Lydian Ending Practice Sessions

The Major ii-V-I Progressions Practice Sessions

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©2007 JazzPianoOnline.com

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The Lydian Ending Practice Sessions Practice Session 1 The objective: to learn how to use the lydian ending.

The task: Write out the ending to the tune You Are Too Beautiful.

Estimated time needed to complete this session: 30-45 minutes

1. Print this document and bring it to your piano or keyboard 2. The chord changes to You Are Too Beautiful are written on the staff below. In the extra 4

measures provided (the coda) write out the chords to the lydian ending. Remember the three parts to the ending:

a. The first chord is the the lydian chord- #iv-7b5. b. Add 4 chromatically descending -7th chords, 2 beats each. c. Add a subv (2beats) and the tonic I chord in the last measure.

3. Try to memorize the chords and the three steps that you used to write out the chords. 4. Self-Assessment.

a. Compare your answers with the answer key at the end of this document. Correct any errors.

b. If you wrote most of the chords correctly, move on to the next practice session. c. If you made several mistakes try it again; print out a fresh copy of the blank staves and

write out the progressions again without looking at the answers. If you were able to complete the progressions a second time with few mistakes, move on to the next practice session.

d. If you were unable to write out the ending at all, review the lesson and re-take the quizzes. Feel free to ask questions about anything that you don’t understand. Try writing out the ending again, and if you can write them out with few errors then move on to the next practice session. Otherwise, repeat this step until you can write out the ending without errors.


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Practice Session 2 The objective: to learn to play the lydian ending.

The task: play with the play-along file to the tune You Are Too Beautiful.

Estimated time needed to complete this session: 10 minutes

1. Open the play-along file “You Are Too Beautiful.” 2. Play along with the accompaniment however you’d like while reading the chords from practice

session 1. (LH chords with or without the RH melody* and/or improvisation or two-handed chords.) The file lasts 3 choruses. On the final chorus take the coda to play the ending. NOTE: to make this session more challenging, try to play the ending without looking at the chords that you wrote out.

3. Self-Assessment. e. If you played the ending correctly and in time with no mistakes, move on to the next

practice session. f. If you played the ending correctly and in time with a few mistakes, try it again at a

slower tempo, say 60bpm. Once you can play it with no mistakes at 60bpm, increase it until you can play it with no mistakes at 80bpm, then move on to the next practice session.

g. If you played the ending with several mistakes try it again at a slower tempo, say 60bpm. Once you can play it with no mistakes at 60bpm, increase it until you can play it with no mistakes at 80bpm, then move on to the next practice session.

h. If you were unable to play the ending in time, review the lesson and re-take the quizzes. Feel free to ask questions about anything that you don’t understand. Try it again at a slower tempo, say 60bpm. Once you can play it with no mistakes at 60bpm, increase it until you can play it with no mistakes at 80bpm, then move on to the next practice session.

*The tune is in the Real Book Sixth Edition which is available for purchase at the JazzPianoOnline store. To access the store, go to the “further listening/reading” section at the end of the lesson and click the link to go to the store.


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Practice Session 3 The objective: to learn to play the lydian ending with any tune of your choosing.

The task: choose a tune, decide if it is suitable and write out the ending.

Estimated time needed to complete this session: 30+ minutes

1. Choose a tune from a Real Book. (Several Real Books are available for purchase at the JazzPianoOnline.com store. To access the store, go to the “further listening/reading” section at the end of the lesson and click the link to go to the store.)

2. Make sure the tune is in a major key. If it isn’t, choose another. This ending works only on major key tunes.

3. Find the cadence to the I chord at the end of the tune. This is usually in the last 2 or 4 measures of the tune.

4. Write (in pencil) a coda symbol after the V7 chord. 5. At the bottom of the lead sheet write another coda sign followed by the chords of the ending

seperated every 4 beats by barlines. Start with a lydian chord, #iv-7b5 of the key, or a half step down from the V7 chord.

6. Continue writing the chords of the ending. Add 4 chromatically descending -7 chords, a subv and the tonic I chord, all 2 beats each.

7. Self-Assessment. i. Play back the ending that you wrote out. Does it sound correct? If not, make sure the

tune is in a major key. Make sure the first chord is correct- #iv-7b5 of the key, a half step away from the V7 chord and that the chords that follow are chromatic -7 chords, a subv and the tonic.

j. If you are stuck email for help. k. NOTE: use this ending sparingly. It can easily be overused.


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Practice Session 1 Answer Key

Documents

Lydian Ending Practice Sessions