jazzpiano.co.nz

I hope you all have a great holiday,  I have uploaded 7 new video tracks recorded this year that can be found on www.youtube.com/mebaynes. Songs included Standards, Brad Mehldau and even some Bob Dylan!

I shall embed some of these into my website but if you wish to get a peek at all of them then there they are.

Enjoy there seasonal break, I know I will.

Many thanks for your kind support,

Mark

This Ironic Trio CD is now available to purchase for the bargain price of $12 (NZ) plus p&p and can be ordered by clicking here.  It is called ‘In Colour’ and features Mark Baynes (piano), Tom Dennison (bass) and Jason Orme (drumset).

Below is a link to some handouts for a jazz piano workshop that I ran for the ABRSM. Topics include voicings, change running, modes, swung quavers, nomenclature, lines & practice routine. I use these regularly in my lessons so I thought that you might find it useful. Please drop me an email on mark@jazzpiano.co.nz if you use this material, many thanks Mark

Jazz Piano Workshop Handouts

Autumn Leaves

Please note that the melody is written in a simplified form, and is a guide only, embellishments & syncopation are expected.

Modes for Autumn Leaves
scales & modes are a group of notes, a pool if you like from which you can draw your ideas.

C Dorian mode (2nd mode of B flat major scale, or c major scale with lowered 3rd and 7th)

F Mixolydian mode (5th mode of B flat major scale, or f major scale with lowered 7th)

Bb major scale

Eb lydian mode (4th mode of B flat major scale, or E flat major scale with raised 4th)

A Locrian #2 mode (6th mode of C jazz minor scale, or natural minor scale with lowered 5th)

D superlocrian mode (7th mode of E flat jazz minor, also called altered and half whole scale)

G jazz minor scale (melodic minor ascending)

G dorian mode, or c mixolydian mode (same notes)

F dorian mode, or b flat mixolydian mode (same notes)

Jazz Swing Quavers
Now play the slurred notes at full value (don’t shorten) but with less emphasis.
This is an exaggerated rough guide to jazz swing feel and phrasing note length, weight of accent etc are all open to personal interpretation the shape of the melody and use of different rhythms will also determine the articulation used .
The only real way to get an idea of jazz swing is by listening to recordings made by great players.

Voicings For Autumn Leaves

Chords can be divided into 3 groups, major, minor, and dominant
Learn to recognise a major ii v i progression & the qualities of the chords involved (m7, 7, Maj7)
Learn to recognise a minor ii v i progression & the qualities of the chords involved (m7b5, 7(alt), Min7
Your chord must contain at least the 3rd and 7th (guide tones)
Build your chord from either the 3rd or the 7th upwards (there are usually 2 voicings per chord)
Avoid playing the root in your voicings
Keep movement between chords to a minimum (just like J.S. Bach!!)
Extend the m7 and maj7 chord to the 9th with the 5th
Extend the dominant chord to the 13th using the 9th (omit 5th)
Use alterations on the dominant chord especially in a minor ii v i

Nomenclature of jazz chords
There are 3 types of chord group, major, minor, and dominant. When you are reading chord charts you will need to be able to recognise which symbol belongs to which group. Often beginning improvisers get confused between a dominant chord and a major chord, whilst only a semitone different, the function of the chord is ENTIRELY different.

Here are common ways major chords are written

Here are common ways minor chords are written

Here are common ways dominant 7 chords are written

Here are the 2 ways a half diminished chord is written

Please note that jazz use extensions such as 9th, and 13th rather than 2nd and 6th to imply that the interval is ADDED to the existing chord and doesnt replace a note. e.g. C9 means a C7 plus a 2nd, Csus2 would imply that the 3rd is replaced by the 2. A C6 chord is just a c triad with the 6 added, however a C13 is a dominant chord. Jazz musicians will usually play a C7 with either a 9th or 13th anyway, so C7, C9, & C13 are the same practically.

Blues scales for Autumn Leaves

G blues – This is a good blanket scale to use when your brain aches from thinking too much!

B flat blues – you may wish to try this scale over autumn leaves, see what you think!

Change running exercises

Digital pattern exercises
1235 321 1235 321etc.

Jazz lines (ideas)

What makes a solo interesting?
Repetition, Sequence, Dynamics, Range (high, low etc), Accents, Rest and Silence, Rhythmic Variation
Variety (but not too much), Blues scale, Tension and Release, Motifs
Knowing where the guide tones are (3 and 7)
Trills, Glissandos, Swoops, Staccato etc
Emphasise pretty sounding notes, 7ths, 9ths, #4ths
Always try to buiid your solo, tell a story and make it go somewhere

Above all of this, the main thing you need to do is LISTEN, it helps swing feel, improvisation, style
and generally helps you build a solid jazz vocabulary!

What do I do now?
Practise Swing rhythms over familiar scales
Practice major 251 in both hands through cycle of 4ths, best choice
Practice major 251 in left hands through cycle of 4ths, play 251 exercise in right
hand practising swing rhythms
Seperate Chords types and practise through cycle, chromatically and randomly until
you know the chords quickly
Practise minor 251 in left hand , best choice
Practise minor 251 in left hand, play 251 exercise using Locrian #2, Superlocrian, and Jazz Minor scales

Buy a real book and play chords from any tune making yourself fluent with your new jazz voicings
Buy Jamey Aebersold backing tracks and play along either with chords & tune or try soloing
over the changes too!
Just play, be creative, listen and have fun playing jazz!
There is a huge recourse of jazz tutorial material available to buy and study, or book a series of private
lessons from a tutor, study at one of the jazz courses available in both Auckland based universities.

I have prepared this as part of my postgraduate study, my only request is that if you use it then please drop me an email to let me know. Thanks and enjoy!!

Day is Done Leadsheet

I have prepared these as part of my postgraduate study, my only request is that if you use them then please drop me an email to let me know. Thanks and enjoy!!

Blackbird Solo

Blackbird Leadsheet

This is a paper that I have written highlighting the harmonic exploration of some of Brad Mehldau’s solos. I have chosen solos found in Mehldau’s contemporary repertoire from pieces as Day is Done and Riverman (both Nick Drake Covers).

Brad Mehldau Solo Analysis

Excerpt included below….

In an interview with downbeat magazine Mehldau explains to Dan Ouellette, “it’s hard to talk about this without coming off as sounding pompous but I have my own voice. Without getting too technical, I have a certain way of approaching melody and harmony that some people might recognise as my own” (In Conversation with Brad Mehldau, 2008)
Brad Mehldau’s piano playing is intelligent, harmonically and rhythmically complex and unique on many levels. It is surprising therefore that there are only a handful of academic papers and other documented analysis focused on his music. This research topic is aimed at increasing the body of knowledge on the subject of Mehldau’s approach to improvisation and performance throughout his career to date. The researcher is particularly interested in these “technical” aspects of melody and harmony that Mehldau refers to. Can these be understood and applied by others? Or is it a case that Mehldau’s music is simply greater than the sum of its individual parts?

Due to time constraints, the researcher hopes to analyse two elements of Mehldau’s playing during the period of one academic year. These two contrasting topics are listed below and have been purposely chosen to provide research based on both specifically focused, and also a more general analysis.

With particular reference to Radiohead, Nick Drake and the Beatles, what are the harmonic improvisational approaches to Mehldau’s adaptation of pop songs? Can these approaches be formalised and applied to other vehicles? This is quite a specific topic and hopes to draw conclusion from analysis of a very small section of music, namely Mehldau’s contemporary repertoire.

Hi everyone,

I have finally got around to uploading a couple of recently recorded trio tracks with Jason Orme and Tom Dennison, a 10 minute version of Autumn Leaves and Dolphin Dance recorded by Mainz at the Lewis Eady Charitable Trust concert last month.

You can listen to them on the Listen page of this website.

I hope you Enjoy!

Mark

Eva Rachel Baynes was born 7.19pm, 23rd May 2009, weighing 5lb 15………..

WOO HOO!

Mark

My latest assignment is a transcription of a Clifford Brown solo from a recording of ‘I’ll Remember April’.

Below is an excerpt and a link to the full analysis:-

The assigned material for this topic is a Clifford Brown transcription of his trumpet solo during the performance of the standard entitled “I’ll Remember April”, originally recorded in 1956.  The solo was transcribed by David Baker and presented to us in Bb pitch, matching the transposition of the instrument it was performed on.  I shall be analysing the solo at concert pitch however so that the notes sound correct if played on a keyboard instrument or other non-transposing sound source.
Before analysis can begin it is important to correct errors from the original transcription.  The following pages contain the complete excerpt (entitled A) with all the significant notational and rhythmical errors highlighted.  These errors have then been corrected in excerpt B, and it is excerpt B that I shall then refer to when discussing my musical analysis.
The analysis itself shall be split into two sections.  The first section shall deal with improvisational devices used on this 98 bar solo, it shall be a “bar by bar” account if you like of Clifford Browns improvisational methodology.  It will include a table of musical devices as an appendix to the section.
The second section will discuss the solo on much broader terms, drawing the attention to the phrasing, dynamics, tone, density, style and overall direction of the solo played by one of the most acclaimed and influential trumpet players of the era.

Clifford Brown Transcription Analysis

Enjoy, thanks Mark!

Here is my CV for anyone who is interested.

Mark Baynes CV 2009.doc