How to play (5) like Chick Corea

How to play (5) like Chick Corea

For over five decades, Chick Corea has inspired and delighted legions of fans and musical disciples. Like his former employer Miles Davis, he can’t be pigeonholed. Chick’s musical endeavors span from Mozart to Monk. Any musical situation Corea participates in contains a strong, immediately
identifiable creative core. I can say from my personal experience playing piano duets with him that his energy and openness are contagious and inspiring. The following concepts are just the tip of the iceberg,
but if you incorporate them into your own playing, you’ll be channeling Chick’s core.

Pentatonics and Quartal Voicings

chick corea sheet music

Ex. 1a illustrates five-note scales that Chick often incorporates into many of his right hand lines. The quartal (fourth-based) left-hand structures are signature chords that compliment the pentatonic scales.

Ex. 1b demonstrates how Chick sometimes anchors his quartal voicings with those constructed from roots and fifths.


Ex. 1c is a right-hand pentatonic-based line with a signature Corea stamp: the grace note.

Ex. 1d puts all these components into action. Check out Chick’s album Now He Sings, Now He Sobs for more examples.

Comping

Ex. 2a illustrates how Chick’s accompanying is so compelling that it can work as solo piano. Again, notice his frequent use of quartal voicings.

In Ex. 2b, Chick uses diminished structures, built from second inversion triads in the right hand over quartal voicings in the left.

Ex. 2c uses quartal structures underneath right major triads. Many of these comping techniques can be heard on Chick’s arresting album Three Quartets.

Single Note Lines

In Ex. 3a, Chick uses a melodic line in the tradition of Bebop pioneer Bud Powell (a major influence), distributed between two hands, and at lightning speed. Ex. 3b demonstrates how Chick often thinks of each finger percussively, like a drummer.

Notice how distributing these patterns between the right and left hands lets you execute them fluidly.

Ex. 3c again shows how Chick divides melodic and rhythmic statements between both hands. Weaving lines throughout both the black and white keys makes them sound more chromatic and less tied to specific chord changes. Check out Chick’s Akoustic Band and Elektric Band albums for more riveting right-hand lines.

The Maj7#5 Chord

Chick was one of the first musicians to use the six-note augmented scale, as well as one of the first to play the major seventh chord with a sharp fifth. Demonstrated in Ex. 4, this dissonant sonority can be heard on recordings from his avant-garde period, such as those with the band Circle.

Slash Chords

Another signature Corea sound is his extensive use of “slash” (or compound) chords, shown here in Ex. 5. F/F# is a diminished sound, E/Eb is a Spanishtinged. Gb/C is half- diminished. Db/A is, once again,
a maj7#5 chord, and Gb/Ab is a dominant seventh with a suspended fourth. Corea often played such slash chords with his group Return To Forever.

Download Chick Corea’s sheet musis transcriptions from our Library.

Chick Corea LIVE (2018)

● Tracklist:

00:00:00​ – Intro 00:00:10​ – Morning Sprite 00:11:49​ – Japanese Waltz 00:21:01​ – That Old Feeling 00:31:17​ – In a Sentimental Mood 00:44:09​ – Prelude 00:51:25​ – You and The Night and The Music … encore … 01:08:20​ – Spain

● Personnel:

Chick Corea – piano – ​ John Patitucci – bass – Dave Weckl – drums

Browse in the Library:

Total Records Found in the Library: 12472, showing 120 per page
Artist or Composer / Score nameCoverList of Contents
A dozen A Day Book 1 Technical exercises for the piano sheet music score download partitura partition spartiti A dozen A Day Book 1 Technical exercises for the piano
A dozen A Day Book 2 Technical exercises for the piano sheet music score download partitura partition spartiti
A dozen A Day Book 3 Technical exercises for the piano sheet music score download partitura partition spartiti
A dozen A Day Book 4 Technical exercises for the piano sheet music score download partitura partition spartiti
A dozen A Day Mini Book Technical exercises for the piano sheet music score download partitura partition spartiti
A dozen Day Preparatory Book Technical exercises for the piano sheet music score download partitura partition spartiti
A Farewell To Arms Love Theme From A Farewell To Arms film by Mario Nascimbene Francis Webster 1957 free sheet music partitura partition noten
A Felicidade (Antonio Carlos Jobim)
A Festival Gathering Of Carols (Musescore File).mscz
A Fine Frenzy – Almost Lover free sheet music download
partitions gratuites Noten spartiti
A Fistful of Dollars (Ennio Morricone)
A Generative Theory Of Tonal Music by Fred Lerdahl and Ray Jackendoff (Book) free sheet music partitura partition noten
A Guide To Guitar Chords by Curt Sheller sheet music download A Guide To Guitar Chords by Curt Sheller
A Guide To Musical Analysis by Nicholas Cook (Book) sheet music download
partitions gratuites Noten spartiti partituras
A Handbook Of Piano Playing (By Eric Hope) (1962)
A Heart Full Of Love (Musescore File).mscz
A love suicide (Yutaka Minobe)
A Love Supreme (by Ashley Kahn) The story of john Coltrane’s signature album (Book) sheet music
A Media Luz (Edgardo Donato)
A Modern Approach To Jazz Rock And Fusion For Guitar with Tablature free sheet music & scores pdf download A Modern Approach To Jazz Rock And Fusion For Guitar
A Modern Method For Guitar (Berklee) 1 by William Leavitt free scores A Modern Method Berklee 1
A Modern Method For Guitar (Berklee) 2 by William Leavitt free scores A Modern Method For Guitar (Berklee) 2
A Modern Method For Guitar (Berklee) 3 by William Leavitt free scores A Modern Method For Guitar (Berklee) 3
A MOZART REINCARNATED (Ennio Morricone) sheet music download partitura partition spartito
A Mozart Reincarnated by Ennio Morricone (Musescore File).mscz
A New Approach To Ear Training by Leo Kraft (BOOK) sheet music partitura partition noten spartiti
A New Approach To Piano Technique (By Ruth A. Dickerson) (1962) sheet music pdf A new approach to piano technique
A Night In Tunisia – Dizzy Gillespie.mscz
A Pedal Method For The Piano (By Albert F Venino) (1893) sheet music pdf
A Popular Account Of Ancient Musical Instruments And Their Development by William Lynd (Book 1897) sheet music download
partitions gratuites Noten spartiti partituras
A Rockin’ Christmas Piano Vocal Guitar sheet music pdf 20 songs to sing on a rockin’ Christmas Eve Includes: All I Want for Christmas Is You * Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer * Happy Xmas (War Is Over) * Jingle-Bell Rock * Merry Merry Christmas Baby * Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree * Santa Baby & moreRockin Christmas
A Single Man – George’s Waltz (Shigeru Umebayashi)
A Single Man – Stillness of the Mind (Abel Korzeniowski)
A Smooth Jazz Christmas – Mellow Seasonal Favorites for Piano arr. Roger House free sheet music A Smooth Jazz Christmas – Mellow Seasonal Favorites for Piano arr. Roger House
A Song For You – Leon Russell Ray Charles (Musescore File).mscz
A Star Is Born – Always Remember Us This Way Lady Gaga free sheet music pdf
A Star Is Born – Shallow Lady Lady Gaga free sheet music pdf
A Tale Of Two Sisters Ost – Epilogue Piano Solo sheet music download
partitions gratuites Noten spartiti partituras
A Thousand Years – Twilight OST (Christina Perri)
A Time For Love – Johnny Mandel free sheet music pdf
A Time For Us – Guitar TABlature sheet music download
partitions gratuites Noten spartiti partituras
A Time For Us (Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet) Nino Rota free sheet music pdf
A Time For Us (Romeo and Juliet OST) Nino Rota
A Touch Of Jazz 14 well-known hymns, gospel songs and contemporary praise songs by Wolaver Bill sheet music download A Touch Of Jazz 14 well-known hymns, gospel songs and contemporary praise songs by Wolaver Bill
A Tribute To Ella Fitzgerald Piano Vocal Guitar A tribute to ELLA FITZGERALD
A Walk To Remember – Only Hope
A whiter shade of pale – Procul Harum A whiter shade of pale – Procul Harum
AaRON U-turn Lili Piano free sheet music partitura partition noten
Ab Ovo – Joep Beving (Musescore File).mscz
Abba – Abba Gold – Greatest Hits free sheet music ABBA Gold Geatest Hits booksong sheet music
Abba – Chiquitita
Abba – Dancing Queen
Abba – Fernando
Abba – I Have A Dream
Abba – Like An Angel Passing Through My Room
Abba – Mamma Mia
Abba – Slipping Through My Fingers
Abba – Thank You For The Music Abba-Thank-You-For-The-Music 1st page
ABBA – Thank You For The Music (Piano Vocal Guitar) ABBA – Thank You For The Music (Piano Vocal Guitar)
ABBA – Thank You For the Music (Piano vocal Guitar) (Musescore File).mscz
Abba – Thank You For The Music Piano & vocal Abba – Thank You For The Music-abba-satb
Abba – The Winner Takes It All
ABBA Dancing Queen Easy Piano Solo sheet music
ABBA Fernando (Piano Solo arr.) free sheet music partitura partition noten
ABBA Fernando (Piano Solo arr.).mscz
ABBA Greatest Hits sheet music pdf ABBA GREATEST HITS SHEET MUSIC BOOK
ABBA I Have A Dream free sheet music partitura partition noten
Abba The Very Best Vol 1 Easy Piano Hans Gunter Heumann Pop Classics For Piano free sheet music & scores pdf Abba The Very Best Vol 1 Easy Piano
Abba The Very Best Vol 2 Easy Piano Hans Gunter Heumann Pop Classics For Piano free sheet music & scores pdf Abba The Very Best Vol 2 Easy Piano
Abbey Lincoln Songbook free sheet music download
partitions gratuites Noten spartiti Abbey Lincoln Songbook
Abbey Lincoln Songbook Piano Vocal Guitar Chords sheet music partitura partition noten spartiti Abbey Lincoln Songbook Piano Vocal Guitar Chords
Abdullah Ibrahim – The Piano World Of free sheet music & scores pdf Abdullah Ibrahim, The Piano World Of
Abdullah Ibrahim The African Piano Of Abdullah Ibrahim Vol 1 free sheet music download Abdullah Ibrahim The African Piano Of Abdullah Ibrahim Vol 1
Abdullah Ibrahim The Wedding (piano solo transcription sheet music, partition) free sheet music download
Abel Korzeniowski – Death Is My Heir (from Romeo and Juliet) free sheet music pdf
ABRSM Jazz Piano Pieces Grade 1 to 5 sheet music ABRSM Jazz Piano Pieces Grade 1 to 5 ABRSM Jazz Piano Pieces Grade 5ABRSM Jazz Piano Pieces Grade 5
ABRSM Piano Exam Pieces Grade 1 (2016) sheet music ABRSM Piano Exam Pieces Grade 1 (2016)
ABRSM Piano Scales, Arpeggios Grade 8 sheet music download
ABRSM Piano Scales, Arpeggios and broken chords Grade 1 sheet music download
ABRSM Piano Scales, Arpeggios and broken chords Grade 4 sheet music ABRSM Piano Scales, Arpeggios and broken chords Grade 4
ABRSM Piano Scales, Grade 2 A Guide for Students and Teachers ABRSM Piano Scales, Grade 2 A Guide for Students and Teachers
ABRSM – Time pieces for guitar vol. 1 sheet music download partitura partition
ABRSM – Time pieces for guitar vol. 2 free sheet music download
partitions gratuites Noten spartiti
ABRSM 2017 18 Piano Exam Pieces Grade 1 free sheet music & scores pdf ABRSM 2017 18 Piano Exam Pieces Grade 1
ABRSM 2017 18 Piano Exam Pieces Grade 2 free sheet music & scores pdf ABRSM 2017 18 Piano Exam Pieces Grade 2
ABRSM 2017 18 Piano Exam Pieces Grade 3 free sheet music & scores pdf
ABRSM 2017 18 Piano Exam Pieces Grade 4 free sheet music & scores pdf
ABRSM 2017 18 Piano Exam Pieces Grade 5 free sheet music & scores pdf
ABRSM 2017 18 Piano Exam Pieces Grade 6 free sheet music & scores pdf
ABRSM 2017 18 Piano Exam Pieces Grade 7 free sheet music & scores pdf
ABRSM 2017 18 Piano Exam Pieces Grade 8 free sheet music & scores pdf
ABRSM 2021-2022 Piano Exam Pieces Grade 1 sheet music download
ABRSM 2021-2022 Piano Exam Pieces Grade 2 sheet music download
ABRSM 2021-2022 Piano Exam Pieces Grade 3 noten
ABRSM 2021-2022 Piano Exam Pieces Grade 5 partition
ABRSM 2021-2022 Piano Exam Pieces Grade 6 spartiti
ABRSM 2021-2022 Piano Exam Pieces Grade 8 partitura
ABRSM 2021-2022 Piano Exam Pieces Initial Grade free sheet music download
partitions gratuites Noten spartiti partituras ABRSM 2021-2022 Piano Exam Pieces Initial Grade
ABRSM Aural Training In Practice Book 1 Grades 1 to 3 sheet music partitura partition noten spartiti
ABRSM Aural Training In Practice Book 2 Grades 4 and 5 sheet music partitura partition noten spartiti
ABRSM Discovering Music Theory (Complete) Grades 1 to 5 Workbook by Simon Rushby (2020 Exams) sheet music downloadpartitions gratuites Noten spartiti partituras ABRSM Discovering Music Theory (Complete) Grades 1 to 5 Workbook by Simon Rushby (2020 Exams) contents
ABRSM Erster Verlust Grade 4 ABRSM Piano Exam Pieces 2021 & 2022 free sheet music
ABRSM Etude In A Minor – Dmitry Kabalevsky ABRSM Grade 4 Piano Exam Pieces 2021 & 2022 free sheet music
ABRSM Grade 2 – Inter-City Stomp byChristopher Norton From Microjazz Collection (Sheet Music) free sheet music download
partitions gratuites Noten spartiti
ABRSM Initial Grade Piano Exam Pieces 2023 2024 sheet music partitura partition noten spartiti
ABRSM Minuet and Trio D 41 No 21 – Franz Schubert ABRSM Grade 4 Piano Exam Pieces 2021 & 2022 free sheet music
ABRSM More Music Theory Sample Papers Grade 5 For New Format sheet music partitura partition noten spartiti
ABRSM Music Theory In Practice, Grade 1 (Eric Taylor) free sheet music download
partitions gratuites Noten spartiti
ABRSM Music Theory In Practice, Grade 2 (Eric Taylor) free sheet music download
partitions gratuites Noten spartiti
ABRSM Music Theory Past Papers Grade 1 2004 sheet music partitura partition noten spartiti
ABRSM Music Theory Past Papers Grade 4 2016 sheet music partitura partition noten spartiti
ABRSM Music Theory Past Papers Grade 5 2012 sheet music partitura partition noten spartiti
ABRSM Music Theory Past Papers Grade 6 2013 sheet music partitura partition noten spartiti
ABRSM Nikki Iles Danny Boy ABRSM Piano Exam Grade 8 2023 Jazz Piano arr. inspired by Bill Evans sheet music partitura partition noten spartiti
ABRSM Nikki Iles Friends Book 1 Intermediate Jazz Pieces For Piano sheet music partitura partition noten spartiti ABRSM Nikki Iles Friends Book 1 Intermediate Jazz Pieces For Piano
ABRSM Nikki Iles Friends Book 2 Intermediate To Advanced Jazz Pieces For Piano sheet music partitura partition noten spartiti ABRSM Nikki Iles Friends Book 2 Intermediate To Advanced Jazz Pieces For Piano
ABRSM Nikki Iles The Elephant Parade ABRSM piano Exam sheet music partitura partition noten spartiti
ABRSM Piano 2025-2026 Grade 8 C3 A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square by Sherwin – Maschwitz sheet music partitura partition noten spartiti
ABRSM Piano Exam 2007-2008 Grade 3 free sheet music download
partitions gratuites Noten spartiti
ABRSM Piano Exam 2015-16 Grade 3 free sheet music download
partitions gratuites Noten spartiti ABRSM Piano Exam 2015-16 Grade 3

Best Sheet Music download from our Library.

sheet music library

It’s nice to meet you.

Sign up to receive our new posts in your inbox.

This field is required.

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.