Customer Reviews

DVD-Learn To Play Jazz Piano Standards

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This DVD has really helped me expand my jazz piano playing, and sped up my development.

Andy takes 6 great standard tunes and shows how you might arrange the song from a lead sheet which just shows the melody and the basic chord changes.

First he just demonstrates a basic version of the tune with basic 7th chord voicings in the left hand and melody in the right hand. He then demonstrates a more elaborate version of the tune by using more complex voicings and some approach chords that make the arrangement sound a lot fuller. By playing it back at 50% speed on the Disklavier piano without Andy obstructing the keys, you get to see these voicings which is very, very helpful.

He then reharmonises the tune which I still have to study, but is obviously very useful to show what can de done by completely changing the harmonic structure of the tune, makes the song sound completely fresh. Andy finishes off by playing a contrafact which is a new melody over the original chord changes.

I always used to ask what the "secret" was to the voicings of legendary players like Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, Bill Evans, McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock etc but Andy Laverne shows how to do it. Sometimes it is just one or two notes that make the chord sound richer, and this DVD unlocks the "secrets" to these questions of what the legends actually do.

I would say this is the best Jazz Piano DVD on the market. I wouldn't recommend it to beginners, as knowledge of basic chords and harmony is required. There is a lot of material/study here but it's just like having a one to one lesson with an incredible jazz pianist. I wish he would do another sequel DVD with more arrangements of other standards.

Andy Laverne is a great teacher. All good teachers have a flare for passion. Andy is one of the best and his passion for teaching is evident in everything that he does. His presentation of the material is logical and straightforward and allows the student ample time to absorb the information and put it to practical use. I'm always on the lookout for anything that Andy has to offer.

Andy Laverne is an experienced musician and teacher.He knows that it's very important to a student to play well arranged examples in standard formats and reharmonized versions to compare and feel those new ways to expand arranging skills.It's better than study static theories and rules.Great instructional DVD for any musician,no matter the instrument he plays.That's important to say that the beautiful and amazing reharmonizations are very sophisticated and a pleasure to listen to.Highly recommended.

... that this vid is NOT for beginners. And even for those who are more advanced and could use some of the advice, I don't think it's worth the price. You will be viewing the artist at his piano just playing the song (looking at his face in the top half of the screen while viewing his fingers playing on the piano keyboard) in 'basic' mode. Then he plays it again embellishing it while recording it on the Yamaha disclavier that he is using. Then you see the piece played back just viewing the keys playing on their own, which is totally useless for instruction even though he plays it back at half tempo. Then, on to the next song.

All the while the artist is explaining the chords he is playing and some reasons why he is embellishing some of them and adding some licks, etc. But as far as worthwhile and practical instruction goes: Fuhgeddaboutit!

If you like watching this fellow play while listening to his interpretations of the pieces while he droning on, "G flat major. C sharp sus, D flat minor, etc", and/or if you are a fairly well advanced student, then perhaps you may like this DVD. But if you are a beginner and want to know HOW to play a piece(s) step-by-step, then this is not for you.

Two stars for the audio and video quality, and the quality of viable instruction for what amounts to very little, if any `instruction'. Maybe even one star. Maybe zero stars. Totally useless instructional DVD.