Chick Corea's Style (an Analysis, Sheet Music, Noten) , Sheet Music Library (PDF)

The genius of Chick Corea (an analysis – sheet music)

Chick Corea’s short biography

Armando Anthony Corea was born June 12, 1941 in Chelsea/ Massachusetts. His father, a jazz trumpet player, was his first musical inspiration. After several years of exploring the piano and the drum set, Chick started piano lessons with concert pianist Salvatore Sulo.

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During short stints at Columbia University and Juilliard, he decided to pursue a professional career as jazz musician and took residence on Seventy First Street in New York. Soon he was busy playing with Mongo Santamaria, Willie Bobo, Herbie Mann, Elvin Jones, Stan Getz, and many others. With trumpeter Blue Mitchell Chick recorded his first original composition, called Chick’s Tune on Blue Mitchell’s LP “A Thing To Do”.

The first LP under Corea’s own name, “Tones for Joan’s Bones”, recorded in 1966, features Joe Farrell (saxes), Woody Shaw (trumpet), Steve Swallow (bass), and Joe Chambers (drums) playing a mixture of Latin, Bop, and Free Styles. More Bebop oriented tunes are recorded on the 1968 follow-up “Now He Sings, Now He Sobs” with Miroslav Vitous on bass and Roy Haynes on drums.

Shortly thereafter, Corea rose to international fame during a three-year stint with the Miles Davis group. With bandmates Dave Holland (bass), and Jack DeJohnette (drums), Corea started exploring the world of Free Improvisation on the recording “Is”. Several recordings with his group “Circle” document further experimentation with free forms. After a
return to more melodic lines and harmonic progressions with his solo piano recordings “Improvisations I & II” for the ECM label, Corea decided to leave Circle and focus back on structure, melody, and harmony. In his Forward to the Warner Bros. publication “The Jazz Styles of Chick Corea”, he explains his change in direction:

“In 1971, an incredible change occurred in my life, directly stemming from some initial studying I did of the works of L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology, “says Chick. “The result was a seemingly new-found but actually old and hidden goal I had for a long time: to create and communicate the music I love.”

The realization of this goal became his group “Return to Forever”, one of the most influential groups of the Jazz Rock Fusion era. The original members include Stanley Clarke (bass), Joe Farrell (saxes, flute), Flora Purim (vocals, percussion), Airto Moreira (drums, percussion), and Chick Corea (keyboards).

Their self-titled debut and the follow-up record “Light as a Feather” emphasize the fusion of jazz traditions with Latin-American music. The result are some of the most melodic compositions of jazz, such as Corea’s probably most famous piece “Spain” or the playful “Sometime Ago.” After replacing Florim and Moreira with Bill Connors (guitar) and Lenny
White (drums) in 1974, the group became one of the forerunners of electronic jazz.

RTF’s progressive mixtures of jazz concepts, rock and latin-american rhythms, and classical forms are documented on “The Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy” and with guitar virtuoso Al DiMeola on “Where Have I Known You Before”, “No Mystery”, and “Romantic Warrior”. The group went through several personnel changes until it’s final break-up in 1980, including a 13-piece ensemble with strings and Gayle Moran, Corea’s wife, on vocals. The various incarnations and Corea’s extended compositions and arrangements are documented on “The Leprechaun”, “My Spanish Heart”, “Mad Hatter”, “Friends”, and “Secret Agent”.

The years until 1985 were filled with a wide variety of activities, ranging from several duo projects with Herbie Hancock, Gary Burton, John McLaughlin, and Paco di Lucia
among others, over acoustic collaborations with Michael Brecker, Eddie Gomez, and Steve Gadd on “Three Quartets”, to performing Mozart’s Double Concerto with Friedrich Gulda and the Concertgebouw Orchestra.

Inspired by his classical performances, Corea composed his own concerto for piano and orchestra and released his Children’s Songs, a collection of 20 short piano pieces reminiscent of Darius Milhaud’s ragtime and tango influenced piano music.

By 1985, Corea joined forces with young virtuosos John Patitucci (bass), Dave Weckl (drums), and Scott Henderson (guitar) to form The Chick Corea Electric Band. In an
interview for Keyboard Magazine, July 1986, Corea explained that the use of electronic instruments opens up new possibilities of expression and allows him to
communicate with sounds currently familiar to a broader audience.

A recording contract with the GRP label resulted in a series of tours and recordings, such as the self-titled debut, the grammy winning “Light Years” with Eric Marienthal (saxes),
and Frank Gambale (guitar), “Eye of the Beholder”, “Inside Out”, and “Beneath the Mask”.

The Electric Band era concluded in 1993 with the release of “Paint the World”, featuring the Electric Band II with Gary Novak (drums), Jimmy Earl (bass), Mike Miller (guitar), and Eric Marienthal (saxes).

During the 90ies, many jazz musicians discarded the world of electronics and focused on using acoustic instruments and interpreting the traditional standard repertoire. Already during the late 80ies, Corea, Patitucci, and Weckl, had toured and recorded as an acoustic trio. Recording now for his own label, Stretch Records, Corea returned to his acoustic roots with “Time Warp”, a tribute to Bud Powell, and duo
recordings with Bobby McFerrin and Gary Burton, recorded between 1994 – 1997.

In addition, he further explored the world of classical music with “The Mozart Sessions”, conducted by Bobby McFerrin. Most recently Corea formed the sextet “Origin”, a new outlet for his compositions and arrangements.

Corea never seems to sit still, always looking for new, unexpected adventures. But even in the most diverse projects, such as his free-style recordings with “Circle”
compared to the jazz fusion of the “The Chick Corea Electric Band,” Corea’s piano style is easily recognizable and well-defined. While incorporating the traditions of jazz, the ultimate goal of any jazz musician is to develop a personal, recognizable approach to playing by defining some basic conceptual principles.

Those principles provide the unifying threads throughout Corea’s eclectic projects. Following is a discussion of some of those characteristic of a great artist.

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Artist or Composer / Score name	Cover	List of Contents
Aebersold Phil Degreg – Jazz keyboard harmony – A practical method for all musicians		jazz keyboard harmony
Aebersold RAPID REFERENCE	Aebersold RAPID REFERENCE
Aebersold vol 1 Cómo improvisar y tocar JAZZ Spanish edition – Español		Aebersold vol 1 Cómo improvisar y tocar JAZZ Spanish edition
Aebersold Vol. 01 – Jazz improvisation A New Approach To Jazz Improvisation		Aebersold Vol. 01 – Jazz improvisation
Aebersold Vol. 60 Dan Haerle & Mark Levine – Jazz Piano Voicings
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – All complete Chick Corea
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 02 – Nothin’ But Blues	Jazz Play Along Vol 002 – [Nothin’ But Blues]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 03 – The II-V7-I Progression	Jazz Play Along Vol 003 – [The II-V7-I Progression]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 04 – Movin’ On	Jazz Play Along Vol 004 – [Movin’ On]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 05 – Time To Play Music!	Jazz Play Along Vol 005 – [Time To Play Music!]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 06 – Charlie Parker	Jazz Play Along Vol 006 – [Charlie Parker – All Bird]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 07 – Miles Davis		Jazz Play Along Vol 007 – [Miles Davis]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 08 – Sonny Rollins	Jazz Play Along Vol 008 – [Sonny Rollins]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 09 – Woody Shaw	Jazz Play Along Vol 009 – [Woody Shaw]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 10 – David Baker	Jazz Play Along Vol 010 – [David Baker]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 100 – St. Louis Blues	Jazz Play Along Vol 011 – [Herbie Hancock]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 101 – Secret of the Andes	Jazz Play Along Vol 012 – [Duke Ellington]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 102 – Jerry Bergonzi	Jazz Play Along Vol 102 – [Jerry Bergonzi]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 103 – David Sanborn	Jazz Play Along Vol 103 – [David Sanborn]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 104 – Kenny Werner	Jazz Play Along Vol 104 – [Free Play – 13 Musical Landscapes]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 105 – Dave Brubeck	Jazz Play Along Vol 105 – [Dave Brubeck]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 106 – Lee Morgan	Jazz Play Along Vol 106 – [Lee Morgan]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 107 – STANDARDS FOR SINGERS	Jazz Play Along Vol 109 [Fusion] Jazz Play Along Vol 110 [When i Fall in Love] Aebersold – Vol 107 – IT HAD TO BE YOU
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 108 – Joe Henderson	Jazz Play Along Vol 108 – [Joe Henderson] – C-Bb
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 109 – Fusion	Jazz Play Along Vol 109 [Fusion]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 11 – Herbie Hancock	Jazz Play Along Vol 011 – [Herbie Hancock]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 111 – J.J. Johnson	Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 111 – J.J. Johnson
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 112 – [Cole Porter]		Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 112 – [Cole Porter]_compressed
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – vol 115 – Ron Carter	Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – vol 115 – Ron Carter
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 12 – Duke Ellington	Jazz Play Along Vol 012 – [Duke Ellington]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 13 – Cannonball Adderley	Jazz Play Along Vol 013 – [Cannonball Adderley]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 14 – Benny Golson	Aebersold – Vol 14 – Benny Golson
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 15 – Payin’ Dues	Aebersold – Vol 15 – Payin’ Dues
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 15 – Payin’ Dues – Complete Bass Lines	Aebersold – Vol 15 – Payin’ Dues – Complete Bass Lines
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 16 -Turnarounds, Cycles & II V7’s	Jazz Play Along Vol 016 – [Turnarounds, Cycles & II-V7’s]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 17 – Horace Silver	Jazz Play Along Vol 017 – [Horace Silver]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 18 – Horace Silver	Jazz Play Along Vol 018 – [Horace Silver]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 19 – David Liebman	Jazz Play Along Vol 019 – [David Liebman]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 20 – Jimmy Raney	Jazz Play Along Vol 020 – [Jimmy Raney]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 21 – Gettin’ It Together (& Supplement)	Jazz Play Along Vol 021 – [Gettin It Together]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 22 – Favorite Standards	Jazz Play Along Vol 022 – [Favorite Standards]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 23 – One Dozen Standards	Jazz Play Along Vol 023 – [One Dozen Standards]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 24 – Major and Minor	Jazz Play Along Vol 024 – [Major and Minor]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 25 – All Time Standards	Jazz Play Along Vol 025 – [All Time Standards]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 26 – Scale Syllabus	Jazz Play Along Vol 026 – [Scale Syllabus]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 27 – John Coltrane	Jazz Play Along Vol 027 – [John Coltrane]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 28 Jazz Play Along Vol 028 – [Giant Steps]	Jazz Play Along Vol 029 – [Play Duets With Jimmy Raney] Jazz Play Along Vol 028 – [Giant Steps]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 29 – Play Duets With Jimmy Raney	Jazz Play Along Vol 029 – [Play Duets With Jimmy Raney]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 30 – Rhythm Section Workout	Jazz Play Along Vol 030 – [Rhythm Section Workout]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 31 – Bossa Novas	Jazz Play Along Vol 031 – [Bossa Novas]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 32 – Ballads	Jazz Play Along Vol 032 – [Ballads]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 33 – Wayne Shorter	Jazz Play Along Vol 033 – [Wayne Shorter]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 34 – Jam Session	Jazz Play Along Vol 034 – [Jam Session]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 35 – Cedar Walton	Jazz Play Along Vol 035 – [Cedar Walton]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 36 – Bebop & Beyond	Jazz Play Along Vol 036 – [Bebop & Beyond]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 37 – Sammy Nestico	Jazz Play Along Vol 037 – [Sammy Nestico]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 38 – Blue Note	Jazz Play Along Vol 038 – [Blue Note]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 39 – Swing Swing Swing	Jazz Play Along Vol 039 – [Swing, Swing, Swing]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 40 – ‘Round Midnight	Jazz Play Along Vol 040 – [‘Round Midnight]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 41 – Body and Soul	Jazz Play Along Vol 041 – [Body and Soul]	Jazz Play Along Vol 041 – [Body and Soul – Jazz Piano Voicings]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 42 – Blues in All Keys	Jazz Play Along Vol 042 – [Blues In All Keys]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 44 – [Autumn Leaves]	Jazz Play Along Vol 044 – [Autumn Leaves]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 45 – Bill Evans – COMPLETE	Jazz Play Along Vol 045 – [Bill Evans]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 46 – Out Of This World	Jazz Play Along Vol 046 – [Out Of This World]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 47 – Rhythm changes in all keys	Jazz Play Along Vol 047 – [I Got Rhythm Changes In All Keys]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 48 – In a Mellow Tone	Jazz Play Along Vol 048 – [In A Mellow Tone]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 49 – Sugar	Jazz Play Along Vol 049 – [Sugar]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 50 – The Magic Of Miles	Jazz Play Along Vol 050 – [The Magic of Miles]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 51 – Night And Day	Jazz Play Along Vol 051 – [Night and Day]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 52 – Collector’s Items	Jazz Play Along Vol 052 – [Collector’s Items]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 53 – Clifford Brown	Jazz Play Along Vol 053 – [Clifford Brown]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 54 – Maiden Voyage	Jazz Play Along Vol 054 – [Maiden Voyage]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 55 – Yesterdays -Jerome Kern	Jazz Play Along Vol 055 – [Yesterdays – Jerome Kern]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 56 – Thelonious Monk (Book Cd)	Jazz Play Along Vol 056 – [Thelonious Monk]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 57 – Minor Blues in All 12 Keys	Jazz Play Along Vol 057 – [Minor Blues In All Keys]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 58 – Unforgettable Standards	Jazz Play Along Vol 058 – [Unforgettable Standards]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 59 – Invitation	Jazz Play Along Vol 059 – [Invitation]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 60 – Freddie Hubbard	Jazz Play Along Vol 060 – [Freddie Hubbard]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 61 – Burnin’!!!	Jazz Play Along Vol 061 – [Burnin’]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 62 – Wes Montgomery	Jazz Play Along Vol 062 – [Wes Montgomery]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 63 – Tom Harrel	Jazz Play Along Vol 063 – [Tom Harrell]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 64 – Salsa, Latin Jazz	Jazz Play Along Vol 064 – [Salsa, Latin Jazz]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 65 – Four & More	Jazz Play Along Vol 065 – [Four and More]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 66 – Billy Strayhorn	Jazz Play Along Vol 066 – [Billy Strayhorn]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 67 – Tune Up	Jazz Play Along Vol 067 – [Tune Up]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 68 – Giant Steps	Jazz Play Along Vol 069 – [Bird Goes Latin]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 69 – Bird Goes Latin	Jazz Play Along Vol 069 – [Bird Goes Latin]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 70 – Killer Joe	Jazz Play Along Vol 070 – [Killer Joe]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 71 – East of the Sun	Jazz Play Along Vol 071 – [East Of The Sun]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 72 – Street of Dreams	Jazz Play Along Vol 072 – [Street of Dreams]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 73 – Oliver Nelson – Stolen Moments	Jazz Play Along Vol 073 – [Oliver Nelson (Stolen Moments)]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 74 – Latin Jazz	Jazz Play Along Vol 074 – [Latin Jazz]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 75 – Countdown To Giant Steps	Jazz Play Along Vol 075 – [Countdown to Giant steps]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 76 – How To Learn Tunes	Jazz Play Along Vol 076 – [How to Learn Tunes]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 77 – Paquito D’Rivera	Jazz Play Along Vol 077 – [Paquito D’Rivera]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 78 – Jazz Holiday Classics	Jazz Play Along Vol 078 – [Jazz Holiday Classics]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 79 – Avalon	Jazz Play Along Vol 079 – [Avalon]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 80 – Indiana	Jazz Play Along Vol 080 – [Indiana]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 81 – Standards And Originals	Jazz Play Along Vol 081 – [Contemporary Standards & Originals]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 82 – Dexter Gordon	Jazz Play Along Vol 082 – [Dexter Gordon]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 83 – Brecker Brothers	Jazz Play Along Vol 083 – [Brecker Brothers]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 84 – Dominant 7th Workout	Jazz Play Along Vol 084 – [Dominant Seventh Workout]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 85 – Tunes You Thought You Knew	Jazz Play Along Vol 085 – [Tunes You Though You Knew (Reharmonized Standards)]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 86 – Shoutin Out – Horace Silver Tunes (Book+CD)	Jazz Play Along Vol 086 – Shoutin’ Out – Horace Silver Tunes
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 87 – When Lights Are Low – Benny Carter	Jazz Play Along Vol 087 – [When Lights Are Low – Benny Carter]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 89 – Darn That Dream	Jazz Play Along Vol 089 – [Darn That Dream]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 90 Odd Times	Jazz Play Along Vol 090 – [Odd Times – Odd Time Signature Songs]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 91-Players Choice	Jazz Play Along Vol 091 – [Player’s Choice]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 92-Lennie Neihaus	Jazz Play Along Vol 092 – [Lennie Neihaus]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 93 What’s new	Jazz Play Along Vol 093 – [What’s New]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 94 Hot Hhouse	Jazz Play Along Vol 094 – [Hot House]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 95- 500 miles high	Jazz Play Along Vol 095 – [500 Miles High]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 96-Latin Quarter	Jazz Play Along Vol 096 – [Latin Quarter]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 97-Standards with strings	Jazz Play Along Vol 097 – [Standards With Strings]
Aebersold, Jamey Jazz Play Along Book + Audio Mp3 – Vol 99 Tadd Dameron	Jazz Play Along Vol 099 – [Tadd Dameron]
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Chick Corea’s piano style

A. Technique

In one of his poems from his music poetry, Chick writes: “Discipline your body, discipline your instrument…”. His clean and clear attack and mastery of his instrument demonstrates such principles.
His articulation is always precise and clean no matter if he plays a Steinway grand piano, a Fender keyboard, or his Yamaha strap-on keyboard. Corea’s keyboard solo on “Got A Match” on The Chick Corea Electric Band is exemplary for his clear articulation even at extreme speeds.
Corea’s touch can be very powerful, using the piano foremost as a percussion instrument. One example is on An Evening With Herbie Hancock, where he plays the
vamp figure of “La Fiesta” at the beginning so forceful and with minimal key contact, that it sounds more like a drum groove than a piano vamp.
On the other hand, he can be very sensitive and tasteful. Some examples are his romantic soloing on “Where Have I Known You Before” on the similarly titled album and his interpretations of his own “Children’s Songs.”
He doesn’t limit his palette of sounds to conventional means of playing the piano keys. Especially during duo or trio performances, one can frequently observe Corea
plucking the strings inside the piano and experimenting with different ways of preparing the strings. Such experimentation were personally witnessed during his
concerts at the 1996 IAJE convention, and can also be heard on “Fragments” and “Duet for Bass and Piano No. 2” on the record Circling In.
Chick Corea’s use of baroque-like embellishments are heard rather frequently in his playing. Sometimes he’ll just fill out melodic intervals chromatically, as in the following example.

His complete independence of right and left hand is also a strong component of Chick Corea’s technique. Such independence enables him to provide bass ostinatos and rhythmic accents complimentary to right-hand melodies. A short excerpt from his solo on “La Fiesta” exemplifies this ability.

B. Rhythm

Chick Corea’s preference for Latin-American rhythms has become a trademark of his style. The choice of song titles, such as “La Fiesta,” “Spain,”” My Spanish Heart,” “Samba
Song, “or “Señor Mouse” already indicate such preferences. His piano accompaniments often combine Latin-American rhythms with jazz harmonies.

La Fiesta (Takase, 1979)

2. Sophisticated rhythmic interplay and precise timing are very prominent in Chick Corea’s comping and soloing. Being an accomplished drummer, he has a wide repertoire of
rhythms and the ability to execute them with confidence and perfect timing. Such rhythmic variety adds interest and excitement to his music.

3. Often, his syncopation and his ability to play different rhythms with each hand create polyrhythmic effects.

The rhythmic organization of his melodic lines, often referred to as phrasing, also displays his rhythmic mastery and versatility. Although the typical strings of eighth notes dominate Chick Corea’s soloing, he knows how to place rests and other rhythmic values effectively to create logical, congruent lines.

C. Melodic Characteristics

One main aspect of jazz improvisation is to create interesting melodic lines in relation to a repeating harmonic structure. Therefore, the pitch content of melodic lines needs to be discussed in reference to the underlying harmonies. As a result, some aspects in the analysis of melodic and harmonic elements will overlap.

The melodies of Corea’s compositions are very lyrical and memorable, many of his songs have become part of the standard repertoire of jazz musicians. Some examples
are “Spain,” “Windows,” or “Humpty Dumpty”. During his improvisations, he combines such lyricism with complex rhythmic and harmonic twists.

Some of his most lyrical improvisations are captured in his “Piano Improvisations I & II” and his solo rendition of “Where Have I Known You Before.”

Rooted very much in the Bebop tradition, Corea’s improvised lines are dominated by long strings of eighth notes shaped in the sinoid waveforms. Especially at faster tempos, such dominance of eighth note values is apparent.

Corea often prefers lydian and altered scales to add tension and color to his improvised lines. Especially, diminished scales (half step/ whole step alternating) used in relation to dominant chords can be frequently detected in his solos.

Jazz musicians often develop favorite melodic patterns and runs that make their style recognizable. Corea often uses a chromatic ascending pattern and short embellishments at the beginning of lines.

D. Harmonic Characteristics

Studying the classical literature and composition has influenced Corea’s harmonic vocabulary. Similarities to the harmonic innovations of the French romantics such as
Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel can be detected. Corea displays preferences for wide, open sounds with frequent uses of Ma7#11 chords.

During his years with John Coltrane, pianist McCoy Tyner developed a new harmonic approach by using voicings based mainly on the interval of a fourth. This technique became the essence of the modern piano sound. Similar voicing techniques can be detected in Corea’s playing.

Corea’s harmonic progressions often depart from the traditional functional harmony, which depends mainly on the II-V-I relationship. One technique for harmonic
expansion is the use of poly chords, which consist of harmonies with foreign bass notes or two harmonies layered on top of each other.

Other techniques for harmonic expansion are the use of ostinati and pedal points. Both techniques are apparent in Corea’s compositions and performances. Pedal points provide a suspended feel to the harmonic movement and create tension to be released with the departure from the pedal point.

Especially in his cycle of “Children’s Songs”, Corea frequently uses ostinati to create accompaniments.

Children’s Songs No. 1

Finally, Corea often employs parallel movement of harmonies of the same quality. This is another technique to avoid functional harmony while still creating logical
harmonic movement.

It Could Happen To You (Live / Show 1 / January 3, 1998)

Chick Corea’s Arrangement and Solo on “It Could Happen to You”

Please, download a transcription of Chick Corea’s arrangement and two solo choruses on the standard “It Could Happen to You” by Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke (from the songbook “Chick Corea Plays Standards”)

Chick-Corea-Plays-Standards-1 “It Could Happen to You”Download

This performance with Corea’s most recent group “Origin” was captured in February 1998 during an engagement at New York’s jazz club “Blue Note”. Many of Corea’s style characteristics discussed earlier are apparent in this transcription.

The following analysis will focus on these special characteristics. “It Could Happen to You” is a 32-bar song, composed in two similar 16-bar sections. After a rubato solo piano introduction, Corea states the head, supported by Avishai Cohen on drums and Adam Cruz on drums. Steve Davis on trombone, Bob Sheppard on tenor sax, and Steve Wilson on alto sax join for the last four measures.

In order to reinforce his liberal treatment of the melody, Corea adds, deletes, and substitutes some of the original harmonies. In measure 3, Corea adds an Am passing
chord, then proceeds chromatically up to C. Furthermore, a string of chromatically descending, parallel dominant chords substitutes for the original tonic – subdominant progression in measure 5 and 6.

Instead of the regular ii-V Turnaround in measures 15 and 16, Corea harmonizes the melody in triads to a step-wise descending bass line, a technique discussed earlier under harmonic characteristics. Finally, he suspends the resolution to the tonic in measure 31 by laying a C-pedal point for the final 6 measures of the head.

Corea begins his solo with a melodic sequence, emphasizing the #11 of F-Major in measure 37. The sequence continues with embellishments until measure 41. For the turnaround in measure 46 and 47, Corea chooses to use a D-Major Scale, brightening up the sound of the F-Major harmonic basis from one flat to two sharps.

In order to lead back to the F-Major tonic, Corea moves up chromatically, implying E-Major during measure 48. Similar to the tonic-subdominant substitution with a string of
dominant chords during the head in measure 21-24, Corea plays a descending, chromatic sequence from Bb13 to G13 in measure 54.

He completes his first chorus with a C-pedal point. During m. 61-64, Corea melodically implies a progression of Dm7, Ebm7, Ab, G7b9 over the C-pedal point as a turnaround to the F-Major tonic in m.65.

During the second chorus, Corea concentrates more on rhythmic aspects for his improvised lines. In m. 67/ 68, he crosses the bar lines with a hemiola, leading to a syncopated repetition of C’s doubled at the octave over the course of the following three measures. Echoing the thought, Corea states a series of B’s in measure 75 and 76.

In relation to the F Major harmony in measure 75 , B is the #11, one of Corea’s favorite harmonic option to brighten up major chords. Again, he implies a series of triads over an ascending bass line to close the first half of the second chorus. Block harmonies characterize the improvisational approach for the second half of the chorus. Instead of the C-pedal point, Corea increases tension and intensity by leading into the third solo chorus with an ascending B-Major scale, accented by syncopated, ascending fourths in the left hand.

In closing this discussion of Corea’s piano style, the following basic principles can be extracted from the analysis. With a clear touch, a clean technique, and a very strong sense of rhythm, Corea is well-equipped to realize his quest for communication through his music.

Some of his most prevalent melodic techniques are the frequent use of embellishments, lydian and altered scales, and some typical chromatic patterns. Harmonically, Corea frequently uses voicings based on the interval of a
fourths, poly chords, non-functional progressions, pedal points, and ostinati.

In summary, Corea’s artistry is based on a strong command of his instrument and contemporary harmonic techniques. Naturally there is a deeper level to artistry than just the surface of technique, rhythm, melody, and harmony. Personal attributes such as creativity, inventiveness, spontaneity, or flexibility are just as important as musical
characteristics.

Nevertheless, the previous analysis can be helpful for students of jazz piano and jazz in general in developing their own, personal concepts. Not only jazz performers may benefit from such an analysis, but also listeners of jazz in order to develop a stronger appreciation and understanding of one artist’s accomplishments.

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Total Records Found in the Library: 12469, showing 120 per page
Artist or Composer / Score name	Cover	List of Contents
(500) Days Of Summer Piano Theme ( Mychael Danna, Rob Simonsen)	(500) Days Of Summer Piano Theme ( Mychael Danna, Rob Simonsen)
10,000 Maniacs Because The Night Piano Solo sheet music
100 Golden Standards The World’s Best Piano Arrangements by the greatest pianists of the Century		The World’s Best Piano Arrangements
100 Great Keyboard Intros Songbook		100 Great Keyboard Intros Songbook
100 Greatest Film Scores (Book) by Matt Lawson & Laurence E. MacDonald
100 greatest POP songs		100 greats pop songs
100 Greatest Songs of Rock & Roll, Selections From Piano Vocal Guitar Sheet Music		100 Greatest Songs of Rock & Roll, Selections From Piano Vocal Guitar Sheet Music
100 Hits Simply The Best – Guitar (Die besten Songs aus Pop Rock) German		100 Hits Simply The Best (Die besten Songs aus Pop
100 Jazz & Blues Greats Book		100 Jazz & Blues Greats
100 Jazz Solos & Etudes by Jacob Wise		100 Jazz solos
100 Light Classics For Piano Solo		100 Light Classics For Piano Solo
100 Most Beautiful Christmas Songs Easy Piano Vocal		100 Most Beautiful Christmas Songs Easy Piano Vocal
100 Most Beautiful Christmas Songs Piano Vocal Guitar		100 Most Beautiful Christmas Songs Piano Vocal Guitar
100 Must-Know Jazz Tunes with MP3 audio tracks to Play Along		100 Must-Know Jazz Tune – C version
100 of the Best Movie Songs Ever! Piano Vocal Guitar		100 best movie songs 1&100 best movie songs 2
100 Of The Best Songs Ever For The Keyboard by Daniel Scott		100 Of The Best Songs Ever For The Keyboard
100 Piano Solos (100 popular standards of today arr. by Frank Booth) with guitar chords		100 piano solos 1
100 Pop Hits Of The 90’s by Dan Coates		100 Pop Hits Of The 90’s by Dan Coates
100 Rock N Roll Standards Piano Vocal Guitar chords		100 Rock N Roll Standards Piano Vocal Guitar chords contents
100 Songs For Kids – Easy Guitar Lyrics with Tablature		100 Songs For Kids – Easy Guitar Lyrics
100 Tunes Every Musician Should Know Professional Chord Changes And Substitutions By Dick Hyman		100 Tunes Every Musician Should Know Professional Chord Changes And Substitutions By Dick Hyman
100 Ultimate Blues Riffs For Piano Keyboards		100 ultimate riffs jazz piano
100 Women Of Pop And Rock 100 songs by 100 artists		100 Women Of Pop And Rock 100 songs by 100 artists Piano Vocal Guitaral Leonard
100 Years Of Popular Music 1980s Part Two Piano Vocal Guitar Chords		100 Years Of Popular Music 1980s Part Two Piano Vocal Guitar Chords
1000 Examples of Musical Dictation (Ladukhin, Nikolay)	1000 Examples of Musical Dictation
1000 Words – Final Fantasy X-2.mscz
1001 Blues Licks by Toby Wine – Piano		1001 Blues Licks by Toby Wine – Piano
1001 Jazz Licks A Complete Jazz Vocabulary For The Improvising Musician (Jack Shneidman)		1001 Jazz Licks A Complete Jazz Vocabulary For The Improvising Musician (Jack Shneidman)
101 Cançoes Que Tocaram O Brasil Nelson Motta (Book) (Brazilian Portuguese)
101 Frank Sinatra Hits For Buskers		101 Frank Sinatra Hits For Buskers
101 Mississippi Delta Blues Fingerpicking Licks Guitar and TAB by Larry McCabe		Larry McCabe – 101 Mississippi Delta Blues Fingerpicking Licks
101 Must-Know Blues Licks (Guitar Educational) (Wolf Marshall) PDF + MP3 audio tracks Play Along with Tablature		101 Must-Know Blues Licks (Guitar Educational) (Wolf Marshall)
1015 Songs – The Original Musicians’s (Musicals)		1015 Songs – The Original, Musicians’s (Musicals)
106 Songs Everybody Plays		106 Songs Everybody Plays
11 Short Classical Piano Pieces		11 Short Classical Piano Pieces
116 Arrangements Of Baroque, Classical & Ballet Pieces For Piano Solo		116 Arrangements Of Baroque, Classical & Ballet Pieces For Piano Solo
129 Easy Pieces For Piano Solo, also for beginners		129 easy pieces for piano solo
12th Street RAG – Liberace Collection Book of 5 compositions
12th Street Rag by Euday Bowman (Piano Solo sheet music, Noten, partition, partitura, spartito).mscz
150 Best Songs For Acoustic Guitar
150 More Of The Most Beautiful Songs Ever (Songbook) Piano Vocal Guitar		150 More Of The Most Beautiful Songs Ever (Songbook) Piano Vocal Guitar
150 Of The Best Jazz Standards Ever		150 Of The Best Jazz Standards Ever
150 Of The Most Beautiful Songs Ever 3rd Edition		150 Of The Most Beautiful Songs Ever 3rd Edit1 and 150 Of The Most Beautiful Songs Ever 3rd Edit2
16 Pop and Movies Hits Keyboard Piano Book (Mike Emerson)		16 Pop and Movies Hits Keyboard Piano Book (Mike Emerson)
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue The Musical By Leonard Bernstein And Alan Jay Lerner Vocal Selections
17 Moments of Spring – Mgnovenia (Mikael Tariverdiev)
1812 Overture Op. 49 Thaikovsky (arr. piano solo)
1950s Jazz (Fake Book lead sheet music)		1950s Jazz (Fake Book lead sheet music)
20 Century Fox Theme Transcription By Deusde Coppen
20 Modern BEBOP Licks – by Noah Kellman All Keys with left hands chords		20 Modern BEBOP Licks – by Noah Kellman All Keys with left hands chords
200 Jazz Standards Tunes (chords progressions for C Instruments) Bob Taylor		200 Jazz Standards Tunes (chords progressions for C Instruments) Bob Taylor
200 Of The Best Songs From Jazz Of The ’50s	jazz of the 50s
2014 Top Hits Of 2014 Songbook Piano Vocal Guitar		2014 Top Hits Of 2014 Songbook Piano Vocal Guitar
2016 Top Hits Of 2016 Songbook Piano Vocal Guitar		2016 Top Hits Of 2016 Songbook Piano Vocal Guitar
2018 Greatest Pop Movie Hits Songbook For Piano		2018 Greatest Pop Movie Hits Songbook For Piano
2019 GREATEST POP MOVIE HITS SONGBOOK FOR PIANO PART 2 Piano sheet music (Jim Presley)		2019 GREATEST POP MOVIE HITS SONGBOOK FOR PIANO PART 2 Piano sheet music (Jim Presley)
2020 Greatest Pop Piano Sheet Music Book Songbooks For Piano		2020 Greatest Pop Piano Sheet Music Book Songbooks For Piano
20th Century Classics Volume 1		20th Century Classics Volume 1
20th Century Jazz Guitar by Richie Zellon (with Tablature)		20th Century Jazz Guitar by Richie Zellon
20th Century Masters Of Fingerstyle Guitar by John Stropes		20th Century Masters Of Fingerstyle Guitar by John Stropes
20th Century Piano Music – Book (1990) David Burge		20th Century Piano Music Book (1990) David Burge
24 Etudes Op.35 – Fernando Sor (1778 – 1839) (Musescore File).mscz
24_Preludes_Op.34 Shostakovich.mscz
25 Short Classical Guitar Pieces (with Tablature)		25 Short Classical Guitar Pieces
262 Classic Piano Rags Various Composers		262 Classic Piano Rags Various Composers
273 Easy And Intermediate Piano Pieces		273 Easy And Intermediate Piano Pieces contents
28 Modern Jazz Trumpet Solos Book 2		28 Modern Jazz Trumpet Solos Book 2
3.10 to Yuma (Marco Beltrami)
30 Best Rock Guitar Songs Ever (Guitar TABs)		30 Best Rock Guitar Songs Ever (Guitar TABs)
300 Sacred Songs Melody Lyrics Chords Fake Book Melody Lyrics Chords		300 Sacred Songs Melody Lyrics Chords Fake Book Melody Lyrics Chords_compressed
36 Christmas Carols Songs		36 christmas carols songs
38 Special Guitar Anthology Guitar Recorded Vers. with Tablature		38 special guitar anthology
39 Progressive Solos For Classical Guitar (with Tablature)		39 Progressive Solos For Classical Guitar
39 Progressive Solos For Classical Guitar Book 2 (with Tablature)		39 Progressive Solos For Classical Guitar Book 2 sheet music pdf
40 Easy Guitar Pieces (Painted with the Sound)
49 Most Popular Jazz Songs		49 Most Popular Jazz Songs
5 Christmas Songs Sheet Music Trumpet in B & Piano accompaniment (Viktor Dick)	5 Christmas Songs Sheet Music Trumpet in B & Piano accompaniement (Viktor Dick)
50 Broadway Shows 50 Broadway Songs		50 Broadway Shows 50 Broadway Songs
50 Classical Guitar Solos In Tablature (Howard Wallach) with Tablature		50 Classical Guitar Solos In Tablature (Howard Wallach)
50 Essential Bebop Heads Arranged For Guitar Tablature (best lines Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk and more)		50 Essential Bebop Heads Arranged For Guitar Tablature (best lines Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk and more)
50 Jazz Standards Every Jazz Musician Needs To Know with MP3 audio tracks to Play Along		50 Jazz Standards Every Jazz Musician Needs To Know – C version
50 Most Popular Classical Melodies (Easy Piano)		50 Most Popular Classical Melodies
50 Of The Most Beautiful Piano Love Songs Solos Ever.		50 OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PIANO LOVE SONGS SOLOS EVER
50 Piano Arrangements Of Hymns And Gospel Songs (Fred Bock’s Best)		50 Piano Arrangements Of Hymns sheet music
50 Piano Classics – Easy		50 piano classics
50 Riffs For Blues Guitar – Martin Shellard with MP3 audio to Play Along with Tablature		50 riffs for blues guitar
500 Piano Intros For The Great Standards – Steinway		500 piano intros
55 Country Classics (Voice, piano, Guitar)		55 Country Classics (Voice, piano, Guitar)
557 Jazz Standards (Sheet Music – in C for all instruments) swing to bop (lead sheet)		Standards (Sheet Music – Piano)
60 Progressive Solos For Classical Guitar By Mark Phillips (with Tablature)
67 Fun Songs arranged by Jon Schmidt (Piano)
70’s Hits (Easy Piano Solos) – Hans-Gunter Heumann [Piano, Vocal, Chords]
750.000 anni fa.l’Amore (Banco del Mutuo Soccorso)
75th Anniversary A Tribute In Music From The 20s Through The 90s Various Artists Warner Bros		75th Anniversary A Tribute In Music From The 20s Through The 90s Various Artists Warner Bros
78 Quarterly No 1 and 2 (1967) Book magazine
8 ½ Theme (Nino Rota)
8 Femmes (Krishna Levy)
8 Jazz scales you need to know.mscz
80 Most Requested LDS Songs (Mormon music)		80 Most Requested LDS Songs (Mormon music)
88 Piano Classics For Beginners – David Dutkanicz		88 Piano Classics For Beginners – David Dutkanicz
88 The Giants Of Jazz Piano by Robert L. Foerschuk (Book) foreword by Keith Jarrett
9 easy guitar pieces – Sveinn Eythorsson
97 Oeuvres pour Guitare de Jean Francois DELCAMP		97 Oeuvres pour Guitare de Jean Francois DELCAMP
99 Easy Piano Pieces		99 Easy Piano Pieces
A Beautiful Mind – A Kalidoscope of Mathematics
A Beautiful Mind – All Love Can Be	A Beautiful Mind – All Love Can Be
A Beautiful Mind – Kalidoscope
A Child Is Born – Oscar Peterson (Musescore File).mscz
A Chordal Concept For Jazz Guitar by Peter O’Mara		A Chordal Concept For Jazz Guitar by Peter O’Mara
A Ciascuno il Suo (Luis Bacalov)
A Clare Benediction – John Rutter – Piano Solo Arr. (Musescore File).mscz
A Clockwork Orange (Beethoviana)	A Clockwork Orange (Beethoviana)
A Clockwork Orange (Beethoviana) (Musescore File).mscz
A Comparative Study Of The 24 Preludes Of A. Scriabin And Sergei Rachmaninoff (book)
A Complete Course of Instruction For The Piano-Forte (Dr Karl Merz) (1885)		Instruction…
A Cool Yule. Ten Jazzy Christmas Songs		A Cool Yule. Ten Jazzy Christmas Songs
A Creative Approach To Jazz Piano Harmony Bill Dobbins		A Creative Approach To Jazz Piano Harmony Bill Dobbins
A Creative Approach To Practicing JAZZ – by David Baker		A Creative Approach To pravtising Jazz
A Dance of Dragons – Blood of the Dragon (Game of Thrones) Piano solo arr.
A Dictionary of Music and Musicians Vol. 4 (A.D. 1450-1880) Edited in 1889