“Moon River” – Learning The B Section
Welcome to the 2nd lesson in our course on reading lead sheets for beginner jazz piano players. In this lesson, we delve into the second section of the beautiful jazz standard “Moon River”.
Overview of 3-Note Spread Voicings
We revisit the A Section to review 3-note spread voicing technique. We start by playing the roots of the chord in our left hand, the melody in our right hand, and focusing on the selection of the 3rds and 7ths somewhere in between.
Different voicing techniques are demonstrated and we highlight the creative freedom available to you as the arranger.
Voicing Techniques & Melody
We explore techniques for adding dynamism to our playing, such as playing the notes of the chord in unison versus adding subtle movement between the notes of the chord.
We then examine how the most appropriate chord voicing can often be determined by the melody. We use the repeating A-7 as an example.
Understanding 2-5 Progressions
We introduce the concept of the 2-5 progression and we examine where this common progression appears in the tune “Moon River”. We pay special attention to the 3rds and 7ths of chords to ensure smooth transitions in our 2-5 progressions.
In the next lesson we incorporate the C section and also discuss the form of the tune. You will learn why understanding the form is crucial for quick and effective memorisation of jazz standards.
Related Lessons
We introduce the concept of whole-step 251 drills, and how they can be an interesting alternative to drills around the circle of fifths.
Most jazz standards that you come across will contain a 251 progression in some form so it is essential that you know how to construct the 251.
Minor harmony is much more complex than major harmony and so the minor 251 progression takes much more time and patience to master.
Practice Tips
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Isolate challenging sections, particularly the quick 2-5 progressions on the second line of the B Section. Practice this section slowly and accurately to build proficiency.
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Practice counting the 3/4 time signature. This is particularly useful for establishing the correct rhythmic placement when there are 2 chord per measure.
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Listen to lots of recordings of "Moon River" to gain inspiration for how the melody can be phrased.
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Remember that the lead sheet is just a rough interpretation of the song and we have creative freedom to interpret and embellish the melody and to add our own personal touch.
So far really enjoying and getting a lot from these lessons. Thanks so much!
Hey Paul 👋
Thanks for letting me know and I’m glad you are enjoying the course.
I think you will also enjoy the other courses in our “Novice” section which follow a similar format. Whilst these courses are categorised as “Novice”, they are still quite challenging, and the arrangements sound simple but beautiful.
These courses are designed to build strong foundations in terms of reading lead sheets and playing spread voicings, and this will prepare you for the theory courses in the Beginner and Intermediate sections of the website.
Talk soon,
Hayden