[Solo Section]
Scan the improvisation section for short, 4-note or 5-note patterns. Extract these “licks.” Transpose them into all 12 keys. This is how you steal Peterson’s vocabulary.
In a Peterson ballad transcription, the left hand is rarely static. It does not merely plunk down root-position chords on beats one and three. Instead, the transcription shows a constant, rolling interaction with the bass. Peterson often employs stride-influenced tenths and walking bass lines even during the head, creating a subtle momentum that pushes against the slow tempo.
