Mid-course performance review
With
Tim RichardsIn this video, Tim puts together the tunes we’ve learned so far, starting with C Jam Blues and including Five Finger Blues, Blue Third Blues and Jump Shuffle (2nd chorus)
What's in the course
17 lessons (0h 34m) · 1 free
Lesson transcript
Recap of Tunes Learned So Far
At this point, it would be good to recap some of the tunes we've learned so far.
C Jam Blues
I'm going to play C Jam Blues from lesson two and use that as my theme.
- I will play that at the beginning and end.
- In between, I'm going to play several of the other pieces that we've learned.
Key and Style
I'll do all this in the key of C with a walking bass in the left hand.
The other tunes will be:
- Five Finger Blues
- Blue
- Third Blues
- Jump Shuffle
- Sixth Blues
Interpretation
I may be a little bit loose in the way I interpret these because I don't want it to sound like I've just learned them.
"I want it to sound like it's an improvisation."
Performance Tips
To play something like that and to get all those ideas in a single performance, you're going to have to internalize most of the material.
- This means not reading from the page, but basically assimilating it.
- Try to wean yourself away from the written music as soon as you can.
You can put these things together in different orders; it doesn't really matter. However, I think it's nice to start and finish with the same head.
Conclusion
In this case, you could say, "I'm going to play C Jam Blues," and all the rest of it would be a solo in the middle.
Good luck!
17 lessons
0h 34m of structured video lessons
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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
