Course Type: Workshop

The Way You Look Tonight – Accompaniment 1

Have you ever wanted to learn piano accompaniment in a solo setting? Well then this workshop is just for you!

Using the popular jazz standard, “The Way You Look Tonight” by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields, I will show you several solo accompanying techniques including playing 2-hand open voicings, 3-note voicings with a bossa groove, and 2-hand voicings with melodic fills. That, coupled with a beautiful intro and ending and you’ll be able to play a complete arrangement of the song by the end of the workshop. Can’t wait to see you there!

Over the Rainbow – Band Accompaniment 1

Have you ever wanted to learn piano accompaniment in a band setting? Well then this workshop is just for you!

Using the iconic song, “Over the Rainbow”, by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg from “The Wizard of Oz”, I will show you several band accompanying techniques including playing 2-hand open 7th chord voicings, rootless two-hand quartal voicings, and left-hand 4-note rootless voicings with right-hand melodic fills. That, coupled with a beautiful intro and ending and you’ll be able to play a complete arrangement of the song by the end of the workshop. Can’t wait to see you there!

Over the Rainbow – Accompaniment 1

Have you ever wanted to learn piano accompaniment in a solo setting? Well then this workshop is just for you! Using the iconic song, “Over the Rainbow” by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg from “The Wizard of Oz,” I will show you several solo accompanying techniques including playing 2-hand open voicings, 3-note voicings with a bass groove, and 2-hand voicings with melodic fills. That, coupled with a beautiful intro and ending and you’ll be able to play a complete arrangement of the song by the end of the workshop. Can’t wait to see you there!

Summertime – Band Accompaniment 1

Have you ever wanted to learn piano accompaniment in a band setting? Well then this workshop is just for you!

Using the great jazz standard, Summertime, by the Gershwins, I will show you several band accompanying techniques including playing 2-hand open voicings, 4-note rootless quartal voicings, and 4-note left-hand rootless voicings with solo fills. That, coupled with a beautiful intro and ending and you’ll be able to play a complete arrangement of the song by the end of the workshop.

Summertime – Accompaniment 1

Have you ever wanted to learn piano accompaniment in a duo setting? Well then this workshop is just for you! Using the great jazz standard, “Summertime, by the Gerhswins, I will show you several accompanying techniques including playing chord shells, 3-note voicings with a “2-Feel” bass, and a stride left-hand pattern with 4-note voicings and solo fills. That, coupled with a beautiful intro and ending and you’ll be able to play a complete arrangement of the song by the end of the workshop. Can’t wait to see you there!

Auld Lang Syne – Accompaniment 1

Have you ever wanted to learn piano accompaniment in a duo setting? Well then this workshop is just for you! Using the great Holiday standard, “Auld Lang Syne”, I will show you several accompanying techniques including playing chord shells, 3-note voicings with a “2-Feel” bass, and open-voicing chords with moving inner lines. That, coupled with a beautiful intro and ending and you’ll be able to play a complete arrangement of the song by the end of the workshop. Can’t wait to see you there!

It Had to Be You – Band Accompaniment 1

Have you ever wanted to learn piano accompaniment in a band setting? Well then this workshop is just for you! Using the great standard, “It Had to be You”, by Isham Jones and Gus Kahn, I will show you several band accompanying techniques including playing open voicings with hits, 4-note quartal rootless voicings, and left-hand 4-note rootless voicings with right-hand fills. That, coupled with a fun intro and ending and you’ll be able to play a complete arrangement of the song by the end of the workshop. Can’t wait to see you there!

It Had to Be You – Accompaniment 1

Have you ever wanted to learn piano accompaniment in a duo setting? Well then this workshop is just for you! Using the great standard, “It Had to be You”, by Isham Jones and Gus Kahn, I will show you several accompanying techniques including playing chord shells, 3-note voicings with a “2-Feel” bass, 4-note chords with a walking bass line, and some cool rhythmic hits. That, coupled with a fun intro and ending and you’ll be able to play a complete arrangement of the song by the end of the workshop.

Blue Skies – Band Accompaniment 1

Have you ever wanted to learn how to accompany on piano in a band setting? Well then this workshop is just for you! Using the great standard, “Blue Skies”, by Irving Berlin, I will show you several accompanying techniques including open voicings, rootless quartal chords, and melodic fills. That, coupled with a cool intro and ending and you’ll be able to play a complete arrangement of the song by the end of the workshop.

Blue Skies – Accompaniment 1

This workshop is a solo accompaniment workshop over the great standard, “Blue Skies.” You will be accompanying a recording of John Proulx as vocalist!

Starting with the lead sheet, we’ll learn the melody & chords, embellish the right hand with chord extensions & rhythmic hits, and add a “2-Feel” bass pattern in the left hand.

Then we’ll add some finishing touches such as intros, outros, and more!

Girl From Ipanema – Band Accompaniment 1

Course description..In this workshop, we’ll be exploring how to accompany in a band setting on the song, “Girl From Ipanema”. The workshop will be cover the following lessons:

  • Lead Sheet Melody: you will learn the melody, root position 7th chords, and chord progression analysis.
  • Band Accompanying With Open Voicing 7th Chords: you will learn open position 2-hand voicings with added chord extensions for color.
  • Band Accompanying With 4-Note Quartal Voicings: you will learn 2-hand quartal voicings with added chord alterations for color and good voice leading.
  • Band Accompanying With Left-Hand Rootless Voicings: you will learn how to play 4-note rootless voicings in your left hand in a bossa rhythm while adding melodic fills in your right hand.
  • Accompanying Intro and Ending: you will learn how to play a vamp intro and ending that is typical in bossa nova tunes.
  • Putting It All Together: we will put all of the techniques we learned into a final arrangement that includes an intro, melody, accompanying a solo, and ending.

Girl from Ipanema – Accompaniment 1

In this workshop, we’ll be focusing on solo accompanying on the standard, “Girl From Ipanema.” Solo accompanying refers to accompanying a vocalist or instrumentalist as a solo pianist. Since we’ll be playing in a bossa nova style, we’ll be joined by a flutist who will be playing the melody. Here’s a short summary of what to expect:

-Lead Sheet Melody: we’ll learn the melody, root position chords, and form.
-Accompanying Shells With Open Voicings: we’ll play the root, 3rd, and 7th of the 7th chords in the song.
-Accompanying 3-Note Voicings With Bossa Nass: we’ll play 3-note voicings in our right hand as we play a typical bossa bass groove in our left hand.
-Accompanying 4-Note Right-Hand Rhythm With Transition Hits and Fills: we’ll play 4-note rootless voicings in our right hand in a typical bossa rhythm while we play the bossa bass groove in our left hand. We’ll also add some solo fills in the melodic spaces.
-Accompanying Intro and Ending: we’ll learn a 2-chord vamp intro and 2-chord vamp ending.
-Putting It All Together: we’ll put all of the techniques we learned in Lesson 1-5 into a final arrangement including an intro, accompanying the melody, accompanying a solo, a restatement of the melody, and then the coda, or vamp ending.

Misty – Band Accompaniment 1

This workshop will show you many techniques on how to accompany in a duo or trio situation where you and a bassist and drummer are accompanying an instrumentalist/vocalist who is playing or singing the melody. Here’s an overview of the workshop:

  • Lesson 1: Lead sheet melody: reviewing the melody, learning root position 7th chords, and looking at the harmonic analysis.
  • Lesson 2: Band accompanying with open voicing 7th chords: 2-hand voicings using 7th chords and some chord extensions.
  • Lesson 3: Band accompanying with 4-note quartal voicings: Rootless 2-hand quartal voicings with extensions and alterations.
  • Lesson 4: Band accompanying with left-hand rootless voicings: 4-note left-hand rootless voicings with right-hand fills behind the melody.
  • Lesson 5: Band accompanying intro and ending examples: major turn around intro and a tag ending with a nice ending fill.
  • Lesson 6: Putting it all together: you’ll get to play the final arrangement where we put together all of the techniques we learned in the workshop.

You’ll be accompanying a recorded trumpet player who is playing both the melody and the final arrangement to simulate a live performance situation.

Misty – Accompaniment 1

Please join me as we learn how to play Misty as a solo pianist accompanying an instrumentalist. The featured soloist for this workshop is a trumpet player which will be a lot of fun to accompany! The lessons will include:

-Learning the root position 7th chords, and chord analysis from a lead sheet
-Accompanying Shells with Open Voicings
-Accompanying 3-Note Voicings using extensions with “2-Feel” Bass
-Accompanying Stride With Fills and Altered Chord Extensions
-Accompanying Intro and Ending
-Putting it all together in an arrangement

Fly Me to the Moon – Band Accompaniment 1

In this workshop, we’ll be learning about how to accompany in a band setting on the well-known standard, “Fly Me To The Moon”. We’ll also have a recorded melody track that you’ll be playing along with. The workshop will consist of 6 lessons covering the following topics:

Review the melody, chord changes. and chord progression
2-hand open voicing 7th chords with rhythmic hits
4-note Quartal voicings with extensions and alterations
Left-hand 4-note rootless voicings with right hand fills
Intros and endings
Final arrangement where we put it all together

Fly Me to the Moon – Accompaniment 1

Please join me as we dive into the world of jazz swing accompaniment on the familiar song, “Fly Me to the Moon”. This workshop will cover the following topics:

-Root position 7th chords, melody review, and harmonic analysis
-Chord shells with rhythmic hits
-3-note chord voicings over a “2-feel” bass
-4-note rootless voicings with walking bass
-An intro and ending
-A final arrangement where we put it all together!

Autumn Leaves – Jazz Swing Accompaniment 1

Please join me as we dive into the world of jazz swing accompaniment on the familiar song, “Autumn Leaves”. This workshop will cover the following topics:

-Root position 7th chords, melody review, and harmonic analysis
-2-hand chord shell hits behind the melody
-Right hand, 3-note chord voicings over a “2-Feel” bass
-Left-hand 4-note rootless voicings with Right-hand fills behind the melody
-Two sample intros and endings
-Final arrangement where we put it all together!

Jingle Bells – Swing

This workshop covers one of the most iconic Holiday songs, “Jingle Bells.” But in true PWJ form, we’re going to do a really fun and swinging version that you’re sure to enjoy.

The workshop covers:
-Learning the melody and syncopating it
-Reharmonizing the chords in Jingle Bells
-Playing the reharmonized chords in root positions
-Playing with a band using two-hand rootless voicings
-Learn a walking bass line with the melody and chord pops
-How to accompany yourself or someone else
-3 Intros and endings
-A sample solo using the blues scale
-The final arrangement where we put it all together!

Silent Night – Jazz Ballad

This workshop is on the Christmas song, “Silent Night”. The comprehensive workshop will cover the following:

  • Learning the melody
  • The traditional 4-part hymn version
  • A reharmonized lead sheet using chord extensions
  • An accompaniment version with a swing left-hand
  • Solo fills and passing chords
  • A written out solo and improv scale index
  • Written out intros and endings
  • A final arrangement that puts it all together

It’s a beautiful song and a holiday favorite. All can enjoy this workshop!

32 Colorful Jazz Endings

In this workshop, we’ll master 32 gorgeous jazz endings.

We’ll look at the many possibilities of harmonizing the ends of songs based on which scale degree is played. Whether it’s the Root, 9th, 3rd, 5th, 6th, or 7th, there are many chords we can use. We’ll also reference different jazz standards that use these progressions as a way to remember them.

By the end of the course, you’ll have a plethora of endings in your repertoire!

Bebop Minor Blues 1

For this workshop, we’re focusing on the Bebop Minor Blues, a minor blues chord progression that takes elements from the Traditional Minor Blues, and adds on with more chord changes and colors. We will cover root position 7th chords, left-hand chord shells, walking bass lines and chord pops, learn a new melody, an original solo using solo techniques and scales, and then a final arrangement that brings it all together. Since many of today’s minor blues use this format, it is a must have in all jazz pianists’ bag of tricks. And, best of all, we’ll have a lot of fun learning and playing together!