Using 'Key Centers' Instead of 'Chord-Scale Relationships

[WoodyGamesUK]

You're a great pianist, and the best jazz piano teacher online. You really are the best, it's not so much about the material that you show, but the way you demonstrate the ideas with your playing. You really focus on one point, but manage to illustrate what you're doing going from the very basic idea, up to your usual professional level. We learn so much this way.

[erikkihss]

Yes, what choices you make are usually better determined by the "cadences" or what tonality are we aiming for. Too much emphasis is placed on scales and modes in today's jazz pedagogy and not enough on analysis of the harmony. Great video, Jeremy!

[future]

I love this way of thinking and kind of moved to it naturally. I feel like with enough improv you get a natural feel for "good" and "avoid" notes over each chord, so just operating in the context of scales gives you less to think about. Sometimes I make up scales too, looking for common notes between weird successive chords to make up something to get through it smoothly.

[sanferrera]

14:11 Jeremy improvising without even putting his pencil down :)) Thanks for everything, Jeremy, I am improving a lot with your fundamentals book.

[TommyCosterMusic]

Great stuff Jeremy...13:08 brilliant evolution from diatonic to chromatic, to blues and then side stepping.

[chrisharrison]

Whoa your solo at the end is heavy man. This is deep. Thank you

[AnotherMomentWithDave]

Outstanding insight as always Jeremy! Thank you!

[Jack-fsim]

very good, mmmm thinking cap needed.thanx

[rainerschnelle]

I very much agree with you and I have always wondered why this way of thinking is not much more talked about. Having said that, I just listened to Oscar Peterson's version of "All of Me" while looking at the transcription and I noticed that a lot of times, at least in the second chorus when he goes into double time lines he is thinking mostly mixolydian on the dominant chords. I had noticed this before when I listened to his version of "Wave" where you find also some V/V/Vs and V/Vs etc.

[kareemakhtar]

The professor and practitioner… amazing as always …

[chrisharrison]

Wow. Wow. Man you are a great teacher. Thank you.

[paulkreibich]

Hi Jeremy, this was SO helpful. Especially for students like me who are struggling to make all those dominant cycles(Jordu etc) My brain and chops don’t work that fast (yet) Thank you!

[groovelove]

I also heard some Monk as you moved away from diatonic, in AMB. Nice!

[ivannagy]

Great tips, good to practice. Lulu’s Back in Town is a Harry Warren song. Fat’s is playing it great :) Actually everything what Fat’s plays I tend to think this is his piece.

[barisaxo]

I feel like this is very unconventional, possibly controversial take, but for All of Me, I agree with what you're saying about the A7 tonicizing Dm (and Dm being more of a tonic minor). I think it would actually make a lot of sense to label the RN of Dm as a i/ii, as apposed to say the ii/I aka ii (the 'of I' obviously being implied in RNA to the point of complete omission).
This gives some light to the function of the Dm, as well as it's relation as 'the key of the moment' to the overall key of the tune. Not really necessary, but I can see some times where things are complicated enough that this might help my thought process.

[fviannaval]

I'm a guitar player, but the video was very useful, thanks!!!

[antoniofragassomusic]

Hi Jeremy can you make a video where you explain how to play fast over the chord changes? Thanks a lot for you jazz education videos. I have your book.

[genekelly]

This concept is so helpful for improvising. Use both modal centers and chord scales. This contrast can make improvisations more palatable and less "out" sounding. So the choice might depend upon the effect you are going for and your audience. Not to mention that playing key centers involves less brain-work, LOL!

[carl-emildonschristensen]

Thanks for your video, Jeremy, I really enjoy your videos as a conservatory student, they're very focused and applicable.
I am wondering, do you have some suggested listening for "ionian" phrases so to say, melodies in the key? Other players like Keith Jarret that does this a lot? Can be on horns too!

[paulkreibich]

Can you use this method on, say, the bridges of Rhythm changes or Jordu? Those progressions seem to revolve around the dominant arpeggios. Can you treat the Rhythm bridge as just a big 3 6 2 5 back to Bb?