Skylark Tutorial
Welcome to this jazz standard lesson on Skylark by Hoagy Carmichael.
Written in Eb Major, the tune follows a 32 measure A-A-B-A form. We’re going to start the tune with some simple voicings, as outlined on the lead sheet. This will give us a basic understanding of the harmony and the melody.
We will enhance our arrangement, creating more complex harmonies and melodies and we will also reharmonise parts of the tune.
Many of the rehamornisations I use are from the recordings I have listened to, which highlights the importance of this in your musical development as a student of jazz piano.
Related Lessons
We start the lesson by recapping the basic theory behind sus chords and then explore them in context of major and minor 251s
Upper structure triads are complex sounding altered dominant chords. They will add texture and sophistication to your playing.
Slash chords contain 2 bits of info, the 1st letter indicates what chord should be played & the 2nd letter specifies the bass note of the chord.
Practice Tips
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Some notable recodings of the tune are the Kenny Barron version, both solo and trio versions. The recordings by Mulgrew Miller are also worth checking out and have wonderful bluesy and soulful vibe.
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You can find links to these versions below and also in the PianoGroove Forum… be sure to check them out.
- Whilst you can learn lots from piano lessons, nothing can replace regular listening to jazz and it’s an essential part of your development.
