PLAYING BALLADS - Jeremy Siskind

CHAPTER 13: THE QUARTER-NOTE STYLE BALLAD 101

13. THE QUARTER-NOTE STYLE BALLADThere are as many ways to play a ballad as there are jazz pianists. The following chapters will describe the most com-mon approaches to ballad playing in the solo piano style.

Repeated Quarter NotesIn a quarter-note style ballad, a softly repeated quarter note is played in an inner voice of a shared-hand voicing. The repeated quarter note serves as the timekeeper, replacing a drummer’s brushes on the snare drum, which would mark the pulse for a ballad in a larger group. Generally, this style of ballad is played with straight eighth notes. Some modern pianists, including Keith Jarrett, Brad Mehldau, and Fred Hersch, use this approach. When executed well, quarter-note style ballads put the focus squarely on the melody and communicate the tune intimately and directly with the listener.

Typically, the repeated note is played by the thumb of either the right or left hand in the tenor range, approximately between C3 and C4. Occasionally, two notes are used as the timekeeper, most commonly when the pianist is using a corner thumb. It is imperative that these repetitions are very soft, almost inaudible, felt but not heard.

The melody harmonization of “Danny Boy” from chapter nine will serve as the basis for the examples in this chapter. In the first measure, the left-hand thumb is too low to serve as the repeated note (see example 13.1). The lowest note in the right hand, which plays two notes using a corner thumb, should be repeated instead. In the second measure, the right-hand thumb should not serve as the repeated note because it overlaps with the melody, so the repeated note will switch to the left-hand thumb.

Example 13.1 Quarter-note style ballad

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With the quarter-note repetition highlighting certain parts of the chord, it is easy to see the benefits of good voice leading. In example 13.1, the line created by the repeated notes descends smoothly from E in measure two to D and C in measure three.

In the last four measures of “Danny Boy,” the harmonic rhythm accelerates to one chord change every beat (see example 13.2). If the harmonic rhythm is already changing in quarter notes, there is no need to add extra quarter note pulses. Fill in only where there are missing spaces.

PLAYING BALLADS

102 PLAYING SOLO JAZZ PIANO

Example 13.2 Last four measures of “Danny Boy” with quarter-note pulses

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Because there are so many notes in the left-hand chords of example 13.2, the pianist can choose a finger other than the thumb for the repetition while remaining in the tenor range (see example 13.3).

Example 13.3 Last four measures of “Danny Boy” with second !nger repeating

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Introducing TensionsTensions are notes introduced on the beat to create suspense and necessitate a resolution. Typically, these notes are a whole step or a half step away from a chord tone.

Tensions closely resemble the last two parts of a suspension in classical theory, the suspension and resolution. However, because the tense notes are not properly introduced as suspensions, the term “suspension” does not quite apply. Like suspensions, tensions should not be introduced while the resolution note is present.

Many of these tensions will be familiar to musicians with a classical background. The most common tension to intro-duce is a fourth above the bass that resolves to a third above the bass. It is also common to resolve a seventh above the bass to a sixth above the bass, particularly for chords in first inversion.

However, because jazz harmony allows for so many possible chord tones, there are many tensions jazz musicians can use that would shock a classical theorist (see example 13.4). For example, jazz musicians can “resolve” a major seventh to a minor seventh, a perfect fifth to a sharp eleventh, or a sharp nine to a flat nine. Sometimes, the harmony can resolve upwards. For instance, a sharp five can resolve to a sixth and or sharp four can resolve to a fifth.

The word “resolve” is in quotes above because some of these supposed resolutions merely change the sonority of the chord rather than resolving the dissonance. Although the most typical embellishments move from a more tense to a less tense sound, a shift in colors is enough to create motion in a solo piano arrangement.


Example 13.4 Possible tension-resolution combinations

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Example 13.5 shows the first few measures of “Danny Boy” embellished using creative tensions. In measure one, a sharp five resolves upwards to a sixth. In measure three, a major seventh resolves to a minor seventh and a fourth resolves to a third. Finally, in measure four, a perfect fifth “resolves” to a sharp eleventh.

Example 13.5 Using creative tensions

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The tensions don’t necessarily have to be introduced as part of the repeated quarter notes. Tensions can be introduced in any voice and then given a proper resolution in the next beat. For example, in the fourth measure of “Danny Boy,” although the repeated quarter notes are in the right hand, the pianist can add quarter notes in the left hand that resolve from the major seventh to the minor seventh, the appropriate seventh for the dominant chord (see example 13.6).

Example 13.6 Resolution away from the repeated note

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Furthermore, multiple tensions can be introduced at once and these tensions don’t even have to resolve the same way. Example 13.7 shows two examples of tensions introduced and resolved simultaneously. In the first example, three notes resolve together from beat one to beat two. In the second, two chromatic tones resolve in opposite directions.

Example 13.7 Multiple tensions resolved at once

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It is common to decorate tensions with turns, repetitions, or enclosures that highlight the internal movement. Example 13.8 shows some ways to decorate measures three and four of “Danny Boy.”

Example 13.8 Decorating tensions and resolutions

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One special way to decorate tensions and resolutions is to double them in octaves (see example 13.9). Octave doubling only works when the melody is holding or resting because it requires finger availability in both hands. If successful, octave doubling can create an orchestral sensibility in a ballad context.

Example 13.9 Doubling tensions and resolutions in octaves

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Being Creative with Bass and Upper Register In addition to moving the inner voices in a quarter-note style ballad, pianists can be creative with the melody and bass.

Generally, the bass is played simultaneously with each chord change and held for the length of the chord. To add syncopation, the bass can be moved an eighth note in either direction, anticipating or following the change of chord (see example 13.10).

Example 13.10 Bass delays and anticipations

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Beyond syncopation and delay, it is possible to repeat and ornament bass notes or form stepwise lead-ins to the next chord (see example 13.11).


Example 13.11 Bass repetitions and lead-ins

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Besides filling in the bass, the whole upper register is available to fill in between melodic phrases using chords or melodies (see example 13.12). Because the repeated quarter-note ballad style is so intimate, pianists should avoid flashy, virtuosic flourishes in favor of tastefully adding splashes of color.

Example 13.12 Filling in the upper register

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Playing the Melody ExpressivelyPlaying a quarter-note style ballad can feel like embodying a soloist and accompanist at the same time. Because so much focus is placed directly on the melody, it is imperative that pianists learn to play the melody expressively. One device that pianists can borrow from vocalists is back-phrasing, playing the melody with a significant rhythmic delay (see example 13.13). When back-phrasing, pianists must learn the lyrics of the song they are playing and phrase their melody in a way that honors the pacing, accentuation, and content of the lyrics. Even though pianists might become anxious about trailing the harmony, hurrying the melody should be avoided because rushing to resolutions destroys the calm mood that pervades a well-played quarter-note style ballad.


Example 13.13 Back-phrasing

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If back-phrasing is possible, is there such a thing as forward-phrasing, playing the melody earlier than it is written? There is, but because being a little behind sounds hip and being a little ahead can sound frantic, forward-phrasing is not nearly as common as back-phrasing. Forward-phrasing can work if it is more subtle and on a smaller scale than back-phrasing (see example 13.14).

Example 13.14 Forward-phrasing

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Another way to personalize the melody is by playing melody notes with a variety of articulation, including legato notes, staccato notes, non-legato notes, and two-note slurs (see example 13.15). Having variety in the articulation gives the melody a unique personality and helps distinguish the melody from the pad-like accompaniment.

Example 13.15 Playing the melody with mixed articulation

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JEREMY’S TIPS: PEDALING FOR QUARTER-NOTE BALLAD STYLE

Pianists should partially lift the pedal every quarter note when playing a quarter-note style ballad (see example 13.16). Partially lifting the pedal is called half-pedaling or half-clearing, although the actual depth of an appropriate lift depends on the regulation of the pedals. Half-pedaling suits the quarter-note style ballad because completely lifting the pedal for each quarter note introduces silences that create a choppy performance whereas holding the pedal down for multiple beats sacrifices the clarity of the melody.

Even though the pedal is being engaged every beat, it is important to play the melody with as much finger legato as possible. While the half-pedaling facilitates connections between the chords and creates an atmosphere of intimacy, it is not an effective tool to connect a legato melody.

Example 13.16 Pedaling for quarter-note style ballads

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In order to get the hang of lifting the pedal only part of the way, spend a moment locating different depths in the sustain pedal. Without playing a note, press the pedal down all the way. After noticing the depth of a full pedal, try to find two evenly spaced points in the pedal’s depth. Once two even points have been located, is it possible to find three? Four? Five?

Next, play a single chord with the pedal down and experiment with lifting the pedal to different release points. The results will differ from piano to piano and these nuances will probably make no difference at all on an electronic keyboard. Listening to the chord, the appropriate depth for half-pedaling will be a spot where the tail of the sound persists but the primary attack disappears.

For Further StudyBlake, Ran. “You Stepped Out of a Dream.” Grey December: Live in Rome. Tompkins Square Records, 2011. Brubeck, Dave. “For All We Know.” Private Brubeck Remembers. Telarc, 2004. Hersch, Fred. “All of You.” Songs Without Words, Volume 3: Cole Porter. Nonesuch, 2001.Mehldau, Brad. “Someone to Watch Over Me.” Live in Tokyo. Nonesuch, 2004.Mehldau, Brad. “On the Street Where You Live.” 10 Years Solo Live. Nonesuch, 2015.

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PLAYING BALLADS - Jeremy Siskind