Sounding cool when playing Jazz...

[tony123]

Okay guys, so I'm an adult player, failed miserably when I was about 18, teacher taught me how to play by reading without knowing even a single scale. So as you can imagine, no good. Started again about 5 years ago and one of the things (among many!) that I can't seem to figure out is how to make those cool jazz sounding sounds come out of my darn piano. So for example, take a G7 in the bass and play like Bill Evans would in right, using a A flat and G flat down a couple of octaves, inversions and all. Using it as a melody say, others do it and it sounds brilliant. I do it and it's flat. That's if I can nail the correct keys. Anyway, anyone who would be billing to do a 1 or 2 time lesson on that for me, that would be great. Thanks in advance.

[ted]

You might get a lot out of Dave Frank's collection of videos, and he might teach on Skype. I don't know he does but it would certainly be worth contacting him, he is on this forum and on Pianoworld.

[tony123]

Yes I’m very familiar with his videos. Many good jazz players can do what it is I’m looking to do, my fingers just don’t want to do it. LOL

[tony123]

Hi guys,

So I watched Dave Frank's improv videos on beginning improv. To be honest, that type of improv isn't really an issue. I'm looking more for the super cool edgy arpeggio type lines. Pull up peter martin on youtube, he does a great job of explaining it in in course using thirds and triads in your scales but I was hoping to get more on it.  I'm not sure if any of this even makes sense but thanks!

[j_tour]

Well, I think the only final step is Liebman and Beirach.

TBH I'm still in a retro-mode, permanently, just doing Elmo Hope and Bud and Herbie stuff as far as voicings — that's just where I'm at, and I'm happy to be there.

But the systematic method really begins and ends with the Liebman and Beirach "textbook," as far as I ever heard.  It's the basic things about upper structure triads. 

The nice thing about that book is that it doesn't lock you into the (ascending) melodic minor mode dogma — for me, the modes of the harmonic minor scale are just as, if not more, important.

So, just practice harmonic minor modes, transcribe, and don't do jive stuff, I think is what anyone would agree on.

ETA How much can one say?  WTH do you want to play other than sound like some sax player wearing a funny hat in some "funk-jazz" group?  If you want to do that, then transcribe it.  If you want some deep theory of upper-structure triads, well, then, good luck:  there isn't one. 

EETA Well, if you're just starting out, or even if you're not a complete beginner, what's wrong with the way everyone else came up in improvised music?   You have the recordings, and you have the keyboard, so, put it together.  Transcribe.  Rinse.  Repeat.   Maybe it took Coltrane thirty years what you can do in sixty, or maybe Monk did it in fifteen years where it might take you one.  They say Monk would spend fifteen, sixteen hours just plinking out a melody of some corny tune on the piano.  Doesn't matter.  If it takes forever, then who gives a ***?