Music Lesson: Exploring the Left Hand in the B Section

So let's look at the left hand on the B section when it goes to the D7 chord, the 3 chord.

Demonstration

I'll play a little bit and then we'll talk about it. It's coming from the five chords at the end of the A section.

• Transition into D chord:
  I'm coming down from the F.
  1, 2, 3. So, 1, 2.

• Anticipation of D:
  Anticipating that D again with those anticipations.

Connection to the A Section

You know, it's kind of the same stuff that we were looking at in the A section in terms of how those left hands are put together.

• Coming from that sort of jelly roll idea of those anticipations, which, again, was him trying to recreate the sound of a whole band.
• Also incorporating those sort of Spanish and Cuban elements of influence.

Techniques to Use

So going into that, I'm using the 10th there sometimes as well.

• On that C:
  3, 4, and there, just having a bit of fun on that 5 chord. Could use some little grace notes there.

• Contrary Motion:
  A nice bit of contrary motion at the end there:
  3, 4, 1.
  In the left hand going the other way again, which is fun and something that you might find influenced in Latin music as well.

Rhythm Variations

You could perhaps play around with the time there. You could play it more straight rather than swung on that end bit.

• So:
  3, 4, 1,
  and then back into that kind of more heavily swung thing on the A section.

These kinds of little rhythmic games can be fun and really help the whole tune roll along and swing.

Jelly Roll Morton Influence

In fact, that's a thing that Jelly Roll does a lot. You hear it a lot in New Orleans music, those kinds of ideas.

• For example, doing something like this:
  3, 4, 1 in King Porter Stomp.
  That appears all over his works.