Eb Major Diatonic Harmony
Welcome to the first lesson in our cocktail piano improvisation course. In this lesson we explore the key of Eb Major including the diatonic 7th chords and the common chord progressions such as the 251 progression and the 36251 progression.
Root Position Chords & Spread Voicings
We start by playing the diatonic 7th chords in root position and then we split the chords between 2 hands to create spread voicings.
Spread voicings create a more balanced sound than closed position voicings and being able to harmonise a lead sheet with spread voicings is an essential skill for jazz pianists.
We cover a selection of drills and exercises to help you visualise spread voicings for all of the diatonic chords in the key of Eb Major.
251 & 36251 Progressions
We finish by taking the spread voicings and applying them to the 251 and 36251 progressions in the key of Eb Major. In the upcoming lessons we will see how these progressions are present in the form of the tune “Misty”.
Once we can clearly visualise these progressions with 3 note voicings we simply add the melody on top to create the basic solo jazz piano technique for harmonising a lead sheet.
Lesson Downloads
-
Eb Major Diatonic Harmony File Type: pdf
Related Lessons
In this lesson we are going to start learning the tune “Georgia On My Mind” using 3-note spread voicings on the A Section of the tune.
We play the Diatonic 7th Chords from the F Major Scale. In jazz piano we use 7th chords as the minimum to create jazzy sounding voicings.
Learn how to play shell voicings which contain just the root, 3rd, and 7th of the chord. We take the beautiful tune “The Nearness Of You”.
Practice Tips
-
Play the diatonic 7th chords in root position with the root in our left hand and the root position 7th chord in our right hand.
-
Next play the roots in our left hand and the 3rds and 7ths in our right hand to visualise splitting the notes between 2 hands.
-
We can then drop the root into the lower registers so that the notes of the voicing spread beyond 1 octave. This is the most basic spread voicing configuration.
-
Using this technique we can then voice common progressions such as the 251 progression and the 36251 progression.
-
The final step is to understand that we can change the chord qualities in the 3625 progression from minor to dominant chords which allows us to access different colours and flavours in our voicigs and improvisations.
Really looking forward to this course with its well-structured approach. Hayden, you obviously put a lot of thought into the content, there is a lot of learning (and music enjoyment) packed into this course.
Yes I did put a lot of thought into the structure so you should find that each lesson builds upon the previous one.
Please keep me posted on your progress 🙂
Cheers,
Hayden
Yeah! Looking forward to working through this course. Thanks Hayden!
Thanks Mark – I’m confident that the improvisation module can help all students to dabble with improvisation – no matter what their level is.
I’d like to use this course structure as as a template to explore other tunes. I feel that if new students have 3 courses similar to this, each focusing on a different tune, it will add a lot of structure and direction into their learning journey.
Cheers,
Hayden
Hayden, that would be fantastic to have similar type lessons on other tunes. I am s re you will pick them based on their educational value but if they fit the bill I would loke to suggest tunes such as All The Things You Are, which has very interesting chord progressions, or Tenderly, where the melody gives you lots of time to add fills and runs. Maybe other students will have their own favorites.
Back at it after some time away from the piano. Really looking forward to this one. Thanks!
Thanks Ashton and welcome back – I hope you enjoy the course!
Cheers,
Hayden
Hayden,
I just want to thank you for providing these quality lessons. This is the most informative 10- minute music tutorial video I have ever encountered. I am starting to truly understand how it all comes together, which has been my struggle as a musician. I am excited to make my way through this course. Keep up the great work.
Cheers,
Adam
Thanks Adam – I’m glad you enjoyed the lesson.
I’m starting all new courses like this with a harmonic study and then the arrangement lessons.
The next course will be finished later this month.
Cheers,
Hayden
Great piano lesson. The process is very effective. This is the first time that I understand how to improvise. Thank you so much.
Could you use this lesson template (Introduction, voicing, Improvisation) to explore a “swing” piece.
Here are some suggestions:
Just Friends (in G)
Beautiful Love (in F).
Thanks.
Sami
Hi Samy 👋
Thanks for the message and I’m glad to hear you are enjoying the course.
Yes I can certainly cover a swing tune, ‘Beautiful Love’ is a great suggestion and in fact we are using that tune for this month’s community improvisation challenge: https://community.pianogroove.com/t/january-2023-beautiful-love-improv-challenge/8491/
This month I’m creating a new course on ‘Minor Harmony & Improvisation’ which should be finished by the end of the month. We focus on the tune “In A Sentimental Mood” which is a lovely ballad in D Minor. More updates to follow.
Cheers,
Hayden
Hayden, This extensive course is perfect for me to get back to the piano. I haven’t had much time to practice since I renewed my membership last January. Or for the year prior in fact. I was wondering how or where to start again. Based on a favorite I already play, your step by step method gives me an opportunity to build a new arrangement, while ingraining the basics I need to brush-up on. This course alone is worth the annual membership. Tom