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  • Suzanna

    Member
    April 26, 2025 at 2:00 pm in reply to: podcasts

    Hi Franco, Look at the (left) green margin here on this page and click the arrow of “JPS Culture” and you will see a pull-down menu with the following headings:

    “Podcasts”

    “Blog”

    “TTT”

    “Lick of the Week”

    Ciao!

  • Suzanna

    Member
    March 29, 2025 at 10:23 pm in reply to: Greetings, I am Debra Ann Petitan from Oak Lawn, Illinois USA

    *Correction: 1970’s performance with gospel music titan Rev. James Cleveland.

  • Suzanna

    Member
    March 29, 2025 at 3:32 pm in reply to: Greetings, I am Debra Ann Petitan from Oak Lawn, Illinois USA

    Hi Debra,

    You designed lightning arresters and fibre glass arms! How impressive!

    Aretha Franklin’s father was a pastor and a successful musician. He taught her music and she sang and played the piano at church. There is a documentary showing Mick Jagger, (of The Rolling Stones) attending her church concert during the times of segregation.

    Best of luck with your musical goals!

  • Suzanna

    Member
    March 14, 2025 at 1:32 am in reply to: Lesson 8, Step 2: Modern Improv Scales

    Hi Cindy,

    I think the answer may lie in the structure of the blues chords, dominant chords, which are not diatonic and they take on their own structure, as explained by Brenden in his Practice video, The Blues – Stage 1 | Lesson 13, -Step #2 – Part 1 . Could this be the reason?

  • Suzanna

    Member
    January 29, 2025 at 12:56 am in reply to: The proficient jazz pianist goal #1

    Hi Franco, I emailed Brenden about this and this was his reply:

    the learn and practice are coupled together in the top video. There is no separate practice video for this step. Brenden demonstrates how to use the drop 2 voicings over drop 2 and this approach would apply to all other tunes as well.

  • Suzanna

    Member
    January 28, 2025 at 2:13 pm in reply to: Tritone sub vs using extensions

    Hi Diana,

    In the lesson “4 Must Know Reharms – Step #1 – Tritone Substitution”, Brenden explains what tritone substitution is.

  • Suzanna

    Member
    December 30, 2024 at 12:34 pm in reply to: Level 7 proficiency test

    Hi Brian, You’re welcome. Thanks for telling me what song it was. I would also recommend just comping to your favourite standards the way Brenden explains* in the proficiency course to “Just Friends” (I think in the proficiency test). *i.e. comp with (left hand) the root in the bass and (right hand) rootless voicings. Try some swing and syncopated rhythms and play around with skipping the first beat (which makes the music drive forward). You can delay the middle notes and anticipate the first beat to make different rhythms and include tripplets. You will do very well!

  • Suzanna

    Member
    December 30, 2024 at 12:06 am in reply to: Level 7 proficiency test

    Hi Brian, What is the name of the tune you´re comping to, please? I think you´ve done a great job playing all those chord changes in various rhythms and using the higher end of the piano. All that is difficult to master. When you want to get more flow, try living in the music a bit. You can listen to other artists` performances of the tunes you like and hum along or, imagine you´re playing the part you like hearing and then (transpose) copy it on your piano or, imagine what you would play (instead of what you´re hearing) and play that. I think you´ve done the main work and your playing will evolve when you keep in mind what you want it to sound like and, hearing what you can already do I know you will succeed. Congratulations on your achievements!

  • Suzanna

    Member
    April 5, 2024 at 4:10 am in reply to: How do you make your melody lines shine?

    Try and play your left hand chords softer (treat them like a shadow) and play the melody louder in your right hand.

  • Suzanna

    Member
    February 21, 2024 at 7:11 am in reply to: Rootless Voicing/Shells

    Hi,

    Rootless 2-5-1’s do take a lot of practice to learn! I find a good way to get muscle memory and cement the sound of each chord is to isolate them.

    For example, only do all the rootless 5’s (Dominants) through the circle of 5ths. Then, play all the 2-5-1 progressions through the circle of 5ths to “set” the chords into memory. Next, vary the exercise and play only the 2’s or, only the 1’s right through the circle of 5ths. It will start to become automatic.

  • Suzanna

    Member
    February 19, 2024 at 10:16 am in reply to: Voiceleading Triads – moving between root and inversions

    You could try applying some of them to a standard you know very well and when you do this often enough you will learn them (it will “click”).

  • Suzanna

    Member
    January 21, 2024 at 6:20 am in reply to: General Website Requests

    Hi, I would appreciate various “Voicings Vamps” streams complete with relevant transcription pdf, if possible, please. The purpose of this would be to improve soloing and comping skills and, to apply them to standards, introductions & “outros”. Thank you very much.

  • Suzanna

    Member
    November 12, 2023 at 11:26 am in reply to: Modal tunes – any ideas?

    “Dolphin Dance” from the album Maiden Voyage by Herbie Hancock.

  • Suzanna

    Member
    November 12, 2023 at 11:21 am in reply to: Modal tunes – any ideas?

    Maiden Voyage by Herbie Hancock.

  • Suzanna

    Member
    January 24, 2024 at 10:01 am in reply to: General Website Requests

    Yes, absolutely! A set group of chord changes to play something interesting before actually starting to play a jazz standard (say, as in intro/outro). Thank you.

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