When the Saints Go Marching In
With
Tim RichardsFirst steps with lead sheets, and how to use ‘top harmony’ to thicken the melody
What's in the course
13 lessons (0h 26m) · 1 free
01. Indiana - lead sheet
2:22
02. Indiana with syncopated melody (performance)
0:57
03. Indiana - adding a bass line
4:53
04. Indiana - with shells in left hand
1:48
05. Four-part and five-part harmony
5:05
06. Indiana with two-handed voicings (performance)
0:57
07. Lead sheet choices
4:54
08. Indiana with left-hand chords (performance)
0:58
09. CHECKPOINT #3 - Twelve point programme
0:39
Lesson transcript
Music Lesson: "When the Saints Go Marching In"
Introduction
Today, we'll start with an easy, traditional number: "When the Saints Go Marching In."
Understanding the Lead Sheet
- I'll show you a typical lead sheet, which contains no indication of what the left hand should do.
- We will begin by playing the melody.
Time Signature
- Notice that the piece is in cut time.
- This means it has a 2 feel rather than a standard 4/4 time signature.
- You can think of it as 2, 2.
Tempo
- We will perform this at 90 beats per minim (half note).
- Count along: 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2... 3, 4.
Step 1: Adding Bass Notes
- Our next step will be to play the melody with some root bass notes.
- We will create a two-feel bass line while also thickening the right hand.
Step 2: Top Harmony Technique
- In this process, we will be playing some additional notes underneath or even on top of the melody.
- Playing notes on top of the melody is a technique known as top harmony.
Example with C Major Scale
- Let's consider an example using the C major scale:
- If you have the melody and add a C (the root of the scale or chord) on top, it creates a completely different sound.
- Importantly, the melody remains prominent; it's still the main focus for the listener.
Application
- In "When the Saints Go Marching In," the melody is straightforward.
- As an example, I will play the melody with a C on top of everything but the first note.
Let's play that now!
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Meet your guru
Meet your guru
Critically acclaimed jazz pianist and composer Tim Richards is one of Britain’s most experienced jazz educators, teaching piano privately for over 30 years, as well as at Morley College, Goldsmiths College, the University of Surrey, Premises Studios and other venues in the UK and abroad. He has produced numerous titles for Schott Music, including the best-selling two-volume Exploring Jazz Piano, Blues, Boogie & Gospel Collection and the acclaimed Improvising Blues Piano. He is also co-author, with John Crawford, of Exploring Latin Piano and Brazilian Piano Collection.
More recently Schott have published Jazz, Latin & Modern Collection (15 pieces for solo piano), comprising Tim Richards originals alongside pieces by Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk, and the two volume set Beginning Jazz Piano (now a two-part MusicGurus course).
“The real joy of Tim’s music… is that it is both hugely educational but also such great fun to play. Anyone with the slightest interest in learning to play or teach jazz piano should really acquire a set of Tim’s books.” PianoDao
As a performer Tim has been a presence on the UK jazz scene since the 1980s, also playing the blues with UK and US legends such as Otis Grand, Earl Green, Dana Gillespie, Larry Garner, Joe Louis Walker and Mojo Buford. He has released over a dozen albums as a leader (featuring many of London’s best jazz musicians including Pete King, Gilad Atzmon, Tony Kofi, Jason Yarde, Seb Rochford, Ed Jones, Dick Pearce and many others), and toured all over Europe with line-ups ranging from duo to nine-piece. His latest recording, the album ‘Telegraph Hill’ by the six-piece Hextet, was described in The Observer as "A true joy from beginning to end".
More info can be found on his website www.timrichards.ndo.co.uk
