Chick Corea Piano Licks Compilation
Chick Corea Piano Licks Compilation
Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea was an American jazz composer and pianist whose contributions to the jazz world spanned over six decades and helped to shape the face of jazz fusion. His work is widely celebrated for its technical virtuosity, innovative improvisation, and unique blend of various musical influences – from traditional jazz to classical music, Latin rhythms to avant-garde explorations. In this collection we've pieced together a series of jazz piano licks that explore some of Corea's pioneering and distinctive musical language - complex harmonies, polyrhythms, melodic inventiveness, and an extensive use of modes.
1. Chick Corea - Chick Corea-style 4 notes licks
One trick Corea uses a lot is to repeat the same motive at different intervals within the scale. It creates a sense of development and progression, but also continuity.
Chick Corea-style 4 notes licks
2. Chick Corea - Chick Corea-style Chick Corea II-V-I comping
The II-V-I is of course a standard part of any jazz player's technique. But this example shows just how far you can push the harmony while still grounding it in the simplest of chord progressions.
Chick Corea-style Chick Corea II-V-I comping
3. Chick Corea - Chick Corea-style two hands phrasing
Corea's use of two handed phrasing - where both hands play either in octaves, double octaves, or 3rds or 6ths is just one of the many Latin and Cuban influences on his playing.
Chick Corea-style two hands phrasing
4. Chick Corea - Chick Corea-style Repeating phrases
Another example of repeating a phrase over different parts of the scale.
Chick Corea-style Repeating phrases
5. Chick Corea - Chick Corea-style Percussive licks
Here's a lick where the rhythmic element is just as important as the melodic idea.
Chick Corea-style Percussive licks
6. Chick Corea - Chick Corea-style Chick Corea 'narrow' chords
A distinctive Chick Corea sound is the close harmony of 'narrow chords' - chords that still for the most part belong to the diatonic scale, but are 'crushed' close together creating a mildly dissonant effect.
Chick Corea-style Chick Corea 'narrow' chords
7. Chick Corea - Chick Corea-style intervallic lick
Chick Corea-style intervallic lick
8. Chick Corea - Chick Corea-style shifting rhythm phrase
This examples uses another repeating phrase, but this time moves it around within the bar, so it moves from starting on the beat, to starting just after it, and then just before it. It keeps the listener guessing.
Chick Corea-style shifting rhythm phrase