Your format, i.e. showing notes, keyboard, full staff, etc is HUGELy helpful! I've been beating my head against Bill Evans voicings for decades and here you are, lucidly explaining how they're done. Thank you, amigo!
Where have you been ??? Best rational and understandable explanation I have ever seen of how in part that unique and rich Evans harmonic sound is achieved. Keep them coming ! Maybe next some more on Bill's right hand lines ? THANK YOU !
wow, that is rich. theres a really strong sense of tension and release just moving up and down by scaler degrees. there was me before this lesson 😢 meandering, uncertain; and then me having digested what was discussed here 😊 confidently carving a well-graded path along a topography of changing harmonies. impossible to ever sound lame again once you understand😅
This video was awesome- really brings Barry Harris’ wisdom into a modern context, can’t wait to play around with the concept of expanding the sixth-diminished scale 🙌
Wonderfully taught. Although playing and loving improvising and jamming for 20 years I was never taught theory and can't read music but, I know some basics and this.. made massive amounts of sense with such a beautiful concept. And love Bill, especially with a view when the rain is hitting the window. Subscribed of course! What an excellent way to teach. I thought the great Bill Evans was beyond my playing, as I focus on other styles and instruments, but can absolutely grasp they way you conceptualise this concept and will practice. These scales and chords are wonderful! Always played with contrary motion but never had a name for it, very nice. Thanks!
I really dug this technique of pretty-fying and resolving Major 7th Chords. I noticed that it does give things a somber more Minor tonality buy hey, its still better than those antique sounding block chords. Thank you much!
It's very interesting what you have discovered here.. like you say this has a lovely classical feeling with an echo of Bill Evans. The 'locked hands' technique of George Shearing is great too but more old fashioned sounding. Thanks again
thank you so much for this!! this is so well (and relaxed) explained, it gives me a lot! Finally I seem to begin to understand a bit of Bill Evans way of voicings. I always disliked the major7 when I play and included the 7, but this concept of major and dimished at the same time played in opposite manner makes the difference. Really, thank you!
Thanks for sharing this little jewel of information John! Luckily I recently learnt about the be bop scale with the sharp 5th. George Shearing uses this quite a lot with his double hand technique and this demonstration has a lovely classical and poignant feel. Lucian
Hi Jodi, yes check out my channel for more videos: th-cam.com/users/JohnColonnaMusic Here is another lesson video: th-cam.com/video/FEnYXGEsGhk/w-d-xo.html More lessons and music coming soon!
Hearing the leading tone as a tension in a resolution is very 19th century. If you put it right under the melody of course it’s tense, but in the middle of the chord like trombone 7-3 voicing it’s beautiful. Soften it with a 9th even smoother. The 6th is also warm under a tonic melody, but that’s something else.
Thanks for this, but i would like you to do examples of songs played normally and then played with that barry Harris scale style of your's so we can get a more practical idea of how to implement it in different songs.
Thanks John … just sent you an email .. I would love to learn some more from you .. I have always loved Bill Evans and have always tried a different way .. cant wait to apply this ❤️ thank you so much for the video 🤩
@@JohnColonnaMusic Thanks Brutha. Here is one I did for Kicks. It's a 5 Finger exercise over Giant Steps: th-cam.com/video/Yz0ZRzMWOFk/w-d-xo.html I was reading the C. P. E. Bach "the True Art of Playing the Keyboard" and some how got Inspired. It's a little over the top/tongue in cheek, but a tiny step towards Line-Up. Hope you like it!
Awesome video!! I just have one question, how do i utilize the f# you where playing? Im having a hard time wrapping my head around that concept. Incredible video!!
That was lovely. I’ve heard Barry Harris would think of a Maj 7 chord as a Bass plus Maj 6 chord. For example, C Maj 7 = C + G Maj 6, in which case you could keep the C fixed and use the G Maj6/dim scale to harmonically move around. How you used that idea?
@@JohnColonnaMusic This sounds like you like to use the tonic bebop as much as you can and figure out creative ways to make that work. Your video on using that concept on dominant chords was terrific. Never would I have though of flatting the 13th of the dim half/whole tone scale. That was brilliant.
Your material is great!! But a little last for me. I understand the diminished idea the tension and resolve. Do you have any pdf material I could download?
Hi Bruce, I made a PDF of the lesson material, you can download it here: www.johncolonna.com/product-page/how-to-play-major-7th-chords-like-bill-evans Thanks!
I have e greek friend he is over 60 now you have the same name and surname and when he was young he looked similar ! Now he is bold without the moustache. .😆How funny life can be sometimes !
Sometimes you want to resolve on major 7th chords with the leading tone in the highest voicing because of it sounding dissonant and unresolved. Sometimes that is perfect prosody based on the lyrical content. If you had a song that centers around the concept of "I hope she comes back to me" you would not want to have a full resolution sound, because it would fight the concept of her "not being back with you yet". You want to create the feeling of longing, and anticipation, and hope, etc. This concept is painting with sound to the text.
That's a nice point. It reminds us to think of lyrics, or at least the mood, especially when accompanying a singer, but even when not. And come to think of it, I've heard great singers end on a 7th after singing the tonic. It has a powerful effect.
Download a PDF of the lesson materials here: www.johncolonna.com/product-page/how-to-play-major-7th-chords-like-bill-evans New videos about the same concept on Dominant 7th and ii-V-I chords out now! Dominant 7: th-cam.com/video/FEnYXGEsGhk/w-d-xo.html ii-V-I: th-cam.com/video/Ge6HqCvzscw/w-d-xo.html
Your format, i.e. showing notes, keyboard, full staff, etc is HUGELy helpful! I've been beating my head against Bill Evans voicings for decades and here you are, lucidly explaining how they're done. Thank you, amigo!
Where have you been ??? Best rational and understandable explanation I have ever seen of how in part that unique and rich Evans harmonic sound is achieved. Keep them coming ! Maybe next some more on Bill's right hand lines ? THANK YOU !
Thanks Bob, yes more lessons coming soon!
@@JohnColonnaMusic Don't forget his left hand 😄
Plus those sublime trio bass lines 😍
Excellent man! I’ll share this quite a lot.
Side note: Never imagined David Foster Wallace came back as a pianist ;-)
❤️ 🎶 🔥
Thanks, you unlocked the code! Wow
Thanks Theoryman
wow, that is rich. theres a really strong sense of tension and release just moving up and down by scaler degrees. there was me before this lesson 😢 meandering, uncertain; and then me having digested what was discussed here 😊 confidently carving a well-graded path along a topography of changing harmonies. impossible to ever sound lame again once you understand😅
This video was awesome- really brings Barry Harris’ wisdom into a modern context, can’t wait to play around with the concept of expanding the sixth-diminished scale 🙌
Wonderfully taught. Although playing and loving improvising and jamming for 20 years I was never taught theory and can't read music but, I know some basics and this.. made massive amounts of sense with such a beautiful concept.
And love Bill, especially with a view when the rain is hitting the window. Subscribed of course!
What an excellent way to teach. I thought the great Bill Evans was beyond my playing, as I focus on other styles and instruments, but can absolutely grasp they way you conceptualise this concept and will practice.
These scales and chords are wonderful!
Always played with contrary motion but never had a name for it, very nice.
Thanks!
Very useful harmonization technique, thanks!
You’re a really good teacher man
Thanks, I appreciate it!
Nice ideas! Bill Delatore
Simply superlative! Many thanks.
Thank you. That was well explained and inspiring! I hope to see more from you.
A fantastic lesson. Am inspired to get to it. This echoes changes on the maj7 sound brilliant
this is terrific! gonna sit down this fall and study this!!
Great lesson!
Thanks a Lot for sharing those Amazing Concepts.
Dang we found the deep youtube. This the real deal, keep up the lessons and the channel will grow.
Thanks Alexander
hey john,ive been looking for a more holistic approach to jazz piano harmony and your series is it !! thanks man big love
First time I’ve watched and found it to be helpful. Thanks very much John!!!
Excellent practical explanation of harmony Thank You!
This movement is sick! Thanks for sharing bro. It can alsowork great on a Gbminb5 chord.... The Amin/D7...
Thanks Trevor!
Great precious & precise lesson. Thank you!
Love it. Great lesson. What's funny is we all know you love M7 chords.
Haha yes I do
I really dug this technique of pretty-fying and resolving Major 7th Chords. I noticed that it does give things a somber more Minor tonality buy hey, its still better than those antique sounding block chords. Thank you much!
It's very interesting what you have discovered here.. like you say this has a lovely classical feeling with an echo of Bill Evans. The 'locked hands' technique of George Shearing is great too but more old fashioned sounding.
Thanks again
thank you so much for this!! this is so well (and relaxed) explained, it gives me a lot! Finally I seem to begin to understand a bit of Bill Evans way of voicings. I always disliked the major7 when I play and included the 7, but this concept of major and dimished at the same time played in opposite manner makes the difference. Really, thank you!
Thanks I’m glad it helped!
Yes. Thank you so much.
Such a nice lesson, I will practice it till i get in al the tones. Thanks mate!!
Awesome video! Good job.
Dude..this was class..make more of these..I might actually get a lesson at some stage..
Thanks Patrick, more videos on this concept are coming soon!
Awesome channel! Thanks for posting such a useful video
Thanks so much for this wisdom!
Thanx, John🌹🌹🌹🌹
This was just beautiful. Thanks man
Nice video! I would be very interested in different kinds of excercices that wrap up this concept.
What a great breakdown. Many thanks!
Thanks for sharing this little jewel of information John! Luckily I recently learnt about the be bop scale with the sharp 5th. George Shearing uses this quite a lot with his double hand technique and this demonstration has a lovely classical and poignant feel.
Lucian
Poignant.. great word choice!
Hi John, Do you have anymore videos?
Hi Jodi, yes check out my channel for more videos: th-cam.com/users/JohnColonnaMusic
Here is another lesson video: th-cam.com/video/FEnYXGEsGhk/w-d-xo.html
More lessons and music coming soon!
Very cool. Thanks!
How about putting together an ebook? I would buy it.
Really, really cool! Subscribed!
Thanks!
That is Gold 🪙
Thanks!
Major 7th were predominately used in Latin music. Nice to hears someone who understands voicings.
that was really good thanks
Very cool. Thank you.
That is super cool, I will try that tomorrow, thank you so much. ❤
Thank you you are genius i subscribed
Thanks!
really reminds me of those voicings mingus would use on his piano album
Excellent.
Excellent tutorial. I particularly love how it was narrated by John c Reilly.
On a musical interlude while acting in the David Foster Wallace biopic 🙂
this, I can understand. thank you very much. more videos like this
When would you demonstrate how to apply this system in tune ? Thanks
Hi check out my video using it to play Autumn Leaves
th-cam.com/video/TkiNTQybtDU/w-d-xo.htmlsi=yq5ofM8z0EBepZDR
M I N D B L O W N ! Wow 🙏 Thanks!
Hearing the leading tone as a tension in a resolution is very 19th century. If you put it right under the melody of course it’s tense, but in the middle of the chord like trombone 7-3 voicing it’s beautiful. Soften it with a 9th even smoother. The 6th is also warm under a tonic melody, but that’s something else.
Splendid, thank you.
Beautiful! Thanks ❤
Wonderful
nice thanks
Amazing！
You’re great!
That's so cool! ty so much
Great!
that’s a pretty good idea
THANK YOU ~~~~~~!!!!!!!!
Great video
that was nice, thx! you should do more lessons! :)
Will do!
Bruh amazing
Gracias
i think i may need to watch this again.
Thanks for this, but i would like you to do examples of songs played normally and then played with that barry Harris scale style of your's so we can get a more practical idea of how to implement it in different songs.
Sounds good, I’ll post a video soon showing it’s application in a standard
@@JohnColonnaMusic Thank you soo much.. I have a feeling this will dramatically improve my sound. 😁😁😁
Perfect. Where did you get the B. E. Class please?
You can download the pdf here: www.johncolonna.com/product-page/how-to-play-major-7th-chords-like-bill-evans
Doesn't that scale with the added Ab have something to do with playing block chords, also?
Thanks John … just sent you an email ..
I would love to learn some more from you ..
I have always loved Bill Evans and have always tried a different way .. cant wait to apply this ❤️ thank you so much for the video 🤩
Cool stuff, thanks!
I think you transcend Barry and Theory both. Bill in a closet/nutshell. A pdf would be great, or Muse Score. Thanks! You make it look pretty easy.
Thanks! Yes PDF coming soon
Hi Murray, a PDF is available now at my website here: www.johncolonna.com/product-page/how-to-play-major-7th-chords-like-bill-evans
Thanks!
@@JohnColonnaMusic Thanks Brutha. Here is one I did for Kicks. It's a 5 Finger exercise over Giant Steps:
th-cam.com/video/Yz0ZRzMWOFk/w-d-xo.html
I was reading the C. P. E. Bach "the True Art of Playing the Keyboard" and some how got Inspired.
It's a little over the top/tongue in cheek, but a tiny step towards Line-Up.
Hope you like it!
magic mate tx!
Thanks!
Reminds me of the original Twin Peaks soundtrack, do you know what I mean?
Professor John!
Awesome video!! I just have one question, how do i utilize the f# you where playing? Im having a hard time wrapping my head around that concept. Incredible video!!
I’m thinking of the harmony as an Am7 going to D7 in the example with the F#, thanks!
Very old timely sound for sure but.....I digress. I want all notifications.
I just subbed.
Great video and channel. Subbed.
Thanks!
That was lovely. I’ve heard Barry Harris would think of a Maj 7 chord as a Bass plus Maj 6 chord. For example, C Maj 7 = C + G
Maj 6, in which case you could keep the C fixed and use the G Maj6/dim scale to harmonically move around. How you used that idea?
Yeah actually I use that for the 4 chord so your example I would use in the key of G
@@JohnColonnaMusic This sounds like you like to use the tonic bebop as much as you can and figure out creative ways to make that work.
Your video on using that concept on dominant chords was terrific. Never would I have though of flatting the 13th of the dim half/whole tone scale. That was brilliant.
Thank you!!!
Woah!!!! Dude! What!
Very niceeeee.
Oh I love this guy. The way he expresses his disappointments in the modern world music stuff... Funny
Barry Harris rules rule!
Am is the related minor to "C".
Your material is great!! But a little last for me. I understand the diminished idea the tension and resolve. Do you have any pdf material I could download?
Yes PDFs will be available for download soon
Hi Bruce, I made a PDF of the lesson material, you can download it here: www.johncolonna.com/product-page/how-to-play-major-7th-chords-like-bill-evans
Thanks!
I have e greek friend he is over 60 now you have the same name and surname and when he was young he looked similar ! Now he is bold without the moustache. .😆How funny life can be sometimes !
Can someone pls explain why the f# works on the 2 chord?
It’s a D7, so the F# would be the 3rd of the chord.
@@JohnColonnaMusic thanks, that's what i thought! but i wasn't sure why you subbed the ii for a II. are you thinking of it as a secondary dominant?
Yeah exactly it would be a secondary dominant
Can I please know what you use for your piano sound?
I believe this was a korg D1
What u playing at 5?
Sometimes you want to resolve on major 7th chords with the leading tone in the highest voicing because of it sounding dissonant and unresolved. Sometimes that is perfect prosody based on the lyrical content. If you had a song that centers around the concept of "I hope she comes back to me" you would not want to have a full resolution sound, because it would fight the concept of her "not being back with you yet". You want to create the feeling of longing, and anticipation, and hope, etc. This concept is painting with sound to the text.
I agree
That's a nice point. It reminds us to think of lyrics, or at least the mood, especially when accompanying a singer, but even when not. And come to think of it, I've heard great singers end on a 7th after singing the tonic. It has a powerful effect.
Awesome video. Is your microphone stereo? your voice sounds very phasy for some reason, just thought I'd point it out
Another way to think of it is just V-I-V-I.....and the b13 in the V chord gives it a little more resolving ooommmf
Download a PDF of the lesson materials here: www.johncolonna.com/product-page/how-to-play-major-7th-chords-like-bill-evans
New videos about the same concept on Dominant 7th and ii-V-I chords out now!
Dominant 7: th-cam.com/video/FEnYXGEsGhk/w-d-xo.html
ii-V-I: th-cam.com/video/Ge6HqCvzscw/w-d-xo.html
Cool!!!
Chord changes