Moon River For Beginners
Welcome to our beginner’s course on how to read lead sheets. In this lesson we focus on the A section of the jazz standard “Moon River”.
This course is tailored for those new to jazz piano, particularly those transitioning from a classical background. Unlike classical music, jazz lead sheets typically feature only a treble clef. This format emphasizes melody and chord symbols, granting musicians creative freedom in voicing and arrangement.
Layout & Format Of The Lead Sheet
In this course, we start by exploring the layout and format of lead sheets. You’ll learn how to interpret the melody and harmony, beginning with the first eight bars of “Moon River”.
Triads, 7th Chords, & Spread Voicings
You’ll learn to play basic triads and understand their role in jazz harmony. We’ll discuss the key and scale of “Moon River”, highlighting how most chords are derived from the C major scale. This foundational knowledge is crucial for understanding the structure and progression of jazz pieces.
We delve into the basics of seventh chords, an essential component in jazz, and how they differ from classical chord voicings. We then introduce the concept of three-note spread voicings, a pivotal skill in playing from lead sheets.
The “3 Hand Approach”
This approach focuses on playing the root in our left hand, the melody in our right hand, and the third and seventh of the chord somewhere in between. This lesson will guide you through various voicing options, helping you develop an intuitive understanding of chord structures.
Related Lessons
In this lesson we create a beginner-focused arrangement of the tune “Pure Imagination” from Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory.
The chord changes are relatively simple and there’s lots of 25s and 251s to get us familiar with these very common progressions.
My Funny Valentine is a difficult standard to learn. In this lesson we breakdown the complicated chord changes and build a solo arrangement.
Practice Tips
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Before diving into more complex seventh chords, ensure you're comfortable with basic triads. Practice playing the triads for each chord in the song.
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Once you're comfortable with triads, start introducing seventh chords. Understand how they add depth and richness to the music. Practice these chords separately before integrating them into the song.
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Spend time learning to interpret the chord symbols on the lead sheet. Knowing what each symbol represents is crucial for playing jazz piano effectively.
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Work on the three-note spread voicings technique. Begin by isolating the root, third, and seventh of each chord. Experiment with different voicing options and listen to how they change the sound.
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Try to memorize small sections of "Moon River," such as the first eight bars. This will not only improve your memory but also help you understand the song's structure.
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Listen to various versions of "Moon River" by different artists. Notice how each pianist interprets the melody and harmony, and try to incorporate elements that you like into your playing.
Hi Hayden where do I find the next section(B) for Moon River beginner Is it in the intermediate section of the course or am I expected to work it out for myself from the lead sheet.
Thank you
keith
Hi Keith 👋
I just added this new beginner lesson on “Moon River” and I have recorded 3 more lessons which will be added shortly. They are currently being edited by our video editor. The additional 3 lessons cover the B Section, the C Section, and finally a lesson which touches upon chord extensions which is the next course you will study in our beginner jazz piano courses.
We have already covered this tune quite extensively on the site, please see these links:
Moon River Harmonic Analysis:
https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/moon-river-harmonic-analysis/
Moon River Intermediate/Advanced Tutorial:
https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/moon-river-tutorial/
Moon River Live Seminar:
https://www.pianogroove.com/live-seminars/moon-river-jazz-standard-workshop/
However, these lessons cover more advanced theory and arranging techniques.
A few students requested beginner-focused lessons on this tune which is why I have revisited the tune from a beginner-standpoint.
The 3 remaining beginner lessons will be added to the foundations course this week.
I will reply to your comment here as soon as they are published. In the interim, do check out the above links and depending on your level they may be a good fit for you.
Talk soon,
Hayden
Hi Hayden look forward to the next 3 lessons .Although I can see the next sections on intermediate level I am not ready yet
Thank you
Keith
Got it, thanks for the feedback Keith.
I will ensure the 3 lessons are added this week.
Talk soon,
Hayden
Hi Keith 👋
The next 2 lessons have been added which cover the B and C sections of the tune.
I have also moved these lessons into a dedicated course: https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/lead-sheets-for-beginners/
The next module will be added shortly where we start to apply chord extensions (9ths, 11ths, and 13ths) and also explore ways to develop our left hand with lower bass notes.
Enjoy the lessons!
Cheers,
Hayden
Hi Hayden
just what I was looking for Great help
Thank you Keith 👍
Hi Hayden
As is Keith, I’m looking forward to the next 3 lessons of Moon River.
Bill
Hi Bill 👋
Lessons 2 and 3 have been added.
You can find them on this new course page: https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/lead-sheets-for-beginners/
These 3 lessons cover all 4 sections of the tune with simple spread voicings.
Keep an eye on the course page as the next module will be added shortly where we introduce chord extensions and some other early-intermediate arranging techniques.
Talk soon,
Hayden
Hi Hayden
How do I incidate the lessons I have already completed? :I guess I dont know how to do this since I cannot tell.
Also what do you recommend for recording myself play ing the piano? The easiest please as I am not a tecky?
Hi Suzanne,
Apologies for the late reply here.
For tracking your progress and marking lessons as complete, please see this video which explains how the lesson tracking works:
https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/how-to-track-your-progress/
For recording yourself playing, it depends on what you are using. Do you have an electric keyboard or an acoustic piano?
If you have an electric keyboard, i would recommend connecting it to your laptop via a MIDI cable. This is the same cable that connect a printer to a laptop for example.
Please let me know what your setup is… see my questions below, and I will send you some recommendations:
Do you have an electric keyboard, if so, what brand/model?
What laptop or computer do you use? (brand ie. Apple, Windows etc…)
You can also post this in the community area here: https://community.pianogroove.com/c/software/14 – and perhaps some of our other students can give you their recommendations too.
If you’d like to reply here that’s fine too :–)
Talk soon,
Hayden
Ref ; Moon river beginner.
Hi. Love the lessons.
Question, when should I move on to the next section ? when I have memorised section one or when I have included any embelishments . I suppose I’m asking how far do I go in each section and how good should I be before moving on , I have got down the basic root, 7th 3rd and melody of (section A ) but is this enough before I move on.
Pete
Hi Pete 👋
I’m glad you are enjoying the lessons!
Yes you are definitely ready to move onto the next lesson once you can play the R-3-7 voicings.
The embellishments can take time to learn and play perfectly (technique wise) and so don’t let this get in the way of progressing onto the next lessons.
Also, in each new lesson we recap and build upon the concepts of the previous lesson so you will be working on the same embellishments as you progress onto the next lessons in the course.
I have been playing this tune for many years and I’m still discovering new melodic embellishments to add every time I play it, and so this is an ongoing process.
Let me know if you have any other questions, and enjoy the lessons!
Talk soon,
Hayden
ps. The next tune “Fly Me To The Moon” will be added to this course shortly which is another great jazz standard for beginner jazz studies.
Hi Hayden,
First, thank you for your site and courses that are just great !
I have started the course “Reading lead sheets for beginners” and I try to get familiar with the intellectual approach :
– Read the chord and the 1st beat melody note
– Identifiy the Root, the 3rd and the 7th of that chord
– Play the root LH
– Play the melody note RH
– Place the 3rd and 7th (trying to spread the 4 note as regularily as possible)
I also tried to define a formula based on the chord and the melody note (it is so tempting !) but, as you say in the video, it seems that there are too many possible scenarios… so I gave up !
I wonder though, if there is a strategy for fingering the melody. By default, I go for pinky on the first beat melody note (adapting it if needed) but I am not sure that this is a correct approach… In fact, I am seeking a kind of rule to help memorize faster…
Do you have any advice on this ?
Thank you again and have a wonderful sunday !
Pascal
Hi Pascal,
The intellectual approach/bullet points that you outline are exactly the right way to go about this. Continue doing this everyday and you will make rapid progress.
The more that you follow this process, the more natural and instinctive it becomes until you don’t have to think about it any more and when you see the chord symbol and melody note, your hands will naturally gravitate towards certain shapes and hand positions.
To answer your question with the melody note, again it can depend on many factors but generally the top note of the harmony should be played with the pinky and then we have the rest of our fingers at our disposal to voice the chord (chord tones 3 and 7) and also other notes such as chord extensions and chord alterations which you will learn in the upcoming courses.
Playing the melody with the pinky isn’t always the case, for example, take a look at “Autumn Leaves” which is another one of the new Novice lessons: https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/autumn-leaves-for-beginners/ (see chapter 2 where we isolate the melody) and you will see that I start the melody with right hand my thumb but this is because the melody is an ascending motif and when we hit the first chord which is C-7, I want my pinky finger to be on the note “Eb” so that the rest of my fingers and thumb are free to create the chord voicing underneath.
So the short answer is that it very much depends on what is happening in the song, and in particular, the contours, direction, and jumps, in the melody
My main advice is to play and learn as many jazz standards as you can. There is no better way to learn how to do this, than from doing it. Start by copying my demonstrations and you will slowly build the confidence to do it without my direction. That’s exactly how I learnt – by copying and emulating my first jazz teacher’s demonstrations.
I recommend to study all of the Novice jazz standard lessons simultaneously, perhaps just 15 minutes on each tune per day (depending on how much time you have to practice), and in a matter of weeks you will feel much more confident with the process of spread voicings and how to finger the melody.
The more jazz standards that you learn, the easier this process becomes.
I am working on the next Novice course which will cover the key of Eb and the tunes “Misty” and “Tenderly” – that will be added to the site in the coming weeks.
In the interim stick with the other 4 Novice jazz standards and perhaps dip into the Beginner X-mas songs course which is also in our Novice section.
I hope that helps Pascal – please let me know if I can be of further assistance.
Talk soon,
Hayden
Hayden,
A warm “Thank you !” for taking the time to bring such a comprehensive, precise and instrutive answer to my post !
Moon river is a great choice for a novice course : the piece is short, not too difficult and really nice to listen to (and to play !) ! I am also glad to hear that you plan to add new lessons of that kind to this novice course ! And, of course, delighted that “Misty” is one of them ! 😉
May I dare another question ?
One of the greatest difficulties I always face while working on a piece is its memorization. Improving one’s theoretical knowledge definitely helps but, still, I often find it difficult. So I wonder if it would be worth learning by heart the whole chord progression… I mean learning it from the lead sheet, away from the piano… It certainly is a great exercise for the brain but is that a good “investment” when it comes to playing a piece ?
Thank you again, Hayden and have a great day !
Pascal
Hi Pascal,
Great question!
Yes learning and memorising lead sheets is very important.
This does happen naturally after playing these tunes for many years, but I recommend to actually try to memorise the chords and melody so that you are not reliant on the lead sheet.
This will allow you to play more freely, and also better immerse yourself in the music, the chord voicings, the fills etc…
This song follows an A-B-A-C form, and so bars 1-8 and bars 17-24 are identical. Both identical melody and identical harmony. That makes the memorisation process much easier to start with, as we know that almost 50% of the tune uses the exact same chords and harmony.
There are some other things you can do that will speed up your memorisation process:
(1) When playing songs try to visualise the form as ‘rows of 4 bricks’. I show graphics in this lesson which illustrate my visualisation process, and I explain how I think of song forms: https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/common-jazz-forms/
(2) Listen to lots of versions of this song. Create a playlist for each jazz standard that you are working on and listen to the songs as often as possible. If I really like a specific version, I might listen to it 10s or even 100s of times. Here is a playlist I created for Moon River: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1hAQwuZhDA0QNsY7QwpYSk?si=e10a9a6b5b614eb4 (if you have Spotify you can save this playlist to your account, reorder the songs, add songs, delete songs etc…) I have only included versions of Moon River in the key of C Major in this playlist so it will be easier for you to play along with the recordings.
(3) When you listen to the songs in your playlist, try to visualise where the musician is in the form. Tying into point (1) you can try to visualise where the musician is in the form in terms of sections and bars, visualise and ‘hear’ as he/she passes into each different 8 bar section etc… you can even try to say the chords to yourself as you are listening to the music.
(4) Next,try to copy the melodic phrasing and ornamentation of your favourite version(s) of the song. Each and every recording/musician will phrase the melody differently. Listening to lots of versions is the best way to permanently remember the melody. When you try to emulate/copy a melody, you will have to listen to the song many times, usually repeating/looping a section as you play along with it, and so this is related to point (2).
(5) Just like preparing for a test or exam, take a blank piece of paper and quiz yourself. Draw the sections of the form of Moon River … there are 8 boxes or ‘bricks’ for the A Section, then the 8 Bar B Section, the 2nd A Section (8 bars) and the C section (14 bars). Try to write the chords into the boxes. Keep doing this until you can write all of the chords into the boxes.
As I mention at the start, the more we play these songs, we naturally memorise them, but the above tips will help to speed up this process for you.
Good luck and have fun with this!
Cheers,
Hayden
Hi Hayden,
Thank you ! This is a long answer full of great advices ! I do appreciate !
I decided to work on to levels :
. an “easy” one that consists in playing simply :
. RH : the melody
. LH : the shells : 1-3-7, 1-5-7, 1-5-10, 1-7-10, etc. depending on the first “real” melody note found under a chord. For instance, if the first “real” melody note found under the chord CMaj7 is G, then I woul play 1-3-7 or 1-7-10 LH, if it is E, then I would play 1-5-7, etc.
To me, this way of harmonizing and playing the melody gives a pretty nice result…
. a more sophisticated one : the one that you show in the course and that introduce chord extensions…
So, just to let you know that I’m having fun with that wonderful tune and with your lessons about it !
Have a nice day !
Pascal
Hi Pascal,
The left hand shell formulas that you outline are exactly the options that we have available.
From playing lots of tunes and encountering the same chords again and again, these options will become almost subconscious so that you don’t need to think about it anymore.
For now, it’s great that you have created these formulas and manually go through them every time that you encounter a new chord or a chord that you are unfamiliar with.
It’s also worth mentioning that some of these formulas will work better in some keys than others.
For example… with the ‘white keys’ such as Cmajor7 , Fmajor7, or Gmajor7, it’s quite easy to play R-5-10 or R-7-10 but for ‘black keys’ such as Bbmajor7 or Ebmajor7, ‘the gap’ or ‘the stretch’ between the Root and the 10th is much wider.
I cannot physically play 10th intervals in Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, etc… and so for these chords I would opt to play a shell voicing (R-7 or R-3-7) or a left hand stride technique which we cover in the upcoming courses.
Talk soon!
Hayden
ps. there are more Novice lessons coming shortly. I have recorded the songs “Misty”, “Tenderly” and “Over The Rainbow” which are all in the key of Eb Major. This will be a new Novice course for the key of Eb Major.
In total we will have 10 Novice jazz standards which are designed to help students develop the skills to read lead sheets as quickly as possible
The lessons will be added in the next week or so.
Thank you again for your interesting (and motivating !) answers, Hayden !
Have great day.
Pascal
Hi Hayden,
Me again.. hoping I do not abuse !
I would like to clarify something regarding chord notation :
In terms of degrees, a Major triad (say C) can be notated 1-3-5 (for C E G).
Should a minor triad (say Cm) be notated 1-b3-5 (for C Eb G) or can we notate 1-3-5, the b3 being implicit due to the fact that we deal with a “minor” triad ?
Thank you in advance !
Cheers.
Pascal
Hi Pascal,
Great question here, and sorry for the late reply – I was on vacation last week.
In my lessons that I created 6 or 7 years ago when I was starting PianoGroove, I would specifically say “b3” and “b7” for minor chords, and also “b7” for dominant chords. However, in my more recent lessons I have started saying just “3” and “7” for minor chord and just “7” for dominant chords (instead of b7).
The reason is that when I was starting out with jazz piano, I always used the major scale as a reference point for everything else. I know other musicians that do this, and also many musicians that don’t and so there is no correct or ‘standardised’ system for learning jazz piano.
Most importantly, I would say to follow what makes the most sense to you.
You are exactly correct here that it is implicit, and so there is no need to say b3 for a minor chord.
However, in the exercises that I personally used to learn triads and 7th chords, I started with the major triad, and then flattened the 3rd to create the minor triad and worked through all 12 keys – see the 3rd chapter of this lesson in our foundations course where I demonstrate this drill: https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/triads-for-jazz-piano/ – and so I found/still find that point of reference useful and it helped me to quickly visualise and become comfortable with major and minor triads in all 12 keys.
Similarly, I used the same kind of drill to learn 7th chords: https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/7th-chords/ – see chapter 6 in this lesson.
Ultimately, our goal is to be able to visualise these essential chord structures (triads and 7th chords) as quickly as possible. There is no standardised approach to do this.
I’m sorry I can’t give you a more concrete answer here. Hopefully my explanation above will provide some insight into my own perspective and experiences on learning jazz harmony, and also perhaps give you a sense of autonomy for you to choose what works best for you and what makes the most sense for you.
Cordialement,
Hayden
Hello,
In Georgia which is in the key of F and only one flat, you played an A7 with a C#.
In Moon River which is in the key of C and no flats or sharps, you played an E7 with a G#.
I am racking my brain to figure out why.
Please provide some clarity.
LOVE THE COURSE!!
Thank you!
Hi Steven,
Great question!
These are called “secondary dominant chords”. A secondary dominant chord is when we take a chord of the key, that is not the 5th degree chord, and we turn it into a dominant 7th chord. This allows us to create the sense of a key change (tension and resolution) without actually changing key.
Secondary dominant chords functions as though they are the V7 chord of a different key, generating tension that resolves toward its related (I) chord — though this chord is not the tonic of the main key. This temporarily alters the sense of the tonal center or “home base,” resulting in interesting harmonic tension and release compared to if we stuck exclusively to the diatonic 7th chords. It’s very commonly used in jazz music
The simplest way to look at this is to think that the diatonic 7th chords can often be changed into dominant 7th chords (particularly changing minor 7th chords into dominant 7th chords).
In the key of F Major for “Georgia”, the 3 chord would be A-7 diatonically, but we can change it to A7 which then creates a strong V-I cadence into D-7 in bar 3 (the next bar after A7).
D-7 is the relative minor of F major, and so tweaking the A-7 to A7 is a quick way to move to the relative minor which is the a very common movement jazz standards. We would look at the A7 as the 3 dominant chord (III7) in the key of F major.
It’s exactly the same relationship in Moon River. The 3 chord would be E-7 diatonically, but if we play E7, it then creates a stronger resolution into A-7 which is in bar 9. This time the E-7 is preceded by its 2 chord B-7b5 which creates a whole 251 progression into A-7 (the relative minor of C Major). We would look at the E7 as the 3 dominant chord (III7) in the key of C major.
Jazz standards typically move between the major key centre, and the relative minor key centre, which creates harmonic interest.
I explain and show the process of changing diatonic 7th chords from minor 7th to dominant 7th chords in these lessons in the context of the 36251 progression:
Georgia Bluesy Stride Course https://www.pianogroove.com/blues-piano-lessons/diatonic-7th-chords-in-f-major/ (Please see the final 2 chapters)
Misty Cocktail Improv Course https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/eb-major-diatonic-harmony/ (Again please see the final 2 chapters)
All you need to remember is that it’s very common to change minor chords into dominant 7th chords and this creates smoother flowing progressions and also allows us to introduce different colours and textures on the dominant chords.
Please let me know if you have any further questions here.
Talk soon,
Hayden