Get instant access to the videos, sheet music, and backing tracks for this course with a PWJ membership!

Start Your Free Trial
Instructor
Jonny May
Workshop
Intermediate
02:28:01

In this workshop, Jonny will walk you step-by-step on how to craft a beautiful jazzy blues arrangement of Summertime.

We’ll start with memorizing the lead sheet melody & analyzing the chords. We’ll stylize the chords with 3 left hand stride patterns: even stride, swung stride, and straight stride. Once we master the left hand, we’ll embellish the right hand using 7 essential techniques: 3/7 harmony, punches, tremolos, slides, blues scale, interval rocking & octaves.

To complete the arrangement, we’ll learn how to compose an intro & outro, how to create a solo using 1 scale, and Jonny will reveal his 3 primary techniques for creating lines.

By the end of this workshop, you’ll have all the tools you’ll need to arrange a classic tune in the slow jazzy blues style!

Course Objectives
  • Memorize the lead sheet melody & chords
  • Stylize chords with 3 left hand stride patterns
  • Discover 7 techniques for dressing up the melody: 3/7 harmony, punches, tremolos, slides, blues scale, interval rocking & octaves
  • Arrange an intro & outro
  • Create a solo using 1 scale
  • Learn Jonny's 3 primary techniques for creating lines
Learning Focus
  • Analysis
  • Lead Sheets
  • Songs

Featured Reviews

View PWJ member reviews of this course!

Learned a Ton!
Loved the way each level provides a solid scaffold for the next new lesson.
Brilliant build up
This is an excellent series of lessons building up to a ver cool arrangement of Summertime. Jonny’s step by step approach works a treat.
I have a lot of fun and many ideas how to practice
Step by step learning of various soloing techniques in small parts (!) not overloading the learner
Very interesting course!
Excellent content, great teacher, wonderful explanation. I love it. Beautiful melody, cords, and solo. Thank you so much professor Jonny May for the teaching method and your patience. Thank you.
Great learning experience
This course was so fun! I especially like the way in which each part builds on the previous ones, leading to a great learning experience. I also appreciated the fleshed-out tune at the end, with its solos and enhancements, fully expressed as a single stand-alone piece in music notation.
Featured Reviews

View PWJ member reviews of this course!

Learned a Ton!
Loved the way each level provides a solid scaffold for the next new lesson.
Brilliant build up
This is an excellent series of lessons building up to a ver cool arrangement of Summertime. Jonny’s step by step approach works a treat.
I have a lot of fun and many ideas how to practice
Step by step learning of various soloing techniques in small parts (!) not overloading the learner
Very interesting course!
Excellent content, great teacher, wonderful explanation. I love it. Beautiful melody, cords, and solo. Thank you so much professor Jonny May for the teaching method and your patience. Thank you.
Great learning experience
This course was so fun! I especially like the way in which each part builds on the previous ones, leading to a great learning experience. I also appreciated the fleshed-out tune at the end, with its solos and enhancements, fully expressed as a single stand-alone piece in music notation.
Related Courses

Learn the art of jazz comping on the Jazzy-Blues chord progression, used in tunes like Route 66.  You'll discover how to add colored notes to the chord, use chord shells, and develop blues fills.

Learn a total of 8 essential left hand patterns for playing slow blues. You can immediately apply techniques such as 4-on-the-floor or open stride to inject a fresh approach to your blues jams.

Learn how to craft a slow jazzy blues piano arrangement of George Gershwin's classic tune "Summertime." Using the lead sheet, we'll stylize the left hand chords, embellish the right hand melody, compose an intro/outro, and complete the arrangement with an advanced solo!

Join Us

Get instant access to this Course and other member features with a PWJ membership!


Guided Learning Tracks

View guided learning tracks for all music styles and skill levels

Progress Tracking

Complete lessons and courses as you track your learning progress

Downloadable Resources

Download Sheet Music and Backing Tracks

Community Forums

Engage with other PWJ members in our member-only community forums

Become a better piano player today. Try us out completely free for 14 days!

Get Started