2022 our 25th year online!

Welcome to the Piano World Piano Forums
Over 3 million posts about pianos, digital pianos, and all types of keyboard instruments.
Over 100,000 members from around the world.
Join the World's Largest Community of Piano Lovers (it's free)
It's Fun to Play the Piano ... Please Pass It On!

SEARCH
Piano Forums & Piano World
(ad)
Who's Online Now
68 members (bcalvanese, amc252, akse0435, 20/20 Vision, benkeys, apianostudent, Bellyman, AlkansBookcase, 13 invisible), 2,117 guests, and 318 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Hop To
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 15
P
Junior Member
OP Offline
Junior Member
P
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 15
"Hi! My name is (what?)" eheh
First I have to say that I'm not good speeking english since I'm portuguese smile
So, I've been playing piano for 8 months now, and I'm very happy!
Recently I got this book "The Jazz Piano Book - Mark Levine" and I was doing the chords that appeared and then this one made me confused!!!
I'm not bad at Music Theory, in my opinion.
But this one broke the paradigma...I thought that the root note as necessarily to be in the chord.
Like a C7 necessarily have a C, no matter what position is the note...
I got this 2 images for you guys understand, and hopefully explain to me smile
I google it but no success...

http://oi41.tinypic.com/2aiepg4.jpg
http://oi40.tinypic.com/m7ygdj.jpg

On the green - Where's the G? There is a G#, but is not the same!
On the Pink - Where's the B?
On the Purple - Where's the G again?

Thank you very much for your attention!
Bye smile

Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 161
H
Full Member
Offline
Full Member
H
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 161
These voicings assume that there is bass player playing the root. If you're playing solo then you have to play the bass (root) yourself and you have to change things a little bit. I believe the Levine book has a chapter on solo playing, you might want to check it out

Joined: May 2012
Posts: 699
F
500 Post Club Member
Offline
500 Post Club Member
F
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 699
I am from the violin/fiddle world, where all one can play is two notes of a chord. There's much insinuation, implication, when it comes to fiddle chords. As has been mentioned, if you're playing with other instruments, you can let them play the missing tones. Many fiddle chords I choose are an inference, but are correct in the context of the tune. When I started playing piano, I simply played root, 3rd, & 5th in both hands. And every song sounded the same. Every technique adds tools to use, if I can remember to use them.


nada
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,239
J
jjo Offline
1000 Post Club Member
Offline
1000 Post Club Member
J
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,239
A little more history. In the 30s and 40s, even when piano players were in groups with other musicians, they generally played the root notes for all chords. In the late 1950s, piano players, led by Bill Evans, began to leave out the root note in their left hand when playing with a bass player. This served two functions: (1) it made sure the piano player didn't play the same note as the bass player, and (2) it allowed the piano player to play more 9ths, 11ths and 13ths, thereby adding more color to the harmony. Most modern jazz piano players follow this school and play what are called "rootless" chords when playing with a bass player. Also, if they do play the root note, it will not be the bottom note, but rather will be higher up in the voicing.

Hope this helps a bit.

Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 15
P
Junior Member
OP Offline
Junior Member
P
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 15
Thanks! Got it now wink
I'm got check it yes!

Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 15
P
Junior Member
OP Offline
Junior Member
P
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 15
That's very interesting
Thanks for the information! smile

Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,124
1000 Post Club Member
Offline
1000 Post Club Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,124
You can always try playing the root quickly and then proceeding to the notes written.

rada

Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 15
P
Junior Member
OP Offline
Junior Member
P
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 15
Yes, I tried with the sustain pedal play the bass, but then the chords will be sustained..
Maybe I will tried to get technique with the sostenuto pedal, they do the job...
It's often jazz piano solo players use that pedal?


Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,239
J
jjo Offline
1000 Post Club Member
Offline
1000 Post Club Member
J
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,239
A common and very effective technique is to first play the root with the pedal, and then play in the middle of the piano the rootless chord.

Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,124
1000 Post Club Member
Offline
1000 Post Club Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,124
The 'art of pedaling' is that you never know one is using it.

rada

Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 4,352
4000 Post Club Member
Offline
4000 Post Club Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 4,352

Not all chords need to have a root, whether the root is played by the piano, the bass, or anyone, even a tuba. smile

A chord without its root note has a completely different feel and sound, and is beautiful in certain applications. I love throwing them occasionally into slow 8 bar Blues, and some Gospel.


Blues and Boogie-Woogie piano teacher.
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 516
M
500 Post Club Member
Offline
500 Post Club Member
M
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 516
everything everyone else said is good. a little more info:

a chord's root and fifth establish the chord's "tonality." other tones establish the chord's harmony. it's up to you whether you want to balance them or if you want to concentrate on one and leave out the other. Some situations call for emphasizing one or the other. For example, it is customary on the turnaround to establish the root of the dominant chord (V) as a way to lead back into the tonic. Piano players often do this by hitting that tone with the left hand (in octaves) and keep reiterating it throughout the bars of the turnaround. This is known as a "pedal point" (not to be confused with actually using the pedal). In fake books, pedal points are often designated with a capital "P" in a box, so you take this to mean that you play that note as a bass note on the piano.

Last edited by Michael Martinez; 08/02/13 02:17 PM.

Moderated by  platuser 

Link Copied to Clipboard
What's Hot!!
Piano World Has Been Sold!
--------------------
Forums RULES, Terms of Service & HELP
(updated 06/06/2022)
---------------------
Posting Pictures on the Forums
(ad)
(ad)
New Topics - Multiple Forums
New DP for a 10 year old
by peelaaa - 04/16/24 02:47 PM
Estonia 1990
by Iberia - 04/16/24 11:01 AM
Very Cheap Piano?
by Tweedpipe - 04/16/24 10:13 AM
Practical Meaning of SMP
by rneedle - 04/16/24 09:57 AM
Country style lessons
by Stephen_James - 04/16/24 06:04 AM
Forum Statistics
Forums43
Topics223,391
Posts3,349,273
Members111,634
Most Online15,252
Mar 21st, 2010

Our Piano Related Classified Ads
| Dealers | Tuners | Lessons | Movers | Restorations |

Advertise on Piano World
| Piano World | PianoSupplies.com | Advertise on Piano World |
| |Contact | Privacy | Legal | About Us | Site Map


Copyright © VerticalScope Inc. All Rights Reserved.
No part of this site may be reproduced without prior written permission
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, which supports our community.