Playing Leadsheets - Vol. 2

Transcription

1 Playig Leadsheets - Vol. 2 our first volume of "Playig Leadsheets", e explored ho to play a traditioal chorale-style hym melody ritte i a leadsheet format. this issue, ill sho you ho to improvise the accompaimet to a more floig melody ritte i a leadsheet format. 've chose a beautiful old folk tue, O WALY WALY, ad paired it ith the Joh Neto text to AMAZN RAE. Ex. 1 shos the melody ith chord symbols. by Mark Hayes Ex. 1 A-maz - ig ho seet the that saved a D 7 D 7/ /B 7 retch, a retch like oce as but o am maj7 oce as /D /D but o opyright 1993 by Beckehorst Press. c. All Rights Reserved. Used by Permissio. The first thig to do is familiarize yourself ith all of the chords ad correspodig chord symbols. There are 8 differet chords, some of hich are ritte i iversios other tha root positio. Do you ko all of the chords listed belo ad ca you play them i root positio ad all the iversios Ex. 2 7 maj7 D 7 /D opyright 2003 by Mark Hayes. All Rights Reserved.

2 Use the folloig exercises to develop dexterity i playig chord iversios. Play each exercise multiple times ith both hads separately. Playig Leadsheets - 2 Ex Ex. 4 Ex. 5 D 7 Ex. 6 maj7 Adapt this exercise to play the other chords listed i Ex. 2.

3 Playig Leadsheets - 3 We'll try playig the melody i to differet stages. First of all, play Ex. 1 usig a combiatio of sigle ote melody ad blocks chords ith the RH oly. Add block chords to the dobeats i each measure here the chord symbols appear. f you eed help, see Ex. 7. Ex. 7 A-maz - ig. ho seet the that saved a Em retch, D 7 D 7/ /B 7 maj7 a retch like oce as but o am oce as /D /D but o No let's add a LH accompaimet patter that ill outlie the otes i the chord symbols ad provide a floig rhythm. Notice that the LH part rarely spells the chord i close positio. t's good to skip the third of the chord as you arpeggiate upards. Playig the third right after the root i a loer register does't soud good. Play Ex. 8 ad the try to make up somethig similar hile lookig at Ex. 1. Ex. 8 A- maz- ig ho seet the that saved a retch, 7 a retch like D 7 D 7/ oce as /B 7 but o am maj7

4 Playig Leadsheets - 4 oce as /D /D but o Ex. 8, otice ho the LH uses arpeggiated chords ad block chords for variety. Sometimes it does't make sese to arppegiate the chord from the bottom up i the LH, because you ill ru out of room as you get closer to the RH. Notice that have used some o-chord toes i the LH here ad there. Ofte these are simply eighborig toes to the chord toes, hich create a shape or melody to the accompaimet patter. This ca make your accompaimet less "textbook" soudig. the RH i m. 3, 4, 12 ad 14, 've ritte a "thier" chord. That is to say, ot all of the otes of the triad are icluded. t's ot advisable to play every ote of a triad i both hads simultaeously uless you are specifically atig a thicker, dese soud. Feel free to leave out a ote i the RH if it's beig played i the LH. Ex. 9 shos a more advaced ay to improvise the melody i leadsheet form. Notice that have ritte the melody i a higher register, hich allos for a loger, exteded arpeggiated LH patter. additio, 've thied out the RH ad used the iterval of a sixth i may places. m augmeted the melody by playig it i octaves. m.12- have ot icluded the ote i the maj7 chord as arpeggiate upards. Whe spellig major seveth chords, just iclude the root ote oe time as the bass ote ad the repeat the remaiig three top otes of the chord as 've sho. t simply souds better. Notice that i m. 8, 10 ad 14, the arpeggiated patter exteds from the LH ito the RH. Sometimes it's simpler to let the RH cotiue the patter he it gets that high. You ca also thik of it as a "alto" voice to the "soprao" melody. As you ca see, the possibilities for improvisatio are edless! After you play this example, go back to Ex. 1 ad try icorporatig several of the devices from this lesso. Ex. 9 A - maz - ig ho seet the 5 that saved a Em retch, a retch like

5 9 D 7 D 7/ oce as oce as /B /D /D 7 but o am but o maj7. Playig Leadsheets - 5