Smooth Chord Changes: Keeping the Common Tone

When reading a chord chart as an accompanist for a soloist, it’s important to avoid playing the melody. The soloist appreciates the freedom to express her/his own interpretation of the melody. Some bass players, likewise, prefer the keyboard musician who provides room for free expression of the bass line. The result is a rather limited range of pitches for the accompanist. From the beginning to the end of video, attention is given to smooth chord changes by keeping the common tone(s). The application of this principle to a more complex harmonic progression is shown in the closing song, “All the Things You Are” by Jerome Kern, a classic song from 1939.