Confirmation
“A wonderful lesson from Roni Ben-Hur on the important "Confirmation". I especially love it when great players like Roni can give me immediately useful tools with logical…”
"Hello everyone, my name is Roni Ben-Hur. Today, I want to discuss "Confirmation" by Charlie Parker, a fascinating jazz piece known for its intricate chord progressions. It serves as an excellent practice tool for navigating common chord changes found in many jazz standards. First, I'll perform the piece to give you a sense of its vibe. "Confirmation" has a lively, bebop feel, and while its melody (or "head") is challenging, it provides a rich foundation for improvisation, making it ideal for developing your jazz phrasing and vocabulary. However, the melody can be daunting, especially on the guitar, due to its complexity. One approach is to slow down the melody or focus on improvisation by bypassing the melody altogether. The importance of "Confirmation" lies in its chord changes, which are prevalent in many jazz standards. By analyzing the chord sheet, identify the harmonic centers or "arrival points" and the chords that lead to these points. The piece transitions from the tonic (F major) to its relative minor (D minor), a common progression in jazz. Recognizing these patterns, such as moving to the relative minor or the fourth chord, is crucial for understanding jazz harmony. When practicing "Confirmation," consider the function of each chord: some are destinations, while others are pathways leading to these destinations. This distinction helps in improvisation, as you can emphasize the arrival points while using the leading chords to navigate through the changes. Let's break down the A section: it starts in F major, moves to D minor (the relative minor), then to B-flat major (the fourth chord), and introduces a two-five-one progression, a staple in jazz harmony. Each of these points offers an opportunity to practice and internalize common jazz progressions. Understanding and practicing the chord changes in "Confirmation" not only enhances your ability to play this particular tune but also enriches your overall jazz improvisation skills by familiarizing you with key harmonic movements found in many other standards."
Course Content
Lessons
- Confirmation5340
Reviews & Ratings
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Sandro Norton
Verified Purchase
10/31/2009
Great lesson from Roni Ben-Hur. Based on the famous Barry Harris method Roni demonstrates the principles of how to play bebop. He´s a great teacher and a player too.<br /> Thanks Roni
timothy allred
6/30/2008
A wonderful lesson from Roni Ben-Hur on the important "Confirmation". I especially love it when great players like Roni can give me immediately useful tools with logical explanation so it will stick. This lesson provides that in spades. Extremely well-organized and packed with powerful concepts for unlocking "Confirmation" or indeed any other tune.
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About the instructor
Roni Ben-Hur →
Jazz guitarist Roni Ben-Hur has earned a sterling reputation as a musician and educator, renowned for his golden tone, improvisational brilliance, compositional lyricism and ability to charm peers, students and listeners alike. Eminent jazz critic Gary Giddins wrote in the Village Voice: "A limber and inventive guitarist, Ben-Hur keeps the modernist flame alive and pure, with a low flame burning in every note ... [He's] a guitarist who knows the changes and his own mind." Roni - born in Israel in 1962 but a longtime American citizen, based in New York City - has recorded a dozen albums as leader or co-leader, with The New York Times praising his "crisp, fluid style" and Time Out New York calling him "a formidable and consummately lyrical guitarist." He has developed a rare facility in both straight-ahead jazz and Brazilian styles, evidenced by his work with masters in both fields, from pianist Benny Harris and saxophonist/ flautist Frank Wess to vocalist Leny Andrade. The Star-Ledger of New Jersey summed up Roni this way: "A deep musician, a storyteller, Ben-Hur works with a warm, glowing sound and has an alluring way of combining engaging notes with supple rhythm." Along with releasing acclaimed educational products - such as the instructional DVD Chordability and method book Talk Jazz: Guitar - Roni has directed international jazz camps for some 15 years. Jazz guitar star Russell Malone got it right when he said: "Everything Roni does is beautiful. He has the magic touch."