Music Lesson on "Times Square"

Okay, so here we have a piece called Times Square. This particular piece is written in the jazz funk style, and it's really born out of the coming together of:

• Sophisticated jazz harmony and phrasing
• Tight and snappy funk grooves

Influential Players

Well, the players most often associated with this kind of style are the likes of:

• Session guitarist Larry Carlton
• Lee Rittenour
• The sax titan Michael Brecker

Pianists to check out in this style could include:

• Don Grolnick, who played a lot with Brecker in his band, the Brecker Brothers
• Possibly also Dave Grusin

A Section Overview

Moving on to the piece, now at the start here in the A section, we've got a serious workout for the right hand.

• To be honest, there's very little for the left hand to do, really, until the B section.
• Don't be fooled; there are a lot of different factors to consider here:
  • It's rhythmically complex.
  • There is an awful lot of articulation.
  • Some quite angular lines.

And of course, the feeling: the 16th notes are swung and the 8th notes are straight. This is quite in keeping with this kind of style, but it does mean that you have to be quite aware of both.

Demonstration

To demonstrate, we can play the first couple of bars:

1, 2, 3, 4.

As I mentioned, all the 16th note semiquavers have a swing feel, while all the 8th note quavers are straight.

Note Placement

Now, one thing I explained in one of the pieces for the later grade was a more accurate way of finding out where the notes lie in the bar. If you divide the bar of four into four groups of four semiquavers, you can then count through them as:

1e and a, 1e and a.

Notice that the first portion of the melody starts on the e of 1. Pay particular attention to that because starting on the second semiquaver of the bar can be a little tricky if you're not prepared for it.

Articulation

In this style, a lot of the feel of the notes are quite clipped, short, and with a lot of attack.

• You need to pay careful attention to when there's staccato marked over the notes; it makes a big difference to the feel.
• This is particularly important when you gradually speed everything up to the correct tempo.

It can be quite useful to overemphasize all of this when you're practicing at a slower tempo. For instance, the swing can be more pronounced, and so can the staccato.

1, 2, 3, 4.

This really gets the sound in your head and under your fingers, preparing your motor skills for when you speed it up.

Key Points in A Section

One of the first points to look out for in this A section is Bar 8.

• This line is quite angular but typical of this jazz funk fusion style.
• Look out for the little accidentals; the line ends unexpectedly.

B Section Overview

Now, moving on to the B section, this is slightly more sustained. You might want to introduce the sustain pedal to join up some of the notes, being careful not to blur.

Pedal Demonstration

To demonstrate, it might sound like this:

If I was a bit less careful with the pedal, you could end up sounding like this.

You can see how you need to be very sparse with it; this is something your teacher can definitely help you with.

Left Hand Considerations

As you've noticed, we now have the left hand in a supporting role to the right hand. There's nothing too complex there. One thing I would say in this first passage of B is to be cautious with those left hand voicings, as they are slightly low down on the piano.

• If you're using the pedal, it can lead to muddiness, so just keep an eye on that.

Semiquaver Pushes

Also, in this section, be mindful of the semiquaver pushes.

• Your natural tendency is to rush a little, so make sure you sit back and practice with a metronome.

Before C Section

Just before we move on to the C section, there's the question of the bar before C. As with Bar 8, take a little look at this because the line isn't completely obvious, so be careful with that.

C Section Overview

Moving on to the C section, we're in a slightly different feel here, much more relaxed.

• My interpretation is to linger around with the melody a bit more than in the A section.
• A slightly more legato approach is needed, still swinging those semiquavers.

Differentiation in C Section

This is a subtle thing, but in this section, you need to differentiate between bar 32, where the instruction is to play straight semiquavers. The difference needs to be quite apparent to create the right effect.

Key Lines to Note

Pay attention to the line in Bar 37. This caught me out early on; those three repeated Gs can be a little confusing visually. Make sure you only play three repeated Gs and then move down the scale.

Transition to Hard Section

Now we are into possibly the hardest section of the piece, starting at Bar 41.

• There's a relatively hard right hand line here with syncopated hits in the left hand.
• Be careful with the left hand ties.

It's a good idea to separate the hands, practice each individually at a slower tempo till you're confident, and then gradually try to put them together.

Be Mindful of Ties

A lot of instances have the left hand line tied across the bar while the right hand line isn't. This could catch you out if you're not careful.

Preparing for the End

Be prepared for Bar 48, where we suddenly have triplets. These need to be nice and even and strong as we approach a hit marking the end of a section, before we carry on.

Reprise of Melody

The main melody returns at Bar 49. This is where we have a short reprise of the two previous melody sections.

Final Technical Note

Lastly, technically speaking, watch the line in the penultimate bar, Bar 64. This one is tricky, so I recommend slowing it down because it doesn't fall under the fingers easily.

Conclusion

So, yeah, all in all, I think this is quite a rewarding piece to play once you get all the bits and pieces in place. I hope you have as much fun as I did playing it.

See you next time!