McCoy Tyner Style Slow Blues Tutorial

The Midi file of my solo as well as the backing track used in this video and a notation file of my solo are available at http://www.lot2learn.com

A huge thanks to Maestro Rob (Volvoxburger) for volunteering to use his outstanding musical composition and analytical skills to add annotations to this improvisation using the Youtube collaborative annotation feature. While my notes are in blue, his annotations are in his characteristic Volvox Green. His keen observations should be given careful attention, and to paraphrase what he has told me in reference to my improvisation in this piece: "I know that you are not overtly or consciously making those things I wrote happen, it's just part of the experience of directly communicating with music. It is important that the improvisationalist get to the point where they are thinking about making a musical statement instead of just playing licks, it's part of the experience of directly communicating with music." Well-said Maestro Volvoxburger.

This is another installment in my McCoy Tyner style tutorial series. My previous tutorials were done at a fairly quick tempo, so for this tutorial, I have chosen a slower (120 BPM) modified C Minor blues to demonstrate some of the techniques that give that "McCoy" type sound. It includes heavy use of 4ths voicings in the left hand and pentatonics in the right hand. Syncopation, anticipation and rhythmic variation are all key ingredients found in this solo. The midi keys should help to give a clearer view of the notes I am playing.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• McCoy
• Tyner
• style
• tutorial
• jazz
• piano
• roger
• friedman
• lot2learn
• improvisation
• modal
• pentatonic
• minor
• blues

[ckdub2]

that's not a D major pentatonic over the F minor.....that's an A major pentatonic over the F minor.....don't try to confuse me more than I already am....LOL!

[Lot2learn]

@ckdub2 Ha Ha! Thanks for the correction, you're right! ;-)

[GuzmanLE]

damn good!!

[Lot2learn]

Thank you.

[OscarTatum]

@Lot2learn I have the same pleasure to listen to you Roger, each time I come. You 've this little acid taste I love. Sticking tonal, but leaving it just when it needs, not too much, like lemon on a fish:)

[Lot2learn]

@OscarTatum Merci! ;-)

[psicolor]

Very useful!

[Zichous]

Thanks a lot for showing this piece. It is the first time in the past few years my chord voicing is developing somewhere. Hopefuly it is somewhere good :)

[JurasPriest]

Hey Roger, great vid!

Could you please tell me the G7 13 #9 Turnaround step-by-step? I can't manage to stop at every single position with my netbook... That would be really helpful to me!

Keep uploading all this jazz, you are a great teacher!

[richardd2063]

Wow, what a great tutorial, well done and NICE playing

[OscarTatum]

Do you know

youtube.com/user/rkjp56 ?

[ckdub2]

@Lot2learn no problem.... this clip has enhanced my improv approach a great deal.....its amazing that by simply applying C min7, F7, and Gmin7 arpeggio patterns over a Cmin chord [or C pedal] I can sound remotely like McCoy!

[granthunt]

yesssssssss