part of it. Then you change it a little bit more. It trains your ear to be listening rather than your fingers doing the choices.

I can tell that your fingers are deciding your note choices.

Maybe I can record the above melody and show you what I mean.

I know what you mean. Funnily enough I hear it in my head. I don't think I could sing it. Certainly, if I sit at the piano, it just dissolves.

Do you remember your dreams? Ever had this experience - you wake out of a dream, with all the details in your head - images, sounds, people, colours, smell, story-line, mood, etc. You get up to wash your face, then try to remember the dream. It's gone. You just have a faint image left. You try again to remember it - even that image has gone.

It's like that. I have tunes in my head. I try to pin them down - they go.

But I feel I'm probably getting somewhere, though. Thankyou for your comments!

All,

I don't know how many people here subscribe to 7notemode's videos. Every now and then, he creates a tutorial. Here's the latest on Sophisticated Lady:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdNWTcuWVuo

I happen to think that his tutorials are the best on youtube for more advanced players. You can play his arrangements just like he plays them, and understand a lot of what's going on. There are also lots of practice tips. It very much is like having a lesson that you can rewind. You can even ask questions right there on the thread and usually you'll get a quick answer.

Some guys on youtube are finding the tutorials too difficult to follow. Tom (7notemode) asked me to ask you guys your honest opinion. If you watched the video, just send him a message a youtube to tell him how he can make the videos better, what worked, what didn't.
If you haven't watched his videos, really you should

And now I'm thinking maybe this should go into the advanced thread. I'll let Jazzwee decide.

knotty, I just watched part 1 and yup, I think this will be too advanced for anyone in this thread so the Advanced thread is probably better.

7notemode, I see you are always around PW but I never see you posting. Drop by! Beeboss does.

Hey Jazzwee,

just wanted to drop a line. I thought your recital entry was amazing. Such progress! Keep it up.