Tons of Runs

for the Contemporary Pianist

If you want to infuse your keyboard playing with modern, up-to-the-minute sounds used by Andy LaVerne, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, John Abercrombie and the cutting edge musicians of tomorrow, this book will be invaluable. Written by jazz pianist Andy LaVerne, who is celebrated for his interesting sense of harmony and sophisticated style, it shows you hundreds of keyboard runs - the streams of notes jazz artists use to glide across the keyboard with interesting melodic touches and chord colors. These runs are shown with the chords and chord progressions that make them work best - on seventh chords, diminished chords, minor chords, altered chords, and more. Some are written to work with the most common chord progressions, and some are designed to fit just one chord. Some will work with almost any chord at all - and Andy tells you which ones. You'll get each run in several keys, with chord applications and appropriate fingering tips. Practice them slowly for developing great jazz-style finger dexterity. Then, bring them up to speed so you can insert them into your own improvisations. You'll discover exactly how contemporary musicians get those great, unusual sounds. Every page is a learning experience and you'll gain a whole new repertoire on runs, licks, and fills - remarkable sounds and colors to make your playing richer than ever. As a teacher and a workshop leader, Andy LaVerne has helped thousands of students become better at performing. With this first-of-a-kind guide to contemporary piano runs and riffs, he will help you too!