Learning Bill Evans Solo Technique

[Neverknowthebeauty]

Nice view point with nice video. I like that.

[SharmaYelverton]

Nice concept. Post more.

[SharmaYelverton]

Cool concept. Post more.

[SharmaYelverton]

Cool concept. Post more.

[SharmaYelverton]

Cool concept. Post more.

[clydesemler]

Terrific tutorial!

[weeklypiano]

@clydesemler thank you!

[diapason007]

Hey that was really useful! Please do more!!

[weeklypiano]

@diapason007 absolutely - i have more in the pipeline :)

[rnrnrnaa]

YAYYY!! this is just what i need

[weeklypiano]

@rnrnrnaa i'm glad it's helpful!!

[Rosliggar]

Very valuable! Make some more videos like this one!

[weeklypiano]

@Rosliggar thanks!

[lunchmind]

great video thanks for sharing Bill Evan's improv. idea. Pay no attention to russian.

[blue89fox]

Hey nice job. I wish I could improvise like you. So how you play your left hand? Is it like a block the chord? Do you put the root and the VII grade on left hand always?

[bkaye]

Send me an email link

bk@bobkaye.com

[grigoridj]

Wow, that was awesome! Do you have any tips for the left hand to accompany yourself when playing this piece without a bassist?

[weeklypiano]

@grigoridj Absolutely. I should probably make a video on this, but in short, if you play the root on the down beat, and the 5 and then the 3 above that 5 on the 2nd beat (in a 3/4 meter), you'll get a good outline to lay the right hand on. That's a sort of "fake stride piano" thing that works nicely many solo piano situations.

[grigoridj]

@weeklypiano Thanks a lot for the reply, i'm gonna try it right now. Btw, I just finished watching your christmas video and it totally made my day. Cheers!

[jasperwoods]

I want to sound like bill Evans

[Csibon13]

@jasperwoods whenever you see a minor chord do an arpeggio where the first note is an eighth note and the next three are a triplet group. the arpeggio specifically is 3-5-7-9. if its a 2-5 progression then you can do that arpeggio and play alt. tones on the dominant chord in eighth notes after the arpeggio (because im assuming theres two chords chopping the measure). that there is easy evans. i know im making it sound way to simple but thats a popular one that he used. oh, & also have good touch

[jasperwoods]

@Csibon13 thanks

[bkaye]

@jasperwoods Do a lot of heroin for many years, and then switch to coke. Of course, it helps to be a genius,

[jasperwoods]

@bkaye I told my piano teacher, that I was going to do heroin to become a better jazz player and he said in the long run it doesn't work

[bkaye]

@jasperwoods Just a bit of humor. It is however, interesting that all of the greatest jazz innovators did drugs. Of course the many thousands that did drugs and still couldn't play greatly out-weighs those who could.

[weeklypiano]

@bkaye True. I've thought about this a lot. Drugs clear your inhibitions. They also will kill you though...lol. I use meditation to get the same general effect.

[MrDiscoHB]

@weeklypiano If you think you have gone far enough in learning that meditation to teach some of your tricks you could do a video about that too, it would be nice. by the way, I did your Études 1, looking out for the next one, and thank you for sharing great music playing knowledge :)

[weeklypiano]

@MrDiscoHB Absolutely! The meditation I use is a chant called that goes Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. It's big in the jazz scene - Herbie Hancock actually introduced me to it. You can look it up on google, and I'd also be happy to make a video about how to do the meditation. There are also some others that I do that are less structured. So many videos to create!! lol...i need to make a priority list :)

[TheTruth285]

@weeklypiano Wow.. Maybe I should start studying bebop now haha. I'm sort of new to jazz piano in general and I guess right now I'm just studying chords people are playing. Not much knowing what they are but actually playing them to make a good sound! lol. Any tips you can give me to someone who is completely new to jazz piano?

[bkaye]

@jasperwoods By the way - stop worrying about "goal notes" and scales. Develop your HEARING. Do your own transcribing of solos, voicings, etc. and try to apply what you've learned on different tunes in different keys. No one ever became a great jazz player from academia and books.

[bkaye]

@bkaye You have to listen to countless hours of Bird, Bud, Bill, Clifford, Trane, Sonny, and of course Pops. No easy shortcut. No book. In the end, as Bill (personal friend), said - All jazz musicians are basically self-taught.

[weeklypiano]

@bkaye I totally agree - this is just a piece of the puzzle. However, the masters were also mentored and taught ways to think about music by their colleagues and masters, which I would akin to people learning techniques via youtube and social media learning these days. No doubt, however, that it requires a depth of intense study from within.

[weeklypiano]

@bkaye absolutely - hearing is the most important piece of the puzzle. Academia often forgets that, and as jazz education becomes structured, teachers often lose sight of the most important points.

[russian1244]

Awesome stuff! Do you think you could post a video on how you would practice modes to know which modes to play over which chords like that? I am very good with blues scales and some other scales and I know modes but I struggle with knowing which modes go with which chords and knowing how to practice them.

Thanks!

[weeklypiano]

@russian1244 absolutely! i've got some cool stuff that I learned from transcribing Herbie Hancock that I can show you guys...

[bkaye]

@russian1244 Over all, a pretty bad performance. Wrong harmonies, bad chops, no real understanding of how Bill played.

[weeklypiano]

@bkaye I'm not sure if that was specifically replying to to me or to @russian1244, but if that was in response to my video, I appreciate your comments, and I'd love to hear your specific critiques on what you think needs to be corrected. Also, if you actually know more, please create a video of what you think should be done, and use it as a video reply to this - i'll be happy to keep it featured.

[igotsmoshedify]

you've got the skills, the glasses...you ARE Bill Evans!!!

[weeklypiano]

@igotsmoshedify lol, thank you! I wish I could play like Bill Evans :)

[igotsmoshedify]

@weeklypiano me too, man.

[Nowhereman90]

Very good video! I would like to know how you exactly make the voicings when your playing solo. I tend to use a kind of stride within the same octave, between root and 3,7,9, depending on the case, or if it is a dominant chord i dont play the root. You have any advice about that?

[gns134]

@Nowhereman90 Very good question! I do have advice about that...I think I'm going to have to make that into a new video though. After my CD release concerts in December, i'm going to put some time into making some new training videos, and I'll do one on comping to answer this question :)

For now, though, I generally will do a stride with the 1, 5, and 3, or if I'm feeling more complicated I'll include the 6 and 9 too. I think you're on the right track - I'll give details in a vid

Peace,

Weekly

[sntf7]

Nice playing! Smooth.

[gaylordrama]

Wauw..amazing.

[7notemode]

Interesting concept. Thanks for posting!

[Abovedarim214]

this should definitely have way more views..Great stuff!!!

[claitontesch]

Very handy, indeed, post more, please.

[hannibalekta]

Great playing and a cool exercise, thanks!

[Jazz1110jb]

Damn I need to shed!

[jacmaria]

you leave me no alternative, i must practice

[nopalsband]

Great playing man!!! Congratulations, videos like this should have millions of hits. Keep up the great work.

Salo Loyo

[ObeeLektro]

Yes this is cool. I never knew that Bill had a center note around which he improvised. In a way this is similar to Pedal Point except the note is held in the lowered register where here the melody evolves around a single unsustained note. Thank you for sharing.

[gerhardia]

Well done!

But always keep your piano exactly tuned...

Best wishes from Germany

[rmackjr09]

5:26 PLAYYYY SIRRRRRRR!!!!! AWESOME VIDEO

[Danielz0rz]

I really like that idea, and you can really play, man. I'm a beginner jazz musician, and what you said definitely helped!

[cc17201]

Does it matter which C on the piano or C in general on either octave presented??

[gns134]

@cc17201 It doesn't really matter which C you pick. In fact, you can pick the F or the A in this tune and the same technique will also work!

[cc17201]

@cc17201 I get it man, Thanks alot!!!

[rriddiough26]

I love your playing, man. Keep these videos coming.

[iankjenkins]

I can't wait for the next video. Could you possibly make a video where you analyze the different parts of your solo and explain what you're doing?

[weeklypiano]

@iankjenkins Totally! I'll incorporate this into the upcoming videos. I've got a whole series to create from the requests on this thread! Stay tuned, I've got stuff in the works.

[raneyjr]

The playing and the explanation on this seems onfocused to me. I attempted to post a few times so I hope a zillion dupe posts don't show. A better explanation of "the problem is in one of Bill's videos here on youtube where he talks about approximating the problem. Play more simply first.

[danieljones013]

(continued) when a motiv or phrase is strong, namely, you or your aduiences is intrested by the phrase and/or motiv use repition (variatio, slight variation, retrograding, exact repition, essentially playing around with the idea.) for example see dave rebck take five video blk & wht on youtube. let me know what u think

[danieljones013]

I have been listening to alot of bill evans but i still can't hear this technique applied although he does use alot of melodic development aka repition/ sequencing. However, i do believe i havve created the formula of which we spoke. it goes as follows, correct me if im wrong. "When creating a new phrase choose a strating tone and direction. vary rythmn and/or interval of each note (or keep them the same randomize). Decide when to end and end on a chord tone."

[GianneC]

"you go on like that" XD

[Mastamasta32]

Hey, good playing! I'm enjoying it. I am a huge fan of bill evans and envy his harmonics on the left hand because that's my weakest point. It's not that i don't know how to play with my left hand, i just struggle with improvising with it. I tend to play songs that have very basic harmonic sequences. I was wondering if you could give me a little instruction on how to or what to play on the left hand - you can use Waltz for Debby as an example. My email is Jmasta23@Gmail.com (: Nice playing.thanks

[gns134]

@Mastamasta32 I'll definitely try to do this - sorry i've been so busy with shows that i haven't had much of a chance to do more videos!!

[bluenotem1]

hey we want more stuff. goal notes, and creating new phrases everytime you play asong. even if its the same song everytime. i know melodic sequencing but i need more phrases to sequence. we want more

[weeklypiano]

@bluenotem1 damn, well ok then!! thank you for the request - I'll definitely make some more vids explaining these things!! stay tuned :)

[danieljones013]

How do you play those fast phrases differently everytime? And what are those fast notes your playing? chordal tones? The goal notes really helped. Thank you/

[weeklypiano]

@danieljones013 The phrases are different every time because I don't actually have a set phrase that I am planning on playing every time. You're actually correct; the note choices leading up to the goal tone are generally chord-tones of the chord that I'm on at any given point in the tune.

Other decisions play into the note differences as well, though. I also have contour in mind, so I'll often pick a line of notes that fits melodically into the contour that I'm envisioning.

[danieljones013]

@weeklypiano I tried the goal notes which you spoke of. i have even experimented with goal rests. but is there some type of formula for consistantly creating new phrase everytime? Becuase that is what you are doing. Goal notes combined with what else will help one to consistantly create new phrases?

[danieljones013]

@weeklypiano what are the other desicsions that play into creating different phrases? and what makes a good phrase?

[danieljones013]

@weeklypiano I have a feeling there is some kind of formula that everyone uses to consistantly create new phrases. goal notes combined with some other things but i dnt kow what combination of techniques create the formula.... :{

[weeklypiano]

@danieljones013 You're actually on the right track. It's not exactly a formula, but there are definitely guidelines that, when combined with your own creative voice, will allow you to create phrases that make sense. I'll try to incorporate this into my next video!!

[greati9]

@weeklypiano cool. So is it possible for you to put ALL the guidelines inaddition to the goal note technique into your next vid? Explain them (like you excellently did with the goal notes) and demonstrate them. My improv has gotten lightyears better because of your technique. i cnt wait for the next vid.

[weeklypiano]

@greati9 haha well it might take more than one vid but I'll do my best!! :)

[greati9]

@weeklypiano Hey hows it going? So, with goal notes you hit the note at the end /and/or begining of every phrase? And what are these guide lines you mentioned? (sorry, if im pissing you off with all the messages, i just can't wait for the answers... :{)

[gns134]

@greati9 haha it's all good, i love the questions! i just wish i had more time to answer. The goal notes are generally hit at the end of every phrase. It serves as the landing point for each line.

[dan27music]

Thanks, I've been trying to learn what you are playing Great video

[weeklypiano]

@dan27music thank you!

[rickyodom]

as a rock guitarist,i understand the goal point thing."fool in the rain" by zep is good example of how it works on the fretboard.this really cool.

[gns134]

@rickyodom sweet!! glad you dig it :).

[ifiwereu]

Can you expain what the left hand is doing please? How is the left hand voicing the chords?

[gns134]

@ifiwereu Thank you for the question!! I've been so busy with shows lately I don't think I'll have time to make that video soon. But if you come out to a performance, I'll show you at the piano!! it's relatively simple. gatta be in chicago though :)

However, I'll try to find time to make it happen on video!!

[75pianist]

if you read the chart or make a transcription you will see the mistakes you are doing. ther are too many in ur playing for me tpo explain here. wish we could meet and play. please correct them and play them right. as billevans wrote this beautifull tune . when you solo you can add ur own chords but not when you play the head. trust me please you are not playing it right. so how can you teach here if its incorrect?

[gns134]

@75pianist Interesting - I think I see where you're coming from now. We're definitely coming from two different schools. I'm not trying to play the same notes that Bill Evans played. So if you consider all notes besides the specific ones he played as incorrect, then every note i'm playing is incorrect!! haha. That's not the way that I wanted to interpret the song, and I'm not trying to teach Bill's exact notes by any means. If you have creative constructive criticisms, though, please let me know

[75pianist]

@gns134....anyways man...good luck to you

[75pianist]

to be honest...you shouldnt teach others yet. you have alot to learn for urself first. you are playing wrong notes and chords. i dont know if you realize that but pls consider. im beeing honest instead of blowing smoke out of your ass as many here i see do.

[gns134]

I appreciate your honesty. I also hope you consider other readers' opinions as valid as your own.

I watched your video response, and I like your video. In fact, it seems like you've practiced his techniques more than I have (I don't claim to be a Bill Evans exert, though I do think it's valid for me to explain his concept, told to me personally by one of his colleagues)

Please post your thoughts on which specific items are incorrect - my readers and I would all appreciate it.

[asahni18]

I have been playing jazz for 2 years. Your the first pianist I have heard that caught my ear other than my jazz piano professor and all the greats. You have a great swing and technique. Where did you learn how to play jazz? When I improvise, my lines are not as long as yours. Do you always use goal notes when you improvise?

[weeklypiano]

@asahni18 Thank you!!

I typed a long response to your comment, but youtube wouldn't let me post it because it was too long, so I posted it on my blog! It's at the following address:

[weeklypiano]

@asahni18 Do'h, it won't let me add a URL either! oy. If you go to weeklypiano (dot) com, and scroll through the pages until you get to the bill evans lesson (I think it's on the 3rd page), you'll find my response to this post! Sorry...youtube is making this very difficult, haha.

[asahni18]

@weeklypiano Thanks for the comment its really helpful to hear another musicians approach to jazz improvisation. I'm about to go to FSU. Hopefully I can get my butt kicked into shape lol.

[gns134]

@asahni18 awesome, man. who's the piano professor there??

[asahni18]

@gns134 Bill Peterson... I was recently taking lessons with Martin Bejerano at Broward College. He Graduated from FSU and learned a lot of his technique from Bill Peterson. You can check out Martin Bejerano on youtube playing with Roy Haynes and Chick Corea.

[1sueco2]

Hey man, this is a great vid, it definitely deserves way more views

[weeklypiano]

@1sueco2 thanks! if you know of any sites on which I can post this to get more views, lemme know :)

[DB1815]

Really useful! I really like Evans' way of soloing so this was great!

[weeklypiano]

@DB1815 Thank you! Any other artists' techniques you would suggest I do a video on?

[DB1815]

@weeklypiano Don't know, there are so many great artists :D but maybe someone with a very rhythmical way of soloing, 'cause rhythm and melody (as in the style of evans) are one and can't be separated

[weeklypiano]

@DB1815 hm...good point, i'll have to think about that!

[weeklypiano]

Wow, thanks for rating my video 5 stars! I'm amazed, it's only had 35 views and already 4 people rated it 5 stars. You rock!!