AUTUMN LEAVES CHORDS PIANO HOW TO

Two-hand piano chord voicings for “Autumn Leaves” with jazz trio (Level 1) Rootless Voicings Autumn Leaves Two-Handed Piano Voicings for Jazz Trio–Level 1 This example uses a combination of rootless voicings and quartal voicings which we’ll cover in more detail below. The example below demonstrates 4-note voicings for “Autumn Leaves” spread out for two hands. Another way to think about this is that chord voicings for one hand contain notes that are spaced apart by 2nds and 3rds whereas chord voicings for two hands are generally spaced apart by intervals larger than a 3rd. By contrast, solo jazz piano playing frequently leans on voicings that are smaller than one octave and can fit in the left hand by itself. The biggest difference is that in a trio setting, we can use both hands to play voicings spanning larger than one octave. When playing “Autumn Leaves” on piano in a jazz trio setting, there are some special considerations regarding chord voicings.

AUTUMN LEAVES CHORDS PIANO HOW TO

In you want to learn even more about the cycle of 5ths progression including how to play this progression in 3 different styles, check out our courses on Cycle of 5ths in 3 Jazz Styles ( Level 2, Level 3). Harmonic analysis of Cycle of 5ths Progression in G Major / E minor. Specifically, E7 is the 5-chord of A minor. This leads back to the first chord in the cycle. Also, measure 8 commonly features a dominant chord when repeating the progression. Note, many jazz musicians favor a minor 6 voicing for the 1-chord when resolving a 2-5-1 progression in minor.

The example below shows a harmonic analysis of the cycle of 5ths progression with root position 7th chords.

Therefore, you will frequently see references to “Autumn Leave” as being in G major/E minor (or B ♭ Major/G minor).

For example, the first half of the progression clearly outlines G Major while the second half outlines E minor. The cycle of 5ths progression above occurs in many jazz standards including “Autumn Leaves,” “Fly Me to the Moon” and “All the Things You Are.” One unique aspect of this progression is that in contains a 2-5-1 progression in both the major key and its relative minor. Cycle of 5ths chord progression in G Major (E minor). Let’s take a look at the chord progression for the A section. However, you can easily transpose the material to G minor or any other key you need using our Smart Sheet Music. For today’s lesson, we’ll examine the tune in E minor. This is extremely helpful to be aware of before blindly jumping into a jam session. For example, you’ll notice that The Real Book has the tune in E minor whereas The New Real Book has it in G minor. Again, it’s helpful to have a couple references here. Once you are familiar with the tune, next you’ll want to learn the melody and chords. You can find them on his pair of albums from 1961, Someday My Prince Will Comeand Wynton Kelly!. Jazz pianist Wynton Kelly (1931–1971) recorded several piano trio versions of “Autumn Leaves” that are quite accessible. This is recommended even before you rush to your Real Book. Okay, so you want to learn to play “Autumn Leaves” on piano in a jazz trio setting-but where do you begin? A very helping starting point is to find a one or more great recordings that are similar to your context. Thankfully, today’s lesson will get you ready to step into your next rehearsal or jam session with confidence-even if it’s your first! Autumn Leaves for Jazz Trio-First Things First While playing with others can be intimidating for many pianists, this is really what jazz is all about. In today’s Quick Tip, Yannick Lambrecht demonstrates a simple and tasty approach to “Autumn Leaves” on piano for a jazz trio setting. What are the essential differences between playing solo jazz piano versus playing in a piano trio? Even though a tune’s melody and harmony are the same in both contexts, what you play as a pianist is significantly modified for a trio setting.

Autumn leaves chords piano