A jazz piano lesson to help you learn Rodger’s and Hammerstein’s jazz standard “My Favorite Things.”
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Famously recorded by John Coltrane 0:09
Reaching a place of understanding with jazz standards 0:20
Passing along lessons from Billy Taylor and Harold Danko 0:32
The Sound of Music movie and Broadway show 1:02
Coltrane’s version 1:21
Connecting the dots from Broadway to Jazz 1:44
Coltrane’s career in 1961 2:06
The 1930s - 50s jazz repertoire of Broadway tunes 2:22
1960s jazz musicians moving away from the standard repertoire 3:07
Modal jazz 3:48
Miles Davis’s advice to John Coltrane 4:06
Looking for a hit song 4:21
The Broadway show The Sound of Music opened in 1959 4:37
(I meant to say “My Favorite Things”) 4:48
2 reasons why Coltrane may have played “My Favorite Things” 4:51
Interpreting a popular tune modally 5:52
Finding our own interpretation 6:12
A traditional jazz waltz treatment of “My Favorite Things” 6:16
Jazz waltz soloing 6:44
Modal soloing 7:09
Deciding which way to play the tune 7:31
Beginning with a modal vamp 8:08
The 1st ‘A’ section 8:26
Extending the vamp between sections 8:42
The 2nd ‘A’ section 8:50
Adding an upper “overtone” 8:53
Another modal interlude 9:07
The 3rd ‘A’ section, in E major 9:14
The bridge/ending section 9:33
Beginning the solo, following the chord changes 9:55
E Dorian 10:11
Switching to the G major scale 10:21
Transitioning to the key of E major 10:27
Back to G major 10:35
Hinting at McCoy Tyner’s LH quartal voicings 10:44
A composite rhythm between the two hands 10:51
Legato phrasing 11:00
A Coltrane Quartet-like texture 11:08
Semi-Bebop 11:17
Faster, modal lines11:24
A left-hand countermelody 11:29
Quasi-Stride 11:32
LH shell voicings 11:35
A traditional jazz waltz style, for the E major section 11:40
A Billy Taylor-style run 11:52
Referencing the tune’s melody 11:56
Developing the rhythmic motif 12:00
Bringing the chorus to a conclusion 12:04
Quarter-note triplets under tremolos 12:12
Back to the jazz waltz groove 12:21
Repeating a fast motif over LH quartal voicings 12:30
Playing the main melody 12:38
Doubling each melody note 12:42
A lighter, higher sound for the E major section 12:47
Suddenly more rhythmic 12:54
Inversion of the melody 12:59
Developing the motif 13:02
Returning to the main melody, embellished 13:04
Softer and more reflective, Gmaj7/Cmaj7 13:21
Ending with a playful motif 13:39
Don’t compare yourself to others 13:45
Developing your own approach to “My Favorite Things” 14:08
KeyboardImprov.com Video Course 14:51
Looking ahead 15:09
Here are some more Free Jazz Piano Lessons for you at the KeyboardImprov website: keyboardimprov...
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Enjoy the journey, and "let the music flow!"
Ron