Category: piano

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Ways To Play “A Time For Love”

The gorgeous Johnny Mandel composition A Time For Love may be played in a variety of ways. The day I heard Emmet Cohen’s exquisite performance of this tune I became transfixed, not only with transcribing his dynamic cadenza/coda, but also took a deep dive into what he and other artists did with this tune, eventually combining ideas into my own version of A Time For Love. Let’s go down the rabbit hole to explore some favorite harmonic options!

The next step of this  journey led to finding a chart in a collection of tunes called, The Standards Real Book (Sher Publications). The tune is printed in the key of F Major -same key played by the Emmet Cohen Trio – although this standard is often performed by other musicians in the key of Bb. While the Sher book is a terrific resource for tunes, chords, and lyrics, just about every jazz pianist (myself included), likes to add their own harmony and personalize their arrangements, at least a little. So I set out to change up a few chords and create some flowing bass lines in a few places, and gave the ballad a solo piano approach, instead of the book’s suggested Double X Samba treatment!

Watch this tutorial to explore several options. Worksheets are printable under the “Downloads” column on this website. I’ve written out solo piano voicings for a few tricky areas which differ from Sher’s lead sheet suggestions:

Take a listen to my version complete with improvised intro & solo section, with a coda/cadenza inspired by Emmet Cohen Trio Live in Warsaw April 2023 performance. Note: If I get enough positive reacations and requests I just might share my transcription of EC’s hauntingly beautiful ending…;-)

Check out the links below my video to hear musicians who each did amazing performances of this timeless love song, and enjoy!

Key of F: Pianist Emmet Cohen, bassist Philip Norris, and drummer Kyle Poole:    • Emmet Cohen Trio | “A Time For Love” … (Emmet Cohen Trio Live Warsaw Second Set April 2023)  

Barry Harris: Key of Bb:                                                                                                                 • Barry Harris Trio (Live At Dug) – A T…   (Barry Harris Live at Dug 1995)   

Roy Hargrove Key of Bb: (Opening uses the note F in the bass)                                • ROY HARGROVE  –  A Time For Love   (Roy Hargrove Quintet Live At The New Morning July 2007)  

Bill Evans begins in Key of D, then transitions to Bb:                                                      • Transcripción: A time for love por Bi…   (Bill Evans Transcription Nacho Stoppani 2016)   

Tony Bennett sings in Key of Bb: It’s wise to hear the lyrics if a tune has them. Hear how Tony Bennett emotes the poetic lyrics by Paul Francis Webster        • A Time For Love   (Tony Bennett Sony with orchestra 1966)

 

 

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Art Of A Beautiful Ballad: Emmet Cohen Plays “Where Is Love?”

Amazing jazz pianist Emmet Cohen knows how to make the piano sing during  the tune “Where Is Love?” from Oliver! Let’s compare his 6 live performances of this beautiful ballad, to see what makes his takes so lovely.

Here’s my simpler chart of “Where Is Love” with lyrics (this may be important to help a ballad’s interpretation) in Emmet’s chosen key of A Major:    Continue reading “Art Of A Beautiful Ballad: Emmet Cohen Plays “Where Is Love?””

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Block Chords (Locked Hands Style) vs Spread Chords: How Pianists Create Them

There are certain types of rich chord techniques the jazz pianist ought to have under their fingers in a piano/bass/drums or larger group setting. Both Block and Spread Chords may be used for a full sounding effect during the melody of certain tunes. Additionally, these styles may be used to build intensity during a piano solo, or culminating in impressive spread chords at the solo’s highpoint. Continue reading “Block Chords (Locked Hands Style) vs Spread Chords: How Pianists Create Them”

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In A Sentimental Mood: Ways To Harmonize

Fun Fact: The gorgeous Duke Ellington composition In A Sentimental Mood begins with an ascending melody formed from a pentatonic scale. These same pickup notes (F,  G,  A,  C,  D,  F,  G) could also lead into the Gershwin classic Someone To Watch Over Me, but would land on another starting chord and go into a whole different tune altogether. (See Idea #29 “Chromatic Pickups”, notated on page 44 of my book Amazing Phrasing-Keyboard, found here): https://www.amazon.com/author/debbiedenkemusic Continue reading “In A Sentimental Mood: Ways To Harmonize”

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Music Game #2: Happy Memories Retirement Home (Playtime for Piano Teacher & Student)

Are you ready to play The “Home” Game? Truth be told, many music students, hobbyists, and professionals bring on the smiles playing for audiences in retirement homes. The power of music can be both healing and comforting. Famous singer Tony Bennett has been in the news of late as we witness him suffering Alzheimers disease, yet to see his face light up as he sings with amazing recall is incredibly inspiring. Aspiring musicians of all ages can test drive their upcoming concert material in front of receptive senior audiences. Teen piano students get not only performance experience, but may earn high school community service credit by playing in retirement homes. Continue reading “Music Game #2: Happy Memories Retirement Home (Playtime for Piano Teacher & Student)”

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Music Game #1: “Tip Jar” (Playtime For Teacher & Piano Student)

Feeling slightly “under the weather” but still wanting to teach, I asked 2 adult jazz piano students to meet online for lessons. Educators know that teaching over the internet requires extra energy to communicate, and I was a bit short of breath. What valuable lessons could I give my inquisitive students that would keep their fingers busy while I listened, hydrated,  and encouraged them, with minimal talking on my part? I took a couple hits off my inhaler and came up with a “game plan” (modeled after real life situations I’ve had as a performer), and tested it out on my students. Together we had a good deal of fun playing these online socially safe music games. Continue reading “Music Game #1: “Tip Jar” (Playtime For Teacher & Piano Student)”

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Big Ideas For Small Hands: How To Write a Full Sounding Piano Arrangement

Let’s take the lovely ballad Skylark (by Johnny Mercer/Hoagy Carmichael), and learn how to enhance a ballad’s melody with beautiful chords and a foundational bass line. In this video observe how I took a chart from an old fakebook and updated some chords more to my liking, a process called reharmonization:


Continue reading “Big Ideas For Small Hands: How To Write a Full Sounding Piano Arrangement”

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Growing Up Around A Piano: Memories of My Brother

Frank Denton Denke (6/17/1934 – 1/29/2021)

I didn’t get the opportunity to ‘grow up’ with my big brother Denton and oldest sister Diane, since these first born 2 siblings had already left the nest. Our mother Virginia (singing in the photo) behind our father Frank R. Denke (playing the piano) really spread the 4 of us out in age: My brother was born about a year after our parents married, followed by my sister Diane (not pictured) a few years later. 10 years after Diane my sister Connie was born (the teen girl singing), and 12 years later I came along. I’m the little girl in this newspaper article, looking up at her big brother, who planned to leave for the following 3 years doing Catholic Charity work as a teacher in Chile. Continue reading “Growing Up Around A Piano: Memories of My Brother”

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Arranging Tip for the Pianist’s Left Hand: Broken 10th & Variations

 

The Broken 10th device most likely got introduced during a Nocturne by composer Frédéric Chopin. It’s a very rich sounding accompaniment for the pianist’s left hand, made with only the root, 5th, and 3rd of a chord. (If you take the 3rd out of the middle of a close position triad and transpose it up an octave it is now called the 10th.) Pianists with large enough hands may be able to play the 10th solidly as a chord, but those with smaller hands fear not – the video below shows 2 handed “cheating” ways to play walking 10ths, plus some lovely ways to break up 10th chords in a variety of rhythmic patterns. Continue reading “Arranging Tip for the Pianist’s Left Hand: Broken 10th & Variations”

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An Experiment With ‘Rhythm Changes’ (Skeletons Dance at Midnight)

Ever wonder what would happen if you took Rhythm Changes and put them in a minor key? You just might get a spooky October surprise!

First, let’s define “Rhythm Changes“. (It has nothing to do with a rhythm changing or any meaning close to that. This jazz musician term is simply a shortening of the phrase, ‘Play the same chords (aka the changes) that George & Ira Gershwin used for their popular tune, I Got Rhythm’. Knowing how to improvise over Rhythm Changes (especially in the key of Bb), is an expected part of every jazz musician’s repertoire, next in line after being able to improvise over the 12 bar blues form. Continue reading “An Experiment With ‘Rhythm Changes’ (Skeletons Dance at Midnight)”

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