Learning to play solo

[mcpepe]

Has someone examples of piano solo walking bass?

[moj]

Has someone examples of piano solo walking bass?

 

Here's one of the greatest solo pianist, with no peer when it came to walking bass lines.

 

[video:youtube]

[Bosendorphen]

That brings up another point. Playing "solo" piano and accompanying yourself (or others) singing are two different beasts entirely. It took me more years than I care to admit to figure this out and simplify my arrangements to support rather than compete with the vocals.

 

+1. When I started playing with bands all those years ago I had to reign in my left hand and learn to comp so as to compliment the other members' playing. Playing solo requires the opposite approach so when you're doing that the left hand goes back to being the bass and drums so to speak, while the right does the chords and melody. And the left hand not necessarily walking bass, but perhaps arpeggiated to sustain a rhythm of some kind. At least that's my approach although it can vary depending on the tune.

[mcpepe]

Good video!

Whats the name of the pianist?

[SK]

Dave McKenna

[AnotherScott]

Trying to play the same stuff I play with the band doesn't work out for me. The rhythm is clunky and boring, and my bass parts are simplistic. So much of the rhythmic interest supplied by the drums and bass in the band is missing and I don't know how to replace it

 

I'm curious, can you give some examples of some of the songs you tried that you couldn't find a way to work solo? Also, do you sing or do you also need the piano to cover the melody?

[Michelle ggurl]

Trying to play the same stuff I play with the band doesn't work out for me. The rhythm is clunky and boring, and my bass parts are simplistic. So much of the rhythmic interest supplied by the drums and bass in the band is missing and I don't know how to replace it

 

I'm curious, can you give some examples of some of the songs you tried that you couldn't find a way to work solo? Also, do you sing or do you also need the piano to cover the melody?

 

Good thread. First off, a disclaimer: the only solo piano I've been doing lately has been mostly in my living room, and some intros and outtros to songs my trio and I perform live. When I do these solo segments (which can be moderately long) I have a consistent way of approaching each song, ie, the arrangement is largely set, but there is improvisation involved.

 

I don't know that I can give specific examples of what doesn't work (because I can't think of any in my own experience that I've tried and canned), but I will say the main reason I choose a tune to do instrumentally is because the melody line is good ... OR, the if a melody is plain, its rhythm and the way it works with the chords makes it easy for me to be musical (as in "One Note Samba"). I think that is the key, really ... can you make the melody work for you?

 

Chord progressions of songs in and of themselves don't decide for me whether a song can be played solo, because there is so much leeway there -- in jazz in general, but even moreso if you're playing solo. So if the melody's working for you,and you start practicing the tune and coming up with a framework of rhythm and harmony that provides a sufficient idea of the song to your ears, then you found a song that works for you in solo context.

 

So how do you get that framework? Well, I really like the way Jazz+ described different "systems" of playing. I've never really broken it down to analyze it this way, but I'd say a high percentage of what I do solo falls into these categories. I also don't mind walking a bit of bass now and then, but find it horribly monotonous in the hands of most players to hear it all the time (and yes, I've heard players do it for most of every frikkin' song. While soloing as this one particular guy goes it's technically impressive, but not much feel and makes my head want to explode after the first song). I also throw in some LH bass/RH chord rhythmic and stylistic figures that are characteristic of Latin and Brazilian rhythms (RH tumbao bass and monutuno/solo line combination for example), because of the genre I play.

 

As always, YMMV. Solo piano is really an open canvas for you to convey what kind of artist you are, what your artistic vision is. It's also communication, so consider how "kind" you want to be to the listener ... if you want to be out there, you can play any standard you want without ever quoting the melody and reharmonizing it beyond recognition, and you would be expecting a certain kind of listener to "keep up" ... and that can be OK ... but for the usual restaurant gig or whatever, I'd be inclined to make sure the melody is obvious at some point. Just some of my thoughts.