Language is best acquired through interaction with native speakers. Music isn’t any different. Speak first — read later. Parents get all excited at their child’s first words. They’ll shoot videos to share with the whole world. What if the kid was forced to read first? Also, what if special permission was needed to express an original thought, new ideas were considered heresy and he/she had to recite with perfect diction what was in that book? We don’t live in the Twilight Zone but most piano teachers think like this. Don’t sweat it. I won’t insist that you interpret symbols, i.e. “read” music right off the bat but I do acknowledge its importance as BP#2 is our first exposure to music notation. Reading is important but not everything. It’s only one of the many skills we strive to acquire.
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BP#3 adds more tools to your bag of tricks. Part of learning a language is acquiring the ability to recognize certain sounds. Solfeggio was introduced in BP#1 to alert you to the fact that we need to train our ears in that pursuit. Pay attention to what’s being presented, take your time to take it all in and don’t be in a hurry: it’s a cinch by the inch — hard by the yard. Be patient and take even the very smallest of gains as every single tidbit of information counts. This whole process can be likened to a marathon and also a sprint, meaning we’re in it for the long haul. An insight might occur in the early stages and the learning curve can be shortened considerably. Repetition of error is not experience so be sure to pay close attention to absorb what’s being presented.
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My first piano lesson? Open the book, look at the page, use the right finger and count. A couple of years later, this emphatic directive was found on the page, “COUNT!!!”, implying I was lacking, didn’t measure up, wasn’t “practicing” or maybe Dracula was in the room. As an 8-year-old, you don’t question the “all-knowing” teacher but I knew I wasn’t stupid. I wasn’t the problem. Nobody could convince me I was. In BP#4, we’re 23 minutes into this thing and already playing jazz chords. Here’s a hard truth: teachers can only teach what they know. If you engage a teacher who’s solely a reader, guess what? That’s all you’ll ever learn. I was stuck in readers’ prison for 13 years before breaking out. Freedom and independent thought changed my musical life and it can change yours, too.
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Throughout these Blueprints, you’ve seen the graphics, heard the explanations making the seemingly complex easy to understand. There’s no guess work going on here. The Rules for Chord Expansion will never change, nor will the meaning of “7” and other chord symbols. What chance would a Little Leaguer have in the batters box vs. a major league pitcher? The kid couldn’t possibly be prepared. He’d get blown away. That won’t happen here. I like keeping things simple, never using big words just to show off how much I know. You’ll never walk away scratching your head, wondering what I’m talking about. I’ll guide you every step of the way, just like a master craftsman does with an apprentice.
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The spread voicing preview from BP#1 comes to completion in BP#6 and #7. Chords come from major scales and these major 7 6/9 chords employ do, re, mi, so, la, ti from each of the 12 major scales. Solfeggio syllables are tied to the scale degrees, so, you have a lot of pieces to play with now. It’s key to remember that ear training is an important part of this endeavor. Master this spread voicing template and you’ll sound like a million bucks… and this is just the start. You can become an artist and paint your own musical picture, sampling from a pallet of unlimited colors. Experiment, play, goof off. Even mistakes can be made musical. Miles Davis said that there aren’t any wrong notes. Think for yourself and all things become possible.
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There are fundamentals that apply to classical music and jazz alike. You’ll find lots of them in BP#7. Jazz is more analytical. One has to know structure, how things fit together, how they can be altered and be aware enough to create on the spot. I’ve copped concepts from classical composers like Bach and Beethoven that I’ve used in my compositions and performances. Good ideas are good ideas regardless of their origin. The “read only” approach doesn’t get you inside the composer’s head. If you do adopt his techniques and apply them, others will think you’re a genius. I joke but I believe that originality can be thought of as being undetected plagiarism in that one good idea can spawn an idea that can become an interesting composition.
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A lot of information is being conveyed here. The things I learned from my first piano lesson, through high school, Duquesne University music school and my professional career are being presented with simplicity, clarity and with an economy of words minus the double talk and convoluted explanations you’ll find elsewhere. The C major scale harmonization is done in the classical style, a la Beethoven. The Plagal Cadence, The “Amen” Cadence is what you’ve heard in church. It’s a tag, a very tasty ending. You’ll recognize it when you hear it. The classical approach is valid as is the more analytical jazz approach.
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The classical approach grants us access to great music. Free thinkers want to play that music but also understand how it all fits together, how it all works. BP#9 is another step in that direction. On the Audio page, you’ll find my classical treatment of “Pachelbel’s Canon.” The voicings are derived from the major scale harmonization transposed to D in great part. The Plagal Cadence comes into play as well plus spread voicing and doubling. Parallel and contrary motion enter the picture as well as other techniques. If we can analyze art, it can be moved to the realm of science. Once it’s analyzed, quantified, it becomes science and it can then be taught. That’s what’s happening here.
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The left hand is often neglected in learning piano. With 90% of us being right-handed, the need to devote special attention to the left hand is evident. We need two hands, don’t we? We’re moving back to the jazz world in BP#10 with these chord runs and back to classical world with spread voicing for the Plagal Cadence and pedal tones. Suspended chords add a different flavor, an interesting variation for a V-I chord progression but they can be used anywhere. You’re the boss so you can do whatever you want. You don’t need permission from anyone. Blues scales are introduced at the end with the same mathematical approach we’ve been using throughout.
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As you proceed, the concepts will stick in your mind so much so that it will seem like they’ve always been there. Do you have to think when someone asks your name? The response is automatic, no thinking is required. I like using an economy of words to convey information. If 10 syllables will do, I won’t use 50. I’ve adopted concepts and techniques from the greats of classical music and jazz. The transition between both worlds will become seamless. Play, experiment, have fun. Mistakes? Expect them. They always occur. I’m not perfect, you’re not perfect but when you can speak the language, you can improvise and forge a new path to solve any problem you create. It’s so much fun to fake your way through something when you make a mistake. I guarantee you’ll laugh at yourself a lot.
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The V chord, the dominant chord resolves to the I chord. It has as much freedom of movement as the queen does in the game of chess. There are expanded versions of the V chord that create interest for the listener. The rules for chord expansion apply as always. You may have noticed the graphic referring to the secondary dominant chord in “Amazing Grace” and heard its application. We can put dominant chords anywhere we want, create tonal centers, exercise total musical freedom. Jazz is America’s classical music. It’s a living, breathing art form that is reflects our creativity and ingenuity. This quote fits us: “It’s impossible, it’s never been done, but this how we’re gonna do it.”
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