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Jazz Voicing Warm-Ups

BY GEOFFREY KEEZER
March 11, 2015
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Mi piace

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As a touring jazz pianist, I rarely have much time to practice when Im on the road. If Im lucky, I might get five minutes at sound check, so I need a quick and efficient warm-up
routine to supplement basic scales and arpeggios. The following exercises are a great way to stretch my hands, get the feel of the keyboard, and engage my jazz brain, all in a
limited amount of time.

1. It Takes Two

In Ex. 1, choose any two notes that are slightly more than an octave apart as a starting point. Then the right hand ascends chromatically, while the left hand follows the cycle of
fourths.

2. Creative Chording

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In between your bookend notes, fill in the gaps with chords, as illustrated in Ex. 2. There are no rules herejust trust your ears, creativity, and intuition, and strive for good voice
leading. For example, in bar 1, the right hands thumb plays Bb-A-Ab-G, which corresponds to the seventh and third of each chord, respectively. Try to get an even intervallic spread
that sounds good and feels comfortable physically.

3. Minor Chord Workout

Ex. 3 expands on our concept of creative chord motion. Note that if you choose bookend notes that form an 11th (like playing F in the right hand and C in the left hand), minor chords
typically work better than dominant major sevenths. Were not going for avant-garde sounds or unusual suspensions here, so keep your voicings fairly clear and simple. Start slowly,
and when you feel comfortable with this exercise, gradually pick up the tempo.

4. Whole-Steps and Cycles

In Ex. 4, the right hand climbs by whole-steps while the left hand continues to cycle through fourths. This exercise opens up another can of harmonic worms because your voicings
will spread out faster. If you have small hands, dont worry about big stretches. Simply shift octaves wherever necessary to keep your voicings compact. Warming up should never be
painful!

5. Change Partners

In Ex. 5, the right hand and left hand switch roles. Here the left hand descends chromatically while the right hand cycles through fourths. Remember that there are many other warmup combinations you can try. Simply pick any two starting notes (try closing your eyes and plunking your hands down on the piano) and watch what happens!

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