• The Art Of Polychords

    If you’ve ever wondered how master musicians execute and remember large, extended chord voicings, understanding polychords will be especially helpful for you. A polychord is simply a big chord made up of smaller ones. For example, C minor 11 is: By all means, this would be considered a “big” chord. But do you really have to […]

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    Ask Jermaine: “How To Create Those Fancy Jazzy Chords”

    This edition of “Ask Jermaine” was posted by Ronald Verwer in our Free Lessons area. He writes: Hi Jermaine, how fabulous the way you are explaining the composition of the various chords. Your flash cards are a great help. It becomes so easy to follow. By just sitting on the piano and practicing with the flashcards improves my playing tremendously. Even after 60 years of playing! You are a legend. The thing I want to know is how to create that Jazzy sound…

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    What every musician should know about “chord stacking”…

    So you want to play big, fancy chords! Who doesn’t?

    stacking1-small.jpgAnd yesterday, I pointed you in the right direction. We got introduced to polychords, which are essentially big chords made from two or more smaller ones.

    Today, we’re going to take it a step further. Rather than stack “common” chords on top of each other, we’re going to see what happens when we venture outside the norm…

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    Now you can play big chords without having to memorize anything

    stackingsmall.jpgOn yesterday’s radio show, I got a question from a fellow in Vallejo, California about polychords. So today, I just want to take a second to explain what polychords are for those of you who missed the show.

    First, it’s helpful to note what the word “poly” means. It’s a greek prefix, meaning “many” so that should give us a hint as to what polychords are…

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    The Power Of Using Superimposed Chords

    At first look, the word “superimposition” may sound like a complex concept… but I assure you, it is easier than it looks! For a chord to be superimposed on top of another chord means just that! Usually, you’d play one particular chord on your left hand while playing another chord on your right (both at […]

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