What is Side-Slipping?

Side-slipping is a technique used by Jazz pianists. It works by transposing the chord voicing you're playing up or down by a step (either a half-step or whole-step).

By transposing the chord voicing like this, ' in parallel', you almost always move out of the key you're in, into a new key. This creates an interesting sounding modulation - which is perfect for Jazz.

When can you use Side-Slipping?

Side-slipping can be applied to any type of Jazz piano chord. That includes major 7 chords, minor 7 chords, dominant 7 chords, half-diminished chords, major 6 chords, minor 6 chords, minor-major 7 chords.

You can apply Side-slipping to any type of chord voicing. That includes shells (shell voicings), rootless voicings, open voicings, upper structure triads, 4th voicings, and more.

Just make sure you're transposing every single note in the chord voicing accurately, every note by the same precise interval (either a half-step or whole-step).

What do you do after you've Side-slipped the chord?

After you've moved away to the new chord, it usually works best to come back to the original chord. So you'll play the original chord, then side-slip up or down by a step or half-step, and then to return to the original chord again.

Side-slipping is ideal for Jazz piano.

Side-slipping can be used in other genres, but it works perfectly in Jazz piano, when playing a Jazz standard.

You don't need to play the Side-Slipping technique loudly or make a big thing of it. I like to play quietly when I use Side-slipping, because it already sounds so good. It's effortless.

What will I learn in this lesson?

In this lesson I explain the dos and don'ts of 'Side-Slipping' for Jazz piano.

I'll show you when to use Side-Slipping when playing Jazz Standards, and the trigger I look for in a melody to use Side-Slipping.

I'll also show you how to practice Side-Slipping at the piano.

Is there anything to help me learn Side-Slipping?

To go with this lesson, I've written a free chord voicing ebook for Jazz piano. It shows you 5 types of chord voicing, each of which you can apply Side-slipping to. Download it at:
https://jazztutorial.com/podcast

You can also download my free '29 Jazz Piano Licks' sheet music at:
https://jazztutorial.com/podcast

What should I learn next?

Watch my beginner Jazz piano lesson, where I show you all the essential Jazz theory you need to know in under 20 minutes. Watch it here:
https://jazztutorial.com/start

For more Julian Bradley Jazz piano lessons, go to https://jazztutorial.com

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