• Meter: 12/8 shuffle
  • Tempo: 60 bpm
  • Length: 4 bars
  • Left hand: walking bass, quarter notes; one chord per bar: iii V/iii ii V
  • Right hand: ostinato roll the 3rd and 7th of each of the four chords
    • Sixtuplets over each quarter note — i.e., 24 notes per bar.

Turns out this is quite a workout. I am reminded of Oscar Peterson sweating profusely during his performances. Earlier, I was reminded of the smoothness of his “grand rolls”. They involve multiple notes, not just 2 notes as in this exercise — maybe even across both hands, using as many as 8 or 10 notes. But you have to start somewhere. It’s not a technique used by just Oscar Peterson, but in his interpretation they sound particularly smooth. That they sound smooth means there’s a pattern. And if there’s a pattern it can be mastered at a slower tempo. I think that’s what they say about learning trills in classical music anyway — practice at a slower tempo and the “trill” aspect will eventually emerge of its own.