cobbway piano syncopation lesson 6 of 8

8/3/2019 Cobbway Piano Syncopation Lesson 6 of 8

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T O B E T T E RP I A N O S Y N C O P A T I O N -

T H E

LESSON 6PUBLISHED BY

TH E H AROLD COBB SCH OOL OF PIANO SYNCOPAT IONCH ANCE RY LANE , 91 ST . GE ORGE 'S ST RE E T , CAPE TOWN


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Lesson 6

LESSON 6.Contents:

1. Chart 9, showing how the fox trot and waltz given in Chart 8 may be filled in with broken chordbreaks, 'diminished, augmented and added 6th basses, and alternating waltz basses.2. How to play triplets.3. How to build rhythmic melodic solos by changing time values (Chart 10).4. How to split chords when there is one melody note in a bar, and when there are two melody notesin a bar (Chart 10).

THE FOX TROT (Chart 9).1. Basses: First concentrate on the fox trot given in Chart 9. Play the number carefully, leaving

out the right hand embellishments for the present. Where yOUTown basses differ from mine, find outthe reason for your mistakes by reading again the relevant sections of this course. This is mOst important.If you don't understand THE basses thoroughly, you will not understand how to dress up your righthand playing, and your solos, therefore. will not be musical or rhythmical.

2. Embellishments: When you understand and have memorised the basses in Chart 9, studythe right hand embellishments in the fox trot. In bars I and 2, I used thumb breaks on the second beats ;in bars 7 and 8 there are bell breaks; in bar 14 I again used the thumb break on the second beat. Thereare other breaks in this fox trot. Identify them, and practise them. .Learn to play this fox trot smoothly. especiaUy the breaks, which will not sound attractive unlessthey are played easily and smoothly. Keep strict tempo.

THE WALTZ (Chart 9).3. Basses: Practise the waltz (Chart 9) in the same way as you practised the fox trot, i.e., play

the piece, but leave out the right hand embellishments until you understand the alternating basses andcan play them fluently. Remember to find out the reason for any mistakes you made in preparing forthis lesson.

4. Embellishments: Now study the embellishments in the waltz. Notice that I used a thumbbreak on the second beat of bar 1, and a bell break in bar 2. The thumb break on the second beat occursagain in bar 4. Tnbar 6 I changed the harmony to E Dim. Search out and study the other broken chordsin this number.Now learn to play the piece smoothly and in strict tempo.

Don't overdo the use of Breaks.5. As you make further progress and learn new and different breaks. you will find that it is notadvisable to use as many thumb and bell breaks in one number as there are in the fox trot and waltz in

Chart 9.For the present, however, you cannot do otherwise because bell, thumb and 5th finger breaks makeup your entire repertoire. Later I will teach you how to use your own discretion in combining this typeof break with other more attractive embellishments.

HOW TO PLAY TRIPLETS.

Example 39:

- ..- _ . _/-3 < . . -.II - -~ .II. . . . . . '.J 'T~ : : I I : T T T I : I : :I I I II I I I I I I I t I I I( II i 3 4 5 6 '7 8 ~ = t , 'I 1 ' 2 .I = : = = : = ~~. . . . . . . . .U A = - . ' - j

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6. Triplets (rhythmic groups of three notes) are often used in modern dance music. In fox trots,triplets make an attractive embellishment and entail the playing of three notes in the right hand againsttwo in the left hand.Most pianists, however, are absolutely at a loss when they encounter triplets, though a fortunate fewhave such a good sense of rhythm that they never have difficulty in playing them.

7. Example 39 shows you how to play right hand triplets in fox trot tempo. I have divided the barinto 12 equal parts so that you may see exactly where the triplets fall.Notice that the second 'note of the triplet is struck Just before the left hand after-beat; the thirdnote of the triplet falls immediately after the same after-beat.Practise Example 39 until the right hand sounds even against an even left hand.

MELODIC RHYTHMIC SOLO (How to change Time Values.)8. So far you have learned mainly how to build up a rhythmic left hand style, and a straightforwardright hand style embellished with broken chords. From now you will learn how to change your righthand playing to a more rhythmic and interesting style.

Example 40:

9. How to change Time Values: In bar I of Example 40, the melody is in crotchets as it mightappear in a copy of a popular fox trot. In bars 2,3 and 4, the same melody notes have been given differenttime values. If yr u play these you will notice what a difference it makes to the swing oi the piece.In bar 2 I ha v e changed the first beat, G, from a crotchet to two quavers; the second beat remainsa crochet, the third beat is now a quaver, and the last note is a dotted crotchet.

In bar 3, I have given the first note two beats and changed the other notes to a crotchet triplet.Example 41 : Example 42:

. . . . . , -10. When there are adjacent notes in the melody, they may be linked by the semi-tone between

them. In Example 40, bar I, for instance, G is followed by A. In Example 41 the same melody has beenlinked with the semi-tone G sharp.Adding an extra note (G sharp), however, makes it necessary to change the time value of the notes..where G was a crotchet in Example 40, bar I, G and G sharp are quavers in Example 41. Do not, ofcourse, do this too often.-1I. The same melody (Example 41) may be varied yet another way-by changing the first threenotes to triplet crotchets (Example 42).12. Notice in these examples that where you add any notes to a bar, you must naturally changethe time value of the melody notes in order to keep the correct note values in each bar.

P a g e 2 Lesson


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Lesson 6

Example 43:

8VAj I ,. :~ - , .IIh . . . . -,..."/1 - -".. v . .V -4 1

F DM GM C,~-~ ~

,- - t I = ,. .;~L- /I . . ..,. . . . . , . . . . .J_"h./1 . . -....,. . . -. - ~~

Example 44:

8V A~ . ." " = ~- - .I - --hII ~ t- ~ t- - -" .v . . . , . . . -H. . -r- - I I I II I iI I I I II I ~ ~-~ I I II II ~ I" I ; ; ; 1 1 :. , . . . . . . . /I -... . . ' ---. - ~-4

13, Play Example 43 several times. Notice that the key is F, having one flat (B flat). When youhave done this, play Example 44.Do you notice the difference between Examples 44 and 43? The melody in Example 44 sounds farmore interesting and rhythmic. Study these examples and then try some experiments of your own. Takea few bars of any melody you know and work them out in the same way. Before 'you do this, however,study Example A in Chart 10.

HOW TO SPLIT CHORDS.Example 45:

aVA. --- _,.", - , - - - ,n Il" n /I . . . . .u CoT %. . -':l ~ -I1 I

J = - = ~ I - =- 11 - - - -. . . " . - :i -f- ~l: --f- -iIf- . .14. All chords may be split into melodic phrases. The chord of C major, for instance, may be splitby playing its notes separately instead of together, as in Example 45.In bar 1 of Example 45, the chord of C major is held for four beats. In bar two, the same chord is

held for two beats, and then split up on the 3rd and 4th beats. Notice that here I use only the notes ofthe chord in the split phrase, i.e., C. E.G. C.IS. Study Examples B in Chart 10 and also work them out in other keys.

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HOW TO SPLIT CHORDS WHEN THERE ARE TWO MELODY NOTES IN A BAR.Example 46:

1 1 C D ~ b.""P- : = ~b. .-~ ~b. .v' [J " _ _ . -.~ /I ~'-V-.- -... .. . , I I I~,~= ~ : . . . . . . . . .\~, , , I II I I " I I ,= = = t > . : f = I = l= I I: , : J : - I ~l- I- . . '. , . 1 " " " '. :I. u. '.I.~ _ .~t p . . . ~ t p-. ~r: p . . . ' -. . . .

16. When there are two melody notes in a bar, the chords for both or either may be split, as inExample 46.

Bar Iof Example 46 shows the straightforward chords used when there are two melody notes in abar, Cand A. In bar 2, the second chord has been split up on the 3rd and 4th beats. In bar 3, both chordshave been split.Further examples showing how chords may be split when there are two melody notes in a bar are

given in Examples C, Chart 10.17. Examples D, Chart 10, introduce two new ways of splitting chords when there are two melodynotes in a bar.In all these cases the beat is divided into odd numbers of notes (fives and sevens); and the brokenchord breaks finish with chromatic passages, i.e., the last two notes of the broken chord are linked by the

intervening semi-tone. This is often the most satisfactory way to end a broken chord break.18. For your next lesson dress up the fox trot and waltz (Chart 9) by changing the rhythm inthe melody, and by using split chords.

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L esso n 6

CHART 9. FOXTROT .

j_~~ I ~ , . .II ! fi it-"""!


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CHART 9.r:WALTZ

GRev.

@ - e = = = -. s : -I @)~~- - . c : : : : - r : ; ; ; :T. . . .'" c f D " " G7=# : l:- f c = - = = fu . . .~

- . . .... l- it" ~

P age 6 Lesso


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Lesson 6

CHART 10 .K E Y C Pla'j eels wriHen ~ P layed Played~

A, = ~ -9- - !".~ .. -&- -~-!:" .a . .. .. = ~ .. .a , . , _ .

~ 'J""'t" ., _ . . . .v ' : : ;- 1 : . . I it- 1 I I : 1I , , I .I , I~ -I: ~ ~:

1 I::J I I I I = - = ! t- IJ I~.1- ~t: ~ ~= : 4 : : $ ~t: ~K E Y F

~ ~ -~ , . . _ ::~ ~ ~ ~ .. ~ ,._ the- ~._ ::~I . . . - - - -V I' 1 : : I I ~ I II I I II I I I I I I ~ I I I I I l _I :~ 1 -: : , = ; : : I =~ I I :;: I ::~ 1I ~ ~ :it ~ = 4 i : ~-~ , ~ -~ a....-~ ~ ~ ~ i_ b~ -- - = - = _ ~ r- -~ = -F- r- - -~:~. . e~ I II , , I' I , 'I , I II -~M , I , , = ~ , I I I ~~ I -~ , _ = ! = I : , = -I , :::~ , f I I-.- I , I I I i I r -'"T . . . . . - - = 4t -4~ = 4 :: . .~ :;it . . . . . , - ~K fV C

B, gt60 One melody. nohz in the. bar. & cQre~p-u~ Qsli9h~ ac.u.nt on not-e rn~ e d+__ ,

.~ I , : --e ,_ , ~- : i....~_y ': ~- I>

, ,I , , I ' > > I I II J : ~: I I ~ = ~- 1 = , ! . : ~ I = 1 : ,I I II I. ~- $ :;it: ~' - = 4 ~ . . $K E Y F

~ _ . . . - - -. , _ _ '~ I I I , I 'i " >- . . ~> II , , , , I I , I , I , ,I - ; : , = ; : = ; : I - : : =~ I ~ > ! i R I :~, , .:~I I. ~ ~ ~ ~K E Y G

~ ~ a no 0 - . - 0L. . .v I 1 1 , : I~ : -~ , ~> I" I , I I i , ~= i - 1 ::~ I i : r = ; : I i~ > , ~ ,, . - ~ . . - - =- - - - - - . J - ,,;-Page 7


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CHART 10 .Two me. lody no+es in ~he.bot'.

As written Played

c c>d :~ PEP- - : f t " ~ I:> ~ - ..~.~ ~~-- :: :>-j lt-p~.I. /I

. . . . G A P p i m _ . . . . . . . . - ~: i= . . 1 . . . ; 1 = ~ - - I = i 1 . . . : : ; . ~. . . . . . = tF . . h - , : I- - '

D~ 8 I~ ~ - . . . 5 - . . . . . . . ~ ~ 1-

_I L '- L ,. . . ~ 5 I ~~ DM6 ~~ 61 -I '1 :5 ~ = t.. if I""ill- ""iI -: t . ~ ~~~ j 0 = /. ~. . . - I- t-_

oJ I , 5 5 5 I I ICM6 f, I I ~ ,~: ~ = = I ~:: ~ ~;:-= 4 1 - ~ -tJ.VA.

1 : > = 1 ~~ p,.~ ~~ 1 I'" FM6 i J . i ' " ~I_-r -! i ~h~; Bb 3 37 . , ~. 'l., ~ b~~ .h. m.~iIL. . . , . .

~ !I!:.... p : ; t -P ag e 8 Le sson

cobbway piano syncopation lesson 6 of 8

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