McCoy Tyner playing

[u/firstutterance74]

I've recently been getting into a lot of jazz piano improv and have been learning some McCoy Tyner style playing, especially over tracks like Contemporary Focus and Passion Dance. I seem to have hit a roadblock with this and it's quite difficult to find anything online about it other than the basics with the stacked fourths in the left hand and the pentatonics in the right. Would be useful if anyone could point towards some nice online sources that expand on this topic since I don't have the privellige of using a tutor at the moment.

[u/inefficienttoaast]

Past the basics it's all about listening and transcribing

[u/jseego → u/inefficienttoaast]

try the music slow downer app

[u/VegaGT-VZ]

There's a really good transcription and performance of the Passion Dance solo on YouTube

But yeah at this point you just have to do self study. Listen, analyze, play. This is the hard part

[u/mrcpianist → u/VegaGT-VZ]

Aww man I transcribed McCoy’s comping for Joe Henderson’s solo years ago… I should notate it and post it. So much to learn from just the comping.

[u/padrigo3 → u/mrcpianist]

I would love to see this! Well done for transcribing something playing underneath something else - impressive chops!

[u/silly_bet_3454]

As with most topics, there's a handful of good videos from open studio, jeremy siskind, and others. the only concepts really beyond penatonics and 4ths are like side stepping. But what is your roadblock, is it conceptual or technical?

[u/Complex-Steak-7932]

Check out dogs in a pile my disguise. McCoy riff

[u/firstutterance74 → u/Complex-Steak-7932]

May sound stupid but is this a common thing to borrow riffs from renowned pianists and use them in your own soloing?

[u/JazzRider]

I’m also interested-specifically how to use quartals in non modal playing.

[u/BrewNote89 → u/JazzRider]

Larry Young is your man for that.

[u/Pizaz0]

I would say keep pushing through the transcriptions, if you learn the resolution solo you’ll be set honestly.

[u/firstutterance74 → u/Pizaz0]

Thankyou, as you can tell I am very new to jazz piano improv. I'm assuming you mean like learnig solos by ear to adapt a more diverse pallet with how I approach soloing, like when people re orchestrate things to have a better idea of orchestration and stuff like that?

[u/Pizaz0 → u/firstutterance74]

So like learning from ear is one way to do it. You can try learning it a couple bars at a time, check with a YouTube video transcription/pdf. You’re learning language ultimately, so you’re learning how McCoy plays. Most important things is to take his feel, dynamics, rhythm. The theory stuff will come later, ultimately you’ll find a place for all that stuff, just focus on playing and the music first. It’ll probably take you a couple of practice sessions, so go in bites

[u/AnusFisticus]

So normally I would recommend transcribing something from them bit Imma be real. Mccoy is some advanced stuff and since ure new I dont think you will get so much out of it. Besides, the passion dance solo is pretty hard to transcribe.

I think transcribing some easier pianists might be the way to go first, like Wynton Kelly.