Piano Week 09: Slow ballad accompaniment

Weekly Focus

Week 09 is about ballad control: touch, sustain, spacing, and phrase pacing that supports melody instead of crowding it.

Success this week means you can hold a slow pulse, shape long lines, and keep inner voice motion smooth without rushing gaps.

Repertoire & Chord Map

Primary song is My Romance, with Fly Me to the Moon as secondary transfer. Keep voicings warm and sparse, and prioritize legato connection.

Core loop for touch and sustain drills:

Imaj7 | VI7 | iim7 | V7 Imaj7 | VI7 | iim7 | V7

Daily map task: play the loop at ballad tempo using long-note phrasing and controlled pedal changes.

Reference Listening (Pick One)

• Bill Evans - Danny Boy
• Bill Evans - Polka Dots and Moonbeams
• Erroll Garner - Misty

Supplementary Listening & Ear Training (Required)

Link this listening directly to this week’s theme “Slow ballad accompaniment” so ear work supports your keyboard work.

Weekly listening pick:

• Freddie Freeloader — Miles Davis

Why this track now: It highlights blues form hearing and relaxed swing placement, which matches Week 9’s goals.

Ear tasks (10–15 min, at least 3 sessions this week):

1. Listen once without the instrument and name the key center by ear (major/minor/modal). Then verify the key at piano.
2. Find one cadence or arrival point, then play: root + shell ii-V-I (or closest functional equivalent) in that key.
3. Lift a short 4–8 bar fragment by ear, play it slowly, and record ~30s so you can compare your hearing vs. the recording.

Extra challenge (optional): transpose your lifted fragment to the weekly priority ladder when possible (F → Eb → G → Bb → C).

End-of-Week Reflection

Where did your ballad playing sound most vocal and controlled, and where did it feel mechanical or rushed? Carry one concrete touch/pedal adjustment into Week 10.