Gabe Jazz Lesson 12

📝 Lesson Summary

Date: June 18, 2026

Teacher: Gabe

Main focus: Blues comping evolution, left-hand independence, two-hand dialogue, melody work (Bag's Groove + chord chart reading)

🎹 Topics Covered

1. Blues Comping — Check-In & Voicing Feedback

You opened by playing what you've been working on: blues comping with 3-note voicings across different LH rhythms. Gabe's immediate observation:

"These voicings sound kind of silly." — Gabe

He came over and demoed how the voicings should sound with more spread and weight. Key correction: the V chord (5 chord) naturally pulls toward resolution — make sure you're feeling that tension and not glossing over it.

On the five-two transition: This keeps not sticking. Gabe simplified it — it doesn't need to be complex:

"You could just do two chords of the one and then go right to two." — Gabe

But the dominant passing chord before the two adds that tension feel that makes the blues sound right.

2. Left-Hand Independence — Three Approaches

This was the heart of the lesson. Gabe expanded the framework for what the LH can do:

"None of these are better — these are just different. These are the things that make it who you are." — Gabe

Key insight from the session: When you tried Option 2 (playing in the holes), you realized it's more than just filling space — it requires understanding how the phrase should sound so the dialogue can happen naturally.

"It's understanding how the phrase should sound so that [the dialogue] can happen. Or like the dialogue. Anticipating. Yeah, it needs to be really logical." — Daix, confirmed by Gabe

3. Right-Hand Phrasing — Rhythm-First, Space-First

Gabe pushed the 50/50 space principle hard this lesson:

"Think about almost like 50/50 in terms of space." — Gabe

When Daix played with more space, Gabe noticed immediate improvement:

"That was a big step better already. You'll hear it on the tape when you go back and listen." — Gabe

On starting notes: You mentioned practicing starting solos on the 9th, 13th, sharp 11 — Gabe confirmed this is exactly the right mindset:

"Start on all sharp 11s. It's really bright, it's really punchy." — Gabe

4. Two-Hand Spread Voicings (with bass player context)

Gabe showed you some wider two-hand voicings for playing in a group context with bass and soloist. These are different from solo piano comp — more spread out, extensions built in.

Notable harmony concepts introduced:

• Upper structure triads: A Bb triad over a D chord = sharp 9 / flat 13
• 3-6-2-5 instead of 1-6-2-5: A reharmonization move to try

"These are if you were playing in a jam session and there were a bass player and there were a soloist." — Gabe

5. New Melody — Bag's Groove (by John Lewis)

Gabe taught this by ear. Background:

• Written by John Lewis (pianist)
• "Bags" was the nickname of Milt Jackson (vibraphonist), his partner in the Modern Jazz Quartet
• Structure: one phrase, repeated three times — that's the whole head

"One phrase, three times. The phrase is... that's it. That's the whole tune." — Gabe

Practice note: make sure the phrase starts rhythmically clean — you had a tendency to rush the beginning of the phrase.

6. Chord Chart Reading — Major Key Tune

Gabe had you read a chart on a major-key tune. Main feedback:

• You're very comfortable in blues but major key requires a mode shift in your ear and hands
• LH by itself first — isolate before integrating
• If the melody pushes the chord out of the way, that's fine: melody takes priority
• One chord before the beginning to orient yourself before you start playing

"If the melody pushes the chord out of the way, that's fine. Yeah." — Gabe

On swing eighth notes: there's a common misconception that they should feel choppy. Gabe corrected this — they should feel smooth, connected:

"It's everybody. It's really common." — Gabe

7. Listening Assignment

Gabe sent you back to Freddie Freeloader (Miles Davis) — specifically to listen to Wynton Kelly's left hand:

"You're going to hear so much more. I guarantee it. Go listen to that one." — Gabe

You tried imitating it before and it made no sense. Gabe's point: with the ear you have now, it will land completely differently.

🔑 Key Feedback

• Your fluency and feel have genuinely improved — the LA jam session made a real difference
• The 5-2 transition is still the main harmonic blind spot — keep drilling it
• Melody must win: chord voicings yield to the melody, not the other way around
• Space = 50/50 in your solos, not just "some" space
• Keep listening actively — you'll hear Wynton Kelly's LH in a new way now
• All jazz is memorized patterns assembled in real time — that's not cheating, that's the whole thing

📅 Practice Plan

Daily (every day, ~15 min)

Bag's Groove — Melody by Ear

• Play the phrase clean: start on the right beat, no rushing
• Melody only first — minimal embellishment
• Legato eighth notes, not choppy

Mon + Thu — LH Independence Isolation

Goal: make each LH mode automatic

• Drill Option 2 (filling holes): solo RH freely for 4 bars, then LH fills during your mental "space" — no metronome pressure, feel the dialogue
• Rotate through Option 3 patterns: Charleston → Half notes → Red Garland, 8 min each
• Do NOT let LH mirror RH — catch it when it happens and reset

Tue + Fri — Blues Comping with Dialogue

Goal: genuine two-hand conversation

• Full blues, both hands
• Pick one LH mode per chorus, rotate
• 50/50 space: if RH is talking, LH listens; and vice versa
• On the 5 chord: feel the pull, let it resolve
• Drill the 5→2 transition specifically: 2 bars of 1, then resolve to 2

Wed + Sat — Chord Chart + Major Key Work

Goal: get comfortable outside the blues

• Read major key chart from lesson
• Start with LH alone until it feels automatic
• Add melody — if melody and chord fight, melody wins
• One count-in chord before bar 1 every time

📌 Coming Up Next Lesson

• Freddie Freeloader listen-back — Wynton Kelly's LH discussion
• More chord chart reading / non-blues material
• Two-hand spread voicings in practice (upper structure triads, 3-6-2-5)
• Potential: find a student bassist to practice with ($20–40/hr)