Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Melodic Analysis

Jazz Piano Skills

Welcome to Jazz Piano Skills; it's time to discover, learn, and play Jazz Piano!
Every Jazz Piano Skills weekly podcast episode introduces aspiring jazz pianists to essential Jazz Piano Skills. Each Podcast episode explores a specific Jazz Piano Skill in depth. Today, you will discover, learn, and play "Santa Claus is Coming to Town." In this Jazz Piano Lesson, you will:

Discover
The classic jazz standard, “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”
Learn
Melody, Guide Tones, Fingerings, Phrases, and Target Notes for “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”
Play
“Santa Claus is Coming to Town” using three different treatments, tempos, and grooves.
Use the Jazz Piano Podcast Packets for this Jazz Piano Lesson for maximum musical growth. All three Podcast Packets are designed to help you gain insight and command of a specific Jazz Piano Skill. The Podcast Packets are invaluable educational tools to have at your fingertips while you discover, learn, and play Santa Claus is Coming to Town.
Summary
In this episode of Jazz Piano Skills, Dr. Bob Lawrence explores the melodic analysis of the Christmas classic 'Santa Claus is Coming to Town.' He discusses a structured three-tier approach to tune study, emphasizing the importance of harmonic and melodic analysis, rhythm in improvisation, and the significance of listening to various interpretations. The episode includes practical tips for learning melodies by ear, combining melody with harmony, and preparing for improvisation through different tune treatments.
Takeaways

• The goal is to discover, learn, and play jazz piano.
• A three-tier approach to tune study includes harmonic analysis, melodic analysis, and improvisation development.
• Rhythm is crucial for creating interesting melodies in improvisation.
• Listening to various renditions of a tune is essential for understanding it.
• Transcribing melodies by ear helps develop musical skills.
• Understanding the relationship between notes is key to playing jazz.
• Combining melody and harmony enhances musical expression.
• Improvisation requires practice with various tempos and grooves.
• Patience is important in the lifelong process of learning music.
• Significant growth in jazz piano skills comes from structured practice.

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1. Introduction (00:00:00)

2. Discover, Learn, Play (00:04:36)

3. Invite to Join Jazz Piano Skills (00:05:26)

4. Question of the Week (00:07:51)

5. Lesson Rationale (00:18:25)

6. Today's Educational Agenda (00:21:51)

7. Ray Charles, Santa Claus is Coming to Town (00:25:51)

8. Premium Content Message (00:31:54)