In an effort to speed up my learning, I am simultaneously studying at least 4 self-study jazz piano courses, and they offer different and/or oftentimes conflicting techniques, and I am in a daze trying to figure out which one to follow.

On left hand shell voicings, I am trying to pick the easiest, fastest, and most efficient fingerings for solo piano playing, not for accompaniment.

The David Sudnow method says root & 5ths or octaves for major chords, root & b7 for minor & dominant chords.

The Willie Mayette DVDs say keep switching between root & 7ths and root & 3rds but he doesn't say which combo for major, minor or dominant chords.

The Bill Susman method says stick to root & 7th for major chords, root & b7 for minor and dominant chords, no 3rds in left hand (put them in right hand)

The Phil DeGregg lesson says root & 7th and root & 3rd in sequential descending fashion following the Circle of Fifths.

Whew! Can someone help me out? All I want is to play simple solo cocktail style piano, and I don't need sophisticated jazz piano techniques. KISS.

My personal preference is for the Sudnow method because I don't get confused between plain 7ths and flat 7ths (he uses fifths)for major chords, but I am afraid my left hand is jumping around a lot. If I can attain smooth voice leading with Sudnow with minimal hand repositioning, I would select it from the lot. Agree? Disagree?

Thanks,

Fil

When I was first playing accompaniment in either hand and having to make it up I, frankly, deliberately chose what meant I didn't have to move my hand much. I think that essentially leads to good, or at least adequate, voice leading, since I *didn't* jump around too much, and so found no great gaps between one note and the next in any "voice".

So I think that none of the methods will do exactly what I *think* you are looking for. But knowing about those methods will give you options for voicings that will allow you to choose those that don't move your hand, and those options will include more interesting ones than just straight basic chords. But you would have to choose the options yourself, based on your criteria of voice leading or not moving your hand much. There isn't, as far as I can tell, one single rule that always fits every situation.

For me, the best way to become comfortable was to get really comfortable with three or four tunes a week, and, at the start, to limit myself to three of four key signatures (which the kind of music I was playing did any way). Then the shapes of the chords became very familiar, and those shapes transferred to other keys. Others will have different ideas of this, I think.

But, for me, at the beginning, using four different methods only worked for gleaning information about what I was doing - I couldn't have tried to use four at once to actually progress. *My* golden rule was - don't move my hand much, I've got other things that need my attention

Given all that, yes, I think the Sudnow method results in very nice, jazzy-sounding, cool arrangements that can be used for your own or others enjoyment, including some gigs. You can use the user list search function here to find Swingin' Barb and go to her web site to hear examples of what she plays. And she does play out sometimes.

I've heard good things about Willie Myette, but am not familiar with actual players' stuff.

But, again for me, I'd pick one guideline, whether one of the methods or something that works for me, become quite familiar with it in *actual practice*, and use the others to expand my knowledge of what's possible.

And then, I'd encourage you to post your results every once in awhile in the monthly piano bars

Cathy

Fil - It looks like Sudnow and Susman both follow the KISS method in that the 3rd is put in the right hand. Your left hand needs to play those roots since you are not playing with a bass player. For that reason, you will jump around a bit since chord progressions do move around the circle

Trying to follow 4 different methods would drive me crazy. I would pick one that you trust and go with that. As you progress with solo playing, your left hand will get comfortable adding movement and gliding all around the keyboard. For now, I agree with you in sticking with the KISS method.

Barb

Voice leading you're concerned about in chords is just 3/7 (7 moving down a half step to 3). If you're aware which is the 7, then you can voice lead. It can be LH or RH.

To set fixed rules is not necessary since it depends on the melody.

You cannot voice lead with just one hand unless you are playing a rootless voicing. This is because the movement of the root will require changes in fingering (no fingers can stay constant). Try it.

So single handed voice leading is done with rootless. Otherwise, you can simulate the voice leading with the pedal. Root + rootless.