Chords and Lines in Motion: Keyboard/Piano DVD

This DVD transforms abstract harmonic concepts into visible, audible practice. Watching LaVerne's hands while hearing the explanation creates a learning loop that reading alone cannot provide, especially for jazz pianists trying to understand how chord knowledge connects to actual voicing choices and comping decisions.

Organized, deliberate, and grounded in real jazz language. LaVerne demonstrates how chord knowledge becomes a creative tool rather than a theoretical exercise. The performances breathe with the ease of musicians who have played together for years, making the concepts feel achievable rather than academic.

Intermediate to advanced jazz pianists ready to move beyond basic voicing shapes into the harmonic language and linear thinking of a working professional. This material rewards focused study and assumes comfort with chord symbols, jazz piano technique, and the desire to understand how comping and soloing choices serve the music.

• Study the close-up keyboard views with the sound off first. Observe exactly where LaVerne places his hands and how he moves between voicings; then listen back with sound to connect the visual pattern to the aural result.
• Use the playalong sections after the performances to practice comp rhythms over the same changes. Rewind and loop individual choruses to isolate specific comping patterns before attempting full tune-length playalongs.
• Reference the DVD alongside the Chords In Motion book. Pause to write down the specific harmonic devices LaVerne names, then find the corresponding pages in the book for deeper theoretical context.

Assign sections of this DVD to students preparing for jazz ensemble auditions or working on their own harmonic vocabulary. The performance contexts also provide legitimate listening material for students learning what fluent, tasteful comping and soloing actually sound like in a working trio setting.

• Harmonic reharmonization using chord extensions and substitutions
• Voicing selection for different comping contexts and tune tempos
• Linear melodic improvisation over changes
• Rhythmic comping techniques and time-feel consistency
• Understanding voice leading and chord-to-chord connectivity