Sneak Peek #6: Where Is Love?

Where Is Love? (from Oliver!) by Lionel Bart sets the stage for a session chock full of fun that I'm pretty sure will give you the “player's edge.” We have a ball with those first four measures of that classic song which I chose for more than just a reason or two and, once you become involved, you'll discover why for yourself...

It's likely that, by now, you're familiar with how things work with Sneak Peeks and you've become “in tune” with the value of isolating a small segment of a song and exploring what is indeed possible within that framework. This session is no exception — except I'm thinking you'll view this one as rather special in some respects.

The chord progression we are dealing with is a pretty simple one and that's more reason why what we do in this video session will be most conducive to your further developing your personal piano style. What you learn here will be valuable “food for thought” that you can carry forward into your other favorite tunes. This is one you'll want to play back over and over again.

I feel good about this one and I also feel great about the fact that you're about to expand your thinking when it comes to piano styling in general!

Some of the things we have fun with

• Varying the way we play those II–V chord progressions to keep listeners “on their toes”
• Using tri-tone chord substitution as a nice element of surprise
• Using “diatonicism” in a fashion that can turn heads in the room
• Lots of ways to voice those chords to add variety that spells professionalism
• Adding impact by extending progressions with “color chords”
• Using the art of contrast so listeners know there’s a pro in the house
• Making great use of “sus” chords (fills + substitutions)
• More!

The four measures explored