Playing over alternating I and IV chords
Lesson time: (3min 4sec)
Course preview
This lesson is part of the course Exploring Jazz Piano: Major Triads
Watch a preview of the full course below.
Lesson transcript:
Major Triad Workout
All right, with the next piece, Major Triad Workout, we're returning to the cycle of fifths major triads around the cycle.
Grouping Triads
This time, rather than thinking of each one as being in its own key, we're going to group them together in pairs.
- A to D: We'll play this several times before moving on to the next chord.
- G to C: Repeat this over and over.
Because of this repetition, the section where we just play A to D sounds like one to four in the key of A. That's what we're going to play in the right hand, using either a five-finger position or the complete scale.
A Major Pentatonic
You also know already that you could play A major pentatonic over both of those chords. You don't need to change for the D chord; you can stick with A major.
Inversions Exploration
The other difference is that we're going to explore second inversion and first inversion:
- Start with second inversion on A
- Move to first inversion on D
When we get to the next key, we'll do the same thing with the same timing:
- Two on the beat chords
- One off the beat: Three, four.
So we'll have a few bars on that and then move down to G, with 8 or 16 bars on that, then down to F, using the same inversions.
Scale Loop
Next, let's put a scale loop on top of that F major.
Suggested Practice
That's basic practice I'd recommend. Before you start really improvising around these chords, let's have a listen now to Major Triad Workout.
This is something you can do with the backing track, but also just use it as a warm-up.
Choose a key. For example:
- If you chose F, just explore that without worrying about going to the next key.
You don't have to play around the whole cycle every time. You can just choose a key and explore your one to four chords and improvise on top horizontally.
About the instructor
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.” PianoDaoAs 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 read more