People hear the words “jazz theory” and immediately freak out a little. The concept of jazz theory sounds so difficult and elusive, that I think is inhibits a lot of people from trying to learn jazz piano. From a functional perspective, jazz theory isn’t any different from classical theory. We just look at things a …
Jazz and Improvisation
Photograph Jobim Piano Cover
Photograph is a gorgeous Bossa Nova by Brazilian master composer Antonio Carlos Jobim with English lyrics by Ray Gilbert. For this series, I will be posting a new song every week from every imaginable style and genre. The only criteria is that I need to like it! Want to check out some more piano …
Improvise Your Way to 2 Handed Independence
Do your left and right hands have a hard time playing together? In this tutorial, I am going to show you how to improvise your way to two-handed independence. Maybe you struggle when you try to play a bass line in the left hand while your right hand plays chords and they just won’t work …
There’s More Than One Way to Split the Octave
If you are practicing repeated work like chords, scales, arpeggios, chord progressions or finger exercises, it is useful to practice through all 12 keys in different orders. If you always practice in the same order, then you are leaving out a large part of the skill set in favor of muscle memory. Now, muscle memory can be …
Vocal Jazz Introductions
Every jazz vocalist and every instrumentalist that works with a jazz vocalist needs to know how to start the song. Having a collection of vocal jazz introductions at the ready will help you to keep the set moving and improve your performance. What is an introduction for? An introduction serves several purposes. First off, an introduction helps …
How to Count Off the Jazz Band
Knowing how to count off the jazz band is a really important skill that every musician should have. Singers and instrumentalists alike should feel comfortable counting off the band in any tempo and groove, as should choral directors, band directors and anyone else who might work with a live band or even just a pianist. …