Online store: gumroad.com/danthecomposer - In addition to Subscribing and Liking, do consider seeing all my recent videos in one place to keep up to date and find answers to questions you may have: ru-vid.comvideos - as well as considering my blog for a spot of wisdom: www.piano-jazz.blogspot.com. If you'd like to support me, try Patreon: www.patreon.com/danthecomposer
I am do grateful for have pressed this video when looking for how to play white christmas. I really like that you are trying to teach some fundinmental theories instead of letting people get their quick fix of just learning the song. I got an insight from 1-6-2-5-1 theory. It's been stopping my natural flow when I try to remember chords, and I like to play without anything in front of me anf try to improvise without being to structured.
+Sindri Björnsson Thank you and welcome to my channel. Your comment is appreciated. Based on your final comment, I would like to recommend this article I wrote on Conscious Interference. It will give you something to think about to help you to play more fluidly (natural flow): piano-jazz.blogspot.hu/2015/08/conscious-interference.html - Wish you well. Dan.
+Andre Williams Excellent to learn, thank you. Good luck with your progress! Have a good look around my channel for suitable playlists and videos. Also look around my blog: www.piano-jazz.blogspot.com - Welcome to my channel. Best, Dan.
cool...! just like Chris pointed out, it would've been wonderful if perhaps you present a short performance of the said song before the analysis. Nevertheless, i'm really thrilled by your perceptions and jazzy analytical ideas... Thanks
Welcome my friend. Thanks for your comment. Yes, it would have been better, I agree - I will make sure to do so for future tutorials :) You may enjoy this article: piano-jazz.blogspot.hu/2016/01/the-fear-of-spontaneity.html And this video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Y1QIkmxpM7c.html Best, Dan
Hi, great lesson! I have played classical for 40 year and now want to open my own playing to jazz. Already learning jazz guitar and sax so why not piano. Anyway, thanks again Ben
+Benjamin Cain Very good. Well, you're in the right place! Check out my playlists for ordered videos. You may also enjoy my blog: www.piano-jazz.blogspot.com - What you learn here can be applied to any other instrument so don't feel restricted. Welcome to my channel! Best, Dan.
Thank you Amir. You may also like this Christmassy tutorial: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-KvfGDCoIhTk.html You can have 'the pleasure' by emailing me: danthecomposer@gmail.com or joining my Water Pianism group: facebook.com/groups/waterpianismcommunity/ - or requesting anything and I'll see what I can do if I don't already have something! Perhaps see this article, too: piano-jazz.blogspot.com/2017/01/essentials-mastery.html Best, Dan
Loved this tutorial. I managed to play this quite well except for those sneaky runs I felt you squeezing in just so we get a taste of it. 😂🤣😂🤣😂 Would love to hear you play with all that😍😍😍
Thank you! I came acroos this awesome site while trying to prepare for a christmas program that I will be the musician and what a tremendous treasure of information and application that I wish I had found years ago. Wow the wisdom, knowledge and understanding that you have poured out is incredible. Again thank YOU!
Hello Wayland, thank you for your kind comment and welcome to my channel. As you know, giving is receiving! You may also like this tutorial for a classic Christmas song: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-KvfGDCoIhTk.html And perhaps see my blog? Perhaps this article: piano-jazz.blogspot.com/2015/10/the-mind-triangle.html Keep me updated and good luck with your program. Best, Dan
Dan, thank you very much for a great video. As someone who is learning the jazz side of keyboard play, I would like to get a recommendation from you on materials that will help me learn the theory and chord transitions that you speak about in this video and other chord transitions that are popular to jazz. Please and thank you.
+Doddy Wijanta Hello there and welcome :) I have a playlist which will be very useful for you: ru-vid.com/group/PL4cPpP-Ua6NXIaHkt-DBE7asr582uS5ku :) Do also get some inspiration from this article of mine: piano-jazz.blogspot.hu/2015/10/listening-to-jazz.html Good luck on your journey :) You are now not alone. Best, Dan
Hi Dan, been studying your video for quite some time, but will eternally struggle to play jazz as much as I would love to, I've sight read music since I was young. Right now it's slightly overwhelming and I was just wondering if you could advise me where to start.. Perhaps learning scales? Would appreciate any feedback, thank you & congrats on your beautiful playing xxx
Just came across your theory videos, this seems like the perfect place to start so do ignore my previous message, should have read the description box more clearly! :) perhaps now I will play White Christmas before next year! 😄 xx
+francescasbeauty Hello there and welcome! What a kind comment :) First of all: you will NOT eternally struggle to play jazz. You have me, and that means the beginning of your mental progress. You see, playing the piano follows the following energy channel: Mind > Body > Piano. A piano does not play the fingers which will tell the mind what to do, right? So, based on your comment, I will direct you to this article of mine so that your jazz dream comes true sooner than you would ever believe: piano-jazz.blogspot.hu/2015/10/the-mind-triangle.html - Once you understand the Mind Triangle philosophy, we can move forward with more piano-y thing but remember, piano is LAST, as you shall come to realise and eventually accept. Let me know how you get on and I'll direct you accordingly. Seasons Greetings to you! Best, Dan.
Hi Dan, great tutorial channel with an excellent approach and unique explanations. Please keep it up! In the tune above, there is one chord that throws me a little in terms of interpretation: the Bb7 after it goes up a 4th to the key of F. What is this Bb7? Is it the 5th degree in Eb, and if yes - why does it go there? It sounds interesting, but naturally I guess I would play the G7 (5th degree of the master key) instead. Would appreciate your opinion on this one for a better understanding. Thank you!
+Matej Tomic Hello Matej, thank you and welcome! Most kind. Good question: You're talking bout the chord at 3:15 right? That chord is not my choice, it's simply part of the piece already - I just enhance it later from a Bb7 to Bb13. The piece is in C (originally), it goes up a fourth, to F, like so many jazz songs, then THAT 4th goes up a 4th momentarily (F > Bb). Hope that helps!? Best, Dan
+danthecomposer Thanks Dan. Yes exactly that's the one I'm talking about (3:15). I see - but when it goes up a 4th for the second time (i.e. from Fmaj7 to Bb7/Bb13), what degree of the new key does it become? I assume it's not the new I (as it was the case with Fmaj) because it comes with a dominant 7, not a maj7. Just curious how to interpret this chord. Without having looked at the original score, would you have played the Bb13 naturally here or would you have chosen something like a G13 instead? Just one more question regarding 8:19: I guess that replacing the III-VI-II-V progression with this chromatic "falling down" is possible thanks to the triton substitution, isn't it? So the Ebm7 replaces the VI (Am7) and then the Db7 replaces the V (G7). However, for the last one (which replaces G7), you suggest to play a maj7 (Dbmaj7), not a dominant 7 (as one could derive from its triton, G7). So when working with triton substitutions, is it a common thing to replace a dominant 7 with a maj7?
+Matej Tomic The Bb is simply the 4th of the new key of F, but this is a 'passing key' rather than the key of the piece; I was simply highlight that jazz pieces SO OFTEN 'go up a fourth' :) I understand your confusion about the chord type but that is only true if you're adhering to modal theory logic. In 'root movement' logic, it is simply 'going up a 4th'; the chord type is irrelevant in this case. I would have 'heard' a dominant 7th sound, whereas, to be honest, I would have supposed a major 7th - when realising it is not, I would have understood that modal theory does not apply to this chord progression (since, as you say, it should be a M7 since it's the '4th of F'). You caught the tritone substitution, bravo! I didn't even mention that word so as not to confuse people but I will get a tutorial out on those in due course. I played a M7 on the Db since I like the 'falling down-ness' of the matching chord types when one semi-tone apart. My advice to you is to now start to break away from the theory you obviously understand very well as portrayed in your comments and begin to flex your own muscles, let's say. You understand modal law and tritone sub theory, so now break those rules. Rules are made, in jazz, to be broken. A nice quote by Bill Evans: It bugs me when people try to analyze jazz as an intellectual theorem. It’s not. It’s feeling. :)
+danthecomposer Thanks so much for the additional explanation. Well noted! Oh, in fact, you mentioned the triton substitution later in the video (at 27:28)! =) I had no idea about the concept before, so it kind of opened up a new door for me - like many of your tutorials. I started with classical piano more than 20 years ago, but then, much later, turned to Jazz. Since then I’ve played Jazz piano only from listening and experimenting, but never really acquired any profound knowledge about the different theoretical concepts. Things partially worked and partially didn’t - and I couldn’t figure out why. I totally agree with you (and Bill Evans of course) that Jazz shouldn’t be over-analyzed, but to be honest with you, I feel that such analyses at this point help me to build a frame that I can use to take it to the next level. Your videos (and podcasts) are very helpful!
Just come across your channel whilst looking for this Christmas song so I subscribed. Do you play any ragtime or old type blues? I would love to learn anything like that but not many people do this on RU-vid, gone out with the times but I still love the sound of it. Going to check out some of your other videos.
+Danny_PS4 I can play whatever is required, but you have inspired me to make a ragtime video. At school, I was known as Rag Man since I used to do all that; in fact, it's how I began! Consider the video done - assuming you're subscribed, which would be most delightful, you'll get a notification of it. Do also consider my blog: www.piano-jazz.blogspot.com - Welcome to my channel. All the best, Dan.
+danthecomposer Oh thank you so much, I look forward to watching it and learning. I can play some blues but not alot, mainly in C G F and also D, I should really learn blues in all of them really. You never hear of Ragtime now, I think it's great but not many share my view or maybe I'm wrong who knows. I have subscribed and will certainly check out your blog :)
+Tony Bayliss Thank you muchly and welcome. No, I do not, but that is good for you! To internalise a jazz piece is so very easy if you use the numbers based off 1. See my other christmas song: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas; I also discuss the structure as numbers and not 'letters in a key'. The melody is very easy to memorise by multiple listens to original recordings... but enjoy many different styles. Do trust me that this will enhance your listen skills, you will become more aware of styles you enjoy, feel more comfortable when playing without music and be very familiar with common chord progressions which appear in countless songs. You would do well to consider this moment a starting point in such an approach and amaze yourself! :)
Hello Dan, i checked out your song tutorials and i tried to download i'm dreaming of a white Christmas piano tutorial but there's something wrong with the link so i'm not able to download it. Can you send me a link so i can try to download it? Thanks, Mike
Hi Mike. Hmmm... the link to my Google Drive is missing from the description box. I have now added, but for you, it's here: drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B6F8XPGwXtibbzMtalZhVGxTQ0k - I also note that he score isn't in it so I did a search and I don't have it in my big file. I did a search online for a PDF of JPEG but couldn't find a good one... until I found this link: tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/bing_crosby/white_christmas_chords_40013 Transpose it up to C and it's basically the same as mine :) Or note your own down... you may remember them better that way. Best, Dan
Hello Arnold, In another video, you mention redoing it (The Christmas Song) due to the notes which are not visible... I think I will take your advice, especially due to the time of year (!) and improve both of them. Thank you for your comment. Can you at least learn something from this? I mean, the piano isn't completely silent! Best, Dan
Thanks Dan. :o) Oh yes I did learn something. But I LOVE the way you played the song in your version! It would be really great to learn your way note for note! :o) By the way.. do you have that thing that shows the keys you're playing like from 7notemode and PianoGroove? I'm sure your fans would love that as well as I do.
Thank you again :) I'll see what I can do but I am afraid of letting you copy me... it is important to Play You! I do not have that key showing thing since I'm not so clever and I like the full screen. It also encourages people not to copy me note for note... you know... like you want to, which won't help you at all! Best, Dan
+Jennifer Antonio Hello Jennifer :) Absolutely not! A sheet will blind you. This is your ego telling you that you're not good enough to remember a simple chord sequence and internalise a very common melody. I strongly encourage you, and you will thank me soon, to watch the video perhaps more closely, and absolutely visualise the chord progressions. They are based on the most common chord progressions in jazz/modern music so are nothing unique or complicated. Without the sheet, you will experience a new kind of freedom that you currently do not believe you have, otherwise you wouldn't even dream of asking for she sheet. I do hope you will not let your ego win and simply go and find a sheet or ask someone else. I want you to be the best pianist you can be, so I sincerely hope you will make the effort to learn this piece as described in such great detail as in the video! If you can identify the trouble spots, I will surely have a video or article to assist you rapidly. Best to you, Dan.
