I'm All Smiles: Journey Through The Real Book

A jazz piano lesson to help you learn the jazz standard “I’m All Smiles.” In this lesson, you’ll learn various ways to play a jazz waltz rhythm.


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A jazz piano lesson about jazz waltz rhythm 0:00
Jazz waltzes as halfway between jazz ballads and swing grooves 0:23
Overview of jazz waltz rhythmic approaches on piano 0:50
How to avoid “over-swinging” a jazz waltz 1:10
Using straight 8th notes on jazz waltzes 1:36
“Stretching the rhythm” on jazz waltzes 1:48
Playing “4 against 3” for a fluid jazz waltz feel 2:00
Adding a beat to the “Take Five” groove to get a jazz waltz rhythm 2:27
Alternating jazz rhythms with a traditional waltz feel 3:04
Famous examples of jazz waltzes, including Miles Davis’ recording of “Someday My Prince Will Come,” and Bill Evans’ “Waltz For Debby” and his version of “Alice In Wonderland” 3:32
“I’m All Smiles” composed for the Broadway musical The Yearling 3:57
Recordings of “I’m All Smiles” by Hampton Hawes, Oscar Peterson, and Bill Evans 4:47
A historical reason why so many jazz musicians play the tune “I’m All Smiles” 4:55
The lingering commerciality of jazz in the late 1950s/early 1960s (with an insight from Billy Taylor) 6:04
Beginning right away with the melody of “I’m All Smiles” 8:02
Getting a little more rhythmic for the 2nd ‘A’ Section 8:21
Chromatic inner-voice lines in the left hand part 8:25
A stride-like left hand pattern at the start of the bridge 8:37
“Alto” fills in the right hand between melodic phrases 8:40
A melodic flourish leading into the last ‘A’ Section 8:53
Beginning the solo choruses 9:28
Developing a short, 2-note motif 9:35
Improvising longer melodic lines 9:40
Complex rhythmic interplay between the hands, over the underlying jazz waltz feel 10:19
Using trills and tremolos (inspired by Wayne Shorter) 10:51
Faster, more bebop-influenced lines11:09
Arpeggiating chromatic harmony during the solo 11:45
Using a high, octave-based riff to build excitement 11:58
Using an “A’ pedal tone 12:14
Moving the pedal tone around, until it becomes a left-hand countermelody 12:27
Reprising the main melody of “I’m All Smiles” 12:34
A pointillistic accompaniment texture under the legato melody 12:39
Block chords in the style of George Shearing and Milt Buckner 12:51
Varied rhythms under the melody 13:07
Improvising on the altered D7 harmony 13:36


Here are some more Free Jazz Piano Lessons for you at the KeyboardImprov website: https://keyboardimprov.com/free-begin...

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Enjoy the journey, and "let the music flow!"

Ron