Indiana - lead sheet
With
Tim RichardsTim Richards shows his approach to reading a lead sheet, using the standard 'Indiana' to demonstrate how to interpret the melody's rhythm and phrasing.
What's in the course
13 lessons (0h 26m) · 1 free
01. Indiana - lead sheet
You are here2:22
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
Interpreting Lead Sheets: A Protocol
I'll now show you some ideas for interpreting lead sheets. You could call it a lead sheet protocol, if you like. There are many, many different options.
Introduction to Indiana
We'll start with just the basic lead sheet, and I've chosen the tune "Indiana" (or "Back Home in Indiana"), written in 1917 by James Hanley.
Historical Context
- The chord sequence was kind of ripped off by Charlie Parker for his tune "Donna Lee."
- It's a chord sequence that is quite useful to get to know.
- It was common practice in the bebop era in the 40s and 50s to compose tunes over the chord sequences of well-known standards.
There are many, many examples of this. But sticking with Indiana, here's your lead sheet.
Practice Techniques
I'll play it with the metronome. Get to know the melody before you get to know anything else. Make sure you can play the timing accurately.
- Practice with a metronome and a foot tap.
So here it is. I'll set my metronome at 144.
Count: 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, SA.
I was playing the melody exactly as written there, and notice all the notes are on the beat.
Jazz Interpretation Insight
I can't actually think of any jazz musicians who would interpret this lead sheet like that.
In the next lesson, I'll play the tune with a backing track, and I'll syncopate it. You'll find that it's much more swinging like that because if you play everything on the beat, there are no eighth notes to swing.
So have a go at playing it both ways. You can try both ways with the backing track as well.
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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
