PianoGroove.com

Menu
  • Lessons
    • Jazz Piano LessonsStep-by-step lessons to master jazz theory
    • Blues Piano LessonsLearn the blues, jazz blues, funk, & gospel
    • Brazilian Piano LessonsStudy bossa nova, samba, & choro styles
    • Weekly Live SeminarsSeminars, workshops, and live Q&A sessions
    • Subscribe now
  • Resources
    • PDF DownloadsCommon chords, scales, & progressions
    • SyllabusesSyllabuses to guide your learning journey
    • Jazz Standards Indexlearn to play your favourite tunes & songs
    • Subscribe Now
  • Teachers
  • Buy Courses
  • Community
  • GET STARTED NOW
  • Login
Join Login

“Someone To Watch Over Me” For Beginners

Back to Beginner Jazz Arrangements course
video
  • Try a Free Lesson From This Course

    Leave us your email below and we will send you a full sample lesson and a PDF download

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
  • Description
  • Related Lessons
  • Practice Tips
  • Comments

Someone To Watch Over Me: Beginner Tutorial

Welcome to this jazz standard tutorial on the famous Gershwin composition “Someone To Watch Over Me”

The tune follows a standard 32 bar AABA form and there is also a 24 bar introduction which we are going to include in the arrangement. We will be arranging the tune in a slow ballad style in the original key of Eb Major.

Always Learn The Lyrics

If you are not already familiar with the lyrics, then I’d highly recommend that you spend some time to listen to the notable vocal versions.

Learning and memorising the lyrics will help you with phrasing the melody and also express the meaning of the lyrics musically in your performance.

Beginner & Advanced Tutorials

There are a series of tutorials for this tune. This one is beginner-focused. We stick to mostly simple voicings containing the root, the 3rd, and the 7th with the melody on top in our right hand.

The harmony and chord changes in this tune are quite challenging in places and so be aware that it is a difficult tune for beginners.

This tune was so highly-voted in the PianoGroove Community area that we wanted to ensure there is a tutorial for all levels of student. This is why it has been included here in the beginner course.

This lesson is also a nice illustration of the importance of the theory exercises in this course such as triad and 7th chord inversions.

Moving Onto To The Advanced Lessons

The other lessons on this tune are much more advanced where we create a complex solo piano arrangement. Check out those lessons here:

  • Someone To Watch Over Me Advanced Intro
  • Someone To Watch Over Me Advanced Arrangement

If you are new to jazz piano, continue to progress through PianoGroove’s Beginner Syllabus. Try out the advanced tutorials on this tune at a later date once you are comfortable with chord extensions, rootless voicings, and altered harmony.

Related Lessons

Diminished Chords Basics

Diminished 7th chords are not as common as major, minor and dominant chords and so you don’t see them as often in jazz standards.

Advanced09:35

1625 & 436251 Progressions

Intros can be useful to extend the length of your performance and also to establish the tonality or the key in which the tune is being played.

Advanced17:28

Slash Chords Tutorial

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.

Intermediate00:44

Practice Tips

  • This lesson illustrates the importance of learning triad and 7th chord inversions as directed earlier in the Jazz Piano Foundations course.

  • Having a good awareness of inversions will help you to read and interpret lead sheets and will give you strong foundations for further jazz study.

  • In this lesson we introduce the 1-6-2-5 progression which is one of the most common progressions in jazz music. Check out the related lesson above for more information.

  • This lesson also introduces slash notation which can be challenging for beginners. Again check out the related lesson above which will give you more insight into this type of voicing.

  • Diminished theory is a vast and fascinating subject. For the purpose of this lesson, we did not go into too much detail. Check out the 'diminished chord basics' lesson above to further your understanding of this type of chord.

Comments

1 Comment
Leave Comment
  1. Dan Gal says

    February 7, 2021 at 11:31 am

    Lots in here and in the advanced lessons of this tune, thank you Hayden for this.

    Log in to Reply
    Ask questions and get instant replies from our team of teachers. Get Started With PianoGroove Pro.

Leave a reply Cancel reply

Ask questions and get instant replies from our team of teachers. Get Started With PianoGroove Pro.

Watch The Full 30 Minute Tutorial Sign In or Join Now

UK & Europe: +44 808 196 2012
US & Canada: +1 888 616 5371

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Lesson Categories

  • Jazz Piano Chords
  • Jazz Piano Scales
  • Jazz Chord Progressions
  • Jazz Standard Lessons

Community Resources

  • Jazz Theory Q&As
  • Practice Inspiration
  • Improvisation Exercises
  • Jazz Record & Albums

About Pianogroove

  • PianoGroove Reviews
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Community Area

© 2021 Copyright PianoGroove. All Rights Reserved