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Reader,
When we play the melody in a ballad, like Misty, we want to be somewhat free with the time. Even though we're playing it on our instrument, I want you to imagine how you would sing it. You might push and pull the rhythm a bit? Or, lay back behind the beat a bit?
As we've been learning to play Misty in our Friday Zoom workshops the last few weeks, I've observed some critical mistakes in phrasing that we need address right away.
Start by listening to this recording of Misty by Samara Joy. Pay particular attention to how she pushes and pulls against the rhythm section.
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Samara Joy
Ben Paterson - Piano
David Wong - Bass
Kenny Washington - Drums
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Samara’s phrasing is masterful, but here’s what you really need to hear. The rhythm section, especially Ben Paterson on piano, is keeping a really steady pulse throughout.
Samara is pushing and pulling against that rhythm section. That steady pulse is what lets us, as the audience, hear the push and pull.
As solo piano players, we’re doing both jobs at once. Our left hand is the rhythm section, keeping that steady pulse, and our right hand “sings” against it.
The mistake that I’ve been hearing is that the left hand pulse is missing. Instead, the melody pushes and pulls, and the left hand “rhythm section” follows along with it. As a result, we don’t sound rubato, we sound like we’re playing in bad time.
So, here’s how to fix that this week…
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Introducing the Wednesday Woodshed
It’s been nearly 5 years of sending this newsletter every Wednesday, and I recently realized that I’ve never given it a real name. So, here it is, "The Wednesday Woodshed." You gotta admit, that's cooler than “The Jazz-Library Newsletter,” right?
Your practice plan for the week:
1. Create a steady rhythmic pulse. Start with your left hand rhythm section in a steady pulse. This could be as easy as just strumming simple voicings in quarter notes in your left hand. Use the metronome.
2. Let the melody sing against it. With that pulse in your left hand, practice phrasing the melody over top. Let the phrasing push and pull against that steady pulse. It really helps if you sing the melody as you do this.
3. Improvise simple phrases. Keeping the same LH pulse going, but practice improvising solo phrases over top of the rhythm. Let these phrases push and pull against the rhythm too, just like we did with the melody.
That 3rd step is the most important, because it requires you to do the phrasing in real-time. Rather than phrasing the same melody the same way repeatedly.
PS. We launched a new website this week.
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Workshop this Friday - Misty
This is week 3 on the tune Misty in a solo piano ballad style. In the last two weeks, we've learned about rootless chords and bass movements. This week, its finally time to add the melody and put everything together.
You are signed up, so I'll see you Friday, May 15, at 1:00 Eastern.
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