Chords for Jazz Piano Lesson #1: 1-2 Alternative Scale Fingering for Major Scales

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ Lesson 1
Alternative Fingerings for Major Scales
This is a concept I came across a couple years ago while studying the music of Lenny Tristano.
There's a couple key important ideas to keep in mind while playing through the scales.
_ The first is to maintain a legato articulation throughout, meaning that each note from note to note should remain smooth.
_ _ The second important thing to keep in [Gb] mind is
to produce a song-like singing tone out of every note you play.
You can do this by concentrating on
_ _ hearing and
feeling [C] each finger sink deeply into the bottom of the key bed for each note, for example.
_ _ _ [Bm] _ _ _ [Em] _ _
_ _ Concentrate on feeling almost as if my hands are [C] going to fall through the key bed and the keys get in the way.
_ _ [D] _ _
_ [Em] _ _ _ _ The last important thing [G] you need to keep in mind [Ab] is timing,
specifically rhythmic timing with the metronome.
We're going to be playing both hands at the same time in contrary motion.
We want to make sure our [G] fingers go down at exactly the same time for the scale.
[C] _ _ _ [Bm] _ _ _ [A] _ _
_ _ _ _ We'll be playing our scales at
60 beats per minute today, but you could also go as [C] slow as 40 and as fast as 80.
_ Remember that you shouldn't rush to try to play faster, and if you [Ab] can't get the fingerings down exactly with both hands,
feel free [Gb] to practice the fingers
[G] with separate hands before [B] you put both hands together. _ _ _
[G] I'm going to demonstrate the first four scales on the list,
but you should continue to play all 12 keys every single [Abm] day until you have the concept mastered. _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ Thank [C] you.
_ _ _ _ [Bm] _ _ [A] _ _ [G] _ _ _ [E] _ _ [D] _ _
[C] _ _ [Bm] _ _ [A] _ _ [G] _ _
_ [E] _ _ [D] _ _ _ _ _
_ [E] _ _ [F] _ _ _ [A] _ _
[Bm] _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ [E] _ _
[G] _ _ _ [A] _ _ [Bm] _ _ [C] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Db] _ _ _ _ _ _ [Cm] _ _
[Bb] _ _ [Ab] _ _ [Gb] _ _ _ [Eb] _
_ [Db] _ _ [Cm] _ _ [Bb] _ _ [Ab] _
_ [Gb] _ _ _ [Eb] _ _ [Db] _ _
[Eb] _ _ [F] _ _ [Gb] _ _ [Ab] _ _
_ [Cm] _ _ [Db] _ _ _ _ [F] _
_ [Gb] _ _ _ [Bb] _ _ [Cm] _ _
[Db] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [D] _ _ _ [Dbm] _ _ [B] _
_ [A] _ _ [G] _ _ [Gb] _ _ _
[D] _ _ [Dbm] _ _ [B] _ _ [A] _ _
[G] _ _ [Gb] _ _ [E] _ _ [D] _ _
[E] _ [Gb] _ _ [G] _ _ [A] _ _ [B] _
_ [Dbm] _ _ _ [E] _ _ [Gb] _ _
[G] _ _ [A] _ _ [B] _ _ [Dbm] _ _
[D] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [Eb] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Dm] _ _ _ _ [Bb] _ _ [Ab] _ _
[G] _ _ [F] _ _ _ [D] _ _ [C] _
_ [Bb] _ _ [Ab] _ _ [G] _ _ [F] _
_ [Eb] _ _ _ [G] _ _ [Ab] _ _
[Bb] _ _ _ _ [Dm] _ _ [Eb] _ _
[F] _ [G] _ _ [Ab] _ _ [Bb] _ _ [C] _
_ [Dm] _ _ [Eb] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [N] _