Teaching Jazz Piano

[laurajay]

Some say Jazz is one of the most difficult genre's of piano playing however, I find it very easy!

I was having a hard time learning how to get the tri-tones correct!  But the only problem is not having time to practice. Once i found time to focus and learn, I couldn't believe it was me playing. 

I found this wonderful website where they take you step by step through the process of how to accomplish the perfect sound!

If your interested the website is [link removed by admin]

[Petter]

I was having a hard time learning how to get the tri-tones correct! 

.....What the duece

[dan101]

Hear and Play is a good source. I'm familiar with his product, as well. His book has some nice tips on altered chords, chord substitution and progressions. Mark Levine also has a very successful product out for jazz pianists. Good luck.

[Bob]

How do you teach jazz laura?  What's your philosophy and plan for students? 

It seems like jazz is a lot more open than classical.  I've heard many, many teachers mention that it's difficult or confusing or something.  And jazz piano teachers are so rare it seems.  I'd love to hear more from someone who's got their stuff together.

[Petter]

I´m still thinking about this tritone comment and the fact the site was about gospel piano. Like it was an inborn resistance being able to play it. Maybe far-fetched but it made me smile.

[Bob]

Maybe tri-tone substitution.  That's what I was thinking.

Only one post.  Might be spam.

[Bob]

Wow!  What an incredible website! 

Grr... I want my 1 minute of life back.

[thierry13]

I found this wonderful website where they take you step by step through the process of how to accomplish the perfect sound![/b]

     The perfect sound is not really possible, and if it is to be achieved it is CERTAINLY not through JAZZ.

[alessandro]

Dear,
My piano-tuner once told me about a website where I can find I nice resumé, a scheme in the shape of a circle, in which the principles of Jazz chords where 'visualised'.  A round graphic with tones and chords and which 11 (?)  other tones and chords they can connect to or something like that... Someone an idea what he was talking about and where I can find it ?
Kindly.
 

[Bob]

They might be referring to the "circle of fifths."  Google that or just make your own.  Start on top with C Major/a minor and go around clockwise, adding one sharp to the key signature.

For jazz, you have II V I's going around in a circle since they're all separated by a fifth. 

I think straight across is the tritone, the farthest key signature away. 

The bottom has three (?) keys that have two names.  F#/Gb, B/Cb, C#/Db

[alessandro]

Thanks Bob,
"Circle of fifths", that's the name.  Found a nice one on 'apassion4jazz'...

[andric_s]

spam, eggs, spam, spam, spam, and eggs.

[johnk]

I took the "tritones" to be the left hand voicing of chords by means of just the 3rd and 7th. Eg for a C major chord as played in a blues in C, you play E and Bb in left hand, and maybe CGC in right. There is a bit of thinking involved for classically trained folk - quickly, what is 3 and 7 of the chord! But they are in fact easy when you realise that in V to I progressions (which occur all the time), these tritones just move down a semitone.

[Petter]

Well, the post is an advert and the tritone thing is goofy.
 I don´t know about jazz piano teaching at a conservatory level but my personal experience is that there´s not enough focus of technical aspects such as tone , legato playing, fingerings etc. I think it´s better in US but the jazz schools I´ve been to have focused on ensemble improvisation, (which is not a bad thing in itself) taking for granted that you knew the basic concepts of playing your instrument. Like what muscles you actually use to produce certain sounds. Just small details that would have made it alot easier at least for me.
 Allthough I must admit I never really asked someone until recently and that I might have expected inspiration to be all there is to it. Just wished someone would have made this clear at an early stage since it would have saved alot of frustration.

[slobone]

No, there's a great deal of theory involved in jazz. You need to be able to instantly play any chord (and jazz uses only chords of the seventh or higher, not major/minor triads), in any inversion, in any key, instantly. That's just for basic pre-1960 style. After that you get modes and God knows what all.

These days there aren't many professional jazz musicians who haven't been to a good music school. A lot of conservatories and top university departments teach it, and there are other schools just for jazz.

For learning jazz piano at home, I still recommend the series by John Mehegan (4 volumes), although obviously it's pretty old by now. But he's very thorough and there's lots of examples.

There are also books of transcriptions of solos by famous artists, like Monk and Bud Powell etc. These are fun to play but maybe not the best way to learn to improvise. (Not to mention really old stuff like Jelly Roll Morton.)

[Petter]

For learning jazz piano at home, I still recommend the series by John Mehegan (4 volumes), although obviously it's pretty old by now. But he's very thorough and there's lots of examples.

Are there any fingerings for arpeggios in that book?. Over II-V-I progressions in different keys and so forth? That what I´ve been looking for. Perhaps suggested fingerings for licks and block chords.

[slobone]

A quick look through my jazz books, even the ones that transcribe famous solos, shows no fingerings at all. I would guess that the whole idea of fixed fingerings is alien to jazz -- you just do what's comfortable for your fingers, which might be different every time you sit down to play. Like everything else, it's subject to improvisation...

[dora96]

Some say Jazz is one of the most difficult genre's of piano playing however, I find it very easy!

I was having a hard time learning how to get the tri-tones correct!  But the only problem is not having time to practice. Once i found time to focus and learn, I couldn't believe it was me playing. 

I found this wonderful website where they take you step by step through the process of how to accomplish the perfect sound!

If your interested the website is [link removed by admin]

I am very interested. I play the piano for my Church. I am bursting for the website , could you send me message thanks?

[nathan30]

Hi there
please send me the link as well?
Nathan30

i copied the original message below:

Some say Jazz is one of the most difficult genre's of piano playing however, I find it very easy!

I was having a hard time learning how to get the tri-tones correct!  But the only problem is not having time to practice. Once i found time to focus and learn, I couldn't believe it was me playing.   

I found this wonderful website where they take you step by step through the process of how to accomplish the perfect sound!

If your interested the website is [link removed by admin]

[dan101]

Tritones are a wonderful topic, especially when considering tritone substitutions for improv.

[Bob]

I think this was just another spammer on the site.

[dan101]

Who knows.

[dan101]

There are many good jazz and improvisation sites available. Your best bet is to use them as supplements to a good traditional teacher.

[scottmcc]

I took the "tritones" to be the left hand voicing of chords by means of just the 3rd and 7th. Eg for a C major chord as played in a blues in C, you play E and Bb in left hand, and maybe CGC in right. There is a bit of thinking involved for classically trained folk - quickly, what is 3 and 7 of the chord! But they are in fact easy when you realise that in V to I progressions (which occur all the time), these tritones just move down a semitone.

at the risk of responding seriously to a thread that is clearly spam, I feel a certain obligation to correct this definition of a "tritone."

a tritone is an interval of an augmented 4th, such as B to F.  It is six half steps or three whole steps, meaning exactly half an octave.  it is also regarded as the most dissonant interval, so evil that it was "banned" in early religious music as the "diabolus in musica."  of course, that ban didn't stick very well.  tritones do occupy an important place in jazz, although they are often called "flat fifths" in that idiom.

you may now resume the spam.