Dave Mc Kenna

Jazz pianist Dave McKenna at the Village Jazz ...Image via Wikipedia

* Dave McKenna

Jazz pianist Dave McKenna was best known for his solo work and his trademark left-handed bass style. He began his musical career at the young age of 15 when he started playing with Boots Mussulli. In the years that followed, he collaborated with the likes of Charlie Ventura and Woody Herman's Orchestra.

In 1954, after returning from two years in the army, McKenna began working with musicians such as Gene Krupa and Stan Getz. He made many recordings as an accompanist, but most markedly as an unaccompanied soloist. In 1966, McKenna and his family moved to Cape Cod, and he began to work less frrequently with bands and more often as a solo pianist, performing mainly in the New England area. During the 1980's, he was the pianist in residence at the Copley plaza Hotel in Boston. McKenna once said of himself, "I don't know if I qualify as a bona-fide jazz guy. I play saloon piano. I like to stay close to the melody." His modesty seemed a contrast to the vibrant piano playing he was best known for.

* Musical Style

Dave McKenna was a jazz pianist. He was known for his "three-handed swing", and was the leading proponent of solo piano style.

"His musical presentation relies on two key elements relating to his choices of tunes and set selection, and the method of playing that has come to be known as "three-handed swing".

McKenna liked to make thematic medleys, usually based around a key word that appears in the titles, such as teach, love, women's names, dreams, night or day, street names, etc. There may be ballads and up-tempo songs blended together with standards, pop tunes, blues, and even TV themes or folk material.

McKenna's renditions usually began with a spare, open statement of the melody, or, on ballads, a freely played, richly harmonized one. He often stated the theme a second time, gradually bringing more harmony or a stronger pulse into play.

The improvisation then began in earnest on three levels simultaneously, namely a walking bass line, midrange chords and an improvised melody. The bass line, for which McKenna frequently employes the rarely-used lowest regions of the piano, is naturally being played in the left hand, often non-legato, to simulate an actual double bassist's phrasing, the melody in the right. The chords are interspersed using the thumb and forefinger of the right hand or of both hands combined, if the bass is not too low to make the stretch unfeasible. Sometimes he also adds a guide-tone line consisting of thirds and sevenths on top of the bass, played by the thumb of the left hand.

His famous four-to-the-bar "strum" is achieved by the left hand alone, playing a bass note (root/fifth/other interval) plus third and seventh, leading to frequent left-hand stretches of a tenth, which is why these voicings frequently appear arpeggiated, with the top two notes being played on the beat, the bass note slightly before. These voicings are often subtly altered every two beats, for variety. This playing style is frequently mistaken for a stride piano, which it is clearly not, as it is of a four-beat nature, as opposed to the two-beat "oom-pah" of true stride piano, as exemplified by Fats Waller, James P. Johnson, and the like. McKenna usually reserves all-out stride for sections where a bassist would play half notes, i.e. ballads and Dixieland-tinged material. The result is the sound of a three piece band under one person's creative control.

McKenna can weave a spontaneous melodic line, usually with lots of chromaticism and blues licks, over the bass line. The bass can be anything from single notes to repeated chords like a rhythm guitar to a full-blown stride piano, the latter often reserved for the height of a song's development.

The characteristic that perhaps most distinguishes McKenna's playing is his sense of time. One of the most commonly cited difficulties of solo jazz piano is the need to provide a compelling time feel, in part by emulating the rhythmic landscape normally provided by three or four players in a small group. By conceiving of multiple "parts" and playing them with distinct volume levels and time feels (often with right hand chords ahead of the beat and the melody behind the beat), McKenna showed a unique ability to reproduce the small group sound on the piano."


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_McKenna


* Listen to Tracks from Dave McKenna and McPartland

http://www.answers.com/topic/piano-jazz-mcpartland-mckenna


Art Tatum, often considered the greatest soloist in jazz piano history, praised McKenna as someone he considered a complete musician.

Dave McKenna was born in 1930 and passed away on October 18th, 2008 at the age of 78.




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Lionel Ritchie- Jesus Is Love

Lionel RichieLionel Richie via last.fm

I am a Lionel Ritchie fan! The guy can play the piano and sing very well. Looking back over the years, I'd say this particular song is easy to play and a fun one at that. There's so many songs by Lionel Ritchie that I like. Do you have a favorite song? How about Hello, Dancing on the Ceiling, Ballerina Girl, Endless Love, Lady... I have the Lionel Ritchie Anthology song book by Hal Leonard and highly recommend it... awesome chords and sheet music!

Just a few weeks ago you probably heard Lionel Ritchie sing at Michael Jackson's memorial service at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California on July 7, 2009.

* Chords to Jesus Is Love

Jesus Is Love - Lionel Richie

Ab/EbAbC - Father
G/EbGFBb - Help your
FEb/EbGAbC - children
Eb/EbAbC - and don't let them
Db/CEbFAb - fall
C/BbEbAb - by the side
BbAb/CDbFAb - of the road
Eb/DbEbFAb
back to top

Gb/GbBbDbF - Je-
FEb/FAbCEb - -sus
Ab/EbGbBbDb - is
Db/CEbFAb - Love
Its a walk down the Ab scale, you can incorporate the Circle of 4ths to make the movement sound fuller and there are other things you can do, but this is the basics of the Song.

* Jesus Is Love

Jesus Is Love - Lionel Richie

Key = Ab

Ab - Father
Eb\G - help your
Fm7 - children
Ab7\Eb - and don't let them
Db - fall by the
Ab\C - side of the
Bbm7 - road
Db\Eb - mmmmand
Ab - teach them
Eb\G - to love one an-
Fm7 - nother
Ab7\Eb - that heaven might
Db - find a
Ab\C - place in their
Bbm7 - hearts
Db\Eb (break) cause
Gbmaj7 - Je-
Fm7- sus
Ebm7\Ab - is
Db - love

* Related Topics:

http://ladydpiano.blogspot.com/2009/02/jesus-is-love-lionel-ritchie.html




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Kirk Franklin- Awesome God

Kirk Franklin - Night of Joy 2006Image by cmcentral via Flickr

Kirk Franklin
Awesome God


I love this song!!!



Intro:
D/ A D F - 2nd inv (2 Hits)
A/ A C# E- (2 Hits rhythm is the key)
D/ A D F
D/ A D F -(2 Hits)
A/ A C# E-(2 Hits rhythm is the key)
D/ A D F
A/ A C E
Bb/ Bb D F
Ab/ F# C Eb
D/ A D F
Verse
Our God
D/ A D F - 2nd inv (2 Hits)
A/ A C# E- Is an Awesome God He Reigns (After 1st hit)
D/ A D F -From Heaven above with
D/ A D F -(2 Hits)wis-
A/ A C# E-(2 Hits rhythm is the key-dom,power and love Our God is an awe-
D/ A D F -some God
Repeats
Chorus
D/ A D F -You're Marvelous and You're
A/ G C# E-Glorious Your love has made me victo-
D/ A D F -rious You took away the
A/ G C# E -fear in us Now we praise You cause You, You deliv-
D/ A D F -ered us!!
No Chord-There ain't no stopping us- A/ G C# E (octave down)
No Chord-Devil, there ain't no blockin us- D/ A D F
Come on and clap-C/ C E G
your hands-B/ B D F Ab
with us!
Like this y'all Like that y'all-Bb/ Ab D F
A/ G C# E
repeat verse
Bridge He Reigns Part
Arppegiate the chords in both hands
(Bb-D-F)
(A-C#-E)
(D-F-A)
(C-Eb-G)
(Left Hand F-C-A, Right Hand F-A-C)
Single notes-F, E, D, C
Repeat
*For Color on this part on the third time after they are familiar with it play these chords
He Reigns
Bb/Bb-D-F#-Bb
A/B-Eb-F-A
D/C-E-G-C
C/ Bb D Eb G
F/ A D Eb G (THEN BACK TO Bb/Bb-D-F#-Bb)
Just Repeat

* Video of Kirk Franklin's Awesome God

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgBNQWR4a-0


* Kirk Franklin He Reigns Lyrics
Our god
Is an awesome God he reigns
From heaven above
With wisdom,power and love
Our God
Is an awesome God he reigns
From heaven above
With wisdom,power and love
Our God is an awesome God

You're marevelous and you're glorious
You're love has made me victorious
You took away the fear in us
Now we praise You cause you
You delivered us

There aint no stoppin us (naw)
Devil there aint no blockin us (naw)
Come on and clap your hands with us
Like this like that

[Vamp:]
He reigns
He reigns
He reigns
Forever and ever

http://www.seekklyrics.com/lyrics/Kirk-Franklin/He-Reigns.html


* Other Related Topics

http://ladydpiano.blogspot.com/2008_11_01_archive.html









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Brian McKnight- Back At One

Cover of "Back at One"Cover of Back at One

The song Back At One sung by Brian McKnight is a popular song request I receive often.
Here it is on YouTube along with an excellent slide by kroba87





Back At One – Brian McKnight

B Abm
It's undeniable, that we should be together
E C#m C#m Eb/B E F#
It's unbelievable, how I use to say that I fall ne-ver
B Abm
The basis is need to know, if you don't know just how I feel
A Abm Fdim
Then let me show you now that I'm for real
A Abm F#
If all things in time, time will reveal

Chorus:

B
One, you're like a dream come true
Abm
Two, just wanna be with you
E Eb/B
Three, girl is plain to see
C#m F#
That you're the only one for me
B
And four, repeats steps one thru three
Abm F# Abm
Five, make you fall in love with me
E Eb/B C#m
If ever I believe my work is done
F# B
Then I'll start back at one

verse 2: (same chords as verse 1)

It's so incredible
The way things work themselves out
It's all emotional
Once you know what it's all about, hey
And undesirable
For us to be apart
I never would have made it very far
Cause you know you've got the keys to my heart




My favorite all time video of Brian singing and playing piano with this different yet amazing arrangement. Brian is a very talented musician that's for sure!






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Slash Chord

if your time to you is worth savingImage by gl0ri via Flickr

A slash chord is nothing more than a chord with an alternate bass note.
They're also called compound chords.

When you see a chord like A/E, the first character is the chord and the second character after the slash is the bass note, so A/E would be an A chord with an E bass note instead of an A bass note. Sometimes I find it easy to play slash chords on a piece of music instead of every note written down. That way you're voice can be the lead while you accompany yourself with chords.


Some of the most common types of slash chords are inversion based, meaning that one of the notes already in the chord triad are used for the bass note.
G/B, D/F#, A/C#, A/E...all are inversions of the chord but using either the 3rd note of the 5th note as the bass note instead of the root note.

Some slash chords are non-inversion based, like B/E. The B triad is B, D#, F#...there's no E there BUT if you add extensions to the triad to make, say, a BMaj9/E, then you've got B, D# and F# as well as C# and E so BMaj9/E becomes inversion based. For more information, visit:

http://www.learngospelmusic.com/forums/iindex.php/topic,51740.0.html


Many folks think that the writing of slash chords is complicated : why is it written "Left Hand / Right Hand" instead of the real chord, as on a sheet of music?

It's a bit difficult or confusing for some. On the sheets of music, the bass note is AFTER the slash...
(example : A7/G (=G,A,C#,E) : the G is made by the left hand.)

For more information on slash chords visit this related topic:

http://ladydpiano.blogspot.com/2009/04/slash-chords.html





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Hezekiah Walker- I Need You To Survive

Hallmark teleplay DVD coverImage via Wikipedia

I love hearing Hezekiah Walker sing "I Need You To Survive." I have followed the chord chart listed below many times. Sometimes it is quicker to learn a song if you are watching another fellow musician on video. I have discovered a great tutorial by a very good musician and teacher, Alton Merrell, playing his Yamaha P- 120 keyboard... have a listen:



* Gospel Piano Lesson - I Need You To Survive - Hezekiah Walker


* Related Post:


http://ladydpiano.blogspot.com/2009/03/i-need-you-to-survive-hezekiah-walker.html


* Chords to I NEED YOU TO SURVIVE

Hezekiah Walker - Db
Arr. By Hammondman!
LH/RH- Words (SINGLE NOTES)

Intro: (F_Bb_C)__ BbF / Bbm7___(Ab_Gb)_FC / EbAbDb__(Ab_Db_Db_Eb_F_Ab)

BGb / Ebm7___BbF / Bbm7__EbBb / FF#BbDb___(Ab_C)___AbEb / Bbm7__(C_Bb)

CAb / Ab___(Ab_Gb)___DbAb / Db___(Bb_Ab)___ EbBb / Eb___(F)___AbEb / Ab

DbAb / Db I NEED YOU
FC / Db YOU NEED ME
GbDb / Gb WERE ALL A-
AbEb / Gb PART OF
AEb / Aaug - GOD'S BOD
BbF / Bbm7 DY, STAND WITH ME
FC / Gb9 AGREE WITH
EbBb / FF#BbDb ME, WE'RE ALL A-
AbEb / Gb6 PART OF GOD'S BO
BbF / Bbm7 DY, IT IS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ebb / Ab HIS
FC / BbEbAb WILL, THAT
DbAb / BM7(b5) EVERY
EbBb / FF#BbDb NEED HE
EbBb / Ebm7 WILL
EbBb / FF#BbDb SUPPLY
EbBb / FF#BbDb YOU
EbBb / Gb6 ARE
FC / Ab - IM
BbF / Bbm7 PORTANT
BbF / AbDbGb TO ME, I
EbBb / FF#BbDb NEED YOU
AEb / Aaug TO
(F_Bb_C)__ BbF / Bbm7 SURVIVE___________(REPEAT, USE LAST OF INTRO TO LEAD IN)
HE DOES THE VERSE AGAIN, SAME MUSIC UNTIL KEY CHANGE

EbBb / Eb I PRAYED FOR
GD / FBbEb YOU, YOU PRAYED FOR
AbEb / Cm ME, I LOVE YOU I
BbF / Ab NEED YOU
BF / Bdim6 TO
CG / Cm7 - SURVIVE
EbBb / Eb - I WON'T HARM
GD / FbbEb - YOU, WITH WORDS FROM MY
DbAb / Fm7 MOUTH, I LOVE YOU, I
BbF / AbM7 NEED YOU TO SURVIVE

KEY CHANGE

FC / F I PRAYED FOR
AF / F9 YOU, YOU PRAYED FOR
BbF / Dm7 ME, I LOVE YOU I
CG / Bb6 NEED YOU
DbG / Bbdim6 TO
DA / Dm7 - SURVIVE
FC / F - I WON'T HARM
AF / F9 - YOU, WITH WORDS FROM MY
EbBb / Gm7 - MOUTH, I LOVE YOU, I
CF / Bb6 NEED YOU TO SURVIVE
"NO MUSIC" THE HITS ARE THE CHORDS THEN THE CHORUS AND ALL THAT BACK TO THE INITIAL
VERSE AND END!
NEED YOU TO
FC / F SURVIVE____(A_G)___GD / (B_D_A)____GDbF / Gdim7___FC / F__(END)

* Visit Alton Merrell's site:

http://www.altonmerrell.com/lessons.html


Get songs like:

Alpha & Omega - Israel Houghton
Amazing Grace - Traditional
Calvary - Damita Haddon
Center of My Joy - Richard Smallwood
Father Can You Hear Me - Tyler Perry
Giants - Donald Lawrence
Glory Glory Hallelujah - Traditional
Grateful - Hezekiah Walker
He Will Supply - Kirk Franklin
I Am A Friend of God - Israel Houghton
I Just Want To Praise You - Maurette Brown Clark
I Was Glad When They Said Unto Me - Traditional
My Worship Is For Real - Bishop Larry Trotter
No Defeat - Hezekiah Walker
Rejoice - Israel Houghton
Safe In His Arms - Milton Brunson
Sovereign - Daryl Coley
Stand - Donnie McClurkin
The Blessing of Abraham - Donald Lawrence
The Presence of the Lord Is Here - Byron Cage
Total Praise - Richard Smallwood
Wait - Vanessa Bell Armstrong
What A Friend We Have In Jesus - Traditional
Your Grace and Mercy - Mississippi Mass Choir



Enjoy the tutorial and happy piano playing!



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Regarding 50 Websites- Improve Your Music Practice

@amberma at her pianoImage by DailyM via Flickr

On my way to Twitter, I discovered that some very nice folks posted a link about my "piano practice tips."

http://ladydpiano.blogsppot.com/2007/11/piano-practice-tips.html
So, I wanted to send my thank you's to Mike Seville. For more information, visit Mike's site:

http://www.howtopractice.com


Mike has done incredible research on a subject that is close to my heart... practice, practice, practice! You can read Mike's awesome list in its entirety,50 websites that will improve your music practice:

http://www.howtopractice.com/?q=content/50-websites-will-improve-your-music-practice#comment-319


1. MusicianHome.com » Blog Archive » How To Practice At The Piano
2. Thomas J. West Music | Music Education Practice Tips
3. PRACTICE LESSONS
4. Fundamentals of Piano Practice
5. Concentrating while studying
6. How to Practice Sight Reading Piano Music - wikiHow
7. How Jazz Musicians Practice
8. How The Pros Practice - Guitar Noise
9. Violin Online - Practice Tips
10. PracticeSpot: Ideas and resources for great music lessons
11. Quantum Listening: From Practice to Theory (To Practice Practice)
12. Practice, Practice, Practice ... Music Study Skills
13. GuitarSocial.com Blog Posts
14. Performance Tips: Overcoming Stage Fright | The Jospels
15. Rock House Blog: Developing Great Practice Habits
16. music blog › 7 Tips for Effective Good Musical Practice–Music Blog Site
17. Music Practice Techniques for Learning Repertory | www.dagobon.com
18. LadyDpiano: Practice Tips
19. Become A Better Musician With Better Practice Habits | Bloggeron
20. The Importance of Dedicated Daily Practice In Learning to Play Music | Bloggeron
21. The key to guitar practice « IG BLOG (guitar - life)
22. Play guitar 2 hours every day for 10 years « IG BLOG (guitar - life)
23. The power of a short practice « IG BLOG (guitar - life)
24. The use of practice time
25. Music Practicing Tips
26. Music Tech Teacher, Music Quizzes, Games and Worksheets
27. The Collaborative Piano Blog
28. A Guide to Great Home Music Practice
29. Mel Bay's Woodshed - How to Practice
30. IntellectualMusician.com » How To Practice
31. Teaching How to Practice
32. How to practice
33. Practice Makes Perfect??? - Not Always!
34. Guitar Resource-lessons, scales, chords, technique and more
35. HOW TO | Practice
36. The Piano Place - How to Practice
37. Trumpet and Brass Playing Articles - How To Practice
38. BBC - h2g2 - How to Practise Music
39. eHow - How to Practice Music Effectively
40. How NOT to practice
41. A shared hanout - How To Practice
42. How to practice music without frustration
43. Pay Attention | Lateral Action
44. Be A Techie:)
45. Bandguys' Blog
46. About.com Music Education
47. Learn how to practice the saxophone
48. How to practice your musical instrument
49. What is real practice on guitar
50. And of course last but by no means least our own site - How To Practise

I'd also like to thank Free Staff Notes on Twitter

http://twitter.com/FreeStaffNotes
for tweeting about Mike Seville's
entry on 50 websites that will improve your practice that brought us all together to encourage others regarding our passion... mine is music education. Learn to play an instrument folks, not just for your own enjoyment, but perhaps someday playing in a band or becoming a church musician and playing Christmas songs for your family. In any case, once you learn music theory and apply it to your instrument and practice, you will have this gift to enjoy for all your life!

Happy practicing!



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Half Off Sale - The Secrets to Playing Piano by Ear Course Book



Over at Hearandplay.com, Jermaine Griggs is having a 50% off sale on one of his courses, learning to play the piano by ear. No, it's not a Dvd to watch but rather a music theory book loaded with tones of information for all you musicians.

300pg.Course-50%off Sale

The 300 page course book takes an easy approach to concepts that otherwise seem unreachable for those of us that use the self teaching approach. Although many of the concepts I've read before in other methods, I find amazing that Jermaine seems to expose every idea with the simplicity that makes it so easy to understand. I find myself referring to this popular book often.

For more information visit:

http://ladydpiano.blogspot.com/2008/10/play-piano-by-ear-course.html


The first 5 chapters of the book were a basic review of music theory and sight reading that anyone that's had some music lessons would know. The rest of the book is absolutely amazing. Jermaine Griggs shows how you can build on one another, like how to take triads like a Cmaj chord and build on it to a 7th chord, then a 9th, then a 13th. This book is full of "meat" of music theory and tips. EVERY MUSICIAN, WHETHER BEGINNING OR ADVANCED NEEDS TO GET THIS BOOK!

The 300 page course book is worth the money. It's good to learn music theory and how to apply it. The 300 page course is a theory book with bonus CD (sound library- audio examples). Jermaine's course covers beginning techniques, music theory, chords, progressions, improvisation, and more! You will want to order the 300 page course book, The Secrets To Playing Piano By Ear today. The half price sale is great!

300pg.Course-50%off Sale

Happy 4th of July!
~ LadyD






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