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Jeff Brent's Lessons - Left Hand Tenths
Jeff Brent's Lessons - Left Hand Tenths
Jeff Brent's Lessons - Left Hand Tenths
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http://www.jeff-brent.com/Lessons/lh10ths.html
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http://www.jeff-brent.com/Lessons/lh10ths.html
Often you will put one of the following harmony notes inside the 10th using your index finger:
5th
6th
b7th
Maj7th
This adds to the color (depending on the quality of the chord), and also enables you to get
carpal tunnel much sooner than your peers <g>.
Tenths are commonly played 3 different ways:
- Simultaneous 10ths
- Broken 10ths [play the pinky note and THEN quickly play the thumb note - This technique is
not just for those with hands too small to hit a simultaneous 10th, broken tenths have a charm
and function all their own]
- Rolling 10ths [these generally include one of the interior notes mentioned above. Like broken
tenths the notes are not played simultaneously, but one after the next, ie. pinky then index then
thumb]
Some typical examples of "Walking 10th lines" are:
(F Maj or F7)
beat 1: 2F 3A
beat 2: 2G 3Bb
beat 3: 2Ab 3B
beat 4: 2A 4C
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http://www.jeff-brent.com/Lessons/lh10ths.html
(Bb 7)
beat 1: 2G 3Bb
beat 2: 2Gb 3A
beat 3: 2F 3Ab
beat 4: Bb7 chord voiced 3F Ab Bb 4D
Tenths are a staple of the Stride piano style typified by James P. Johnson, Fats Waller and Art
Tatum.
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With this style of Jazz Piano all of your standard chords (m7, m7b5, m6, m9, M7, M69, M9, 7,
7+5, 7b5, dim7, etc) are fair game.
The main consideration for the chords on the off beats is that you use an inversion that keeps
the 2nd finger of the left hand very near middle C.
Examples:
(middle C = 4C LH fingers: pinky = p / ring = r / middle = m / index = i / thumb = t)
Em7b5 = 3Gp Bbm 4Di Et (1st inv.)
F#7+5 = 3F#p A#m 4Di Et (root pos.)
Abm7 = 3Gbp Abr Bi 4Ebt (3rd inv.)
Bb7 = 3Fp Abm Bbi 4Dt (2nd inv.)
C7b5 = 3Gbp Bbm4 Ci Et (2nd inv.)
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http://www.jeff-brent.com/Lessons/lh10ths.html
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http://www.jeff-brent.com/Lessons/lh10ths.html
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An audio example of the use of left hand tenths in the Stride style.
My solo piano arrangement of Winter Wonderland (midi-audio).
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