Jazz Piano School: Recent Episodes
Brenden Lowe : Professional Jazz Pianist and Jazz Piano Educator
This episode will be something I've NEVER done before. This will be a practice lesson that will allow you to practice your rootless voicings with me! Sounds fun right? Well, more fun then practicing by yourself I would imagine. I'll keep you tips, keep you inspired, and be your coach as I stick with you throughout this entire practice session! Let's get to work!Want more amazing lessons like this with more features and resources? Go to the link below to find out how.http://jazzpianoschool.com/lookinside_____________Have you been trying to learn jazz piano with youtube videos, dvds, teachers but feellike you're still constantly guessing, can't play any tunes without copying what someone else has played,and don't know how to connect all the tid bits you've learned? I went through the same thing but thankfully stumbled upon a learning system I created based on proven language learning blocks. The JPS System brings you through 4 main categories of learning, Theory, Technique, Improvisation and Repertoire. I'll show you exactly how to utilize our popular system so you can finally achieve jazz piano freedom: http://jazzpianoschool.com/lookinside___________Get more FREE jazz piano education from us!Facebook: https://facebook.com/jazzpianoschoolBlog: http://jazzpianoschool.com/blogLick of The Week: https://jazzpianoschool.com/lotd/http://jazzpianoschool.com/jpspodcast
I say things over and over and over again. Want to know why? Because there are things I see students do over and over and over again. And that's okay! I'm not blaming anyone, but it's exactly why I made this weeks podcast. To try to really create an impression in your head to do this ONE thing when playing cocktail solo piano ballads. Because when you do...it will instantly improve your sound by 10 fold, if not more! Here we go!Want more amazing solo piano education? Check out the link below to learn more.https://jazzpianoschool.com/solo-piano-system-discount-1-day/_____________Have you been trying to learn jazz piano with youtube videos, dvds, teachers but feellike you're still constantly guessing, can't play any tunes without copying what someone else has played,and don't know how to connect all the tid bits you've learned? I went through the same thing but thankfully stumbled upon a learning system I created based on proven language learning blocks. The JPS System brings you through 4 main categories of learning, Theory, Technique, Improvisation and Repertoire. I'll show you exactly how to utilize our popular system so you can finally achieve jazz piano freedom: http://jazzpianoschool.com/lookinside___________Get more FREE jazz piano education from us!Facebook: https://facebook.com/jazzpianoschoolBlog: http://jazzpianoschool.com/blogLick of The Week: https://jazzpianoschool.com/lotd/http://jazzpianoschool.com/jpspodcast
What do you do when you have 4 beats to fill? What about 7 beats? Because I was a deer in headlights for most of my career. I never really knew what to do! No one ever taught me. But that's exactly why I created this podcast. To give you an easy 3 step system to creating simple fills that sound AWESOME! Here we go!If you have questions or suggestions for a podcast lesson you would like us to do, please leave them in the comments down below. _____________Have you been trying to learn jazz piano with youtube videos, dvds, teachers but feellike you're still constantly guessing, can't play any tunes without copying what someone else has played,and don't know how to connect all the tid bits you've learned? I went through the same thing but thankfully stumbled upon a learning system I created based on proven language learning blocks. The JPS System brings you through 4 main categories of learning, Theory, Technique, Improvisation and Repertoire. I'll show you exactly how to utilize our popular system so you can finally achieve jazz piano freedom: http://jazzpianoschool.com/lookinside___________Get more FREE jazz piano education from us!Facebook: https://facebook.com/jazzpianoschoolBlog: http://jazzpianoschool.com/blogLick of The Week: https://jazzpianoschool.com/lotd/http://jazzpianoschool.com/jpspodcast
The "Kansas City" blues scale is a variation on the traditional blues scale. Its sound was codified by musicians from Kansas City, dating all the way back to Count Basie, Jimmy Lunceford, and eventually adopted by the great bebop Saxophonist Charlie Parker. This sound is simple to acquire, yet has a lot of room for variations and depth. In this podcast lesson, Sterling will show you how to incorporate the sound of the Kansas City blues into your improvising. Go to for practice materialshttp://jazzpianoschool.com/podcast334If you have questions or suggestions for a podcast lesson you would like us to do, please leave them in the comments down below. _____________Have you been trying to learn jazz piano with youtube videos, dvds, teachers but feellike you're still constantly guessing, can't play any tunes without copying what someone else has played,and don't know how to connect all the tid bits you've learned? I went through the same thing but thankfully stumbled upon a learning system I created based on proven language learning blocks. The JPS System brings you through 4 main categories of learning, Theory, Technique, Improvisation and Repertoire. I'll show you exactly how to utilize our popular system so you can finally achieve jazz piano freedom: http://jazzpianoschool.com/lookinside___________Get more FREE jazz piano education from us!Facebook: https://facebook.com/jazzpianoschoolBlog: http://jazzpianoschool.com/blogLick of The Week: https://jazzpianoschool.com/lotd/http://jazzpianoschool.com/jpspodcast
There is one technique setup that you need to learn for both of your hands when playing solo jazz piano. Without it, you'll never get the sound you're after. If you practice this, you'll be 95% of the way there. Let's dive in!Want more solo piano education? Click the link below to get more...http://jazzpianoschool.com/lookinside_____________Have you been trying to learn jazz piano with youtube videos, dvds, teachers but feellike you're still constantly guessing, can't play any tunes without copying what someone else has played,and don't know how to connect all the tid bits you've learned? I went through the same thing but thankfully stumbled upon a learning system I created based on proven language learning blocks. The JPS System brings you through 4 main categories of learning, Theory, Technique, Improvisation and Repertoire. I'll show you exactly how to utilize our popular system so you can finally achieve jazz piano freedom: http://jazzpianoschool.com/lookinside___________Get more FREE jazz piano education from us!Facebook: https://facebook.com/jazzpianoschoolBlog: http://jazzpianoschool.com/blogLick of The Week: https://jazzpianoschool.com/lotd/http://jazzpianoschool.com/jpspodcast
The "Kansas City" blues scale is a variation on the traditional blues scale. Its sound was codified by musicians from Kansas City, dating all the way back to Count Basie, Jimmy Lunceford, and eventually adopted by the great bebop Saxophonist Charlie Parker. This sound is simple to acquire, yet has a lot of room for variations and depth. In this podcast lesson, Sterling will show you how to incorporate the sound of the Kansas City blues into your improvising. Go to for practice materialshttp://jazzpianoschool.com/podcast332If you have questions or suggestions for a podcast lesson you would like us to do, please leave them in the comments down below. _____________Have you been trying to learn jazz piano with youtube videos, dvds, teachers but feellike you're still constantly guessing, can't play any tunes without copying what someone else has played,and don't know how to connect all the tid bits you've learned? I went through the same thing but thankfully stumbled upon a learning system I created based on proven language learning blocks. The JPS System brings you through 4 main categories of learning, Theory, Technique, Improvisation and Repertoire. I'll show you exactly how to utilize our popular system so you can finally achieve jazz piano freedom: http://jazzpianoschool.com/lookinside___________Get more FREE jazz piano education from us!Facebook: https://facebook.com/jazzpianoschoolBlog: http://jazzpianoschool.com/blogLick of The Week: https://jazzpianoschool.com/lotd/http://jazzpianoschool.com/jpspodcast
Finding good ways to end cocktail jazz piano tunes can be tricky. But have no fear. With these 9 endings you're about to learn, you'll always have the perfect ending up your sleeve to use in any situation. Let's check em out!----Have you been trying to learn jazz piano with youtube videos, dvds, teachers but feellike you're still constantly guessing, can't play any tunes without copying what someone else has played, and don't know how to connect all the tid bits you've learned? I went through the same thing but thankfully stumbled upon a learning system I created based on proven language learning blocks. The JPS System brings you through 4 main categories of learning, Theory, Technique, Improvisation and Repertoire. I'll show you exactly how to utilize our popular system so you can finally achieve jazz piano freedom: http://jazzpianoschool.com/lookinside-----------------------------------Get more FREE jazz piano education from us!Facebook: https://facebook.com/jazzpianoschoolBlog: http://jazzpianoschool.com/blogLick of The Week: https://jazzpianoschool.com/lotd/http://jazzpianoschool.com/jpspodcast
Why is it that you're clinging to every note some jazz artists play, and others, you're kind of bored? I've heard monster players that technically sounded great! And played no "wrong" notes, but didn't inspire me or move my soul. I've also heard other players play a total of 5 notes better than anything I've ever heard! So what is it? In this podcast, I'll teach you how to captivate your audience and develop your solo when improvising.----Have you been trying to learn jazz piano with youtube videos, dvds, teachers but feellike you're still constantly guessing, can't play any tunes without copying what someone else has played, and don't know how to connect all the tid bits you've learned?I went through the same thing but thankfully stumbled upon a learning system I created based onproven language learning blocks.The JPS System brings you through 4 main categories of learning,Theory, Technique, Improvisation and Repertoire.I'll show you exactly how to utilize our popular system soyou can finally achieve jazz piano freedom: http://jazzpianoschool.com/lookinside-----------------------------------Get more FREE jazz piano education from us!Facebook: https://facebook.com/jazzpianoschoolBlog: http://jazzpianoschool.com/blogLick of The Week: https://jazzpianoschool.com/lotd/http://jazzpianoschool.com/jpspodcast
As with everything in life, a couple small changes can produce big results. The same holds true for creating a modern jazz piano sound. With a couple of small but mighty elements, you can begin to easily produce a modern jazz sound in your playing. But fair warning, even though each step is small, it does require a lot of practice. Let's dive in!-----------------------Have you been trying to learn jazz piano with youtube videos, dvds, teachers but feellike you're still constantly guessing, can't play any tunes without copying what someone else has played, and don't know how to connect all the tid bits you've learned? I went through the same thing but thankfully stumbled upon a learning system I created based on proven language learning blocks. The JPS System brings you through 4 main categories of learning, Theory, Technique, Improvisation and Repertoire. I'll show you exactly how to utilize our popular system so you can finally achieve jazz piano freedom: http://jazzpianoschool.com/lookinside-----------------------------------Get more FREE jazz piano education from us!Facebook: https://facebook.com/jazzpianoschoolBlog: http://jazzpianoschool.com/blogLick of The Week: https://jazzpianoschool.com/lotd/http://jazzpianoschool.com/jpspodcast
There is a chord that has become ubiquitous in the modern jazz idiom. This harmony can be used in a variety of settings, and has many implications for composition and improvisation in a modern jazz style. In this podcast lesson, Sterling Cozza will show you extended applications and how to expand your use of this chord with limitless possibilities. -----------------------Have you been trying to learn jazz piano with youtube videos, dvds, teachers but feellike you're still constantly guessing, can't play any tunes without copying what someone else has played, and don't know how to connect all the tid bits you've learned? I went through the same thing but thankfully stumbled upon a learning system I created based on proven language learning blocks. The JPS System brings you through 4 main categories of learning, Theory, Technique, Improvisation and Repertoire. I'll show you exactly how to utilize our popular system so you can finally achieve jazz piano freedom: http://jazzpianoschool.com/lookinside-----------------------------------Get more FREE jazz piano education from us!Facebook: https://facebook.com/jazzpianoschoolBlog: http://jazzpianoschool.com/blogLick of The Week: https://jazzpianoschool.com/lotd/http://jazzpianoschool.com/jpspodcast
There is a chord that has become ubiquitous in the modern jazz idiom. This harmony can be used in a variety of settings, and has many implications for composition and improvisation in a modern jazz style. Sterling Cozza will show you how to unlock the secrets behind this chord so you can implement it into your own playing. -----------------------Have you been trying to learn jazz piano with youtube videos, dvds, teachers but feellike you're still constantly guessing, can't play any tunes without copying what someone else has played, and don't know how to connect all the tid bits you've learned? I went through the same thing but thankfully stumbled upon a learning system I created based on proven language learning blocks. The JPS System brings you through 4 main categories of learning, Theory, Technique, Improvisation and Repertoire. I'll show you exactly how to utilize our popular system so you can finally achieve jazz piano freedom: http://jazzpianoschool.com/lookinside-----------------------------------Get more FREE jazz piano education from us!Facebook: https://facebook.com/jazzpianoschoolBlog: http://jazzpianoschool.com/blogLick of The Week: https://jazzpianoschool.com/lotd/http://jazzpianoschool.com/jpspodcast
Once a year, usually in January, I sit down and record an audio only podcast. It's theraputic for me to reflect back on the year and think about what's coming up. If you're just into learning jazz piano and don't care about my thoughts, then you'll definitely want to skip this. On the other hand, if you want to hear back about what happened in 2023 and what's coming in 2024, then check it out.-----------------------Have you been trying to learn jazz piano with youtube videos, dvds, teachers but feellike you're still constantly guessing, can't play any tunes without copying what someone else has played, and don't know how to connect all the tid bits you've learned? I went through the same thing but thankfully stumbled upon a learning system I created based on proven language learning blocks. The JPS System brings you through 4 main categories of learning, Theory, Technique, Improvisation and Repertoire. I'll show you exactly how to utilize our popular system so you can finally achieve jazz piano freedom: http://jazzpianoschool.com/lookinside-----------------------------------Get more FREE jazz piano education from us!Facebook: https://facebook.com/jazzpianoschoolBlog: http://jazzpianoschool.com/blogLick of The Week: https://jazzpianoschool.com/lotd/http://jazzpianoschool.com/jpspodcast
I gave out the planning aspect in my last podcast episode. How to organize your goals. How to rank them and prioritize them. How to make a plan, and how to revise your plan. If you haven't listened to that episode, you'll want to do that now, before listening to this. Now, I'll tell you WHAT to practice in order to reach your goals fast. The more you can focus in on the exercises I give in this lesson, the faster you'll reach your goals. I promise you. But careful, don't get distracted by other shiny objects. Stay true to your goal and your practice and you'll make more progress than you ever have before. By the way...My Accelerator program and BIG Holiday sale is now open through New Years! Go to jazzpianoschool.com/holiday to check it out!There are only 7 spots left in my private Accelerator program which starts Jan 11th, 2024.-----------------------Have you been trying to learn jazz piano with youtube videos, dvds, teachers but feellike you're still constantly guessing, can't play any tunes without copying what someone else has played, and don't know how to connect all the tid bits you've learned? I went through the same thing but thankfully stumbled upon a learning system I created based on proven language learning blocks. The JPS System brings you through 4 main categories of learning, Theory, Technique, Improvisation and Repertoire. I'll show you exactly how to utilize our popular system so you can finally achieve jazz piano freedom: http://jazzpianoschool.com/lookinside-----------------------------------Get more FREE jazz piano education from us!Facebook: https://facebook.com/jazzpianoschoolBlog: http://jazzpianoschool.com/blogLick of The Week: https://jazzpianoschool.com/lotd/http://jazzpianoschool.com/jpspodcast
The information is out there. There is no doubt about that. You can find anything you want on the internet. But how do we make a plan for our goals. How do we know what information we need to sprint towards our goal? Well, you don't. That's why I'm here to help. In this planning session, I'll help you filter out all the unnecessary information and distractions so you know exactly what to work on. By the way...Our Accelerator program and BIG Holiday sale is now open through New Years! Go to jazzpianoschool.com/holiday to check it out!-----------------------Have you been trying to learn jazz piano with youtube videos, dvds, teachers but feellike you're still constantly guessing, can't play any tunes without copying what someone else has played, and don't know how to connect all the tid bits you've learned? I went through the same thing but thankfully stumbled upon a learning system I created based on proven language learning blocks. The JPS System brings you through 4 main categories of learning, Theory, Technique, Improvisation and Repertoire. I'll show you exactly how to utilize our popular system so you can finally achieve jazz piano freedom: http://jazzpianoschool.com/lookinside-----------------------------------Get more FREE jazz piano education from us!Facebook: https://facebook.com/jazzpianoschoolBlog: http://jazzpianoschool.com/blogLick of The Week: https://jazzpianoschool.com/lotd/http://jazzpianoschool.com/jpspodcast
It's hard to understand what makes improvisation sounds good. But wait...is it actually hard? Not really. In this lesson I'll demonstrate in super slow motion how to construct bebop lines using just 3 things. When you use these 3 things together, you'll be able to create professional sounding bebop improvisation everytime. It's not magic. It's just a combination of 3 tools. By the way...Our BIG Holiday sale is open through New Years! Go to jazzpianoschool.com/holiday to check it out!-----------------------Have you been trying to learn jazz piano with youtube videos, dvds, teachers but feellike you're still constantly guessing, can't play any tunes without copying what someone else has played, and don't know how to connect all the tid bits you've learned? I went through the same thing but thankfully stumbled upon a learning system I created based on proven language learning blocks. The JPS System brings you through 4 main categories of learning, Theory, Technique, Improvisation and Repertoire. I'll show you exactly how to utilize our popular system so you can finally achieve jazz piano freedom: http://jazzpianoschool.com/lookinside-----------------------------------Get more FREE jazz piano education from us!Facebook: https://facebook.com/jazzpianoschoolBlog: http://jazzpianoschool.com/blogLick of The Week: https://jazzpianoschool.com/lotd/http://jazzpianoschool.com/jpspodcast
When Herbie Hancock joined Miles Davis 2nd Quintet, he revolutionized chromatic improvising with Tony Williams and Ron Carter. Even before this period, Herbie used a technique he invented known as "sidestepping." This served as the basis for his chromatic approach, and you can learn to sidestep in 3 easy steps in this podcast lesson!Jazz Piano School 4.0 is COMING on Black Friday!Go to jazzpianoschool.com/blackfriday2023 to get info about our biggest release and best offer ever.Lesson Materials: https://materials.jazzpianoschool.com/podcastlm321-----------------------Have you been trying to learn jazz piano with youtube videos, dvds, teachers but feellike you're still constantly guessing, can't play any tunes without copying what someone else has played, and don't know how to connect all the tid bits you've learned? I went through the same thing but thankfully stumbled upon a learning system I created based on proven language learning blocks. The JPS System brings you through 4 main categories of learning, Theory, Technique, Improvisation and Repertoire. I'll show you exactly how to utilize our popular system so you can finally achieve jazz piano freedom: http://jazzpianoschool.com/lookinside-----------------------------------Get more FREE jazz piano education from us!Facebook: https://facebook.com/jazzpianoschoolBlog: http://jazzpianoschool.com/blogLick of The Week: https://jazzpianoschool.com/lotd/http://jazzpianoschool.com/jpspodcas
Learning how to swing in jazz is one of the most difficult things you could possibly do. And no matter how many fancy lines you play, it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing. That statement could not be more true. Unfortunately, most jazz piano students rhythm is the thing that is lacking the most. But don't worry. Here are 6 amazing rhythm drills you can use to improve your swing feel for improv, comping and solo piano. Jazz Piano School 4.0 is COMING on Black Friday!Go to jazzpianoschool.com/blackfriday2023 to get info about our biggest release and best offer ever.-----------------------Have you been trying to learn jazz piano with youtube videos, dvds, teachers but feellike you're still constantly guessing, can't play any tunes without copying what someone else has played, and don't know how to connect all the tid bits you've learned? I went through the same thing but thankfully stumbled upon a learning system I created based on proven language learning blocks. The JPS System brings you through 4 main categories of learning, Theory, Technique, Improvisation and Repertoire. I'll show you exactly how to utilize our popular system so you can finally achieve jazz piano freedom: http://jazzpianoschool.com/lookinside-----------------------------------Get more FREE jazz piano education from us!Facebook: https://facebook.com/jazzpianoschoolBlog: http://jazzpianoschool.com/blogLick of The Week: https://jazzpianoschool.com/lotd/http://jazzpianoschool.com/jpspodcast
I told myself I wouldn't do this, but I just couldn't help it. This is a replay from the first live workshop I did for all my 30-Challenge participants. I won't be reposting anymore, but I had to repost this one. If you want to join simply go to the link below to get all the replays and assignments. Enjoy!Also, my FREE 30 Day Challenge is now open for registration. Get 4 live zoom workshops with me completely free! I'll be covering solo piano, improvisation, accompaniment and so much more. And the best part is, I'll be assigning you small and very attainable practice assignments to guide you through the challenge! To register go to the link below.https://jazzpianoschool.com/challenge-----------------------Have you been trying to learn jazz piano with youtube videos, dvds, teachers but feellike you're still constantly guessing, can't play any tunes without copying what someone else has played, and don't know how to connect all the tid bits you've learned? I went through the same thing but thankfully stumbled upon a learning system I created based on proven language learning blocks. The JPS System brings you through 4 main categories of learning, Theory, Technique, Improvisation and Repertoire. I'll show you exactly how to utilize our popular system so you can finally achieve jazz piano freedom: http://jazzpianoschool.com/lookinside-----------------------------------Get more FREE jazz piano education from us!Facebook: https://facebook.com/jazzpianoschoolBlog: http://jazzpianoschool.com/blogLick of The Week: https://jazzpianoschool.com/lotd/http://jazzpianoschool.com/jpspodcast
Practicing is NOT about being comfortable. It's about being uncomfortable. So when it comes time for you to perform, you're ready for anything. With the 14 practice strategies I'll teach you in this podcast, you'll learn any jazz piano tool or concept 10 times faster than you ever would. Try it and see for yourself. Also, my FREE 30 Day Challenge is now open for registration. Get 4 live zoom workshops with me completely free! I'll be covering solo piano, improvisation, accompaniment and so much more. And the best part is, I'll be assigning you small and very attainable practice assignments to guide you through the challenge! To register go to the link below.https://jazzpianoschool.com/challenge-----------------------Have you been trying to learn jazz piano with youtube videos, dvds, teachers but feellike you're still constantly guessing, can't play any tunes without copying what someone else has played, and don't know how to connect all the tid bits you've learned? I went through the same thing but thankfully stumbled upon a learning system I created based on proven language learning blocks. The JPS System brings you through 4 main categories of learning, Theory, Technique, Improvisation and Repertoire. I'll show you exactly how to utilize our popular system so you can finally achieve jazz piano freedom: http://jazzpianoschool.com/lookinside-----------------------------------Get more FREE jazz piano education from us!Facebook: https://facebook.com/jazzpianoschoolBlog: http://jazzpianoschool.com/blogLick of The Week: https://jazzpianoschool.com/lotd/http://jazzpianoschool.com/jpspodcast
It's not about WHAT you play, it's about HOW you play. This phrase alone changed my musical life. At some point, learning more notes and licks won't get you anywhere. You got to take what you already know and make it musical. In this lesson, I'll go over 11 amazing textures you can add to your improvisation TODAY, that will elevate your performance instantly. Let's check them out! Enjoy.-----Have you been trying to learn jazz piano with youtube videos, dvds, teachers but feellike you're still constantly guessing, can't play any tunes without copying what someone else has played, and don't know how to connect all the tid bits you've learned? I went through the same thing but thankfully stumbled upon a learning system I created based on proven language learning blocks. The JPS System brings you through 4 main categories of learning, Theory, Technique, Improvisation and Repertoire. I'll show you exactly how to utilize our popular system so you can finally achieve jazz piano freedom: http://jazzpianoschool.com/lookinside___________Get more FREE jazz piano education from us!Facebook: https://facebook.com/jazzpianoschoolBlog: http://jazzpianoschool.com/blogLick of The Week: https://jazzpianoschool.com/lotd/http://jazzpianoschool.com/jpspodcast
I'm sure you get sick of listening to me tell you what to work on, what to practice etc. Trust me, I've been there. I would zone out constantly when my teacher was talking. BUT...when I saw another student make drastic progress in a short amount of time, I had to know what they were working on. In today's podcast you'll hear directly from my student that is currently in the JPS Accelerator Program. They've made so much progress in just 10 weeks that I had to interview him so you could hear exactly what he did to get such amazing results! Enjoy!-----Have you been trying to learn jazz piano with youtube videos, dvds, teachers but feellike you're still constantly guessing, can't play any tunes without copying what someone else has played, and don't know how to connect all the tid bits you've learned? I went through the same thing but thankfully stumbled upon a learning system I created based on proven language learning blocks. The JPS System brings you through 4 main categories of learning, Theory, Technique, Improvisation and Repertoire. I'll show you exactly how to utilize our popular system so you can finally achieve jazz piano freedom: http://jazzpianoschool.com/lookinside___________Get more FREE jazz piano education from us!Facebook: https://facebook.com/jazzpianoschoolBlog: http://jazzpianoschool.com/blogLick of The Week: https://jazzpianoschool.com/lotd/http://jazzpianoschool.com/jpspodcast
Most jazz piano students fail because we're chasing the 1%. That cool McCoy lick or that killin' Herbie Voicing. That is not really jazz my friends, that is the brilliance of the artist. If you chase the shiny pearly or the 1% you're only going to make 1% of progress. Wouldn't you like to make 90% of your progress with something that you learn? Well you're in luck, because in this episode I'm going to tell you HOW to do that and WHY, which is even more important. So listen closely, and take notes. You don't want to miss this. -----Have you been trying to learn jazz piano with youtube videos, dvds, teachers but feellike you're still constantly guessing, can't play any tunes without copying what someone else has played, and don't know how to connect all the tid bits you've learned? I went through the same thing but thankfully stumbled upon a learning system I created based on proven language learning blocks. The JPS System brings you through 4 main categories of learning, Theory, Technique, Improvisation and Repertoire. I'll show you exactly how to utilize our popular system so you can finally achieve jazz piano freedom: http://jazzpianoschool.com/lookinside___________Get more FREE jazz piano education from us!Facebook: https://facebook.com/jazzpianoschoolBlog: http://jazzpianoschool.com/blogLick of The Week: https://jazzpianoschool.com/lotd/http://jazzpianoschool.com/jpspodcast
Follow along as Sterling shows you a diminished voicing that is sure to turn some heads. These crunchy chords work over diminished tonalities, and can also be applied to dominant chords in various jazz standards. These chords always bring the "wow" factor!!Have you been trying to learn jazz piano with youtube videos, dvds, teachers but feellike you're still constantly guessing, can't play any tunes without copying what someone else has played, and don't know how to connect all the tid bits you've learned? I went through the same thing but thankfully stumbled upon a learning system I created based on proven language learning blocks. The JPS System brings you through 4 main categories of learning, Theory, Technique, Improvisation and Repertoire. I'll show you exactly how to utilize our popular system so you can finally achieve jazz piano freedom: http://jazzpianoschool.com/lookinside___________Get more FREE jazz piano education from us!Facebook: https://facebook.com/jazzpianoschoolBlog: http://jazzpianoschool.com/blogLick of The Week: https://jazzpianoschool.com/lotd/http://jazzpianoschool.com/jpspodcast
I've filtered down my education A LOT recently due to my Accelerator and Mastermind programs that are now open for enrollment until Sept 5th, 2023.99% of all jazz piano students want one, a combination, or all of just 3 goals.Here they are ranked in order from easiest to hardest.#1 - Play in a band or accompany a vocalist, or instrumentalist. (Comping)#2 - Play solo piano jazz standards on their own without reading transcriptions of other pianists.#3 - Learn how to improvise lines in the RH in a jazz style.THAT'S IT! So where do you fall? What's your goal? This will be part 3 of a 3 part series that will involve me teaching you how to become successful at each goal and what it takes.By the way, my 3-month private Accelerator program is about to close on Sept 5th, 2023. This is a 3-month program that allows you to study with me privately along with so many other goodies including group lessons with the other students, practice sessions, small pod lessons, guest masterclasses, q & a's and so much more.If you're interested in learning more about this once a year program I run go to the link below.https://jazzpianoschool.com/smallgroupThere are 8 spots left and it closes Sept 5th. ----Have you been trying to learn jazz piano with youtube videos, dvds, teachers but feellike you're still constantly guessing, can't play any tunes without copying what someone else has played, and don't know how to connect all the tid bits you've learned? I went through the same thing but thankfully stumbled upon a learning system I created based on proven language learning blocks. The JPS System brings you through 4 main categories of learning, Theory, Technique, Improvisation and Repertoire. I'll show you exactly how to utilize our popular system so you can finally achieve jazz piano freedom: http://jazzpianoschool.com/lookinside___________Get more FREE jazz piano education from us!Facebook: https://facebook.com/jazzpianoschoolBlog: http://jazzpianoschool.com/blogLick of The Week: https://jazzpianoschool.com/lotd/http://jazzpianoschool.com/jpspodcast
I've filtered down my education A LOT recently due to my Accelerator and Mastermind programs that are now open for enrollment until Sept 5th, 2023.
99% of all jazz piano students want one, a combination, or all of just 3 goals.
Here they are ranked in order from easiest to hardest.
1 - Play in a band or accompany a vocalist, or instrumentalist. (Comping)
2 - Play solo piano jazz standards on their own without reading transcriptions of other pianists.
3 - Learn how to improvise lines in the RH in a jazz style.
THAT'S IT!
So where do you fall? Whats your goal?
This will be part 2 of a 3 part series that will involve me teaching you how to become successful at each goal and what it takes.
By the way, my 3-month private Accelerator program is about to close on Sept 5th, 2023. This is a 3-month program that allows you to study with me privately along with so many other goodies including group lessons with the other students, practice sessions, small pod lessons, guest masterclasses, q & a's and so much more.
If you're interested in learning more about this once a year program I run go to the link below.
https://jazzpianoschool.com/smallgroup
There are 8 spots left and it closes Sept 5th.
Have you been trying to learn jazz piano with youtube videos, dvds, teachers but feel like you're still constantly guessing, can't play any tunes without copying what someone else has played, and don't know how to connect all the tid bits you've learned?
I went through the same thing but thankfully stumbled upon a learning system I created based on proven language learning blocks.
The JPS System brings you through 4 main categories of learning, Theory, Technique, Improvisation and Repertoire.
I'll show you exactly how to utilize our popular system so you can finally achieve jazz piano freedom: http://jazzpianoschool.com/lookinside
___________
Get more FREE jazz piano education from us!
Facebook: https://facebook.com/jazzpianoschool Blog: http://jazzpianoschool.com/blog Lick of The Week: https://jazzpianoschool.com/lotd/ http://jazzpianoschool.com/jpspodcast
I've filtered down my education A LOT recently due to my Accelerator and Mastermind programs that are now open for enrollment until Sept 5th, 2023.
99% of all jazz piano students want one, a combination, or all of just 3 goals.
Here they are ranked in order from easiest to hardest.
1 - Play in a band or accompany a vocalist, or instrumentalist. (Comping)
2 - Play solo piano jazz standards on their own without reading transcriptions of other pianists.
3 - Learn how to improvise lines in the RH in a jazz style.
THAT'S IT!
So where do you fall? Whats your goal?
This will be part 1 of a 3 part series that will involve me teaching you how to become successful at each goal and what it takes.
If you're interested in enrolling in my private program or want more information go to the link below.
https://jazzpianoschool.com/smallgroup
There are 8 spots left!
Have you been trying to learn jazz piano with youtube videos, dvds, teachers but feel like you're still constantly guessing, can't play any tunes without copying what someone else has played, and don't know how to connect all the tid bits you've learned?
I went through the same thing but thankfully stumbled upon a learning system I created based on proven language learning blocks.
The JPS System brings you through 4 main categories of learning, Theory, Technique, Improvisation and Repertoire.
I'll show you exactly how to utilize our popular system so you can finally achieve jazz piano freedom: http://jazzpianoschool.com/lookinside
___________
Get more FREE jazz piano education from us!
Facebook: https://facebook.com/jazzpianoschool Blog: http://jazzpianoschool.com/blog Lick of The Week: https://jazzpianoschool.com/lotd/ http://jazzpianoschool.com/jpspodcast
It's one thing to be taught one part of the puzzle...but what about the whole puzzle? In this fun lesson, I'll show you my 11 step improvisation road map and start at the very beginning. I'll demonstrate step one over the tune Autumn Leaves, then continue to add on layers one at a time. You'll be able to hear the complete transformation each individual step will make to your improvisation so that you can gain a full and complete picture into how to become a jazz improvisation master!
https://jazzpianoschool.com/smallgroup
There are a limited number of spots so if you're interested, definitely enroll sooner rather than later.
Have you been trying to learn jazz piano with youtube videos, dvds, teachers but feel like you're still constantly guessing, can't play any tunes without copying what someone else has played, and don't know how to connect all the tid bits you've learned?
I went through the same thing but thankfully stumbled upon a learning system I created based on proven language learning blocks.
The JPS System brings you through 4 main categories of learning, Theory, Technique, Improvisation and Repertoire.
I'll show you exactly how to utilize our popular system so you can finally achieve jazz piano freedom: http://jazzpianoschool.com/lookinside
___________
Get more FREE jazz piano education from us!
Facebook: https://facebook.com/jazzpianoschool Blog: http://jazzpianoschool.com/blog Lick of The Week: https://jazzpianoschool.com/lotd/ http://jazzpianoschool.com/jpspodcast
Follow along as Sterling shows you a diminished voicing that is sure to turn some heads. These crunchy chords work over diminished tonalities, and can also be applied to dominant chords in various jazz standards. These chords always bring the "wow" factor!!
https://jazzpianoschool.com/smallgroup
There are a limited number of spots so if you're interested, definitely enroll sooner rather than later.
Taking private lessons can seen never ending. In fact, most of the time, it IS never ending. You never really know if you're getting better because the teacher doesn't give you any goals, benchmarks or assessments. You'll definitely want to save this lesson and download it. With the benchmarks and assessments I show you in this video, your practice will be more efficient, you'll be more motivated and inspired, and you'll without a sliver of doubt KNOW if you're getting better. This is a FANTASTIC tool for all level students. Enjoy!
By the way...I just opened up my 3-month private Accelerator program. This is a 3-month program that allows you to study with me privately along with so many other goodies including group lessons with the other students, practice sessions, small pod lessons, guest masterclasses, q & a's and so much more.
If you're interested in learning more about this once a year program I run go to the link below.
https://jazzpianoschool.com/smallgroup
There are a limited number of spots so if you're interested, definitely enroll sooner rather than later.
Doing anything in life over and over and over again is boring. Being in the same room for 5 hours is boring. Listening to single note eighth note lines over and over again is boring. We need contrast. We need change. That's why this call and response improvisation method is such an amazing texture to integrate into your solos. It's interesting. It's easy to use, and it's fun!! Check it out!
By the way...I just opened up my 3-month private Accelerator program. This is a 3-month program that allows you to study with me privately along with so many other goodies including group lessons with the other students, practice sessions, small pod lessons, guest masterclasses, q & a's and so much more.
If you're interested in learning more about this once a year program I run go to the link below.
https://jazzpianoschool.com/smallgroup
There are a limited number of spots so if you're interested, definitely enroll sooner rather than later.
One of the most successful jazz piano education things I've ever done to date has been my private Accelerator program. This gives students a chance to work me, get custom lesson plans, group lesson, guest masterclass', open mic nights and so much more. This September I'll be running another one of those PLUS a brand new Inner Circle Mastermind for students that want more education than just 3 months. How many months? 9 months to be exact!
It's one thing to play jazz standards like Autumn Leaves and Fly Me To The Moon, it's a whole other thing to actually make them swing. Did you just clench up? Don't worry because it only takes just one, simple, thing to make your jazz standards start to swing like you want!
If you want more in depth knowledge on following an easy, step-by-step plan, to learn how to play jazz piano register for my free masterclass at the link below.
https://jazzpianoschool.com/system
In this free masterclass, I'll teach you 6 of the most important jazz piano hacks on solo piano, improvisation, and voicings that you will use for the rest of your life.
I'll also teach you the number one reason why most students fail, and my 4 step learning process that will make drastic improvements to your playing when implemented.
Register now by going to the link. It's completely free!
I remember always asking my teachers how they were able to keep track of the time and not get lost while improvising. Do you know what their response was most of the time? "I don't know, I just feel it." Unfortunately to most students out there, this type of response does not help you WHATSOEVER. So, in this video I'm going to deliver some actionable exercises you can work on to actually help you NOT get lost while improvising. I promise if you work on these, you'll know exactly where you are the entire time.
Moanin' is a classic jazz tune for a number of reasons. The soulful, blues, and gospel sound that the tune expresses and the amazing solo Bobby Timmons takes utilizing the octave trick that I'm about to show you in this video. EVERYONEEEEE should have this quick little octave improvisation trick in their tool bag. It may not be easy to execute right off the bat but it's VERYYY easy to learn, and I can teach it to you in less than 10 minutes. Here we go!
Most of the time you hear single note eighth note lines when listening to jazz. When you start to integrate diads into those lines you'll get some really spicy flavors that go great with the blues and really any other standard. In this lesson I'll show you the diads I like to use and how to start practicing them so that you can spice up your single note improvisation lines.
Have you ever heard a pianist with a beautifully sensitive touch and wondered, "how do they do that?" In this podcast lesson, Sterling will give you some practice tips on how you can improve your piano touch to enhance your expression at the keyboard.
You know you've been doing a podcast for a long time when you hit 300 episodes. Yes, I've been recording a podcast for jazz piano school for a little over 8 years now. In this live celebration you'll see a live zoom Q & A hosted by the Jazz Piano School educators and I. The students had some amazing questions that we demonstrate and teach on. I know this will be well worth your time if you watch all the way through. Enjoy!
Jazz is obviously awesome with all it's 7th chords but sometimes just using plain old simple triads can create beautiful music. By using these 3 different passing chord movements that step from gospel and church playing you can write and play gorgeous sounding music through simple experimentation. You'll be surprised how easy it is to use these and integrate them into your playing. Enjoy!If you want more in depth knowledge on following an easy, step-by-step plan, to learn how to play jazz piano register for my free masterclass at the link below.https://jazzpianoschool.com/system
Do you find yourself struggling to play in certain keys, or get stuck moving between them? Watch as Sterling Cozza shows you how to master playing in all 12 keys with this simple exercise! By practicing chords and scales using this approach, you will find ways of implementing them to be able to play and improvise more freely. Enjoy!If you want more in depth knowledge on following an easy, step-by-step plan, to learn how to play jazz piano register for my free masterclass at the link below.https://jazzpianoschool.com/systemIn this free masterclass, I'll teach you 6 of the most important jazz piano hacks on solo piano, improvisation, and voicings that you will use for the rest of your life. I'll also teach you the number one reason why most students fail, and my 4 step learning process that will make drastic improvements to your playing when implemented.Register now by going to the link. It's completely free!
Learn how to easily create #9 voicings fast in this free lesson. Even a complete beginner can do it, and even if you're a more intermediate or advanced player, I'll show you how to turn them into advanced #9 voicings as well. If you want more in depth knowledge on following an easy, step-by-step plan, to learn how to play jazz piano register for my free masterclass at the link below.https://jazzpianoschool.com/systemIn this free masterclass, I'll teach you 6 of the most important jazz piano hacks on solo piano, improvisation, and voicings that you will use for the rest of your life. I'll also teach you the number one reason why most students fail, and my 4 step learning process that will make drastic improvements to your playing when implemented.Register now by going to the link. It's completely free!
Using extensions to improvise with is usually very overwhelming. How do we use them? When do we use them? Where do we use them? I never got much clear education on this but I'm about to change that for you. In this lesson I'll show you 3 clear strategies you can use to integrate extensions. Specifically the b9 in this episode. In the upcoming weeks, I'll go through the other extensions and show you those as well. If you want to master your improvisation, be sure to register for my free masterclass called The 5 Most Important Steps You Need To Crush Your Improvisation. It'll show you specific and detailed strategies to make your improvisation sound amazing. It'll also help you build a solid improvisation foundation for you to advance from. Register now...it's completely free!https://jazzpianoschool.com/improvmasterlcass
The 6 tips I teach in this lesson will drastically and instantly make your playing sound like and intermediate or advanced player. They are the bedrock to creating a more advanced sound and every beginner players should work to implement them today. They will change your life. If you're a beginner and want to develop a rock solid foundation and learn the fundamental principles you need for solo piano, voicings, and improv register for my free masterclass by going to the link below. https://jazzpianoschool.com/system
The voicing I get asked the most about in jazz piano is the drop 2 voicing. Why? Because it's a pro voicing. But trying to learn them the traditional way with two notes in each hand is difficult. How do I know? Because I tried it. With my 3 step system you'll easily learn drop 2's and you'll also set yourself up for bigger spread voicings, comping methods, and so much more. If you want to learn more about my systems register for my free masterclass by going to the link below.https://jazzpianoschool.com/system
Most of the time beginner and intermediate students have a hard time creating a thick and lush sound while playing solo piano. And I don't blame them. It took me FOREVER to figure this out. But with these 3 tips you'll be able to create a large orchestral sound from your solo piano playing in no time. They're easy to learn and easy to integrate. If you want more in depth knowledge on following an easy, step-by-step plan, to learn how to play jazz piano register for my free masterclass at the link below.https://jazzpianoschool.com/systemIn this free masterclass, I'll teach you 6 of the most important jazz piano hacks on solo piano, improvisation, and voicings that you will use for the rest of your life. I'll also teach you the number one reason why most students fail, and my 4 step learning process that will make drastic improvements to your playing when implemented.Register now by going to the link. It's completely free!
Most of the time beginner and intermediate students have a hard time creating a thick and lush sound while playing solo piano. And I don't blame them. It took me FOREVER to figure this out. But with these 3 tips you'll be able to create a large orchestral sound from your solo piano playing in no time. They're easy to learn and easy to integrate. If you're interested in learning more about my solo piano system and how it can help you quickly and easily change your solo piano performance go to the link below to get my free 3 part video workshop. It's very in depth and will give you a lot of amazing education you can work on today.https://jazzpianoschool.com/solopianoworkshop
This tip that I will teach you in literally one minute has the power to drastically change your solo piano sound instantly. Don't believe me? Well there is only one thing I have left to say...try it. It isn't for everyone because you might be well beyond this, but if you're playing LH root position chords with RH single note melody lines...then you absolutely need to watch this.Even if you think you're an intermediate or advanced player, try to do this with some tunes. If you can't...it might be a good time to working on your fundamentals so you can integrate this into your playing. This step will allow you to add many more advanced concepts into your playing with ease.If you're interested in learning more about my solo piano system and how it can help you quickly and easily change your solo piano performance go to the link below to get my free 3 part video workshop. It's very in depth and will give you a lot of amazing education you can work on today.https://jazzpianoschool.com/solopianoworkshop
here is way more to improvising over the blues then just using the traditional blues scale. When I learned these other two blues scales, and combined them with the traditional blues scale, my playing changed forever. In this lesson, I'll teach you each blues scale, demonstrate how to use them, and then combine them so you can hear what the improvisation potential is when using these three blues improv tools. If you're looking to learn more about improvisation and want to learn my 5 most important improvisation steps to building a solid improv foundation and layering on advanced improv methods...vist the link below to watch my free masterclass.https://jazzpianoschool.com/improvmasterclass
A fellow musician who is learning how to play jazz piano mentioned that all the voicings he uses sound to thin. I asked him what voicings he was using. He said he was using a lot of drop 2's and rootless voicings in the high register of the piano. BOOM. There is the issue. The number 1 issue in fact that students have when comping jazz on piano. Most videos, blogs, even teachers, teach about rootless voicings, or upper structure voicings that are all up high. Most students should actually begin they're comping journey down low with these 2 voicings! Enjoy!If you're interested in receiving a free notated pdf of my 22 most favorite jazz piano voicings go to the link below. https://materials.jazzpianoschool.com/our-top-22-voicings
Learning how to improvise can be extremely overwhelming. Most of the time you'll get very vague advice. In this lesson, I'll teach you the 2 most important fundamental steps to learning improv. These 2 steps will help you build a rock solid foundation and allow you to layer on more advanced concepts with ease. If you're interested in checking out my free improvisation masterclass with even more in-depth education go to the link below.https://jazzpianoschool.com/improvmasterclass
WP & YT Summary: Most jazz piano students have no control over their left hand while improvising. This can drastically take away from your improvisation sound. Most students also don't even know HOW to fix this or what to do. In this video I'll show you 4 very easy patterns and methods your LH can use while you improvise to ensure you sound like a pro. Have you been trying to learn jazz piano with youtube videos, dvds, teachers but feellike you're still constantly guessing, can't play any tunes without copying what someone else has played, and don't know how to connect all the tid bits you've learned? I went through the same thing but thankfully stumbled upon a learning system I created based on proven language learning blocks. The JPS System brings you through 4 main categories of learning, Theory, Technique, Improvisation and Repertoire. I'll show you exactly how to utilize our popular system so you can finally achieve jazz piano freedom: http://jazzpianoschool.com/lookinside
Red Garland was one of the greatest jazz pianists to ever live. This transcription analysis covers the tune, "A Foggy Day", and is off the album, "A Garland of Red". This analysis is taken from directly inside my brand new Improvisation Mastery Specialty course which is now available for purchase at a discount by going to the link below.Click the link below for more info.https://jazzpianoschool.com/improv
In this free lesson I'm going to walk you through how to improvise over the tune Like Someone In Love. This is taken directly from a live lesson that I gave to all the JPS members during the Tune of The Month Series that we do. If you're interested in learning more about improvisation, go check out my new specialty course that's being released called, Improvisation Mastery.Click the link below for more info.https://jazzpianoschool.com/improv
Summary: In part 3 of the 2023 planning series I'll be covering a full spectrum plan to crush all the jazz piano voicings you could possibly need in 2023. Voicings are necessary for all parts of jazz. Solo piano, improvisation, comping and so much more. When you have a solid plan to improve your voicings you will be making progress across the board which is fantastic. This will translate to everything you do. Don't forget to grab the planning book below as I refer to the steps inside when teaching this lesson. https://jazzpianoschool.com/2023planningbook
We're on to part 2 of our 2023 planning sessions. In this live stream lesson, I'll be covering the full solo piano blueprint and plan you need to make serious progress in 2023. If playing jazz solo piano is your goal, then you'll definitely want to take detailed notes on this episode.Don't forget to go to the link below to get our free planning guide because I'm referring directly to the steps in this free guide for solo piano.https://jazzpianoschool.com/2023planningbook
Sus chords can be mysterious but with the 3 different types of sus chords I'm going to show you today, you'll know exactly where, when and how to use them. The first sus chord will be more of a general, space sound you can use over the majority of dominant chords in tunes. The second one will be more for ballads to pull at the heart strings. And the third will be more for a dirty, gritty, soulful sound like in the blues.
Enjoy!
So if improvisation is spontaneous...how do we practice the art of spontaneity? There are a couple key points that make improvisation sound good. No matter how many fancy tools you throw on top like the blues scale, pentatonics, half whole, scale, lydian augemented scale, the foundation still applies. In this podcast I'll show you the BEST improvisation exercise you can use through out your entire career no matter HOW good you get. I still use it to this day.
The 3 jazz piano licks included in this lesson are important for a couple reasons. One, they contain both scalar motion and arpeggiated thirds. Most jazz piano improvisation contains both of these movements very frequently. Two, they contain chromatic motion. Chromatic motion is extremely important in bebop to slide into chord tones or move around them to create tension. Third, these three licks emphasize the thirds of each chord in this two-five-one progression. By emphasizing the thirds, of chords, you will reflect the harmony of progressions and create beautiful solos.
Most importantly, in this lesson, I go further than just showing you the licks, I teach you how to analyze them and extract improvisation lego building blocks to use on your own. This will allow you to spontaneously create improvisation freely rather than waiting for a specific meausre or phrase in a tune and regurgitating a memorized lick.
You'll be able to build solos your self based upon what you want to play. Just like building legos!
Enjoy!
To learn more about our secret Black Friday 2022 offer go to...
https://jazzpianoschool.com/blackfriday2022
These 5 improvisation strategies are continuations off the last tutorial on comping through a 3-6-2-5. Enjoy!
To learn more about our secret Black Friday 2022 offer go to...
https://jazzpianoschool.com/blackfriday2022
Progressions in jazz can get extremely boring. Especially if you're playing them the same every time. A common one that you'll see in so many tunes is a 3-6-2-5. If you're bored of playing a 3-6-2-5 the same or need some new ideas, I got exactly what you need. In this podcast I'll show you 5 easy ways to play a 3-6-2-5 that will sound COMPLETELY different and extremely hip at the same time. Here we go!
The metronome can either be your best friend or your worst enemy! Practicing with the metronome is an essential way to develop your own internal sense of time. In this podcast lesson, Sterling will show you some tips and tricks to use the metronome in creative ways to test your sense of time and make room for improvement while making friends with the metronome!
Jazz doesn't always have to be hard. I swear. Sometimes one specific skill set can be broken down into 3 easy steps. I recently taught my special Accelerator Program students this easy 3 step process to thicken and fatten up their arrangements and they absolutely loved it! This process can be used over any tune and will serve you for the rest of your jazz piano career. It's well worth your time to learn. Enjoy!
When learning new tunes, it can often be tricky to know which notes to play over chords that are unfamiliar. By finding the home key and practicing improvising over chord progressions, you can be ready to play over chords to any tune. Follow along as Sterling shows you how to do it in this podcast lesson.
There are usually a handful of things in life that REALLY help you make some serious progress. This goes for almost everything in life. Golf, painting, riding a bike...literally anything. If you find the right drill or exercise you can unlock A LOT of doors. In improvisation, that one drill is this. And by this I mean the exercise that I give you in this podcast. Practice this a lot and I guarantee you'll drastically improve fast. Enjoy!
It can be easy to get stuck using the same tired licks or sets of voicings. Here is a new way you can approach comping and improvising by incorporating the intervals of tenths and sixths. Sterling Cozza will show you in this lesson how to practice these intervals to seamlessly integrate them into your playing!
Action creates reaction. If motivation and inspiration naturally found us, there would be millions of Monet's, da Vinci's and Oscar Peterson's in the world. Unfortunately, to spark creativity we need to do things that ignite it! In this podcast I'll show you 5 amazing ways to bring more creativity and exploration to your improvisation.
Jazz Piano School's new small group Accelerator program is now open.
Get exclusive teaching from Brenden, his staff, guest masterclass', private lessons, weekly playing assignments and more.
go to... https://jazzpianoschool.com/smallgroup
There are just some things in jazz that are completely random and do not have a deep theory concept attached to them... but they sound freakin' great! And you want to know them. That's exactly what this episode will teach you in regards to comping. I'll show you 3 misc. comping textures that will instantly make your comping sound better. Check it out!
Jazz Piano School's new small group Accelerator program is now open.
Get exclusive teaching from Brenden, his staff, guest masterclass', private lessons, weekly playing assignments and more.
Go to: https://jazzpianoschool.com/smallgroup
"Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" is a jazz standard written by pianist Joe Zawinul and made famous by Cannonball Adderly's Quintet. In this tutorial, you will learn how to play the tune using authentic gospel voicings which have a variety of applications. Enjoy!
Have you been trying to learn jazz piano with youtube videos, dvds, teachers but feel like you're still constantly guessing, can't play any tunes without copying what someone else has played, and don't know how to connect all the tid bits you've learned?
I went through the same thing but thankfully stumbled upon a learning system I created based on proven language learning blocks.
The JPS System brings you through 4 main categories of learning, Theory, Technique, Improvisation and Repertoire.
I'll show you exactly how to utilize our popular system so you can finally achieve jazz piano freedom: http://jazzpianoschool.com/lookinside
Learning jazz takes you on MANY different paths. Trust me. I know from experience. It's like using a GPS, sometimes maps will take you 50 miles out of your way, where as if you had taken a diffferent route, it would have taken you 5 miles. This is happens all the time in jazz. In this episode when you follow MY drop 2 path, you'll not only learn your drop 2 voicings faster, you'll understand them better, learn multiple variations, and where and how to use them. Now if that doesn't sound good, I don't know what does. Enjoy!
Jazz Piano School's new small group Accelerator program is now open.
Get exclusive teaching from Brenden, his staff, guest masterclass', private lessons, weekly playing assignments and more.
go to... https://jazzpianoschool.com/smallgroup
The word itself can be cause a lot of resistance among students. This happened to me for years. Just hearing the word...MODE...cause me to freeze up and not want to learn jazz piano. But in this podcast I'll give you a COMPLETELY different spin on how to use modes. I'll actually compose music and atmospheres on the spot with different modes. I even tell little stories that I hear as I'm compsing the music. Check it out! You'll never think of modes again. I promise.
Jazz Piano School's new small group Accelerator program is now open.
Get exclusive teaching from Brenden, his staff, guest masterclass', private lessons, weekly playing assignments and more.
go to... https://jazzpianoschool.com/smallgroup
This podcast lesson is based on the education I taught for my brand new Accelerator program. It breaks down the piano into 3 different registers when playing solo piano and will tell you exactly what to do and play in each of them. This information is a MUST have for anyone looking to excel solo piano performance.
Jazz Piano School's new small group Accelerator program is now open.
Get exclusive teaching from Brenden, his staff, guest masterclass', private lessons, weekly playing assignments and more.
go to... https://jazzpianoschool.com/smallgroup
This podcast lesson will show you how you can use to improve your improvisation over any tune in any key using this one simple exercise. By practicing improvising over 3-6-2-5 chord progressions in this manner, you will improve how quickly and fluently you can come up with lines over standard jazz chord changes. You'll be playing great lines in no time!
Have you been trying to learn jazz piano with youtube videos, dvds, teachers but feel like you're still constantly guessing, can't play any tunes without copying what someone else has played, and don't know how to connect all the tid bits you've learned?
I went through the same thing but thankfully stumbled upon a learning system I created based on proven language learning blocks.
The JPS System brings you through 4 main categories of learning, Theory, Technique, Improvisation and Repertoire.
I'll show you exactly how to utilize our popular system so you can finally achieve jazz piano freedom: http://jazzpianoschool.com/lookinside
No matter how much you know, making simple improvisation sound great continues to be the name of the game. If you blow 8th notes for days, it's not music. It's an exercise. Making music is about development, texture, musicality and more. Learn all about making simple improvisation sound great in this podcast.
Jazz Piano School's new small group Accelerator program is now open.
Get exclusive teaching from Brenden, his staff, guest masterclass', private lessons, weekly playing assignments and more.
Go to: https://jazzpianoschool.com/smallgroup
If you want to sound like Bill Evans, you have treat the “classical” end of the spectrum with equal respect and time as the jazz process. When you do this, You can learn to play from the same basic framework as Bill yet sound completely individual.
The last live stream I did went so well that I had to turn it into a podcast. These 3 solo piano steps are an absolute must practice in order to play solo piano well. I also talk about the critical 2 categories you should group tunes into in order to confidently know how to approach all tunes. Enjoy!
When it comes to jazz piano, there is a myriad of techniques, voicings, and approaches which one can study. This doesn't mean that not everyone can play jazz piano! In this podcast, we've boiled it down to 3 functional techniques which you can use to play jazz piano. Follow along to find out what they are!
Bud Powell was one of the kings of bebop at the piano. In this podcast you'll learn 3 easy take aways for improvisation that Bud uses that you can implement TODAY to drastically elevate the sound of your improv. This will conclude my LONG series on bebop and bebop approaches. If you haven't checked out the previous episodes I highly recommend you go back to listen to the series in it's entirety. Enjoy!
What does it mean when people talk about "finding your own voice," and how are you supposed to do it? Here is one idea for you which Sterling will teach in this week's podcast. In this lesson, he'll show you how to add a daily warmup to your practice routine to explore your own creativity through "drone improvisation." By playing whatever comes to mind over a single note drone, you can explore infinite possibilities and develop your own sound!
Bud Powell was a bebop genius and in this podcast I analyze a part of his solo and explain the simple elements he's using over and over and over again. After learning these elements, I guarantee you'll have a much better understanding of how to play bebop, and will be able to play it yourself with a lot more ease.
There comes a time for exercises and a time to transform exercises into music. But what is the process? How do we go from bebop approach note improvisation exercises to USING bebop approaches in an actual musical solo? Find out in this episode!
Learning you bebop approaches is one thing...connecting them through 2-5-1's is the next step. That's exactly what I'll be showing you in this episode as well as how to spontaneously improvise with them as well.
If you feel like your LH has been fighting you while improvising or just want to improve your LH approach, this video is for you! Follow along with these 3 easy steps to improve your left hand comping.
In this podcast lesson we will explore various 5-note combinations of pentatonic voicings as seen in the classic modal jazz tune "So What." There are many variations on how to use these chords, and by the end of this lesson you will have several new ways of playing them which will give a fresh sound to your comping in minor keys!
In this podcast lesson we will explore various 5-note combinations of pentatonic voicings as seen in the classic modal jazz tune "So What." There are many variations on how to use these chords, and by the end of this lesson you will have several new ways of playing them which will give a fresh sound to your comping in minor keys!
Major 7th chords are the resolution to a 2-5-1 and with that comes new bebop lines and approaches. Learn how to utilize the major 7th in your improvisation and how to start picturing your bebop line from start to finish through a 2-5-1. Enjoy!
In this podcast episode I'll dive into bebop approach notes and bebop lines you can play over dominant 7th chords. Dominant 7th chords tend to give students problems for some reason. With this episode you'll learn all the bebop movements you and need and how to connect them so you can create some killer improv over dominant 7th chords in tunes.
We've talked about learning tunes here in previous podcast lessons, but here we're going to focus on how to master playing the melody of any standard tune in 5 easy steps. By the end of this lesson, you will know the melody of a standard and not only be able to perform it convincingly, but also interpret it in an authentic and original way!
Learning bebop can feel completely overwhelming. There are so many approaches over so many chords and then connecting them is a whole other ball game. To help you out, I'm going to show you the most POPULAR bebop approaches I use on a daily basis and at all my gigs. Today I'll cover minor 7th chords and specifically what I play over each chord tone. Enjoy!
The blues is a fundamental element of jazz piano. What would happen if you played a blues every day as part of your jazz piano practice routine in 2022? By playing a blues-a-day, you can challenge yourself to learn melodies, voicings, and improvise in different keys. This will expand your musicality, and make you ready for just about anything!
Playing original compositions can be quite the journey compared to playing regular jazz standards. In this episode I explore 3 weird and very modern chords I had to play and solo over on a recent gig I played. Here's what they are!
We finally wrap up this series by talking about taking action. How do we take action in 2022 to make progress in jazz piano? I'll talk about what practice exercises to use, how to follow the systems, and so much more.
We go a little further into our planning in this one. We're looking at the plan for our goals today. What is the plan to accomplish our goals? What are the systems? In today's podcast episode I'll show you how to plan to accomplish different jazz piano goals like solo piano, improvisation, and more.
A little planning and thoughtful strategizing can go a long way. Can you imagine if coaches never prepared for games with their team? The games would be a mess.
The same holds true for your 2022 year. Knowing HOW to plan, prepare, and set goals is a whole other thing though. That's exactly what I'll teach you in today's podcast.
Enjoy!
When I think about the things that hurt my progress the most through out my jazz piano pursuit there are 4 things that come to mind.
And I dont mean, me sitting on the couch with my hand on my chin wondering.
I mean like BAM!
These 4 things DIRECTLY come to my mind because they're so blatantly obvious now that I can see them and know of them.
In episode 2 of my new mini series I'm going to explain what these 4 things are.
They're STILL, to this day, very heavily rearing their ugly head and the more you can be aware of them...the better off you'll be so you don't go through what I did for 15 years.
Enjoy!
When I think about the things that hurt my progress the most through out my jazz piano pursuit there are 4 things that come to mind.
And I dont mean, me sitting on the couch with my hand on my chin wondering.
I mean like BAM!
These 4 things DIRECTLY come to my mind because they're so blatantly obvious now that I can see them and know of them.
In episode 2 of my new mini series I'm going to explain what these 4 things are.
They're STILL, to this day, very heavily rearing their ugly head and the more you can be aware of them...the better off you'll be so you don't go through what I did for 15 years.
Enjoy!
I get kind of bitter when I talk about it.
I try not to but I really can't help it.
Because this ONE thing was extremely close to robbing me of my jazz piano dream.
And to this day, I feel my body tighten and clench when talking about it.
This is Episode 1, of a 3 part mini series I'm releasing that's going to take a step back.
It's going to hopefully help you rethink your own jazz piano education and journey, as I share all the downfalls, doubts, frustrations and pains I've gone through on mine.
Enjoy!
The age old question. How do you practice improvisation? Practice lines and licks right? Not exactly. Believe it or not, most of the work and practice should be done outside the tune. Just like baseball players. They work on batting practice outside of games, so when the games do come, they can hit better. In this episode I'll show you my system I still use to this day to practice improvisation.
Rarely does the crucial information you need to make progress expose itself easily. I went through years of nebulous education learning without no clear path. In this podcast lesson, I break down the MOST important 3 steps you need to practice and work on in order to achieve a pro level solo piano sound.
Learning the different jazz piano educational paths and how to combine them is powerful knowledge that could make or break your ability to reach your goals. Most of the time students try and learn everything else and have no real clue what to focus on in order to get better. They also don't know WHY they aren't really improving. In this episode you'll learn all about this and leave with a deep understanding of jazz piano paths for improvement.
Enjoy!
Learning the different jazz piano educational paths and how to combine them is powerful knowledge that could make or break your ability to reach your goals. Most of the time students try and learn everything else and have no real clue what to focus on in order to get better. They also don't know WHY they aren't really improving. In this episode you'll learn all about this and leave with a deep understanding of jazz piano paths for improvement.
In this episode we will be examining a scale from Yusef Lateef's "Repository of Scales and Melodic Patterns" and putting it to use. Learn how to create unique lines over any chord.
In this episode I'll be continuing the talk of Playbooks. We will be releasing our brand new Playbooks on Black Friday, along with our amazing offer and discount. In today's episode I'll be going through bits and pieces of the voicings playbook.
Enjoy!
Knowing what what to work on in order to systematically improve certain parts of your jazz piano performance is a HUGE advantage. But how do you know what to work on? What skills are you missing? What is your sound lacking? I'll go over how to get the blues sound you want and what to work on in this episode.
Enjoy!
You can only sit at your piano, playing and practicing for yourself for so long. Eventually you're going to need some human connection and interaction. That's the beauty of music! It brings people together and connects humanity. But, if you never share, or open up, how can you ever connect? In this podcast I'll give you a quick update, and share some important news.
Enjoy!
Have you ever heard the phrase "Let the melody be your guide" but wondered how to practically apply it to your playing? In this podcast, I show you how to use the melody as a springboard for melodic development in your solos. If you don't want to sound like a robot, this episode is for you.
I'm know how it goes, trust me. You hear someone's LH flying back and forth at lightening speed while the RH is playing some ridiculous line and you think to yourself, "There is no way I could do that". Am I right? This used to happen to me all the time. In
To lead into our brand new specialty course called "How To Play Stride & Ragtime Like A Pro", set to be relased on June 29th, at 6am eastern, I have a great podcast to present to you to get you in the mood.
Believe it or not this podcast will break things down so much that even a brand new pianist could take these methods and start to use them to play stride.
If you put a little trust in me and check out what I teach, I promise you, there is hope for your stride future.
Enjoy!
To join the next live podcast recording go to: http://www.jazzpianoschool.com/livepodcast
If you have questions or suggestions for a podcast lesson you would like us to do, please leave them in the comments down below.
Practicing jazz can feel nebulous. What do we play? What do we do? There are so many different things to practice. What exercises do we use? I'll be first one to say this, I wasted a full decade practicing jazz the WRONG way. In this episode I'll teach you my 5 step system that will give you a practice plan to ensure you're ACTUALLY making progress everytime you sit down to practice.
Enjoy!
The Cocktail Piano style is a term that is thrown around and everyone wants to learn it. Whenever we walk into a lounge, bar, or cocktail hour, as musicians, we always marvel and what the pianist is playing and DOING. What are they doing though and what IS the "Cocktail Piano" style? In this podcast I'll pull back the curtain on the top 4 styles that make up the style, how to feather, and the fills you need to create the cocktail sound. Enjoy!
Practicing improvisation can be nebulous to say the least. What do you practice? How do you practice? When we're able to take a step back, and plan out our improvisation practice session using this 3 step process you'll make much more progress in a shorter amount of time.
I love demystifying the jazz education process. The moment when a student finally understand is magic. Everything clicks and the light bulb goes off. I never really got a step by step instruction, so this is why I dedicated myself to teaching in this manner. In this podcast episode, I break down exactly how bebop lines are created in the moment so you can have an accurate understanding of what is happening to create such gorgeous sounding lines. Enjoy!
I go further in depth into blues reharms to teach you how to expand upon the fundamentals I taught in the last episode.
Playing the blues is always fun. Playing the blues with reharms is even MORE fun! In this live stream podcast, I'll teach you 4 reharms you can use in the blues and HOW to use them. These 4 reharms are extremely powerful and will completely transform your playing.
This was the very first, live stream podcast I recorded with a live audience. It was so much fun, and I can't wait to do it again! If you're looking to become a part of the live audience and get your questions answered by me after I record, go to https://jazzpianoschool.com/livepodcast to get on the email list so you receive the links. Enjoy!
I had an epiphany at the end of 2021. It was time to change some things. For the better! I want to connect with you. I want to help you MORE! In different ways. Here's how.
"Plopping and Dropping" left hand voicings can only get you so far. Developing architectural left hand chord lines creates a beautiful backdrop for your right hand to improvise over. In today's podcast we will break down some key techniques to creating your own left hand chord lines!
Block chords are one of jazz piano's unsolved mysteries. This style made famous by George Shearing and Nat King Cole was once ubiquitously used by jazz pianists of the 20th century who came after them. In part two of this jazz piano tutorial, we will cover two more advanced strategies to integrate this style of playing into your repertoire.
Most the time we feel like we're inadequate players. That's rough, and I know because I've been there. But the truth is, the tools we currently possess are usually more than enough to make and play beautiful jazz piano music. You just need 3, very simple, yet powerful things. In this episode I'll share with you what those 3 things are and how they will instantly bring your playing to life, no matter WHAT level you are! Enjoy!
Block chords are one of jazz piano's unsolved mysteries. This style made famous by George Shearing and Nat King Cole was once ubiquitously used by jazz pianists of the 20th century who came after them. In this jazz piano tutorial, learn how to use this technique in your improvising, comping, and more!
Setting restraints forces us to play things we never would have thought of on our own. By limiting our choices, we actually drastically increase the amount of creativity in our lines. Restraints help us to bypass muscle memory and create new pathways through the harmonies. Check out these 3 strategies to implement restraints into your practice routine and jumpstart your creativity!
In honor of Thelonious Monk's 103rd birthday this October, we will be taking a deep dive into his musical style in this podcast lesson! Follow along as we explore two Monk compositions and examine what makes them tick. By the end of this lesson, you will have a new appreciation for Monk's style and discover new ways to incorporate it into your own personal creativity!
It's hard to break out of habits. A lot of times we play on autopilot but guess what, in order to make progress we need to STOP. We need to pay close attention to what we're playing and analyze it. Then after we're AWARE of what we're doing, we need to play the opposite texture. This episode will show you an easy process you can use to instantly break out of your improv norms.
In honor of our 200th Lick of the Week, we are bringing you Cory Henry's famous Lingus solo! The solo from Snarky Puppy's "Lingus" off of the album We Like it Here (2014) has gone down in history as one of the best. Want to know what makes this solo so great? Check out this solo analysis in this week's podcast to find out!
Jazz Piano School 3.0 including upgraded features, content, design annd more is being released on Monday, September 28th at 6am EST during our Open Enrollment period for new students. We've been closed for 11 months now and this release party is sure to be a doozy! Until then, dig into this week's podcast on filling space with these 3 easy strategies. I dive deep here in to specifics. The when, the how, the why. This should be a great podcast lesson for you that is a must listen for every student. Enjoy!
This week we are bringing you a sneak peek into our exclusive member content! This podcast lesson is an excerpt from our "JPS Pratice Workouts," and discusses how to develop your own repertoire list. Developing your own repertoire list is essential to becoming a complete jazz pianist. Follow along for the inside scoop on how to get started!
Jazz Piano School 3.0 Launch and OPEN Enrollment Date is here!!! Mark you calendars folks! Monday, September 28th at 6am eastern! Check your inbox for more details.
Lots of people dive into all sorts of voicings. Myself included. What are 3 note voicings? What do they do? Why are they important? When should you learn them? How do you integrate them and use them? I'll answer all these questions in this podcast to give you all the necessary information you need.
Have you been looking for a way to take your Bebop jazz playing to the next level? In this edition of Bebop Secrets, we will discuss how to use Enclosures in your jazz improvisation. Great pianists from Bud Powell to Oscar Peterson utilize Enclosures in their playing, and you can too with the help of these exercises!
In the classical piano world, it's all about how you play the notes. Players like Bill Evans and Keith Jarrett applied classical voicing techniques to jazz piano to create beautiful sounding melodies. You can do the same with these exercises! There are no practice materials for this week's podcast. Leave us a comment or question in the section below!
Do you ever feel tired of using the same techniques in your piano playing over and over? This week's podcast lesson can help you shake things up by thinking of the piano as an orchestra. Great players such as Jelly Roll Morton, Earl Hines, and Roland Hanna all had this technique in common: they played the piano like an arranger would write for an orchestra! Check out these techniques, and you might find some to incorporate into your own playing.
You can't get very far without actually practicing. That's why in this podcast episode, we take a "Practice Workout" directly from inside our members area and give it to you on practicing blues riffs! It's a great one and I know you'll love it!
When playing a bossa nova, what is the best way to accompany a solo instrument in a latin jazz style? Look no further, this video will give you a clear step-by-step tutorial on how to do it right! Follow along as we explore the music of A. C. Jobim in this week's podcast.
We pianists often imitate the voice or horn when improvising, but in this lesson we explore the capabilities unique to the piano. Playing lines with 1, 2, and all the way up to 6 notes at a time! Once you start exploring this area of improvisation, a whole new world of concepts will open up to you.
Are you wondering how to capture the real sound of Bebop in your jazz playing? Tune into this week's podcast as we reveal how to use approach notes to sound like the best bebop pianists. This simple exercise will add a new dimension to your improvising!
Go to https://jazzpianoschool.com/podcast200 for a collection of ALL of our previous podcast materials bundled into one, easy, pdf.
On our celebratory, 200th podcast, special guest, Emmet Cohen joins us to do an analysis lesson video of his own arrangement on "Like Someone In Love". At a young age, Emmet Cohen is already carving out a place for himself among the jazz piano greats and leaving a special legacy behind. His current project, "Masters Legacy Series", a celebratory set of recordings and interviews honoring ledgendary jazz musicians, is getting amazing reviews while contributing to jazz education and jazz history.
His accomplishments and awards could fill up a whole page but he was recently the winner of the 2019 American Pianists Wards and the Cole Porter Fellow of the American Pianists Association.
For more information on Emmet Cohen, go to, https://emmetcohen.com.
In this podcast, Emmet is going to be giving a lesson analysis on his own gorgeous arrangment of, "Like Someone In Love" which you can see by clicking on this link here. https://www.instagram.com/tv/CB3ZRanFs7f/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
He answers our questions and provides and amazing amount of knowledge and helpful jazz piano education in this video.
Let's check it out!
If you have questions or suggestions for a podcast lesson you would like us to do, please leave them in the comments down below.
Simple 15-20 minute routine to get 4th chords under your fingers!
In this podcast, we walk you through a simple practice routine to get the powerful diatonic 4th chords ingrained into your musical concept. With consistent practice of these exercises, your fingers will naturally start falling into beautiful shapes based on 4ths.
If you have questions or suggestions for a podcast lesson you would like us to do, please leave them in the comments down below.
What is the Power of the "And?"
In this podcast, we show you one of the best kept secrets of swing: the "and." With these 3 exercises, you can take your swing feel to the next level. Follow along to harness the Power of the "And!"
If you have questions or suggestions for a podcast lesson you would like us to do, please leave them in the comments down below.
Lots of people dive into all sorts of voicings. Myself included. What are 3 note voicings? What do they do? Why are they important? When should you learn them? How do you integrate them and use them? I'll answer all these questions in this podcast to give you all the necessary information you need.
This week I, Brenden Lowe, owner and founder of Jazz Piano School make a statement about how we as a company stand for #BLM. We also are gathering blues tributes from as many people as possible in honor of George Floyd, BLM, jazz, the blues, and the resilience, fortitude, oppression, suffering, courage and bravery the African American people went through to deliver the great music of jazz.
If you have questions or suggestions for a podcast lesson you would like us to do, please leave them in the comments down below.
This week we continue our analysis of Bud Powells solo over Anthropology. We also learn about WHY taking small, bite sized, improv lego building blocks from transcriptions and solos is MUCH more beneficial than just learning the enter solo from the get go. After we analyzed the individual parts, THEN we can learn the entire solo. But if we fail to understand what is happening, then the only thing that happens is we copy what someone else has done when we're improvising instead of spontaneously improvising from our own soul. Which would you rather do?
You know what can really take things to the next level? A good old-fashioned shout chorus! The best pianists such as Oscar Peterson, Erroll Garner, and Nat King Cole utilized shout choruses in their trios. Sometimes they took sections and ripped them straight from their favorite jazz big band arrangments! Check out some of our favorite shout choruses in this week's podcast.
Bud Powell was clearly and innovator of his time and greatly contributed to the language of jazz we all use today. In this podcast episode I'm going to analyze Bud Powell's solo over "Anthropology" but at the same time teach you HOW to deconstruct improvisation solos into what I call "Lego Building Blocks". This strategy will not only help you be able to use the ideas quicker, but will allow you to combine them with others in order to create your own solos more effectively. I absolutely love helping students with this because I use to learn licks and lines and simply plop them right into my solo. And guess what? It was CLEAR that what I had just played was NOT spontaneously improvised by myself. It sounded fake! So this "Lego Building Block" strategy is sure to help you with that problem.
If you've been looking for a way to spice up your chord progressions, try this fun harmonization exercise! This podcast will show you how to take the simplest melodies and give them a more interesting underlying chord structure. Your harmonizations won't be the same after this!
A pedal point is when you keep the same note in the bass while changing the chords on top. Doing this for a series of measures creates a sense of both connection and tension. Using pedal points builds energy so that when the bass note finally changes, the harmonies of the tune seem to burst forth like a waterfall breaking through a dam. This lesson explores how to incorporate pedal points into your own playing.
This jazz piano podcast tutorial series will show you how to mix things up and keep your left hand voicings sounding fresh. In this episode, we discuss chords you can use with structures made from fourths and clusters. After this video, you will have the sounds of McCoy Tyner and Bill Evans in the palm of your (left) hand!
This jazz piano podcast tutorial series will show you how to work your left hand so your left hand can work for YOU! In this episode, we discuss which chords you can use in your LH voicings, first through exploring chord inversions. We will have your left hand sounding like the best of them all (Red Garland, Brad Mehldau, Keith Jarrett... ever heard of them??) by the end of this video!
Have you ever wanted to play bass lines on piano and improvise at the same time? Well, with this podcast that idea could become a reality! Follow along as we explore steps to build your own bass lines and work your way toward implementing right hand improvisation over your favorite jazz tunes.
When playing solo piano, it's helpful to design the flow of an arrangement. With no constraints, playing solo can quickly become boring to both the player and the listener. By developing concepts to shape your arrangements, you will achieve a greater sense of freedom in your playing and have confidence in performance.
Are you stuck inside left wondering what to practice? This week's podcast can help with that! We'll cover aspects of warmup routine, classical workouts, learning tunes, transcriptions and more! By the end, you are sure to have some ideas of new material and hopefully be inspired to find some new things to work on!
This piece of content is taken directly from inside our Jazz Piano School Members area. It’s called the “Improvisation Bootcamp Masterclass”. This is my 11 step improvisation blueprint that is meant to take a step back and show you all the steps you need to master in order to become the burnin’ improv player you want to be. This is juicy my friends. Now does each one of these steps take a lot of hard-work and time? Absolutely! But…if you follow this plan and move through these meticulously you’ll grow exponentially! Have fun!
Whenever we dedicate time to internalizing musical material, it is ideal to choose structures that are applicable to many common jazz situations. This lesson focuses on one such structure that I have affectionately labelled the crunch chord. There are two main reasons this voicing is so versatile. First, it contains 2 tritones, so it can be used on 4 different dominant chords. Second, it contains many different smaller chords within its overarching structure. The relationships between these chords within the voicing create a unique harmonic texture that is useful for harmonizing any melody of your choosing.
Continuing with last week's episode, this time we will be reviewing an advanced modal tune. Kenny Baron's "Voyage" has many twists and turns that will always leave the audience wanting more! Learn how to shred over this tune and more in this week's podcast.
Have you ever wanted to be able to shred over the modal solo sections in your favorite tune? Look no further, because in this week's podcast lesson, we will review the 3 scales you need to know to play over any modal tune. You will be shredding in no time!!
Learning jazz comping can be a complicated process. You need rhythms, voicings, movements, registers and more. Even after all that, you have to go to an actual tune and start to implement the strategies you've learned. In this episode we show you some amazing comping strategies that you can easily use to sound great over the classic tune Airegin. You're sure to love these after you hear the fantastic textures and atmospheres they produce! Enjoy!
Playing solo jazz piano is hard. I'll admit it. Finding an EASY way to play solo jazz piano can be EVEN harder. But...thankfully I've created this very simple and clear, 3 step process to help you go about arranging tunes in a solo piano, 2 hand style that will sound beautiful and lush. And even if you're an advanced player, I'll show you how to take this easy process and tweak it to fit your advanced level. Enjoy!
In this podcast episode we show you an exercise you can use to both free up your existing jazz lines and discover new ones. Even the best improvisers repeat themselves now and then, but with this exercise you will find yourself playing phrases you've never played before! Follow along to discover this rhythmic device.
These 5 endings will give you what you need to end a tune with style. Learn these to leave the guesswork out of the equation when it comes time to thinking of a good ending to your next tune!
I wanted to give all the loyal followers something special in 2020. To find out what that is go ahead and listen to the podcast.
Our brand new Xmas specialty course called "Christmas Joy" is nearly here! We are releasing this fun new course on Black Friday 2019, November 29th @ 12am, and the great thing about this is that it's completely FREE with our Black Friday offer!
The piano has 88 keys! But rarely do students and even intermediate players playing gigs utilize the ENTIRE piano when they play. If you're not...then you should be! But what exactly should you be playing in each area? In this episode I'll teach you exactly what to do in each register of the piano. Enjoy!
Harmonizing melodies with chords can be tricky...especially if you're trying to make it actually sound good! How do we know what chords to play with the melody note? What makes it sound good? All these questions and more popup and it can become very frustrating. In this podcast, our brand new JPS staff educator will address those questions and provide you with an amazing strategy to harmonize melodies with ANY chord you want! Enjoy!
This simple chord trick involves using your own voicings to your advantage in a way that will instantly improve your playing. Bill Evans used this technique throughout his career, most notably on the classic album "Portrait in Jazz." You can use it too, find out how in this week's podcast!
Arpeggios can be reallllyyy boring...or they can be used to add some burnin movements into your improvisation! I'll be talking about the latter. These 3 different ways to add arpeggios in your improvisation are sure to help you add some flying, fast movements up and down the piano for an amazing texture you're going to love! Enjoy!
Knowing what kind of style, what kind of approach you should take on a tune can be tough? How do you go at it? Old school? Modern? Flowy? Hard swing? In this episode I'll give you 5 quick tips that will allow you to easily understand the approach you should take when playing a tune. I also go over specific approaches at the end. Enjoy!
I give you all the details you need to know about our amazing 2.0 launch coming October 7th @ 7am est. Here is the link to video 1 in the brand new workshop I'm releasing as well! https://jazzpianoschool.com/launch-video-workshop-video-1/
Jazz Piano School 2.0 is set to launch October 7th @ 7am EST. Complete with new designs, new features like flash cards, practice workouts, new navigation and so much more. One of the coolest things will be our brand new 6 Stage success path. Our success path will allow you to start in a place that's right for YOU, and continue forward with learning that is CORRECT for the place that you're in. Get our Success Path Workbook in this podcast. I say the link inside. Enjoy!
Music is very powerful. Like...very...very...powerful. I mean you know right?! Why do you think you're on this journey? Music has the power to heal, transform, inspire, calm, soothe, and about a billion other things. In this episode I talk about what music means to me, how it changed my life, and how my mission to teach you jazz piano will help you change lives as well. Here we go!
What the heck is a backdoor ii-V? Find out in this week's podcast! Once you master this short but common progression, you will be seeing it all over the place!
What do Autumn Leaves, All the Things You Are, and Johann Sebastian Bach all have in common? They all use the diatonic circle of 5ths! This progression has been used for centuries, and in this week's podcast lesson we will discuss how to use it seamlessly to improvise chords and melodies.
Improvising over ballads is usually more difficult than improvisation over medium or fast tunes. Why is that? Because you're EXPOSED. Everything is movving sooooo slowwwww. What do you do? How do you spice things up and creating interesting lines? In this episode I'm going to show you 3 strategies I use every-time I improvise over ballads that you absolutely have to integrate into your toolbox. Enjoy!
If you have never encountered the Lady Bird turnaround or are looking for some new strategies with which to improvise over this device, search no further! In this podcast lesson, we'll go over how Tadd Dameron came up with this trademark chord progression and how you can play over it with style and ease.
What do you do when you are jamming out on 2 chords?...or even 1 CHORD?! Does your mind start freezing up? Well don't worry, in this podcast, I use my electric rhodes sound on my keyboard and give you 12 strategies that you can use to improvise when you're jamming out on 1 or 2 chord harmonies. I demonstrate in a funk style manner but these can also be used in any jazz tunes as well. Enjoy!
For the second installment of this series, we'll be talking about one of the most important aspects of music: TIME. When it comes to practicing, time can be a factor that makes or breaks the efficacy of your practice session. Find out how you can optimize your practicing through good use of time!
In this podcast series, we will be talking about how to optimize your routine to get the most out of your practice time. In this lesson, we're talking about what it means to really practice vs. "just playing." Follow along to find out how!
Give a person a fish and they eat for a day...teach a person to fish and they eat for a lifetime. This is exactly my approach with all student within Jazz Piano School. Learning jazz piano for a lifetime and NOT a day is about learning jazz piano tools and improving those tools within all the different categories. From there we can start to combine them to create amazing sounding atmospheres and textures. Check out this podcast for an overall plan and approach to learning jazz piano for a lifetime!
In this podcast lesson we take a closer look at the chord which characterized Joe Henderson during the most impactful time of his career. This chord appears again and again in Joe's well known compositions from the 1960's, such as "Inner Urge," "Punjab," "Gazelle," and more! Follow along as we explore the chord within the context of the infamous jazz standard "Inner Urge" and investigate how to use it to our advantage when improvising.
Let's face it...it's SCARY to improvise. It's a very vulnerable thing because you're opening up yourself to the world. You're expressing your true self and true emotions. Now besides all that inner stuff...there is also the fear of simply making mistakes. BUT...enough about the negative...let's get in the positive and I'll show you 3 amazing ways to get stomp on your fears today!
As jazz pianists, we often get caught up in complex chord progressions and substitutions. The question is: What happens when the chips are down, and you have to improvise over only ONE chord? Here are some secret strategies to work on what to play over one-chord vamps.
Comping can be difficult. It's hard to know what to play to create a solid, lush, supportive sound for your accompaniment comping. If you only learn one comping setup this is IT! Hands down this will deliver the MOST supportive and effective jazz comping sound you need while playing in any group. Duo, Trio, Quartet...anything! Have fun!
Have you been looking for some new ways to harmonize with jazz chords? This one trick will help you reharmonize melodies like a pro! In this lesson, we will explore some new ways to move chromatically through the keyboard just like some of the greatest piano stylists!
Everyone tells us to learn shell voicings but back when I was younger I never knew why...I also never knew how to USE them! This was very frustrating to me since everyone was saying how important they are. In this episode, I'll break shell voicings down for you so you know exactly why they're important AND how to use them. Here we go!
Most of the time improv will sound bland not because of the notes...but because of the RHYTHMS! I had this little epiphany back in my earlier days, and it completely transformed my soloing. In this episode, you will learn how you can add ornaments to your improv lines so they sound 100x times better. Here we go!
Do you ever feel like you're playing the same stuff over and over again? I know I've certainly been in that position before. It could be a simple problem of playing songs at similar tempos! In this podcast lesson, we examine the benefits of trying tunes at different tempos than we might be used to playing in our regular circles. Watch as we unlock new creative possibilities through playing the "In-Between Tempos!"
Here is a quick way to achieve a 70's funk sound, straight out of Herbie Hancock's Head Hunters record! Follow along as we explore the use of this chord from "Watermelon Man."
We continue our rhythm changes series and approach these refreshing new ways to improvise over the 4 dominant chords in the bridge of rhythm changes. If you thought the bridge didn't provide much harmonic content to improvise over...think again! Let's get to it!
Rhythm changes can seriously screw you up. Once you attempted and failed, you probably don't want to try again. BUT...with these 4 secrets that will allow you to easily improvise over rhythm changes, you'll be loving this form and itching to play it as much as possible! Here we go!
In this lesson we'll continue learning how to play "block chord" voicings in the style of George Shearing. We will be working on minor voicings in the key of F, specifically with the tune "Lullaby of Birdland." George Shearing often played this tune with these very voicings, so it is a great model from which to start!
In this lesson we'll learn how to play "block chord" voicings in a jazz style. This technique was made famous by George Shearing, and used by other pianists such as Oscar Peterson and Bill Evans. You can use it to harmonize melodies and achieve a fuller soloistic sound when playing in a group.
I've heard extremely technically proficient and knowledable improvisers completely fail at telling a story with their solo. When this happens it stinks! None of us want to be in that position. Here's 9 ways for you to be a GREAT story teller when soloing. Let's get it!
This quick tool will give you a new way to think about improvising in a modal jazz setting that can take your playing to the next level! In this podcast lesson, we look at how to use the "Coltrane Scale" to improvise in a variety of harmonic settings that will give you access to a sound you may have heard, but never thought would come out of your own hands!
Sometimes people ask me, 'what do you put in your warmup routine?' Here is a quick exercise you can do every time you sit down to play the piano that will get your hands warm, and work to build facility and ease into your technique. The more you do it, the easier it gets! Try out "The Rachmaninoff Exercise" and see how you like it!
It's hard to be honest with ourselves. What do we know, and what do we NEED to know? What do we NOT know...we don't know! Confusing...I know...but hopefully these 12 CRUCIAL ingredients to jazz piano success will allow you to have a clear picture of everything you need in order to become a successful jazz pianist. I shouldn't say everything you need, but at least the most important things you need. Let's just say...without these 12 ingredients, you will not be able to reach the level you're hoping for. So with that being said...let's start learning!
I get this question a lot, and that is... "Brenden, how do I integrate extensions into my voicings?" Well most of the time you'll here upper structure triads brought up immediately. In this episode I would like to go a step further and teach you some easy strategies you can use to extract SPECIFIC colors from your voicings by integrating the extensions of your choice! Here we go!
This exercise is a trade secret I learned to make my improvised lines smoother. After working with this exercise, you will make it through the changes of tunes you used to find challenging with style and grace! In this podcast lesson, well be looking at the notorious jazz standard, "Cherokee" and I'll be showing you different ways to approach working on your eighth notes flows through this exercise. Let's go!
Improvising over 32 measure of minor 7th chords can leave us scratching our heads. What do we play? How do we keep our solo interesting. In this episode I'm going to show you my 7 favorite ways to improvise over modal minor 7th chords so you can implement burnin' colors, textures and atmospheres into your solo! Enjoy!
We ALL get stuck in our own ways of playing something the same way. Even me! Check out these 4 ways to add some spice, texture, and atmosphere to your major 7th chords.You can start to use these 4 building blocks to expand upon as well and create new sounds!
Jazz Piano School has come a LONGGG way since the days I first hacked together a terrible wordpress site. Now, JPS has helped, and is CURRENTLY helping thousands of people learn jazz piano freedom. In this episode I'll explain my goals and ambitions that I've brought JPS to where it is. I'll also talk about the AMAZING expansion, custom website, and teacher tools we plan to implement!Hold on to your butts cause here we go!
Playing in 7/4 meter can be a fun way to explore new rhythmic possibilities and comes with its own set of challenges. In this podcast lesson, we will explore ways of practicing 7/4 by using rhythmic claves to make it feel as natural as possible. Come along and feel the beat!
Learning jazz piano isn't a guessing game, even that's how I approached it for 15+ years. It's a system. The majority of students, including myself start by learning tunes.This should be the LAST step we do. Before that we need jazz piano TOOLS. Would you try and read and write without learning the Alphabet? No of course not. Jazz Piano is the exact same way. In this 15 minute podcast I'm going to break down the 4 step system we use that is has successfully taught thousands of students jazz piano so you can use it too.
Here we look at how to create more 4 and 5 note voicings in a modal setting. Today's session explores a more flexible approach in D dorian by transposing shapes through the mode. To take it further, we look at a technique of chromatic transposition used by Herbie Hancock.
This it taken directly from our new specialty course "How To Crush The Blues". These 4 comping setups are sure to give you everything you need to know in order to provide lush and rich sounding blues accompaniment to anyone.
Here is a tutorial to create 4 and 5 note pentatonic voicings. These voicings work well over modal tunes like "So What" by Miles Davis, and will give you a modern sound to add to your toolbox of voicings! Enjoy!
We take a deep dive into improvising over tritone substitutions. Find out how to implement a diverse harmonic palette, and discover the secrets used by some of your favorite players! Enjoy!
Usually we all want to learn cool, hip sounding voicings right?! Trust me, I've been there. But unfortunately these one off voicings don't do much for our education. It's like someone giving us a fish instead of TEACHING us HOW to fish. Now, I don't know about you, but I'd much rather learn HOW to fish. This episode will give you the 8 must know jazz piano chords but will also TEACH you how you can take these structures and methods and use them in all tunes. Enjoy!
Learning how to make your blues scale improv not sound terrible can be difficult. Trust me! I went through the same thing! Here are 3 very easy tips that will your blues scale improvisation instantly sound like you've been doing it for years! Enjoy
Learn how to shift and move extensions in your voicings with this quick method to create a more modern jazz piano sound! With this method you'll be create that complicated inner voice movement that you hear Bill Evans achieve, not to mention many other huge jazz piano giants. Jazz Piano School has taught thousands of students to achieve jazz piano freedom using methods and strategies exactly like the one you'll learn in this video.
Here is part 2 of Bill Evans Time Remembered Analysis which finished up the last 8 measures of the melody.
Well I have some very amazing news! A special friend in the California area, who played with Bobby Hutcherson for many years and has contributed so much to jazz through education, has recently helped Jazz Piano School build a brand new specialty course! This new specialty course, taught by Dr. Joe Gilman will be "The Bill Evans Arranging Style" and will be available through Jazz Piano School exclusively! To get on our list to learn more about this specialty course when we release it click the button below. You will ALSO get the transcription of the Bill Evans playing time remembered which is analyzed in this podcast. This Bill Evans specialty course is a MUST have for absolutely everyone, especially because of the Dr. Joe Gilman's teaching. To get you excited for the release of our new specialty course will be releasing lots of free Bill Evans education for you to soak up!
Finally we're at PART 4! Wow what a ride! Here I'll actually be playing with one of the backup tracks created for our Singer Accompaniment Mastery Specialty Course. I had a blast actually using the back up track. Remember there will be over 20 backup tracks within our new specialty course for you to use and play to along with analysis and walk through of everything I'm playing. In this episode I'm taking all the previous textures we've worked on and combining them to create a well balanced accompaniment story. I also add in some higher register fills, reharms and movements that I haven't explained that you can find in our new specialty course.
Welcome to Part 3 of our accompanying vocalist series. We're taking "The Switch" a step further and executing this action WITHIN ONE measure! Whooo. By doing this we're creating even MORE interaction within our hands, engagement with the vocalist, and ability to add our own expression into the tune. It will also go in our "tool bag" as another texture we can pull out to create contrast and add to the entire story and balance of our accompaniment.
Welcome to PART 2 of our accompanying singers series and in this podcast I'm teaching what I call "The SWITCH"! The Switch is the system I use to get a wide variety of textures, contrast, and balance in my accompaniment while playing for vocalist. It will allow you to get away from walking bass the entire time...(borrrring)...and help you add in expression of YOUR OWN! Which we all truly want to do right? I know I certainly hate being a back up track for a vocalist. When you mix the Switch in with other varying textures taught in our new Singer Accompaniment Mastery course you get a beautiful balance of lush reharms, fills, rhythmic and melodic accompaniment supported with bass notes. Have fun and enjoy!
Go to http://jazzpianoschool.com/singers to get details for our "Singer Accompaniment Mastery" specialty course being released in a couple of weeks! Well I'm super PUMPED! We're getting ready to release another specialty course called "Singer Accompaniment Mastery"! There is literally nothing out there like this and I know you're going to love it! So...to do a little promotion and give away some goodies that are in the course I will be doing a 4 part series on accompanying singers. And to start off I'm going to teach you about a very important and foundational element that is the 2 Feel Bass Line. Do you get bored of walking bass lines all the time? Because I know I do. This method will help you break up your LH a little bit...but will also lead to my own patent pending, (just kidding, but kinda serious) method I call "The Switch" Everyone should be using "The Switch" in their singer accompaniment and if you're not, then you're missing out! I'll be giving a little bit of "The Switch" away in the next couple of episodes and obviously you can learn the entire system in our "Singer Accompaniment Mastery" specialty course coming out in a couple of weeks! Enjoy! Happy practicing!
Oh boy...sometimes I just get going on some of these podcasts and this happens to be one of them. Seriously though...this one is AWESOME! I think you all are going to love the content in this. Would love to hear how your playing changes after working in some of the tips from this lesson. Happy practicing! Enjoy!
I've never known any jazz piano giant to not have the ability to play through changes in a bebop style. At the heart of all improvisation lies bop. If you think you're going to skip this step and achieve improv freedom...well, unfortunately you're lying to yourself. Needless to say this is a must! So here are 7 great tips to help you practice and excel quickly with proven and systematic steps. Enjoy!
I heard an amazing saying the military uses as a motto that goes like this..."Fast is slow and slow is fast." If I had to sum up jazz piano in a similar way I would say, "Theory & Structure is Freedom, and Freedom Is Theory & Structure." In this episode I show you why it's so important to learn theory concepts in a sequential manner and how it will translate into true freedom of self expression in your playing. Enjoy!
People will ask me, "Brenden, how do you play funk...how do you play latin?" Well when you learn the necessary foundational tools with Theory Sequences...you can play any style, any groove you want! At anytime! That is why our tagline is "Learning Freedom". In this episode I take a simple standard and play about a ten different grooves and styles through out the tune. Switching between each and every one as I explain. Enjoy!
I absolutely love gospel. I've been listening to it since I was a kid because I love the way it makes me feel! The chords and harmonies pull at my heart and soul strings because that's what it's meant to do! Give us an uplifting feeling, get us through hard times. The chords used in the chart do exactly that. I explain what types of chords do what and how you can use them in all different kinds of music to reharm whenever you want.
There are a ton of ways to implement rhythm into improv but...I've found these ways to be most effective at quickly upgrading your sound. Practice them alone at first before implementing them all into your solo at once. They're powerful tools so use them wisely and work hard. In no time your improvisation will be completely different...and for the BETTER! Enjoy!
So I'm going to say it...Jazz Piano is EASY...but...only after you have a plan to follow. I found this out the hard way after basically searching and guessing for most of my career until I finally developed my own plan. In this episode I talk about the foundation and TREE based concepts that splits off your foundation based on your specific goals. There is not much playing and demonstrating here but I truly believe the concepts I explain are much more valuable in the long run. Enjoy!
I think we can all agree Solo Piano is a NASTY BEAST! Even Bill Evans said it best to Marian McPartland, that he felt that he had a long way to improve, and this was AFTER he had recorded his first solo album which is ammmmazzing. Anyway, in this podcast I review the 7 most CRUCIAL elements to improving your solo piano and ensuring you're getting the sound that you want, dream of, and hear on albums! Enjoy!
I can't believe this wasn't a podcast episode yet but thanks to a member request here we are! So I will keep this one short and give you the basics of the pentatonic scale as well as show you a glimpse of how far into the rabbit hole you can actually go. I'll continue with a follow up episode on this as we begin to take this further but practice the basics of what I teach here first. Then you'll be ready for the next one! Enjoy!
We did an episode on walking bass lines part 1 a while ago and then I forgot to do PART 2! So here it is. Special thanks to one of our members for reminding me. :) In this episode we take it a step further and connect our roots and half notes with diatonic walking and approach notes. From here we can essentially connect any progression we want no matter how random it is. Enjoy!
So it's another new year. I waited till everything settled back down until I recorded this podcast. We've finally settled into our services and it's been a long journey. Listen here to find out what's next for JPS and how we're adding innovative concepts into our programs. Enjoy!
After amazing launch of our New LAB, we're switching over to a analysis series on how to use all the tools in the JPS Podcast and implement them into tunes. In the spirit of the holiday, I walk through different reharms and strategies on the tune Santa Clause Is Coming To Town. Enjoy!
December 4th at 10 pst is our official opening of our new lab launch. To give you more samples this podcast is taken from one of our live gig analysis from inside the lab. I'm confident you'll be able to get a lot of nuggets from this one. Enjoy!
This was a spur of the moment podcast! I actually started recording something else then got to talking about my vision and the structure of Jazz Piano School and I just went with it! But this should definitely bring a lot of information and clarity around the 3 major types of products we have and where we are moving to with jazz piano education software/website app we're currently building. Enjoy!
We've finalized a date for the Lab Launch and it is December 4th @ 10am PST! If you're interested in joining the priority waiting list go to http://jazzpianoschool.com/lablaunch. You can also visit this url on December 4th @ 10am to sign up for the lab at our celebration discount offering. This is part 2 of an Upgrade Formula taken directly from inside the lab to help you build and use 2 hand voicings in all situations and create freedom in your playing. Enjoy!
I struggled for yearsss. 15+ to be exact learning how to achieve some sort of jazz freedom on the piano. I was sick of just playing what other peopled showed me. It was like a coloring book. No matter how much freedom you had to choose colors you were still coloring other peoples pictures. I wanted to DRAW my OWN pictures! This podcast is taken directly from one of our lab upgrade formulas. The education contained in our lab, Launching in the next couple of weeks, will allow you to draw you own pictures. It was give you the tools to finally achieve jazz piano freedom so you can truly express YOURSELF! Enjoy!
Isn’t it strange that when it comes to the slower tunes we start to struggle more? There’s just soon much space! What do we do when the tempo is deathly slow and we start feeling anxiety to fill in everything. In this episode I’ll give you some tips to start feeling confident over slow swing tunes.
In this episode we explore how to build a relationship with extensions. Once your ear starts to learn the mood and atmosphere they produce, you can easily start to implement them into your improv to get different types of sounds you want to express.
We go a further down the rabbit hole and explore some of the way you can begin to use the modal interchange chords we discussed in the last episode for reharm. I also talk about my favorite ways to use these chords and how to optimize their beautiful harmonies.
Modal Interchange starts to dive head first into the theory rabbit hole for sure. But in this episode, I'll cover the basics of what it is, where you'll see it and how you can start to use it in your playing!
I announce the contents winners for our podcast review and giveaway more prizes to everyone who entered. Meanwhile we explore rhythmic comping for harmonic movements.
Not to take anything away from Keith on this one, but we reached PODCAST 100! Kind of crazy if you ask me? When I think about to all the hurdles, and problems we had to get through, I can't believe we've come this far. In order to celebrate we 're giving away 2 amazing gifts. #1 A LIFETIME membership to jazz piano. Yes you read that correctly. And #2 - A free reserved membership to our new "Lab" this is coming by the end of the year. Now in order to enter all you have to do is give the podcast a 5 start rating and write a brief review. I mean it could literally say "This podcast rocks!" and you will be entered to win 1 of 2 memberships to Jazz Piano School. Here are the directions. 1. Click this link to the Jazz Piano School Podcast. Click Here For The Jazz Piano School Podcast 2. Click the small button that says "VIEW IN ITUNES" 3. Click the "RATINGS AND REVIEWS" tab. 4. Click "Write A Review" 5. Write a review and leave a 5 star rating and we will enter you in. REMEMBER: You have to write a review because that is the only way we 'll know your name. We will announce the winner at the start of the following week 's podcast. The great thing about the entry is that you 're helping spread the love of jazz piano education to others around the world. Back to Keith. Keith Jarrett is brilliant at the way he moves his inner voicings around. Especially in a ballad. This can clearly be seen in this week 's analysis of "Someone To Watch Over Me". Please enjoy!
Herbie has always been a god in the jazz piano world. In this iconic track, Seven Steps To Heaven, we take a look at how Herbie is burnin' it up all over the place. He's got some beginner movements mixed with some advanced concepts. Anyone can learn from taking a look at this one. Enjoy!
Bill Evans was one of the greats for a reason...well...multiple reasons. In this episode we take a look at the phrasing, subtleties, rhythmic motifs, and note selection of Bill Evans in this solo off one his famous albums, "Explorations".
It's the small nuances and attention to detail that will take your playing to the next level. What sound are you trying to create? How do you get it? After you've learned the building blocks of jazz improvisation, these transcription analysis will help put you on top.
Most of the time I hear beginner and intermediate players stop at using quarter notes and eighth notes. This greatly hurts the sound of your improvisation. Remember, jazz was and is a dance music! Rhythm is like the oxygen to jazz. Without it, your solo is going to die. Here's how to start adding rhythmic variety to your improv.
A lot of the time when trying to get better at jazz piano, you simply have no idea what the future looks like...or even what the heck advanced players are doing! It sounds too far out of reach. Well I'm here to tell you it's not. In this episode I show you what is going to happen as you advance through the levels. This way you'll be able to see exactly what takes place.
I still get asked all the time, "How do I use modes to improvise and why are they important?" I'm confident this episode will remove this questions and finally allow you to understand how and why modes are important to your jazz improvisation. Enjoy!
We continue our series on minor 2-5-1’s as I explain rootless voicing options and different ways to improvise along with the notes and scales that you can choose from. With a little practice you’ll feel confident about playing minor 2-5-1’s in standards in no time!
Playing minor 2-5-1 is usually a mysterious process for most. There is a lot of harmony that surrounds this subject and how to approach it. Rest assured these Minor 2-5-1 basics will allow you to feel confident when playing this type of harmony.
We continue our Benny Green Transcription Series with a minor 2-5-1 into some very nice rhythmic motifs and harmonic development lines. This is the 2nd part of his solo on "Celia".
I absolutely love Benny Green's playing. His lines are very clear, solid, and connect with the harmonies perfectly. In this podcast series I'm going to walk you through a Benny Green solo and point out the building blocks for you to practice in order to build freedom within your improv.
If you're new to adding extensions into your voicings learning these upper structure triads is a great way to get you started. With these you'll start to create some amazing sounding jazz voicings with ease! Enjoy!
As we continue our voicing series we are adding extensions into our voicing fundamentals. This is progressing us a little further and teaching us how to create freedom to build any voicings we want. With these methods you are becoming the creator instead of simply copying voicings and not understanding how they're used. Enjoy!
During my career I was always copying voicings. I spent so many years just mimicking voicings instead of learning a solid foundation that will allow me freedom to build voicings myself. This fundamental voicing building system will give you the opportunity to build voicings for yourself for the rest of your life!
There are just some tools that every pianist has to know...this is one of them. These "McCoy Tyner" 4th voicing structures are a must know tool to have in your tool box. This is a simple episode that teaches you exactly what they are. Easy to add in your repertoire. Enjoy!
We're at the last episode of our reharm series. We're using our previous tools to reharm the bridge to rhythm changes. Let me tell you...this is a doozy. Because we have two bars each of our 3-6-2-5 our options expand by A LOT! This episode is for the brave. :)
We're continuing our reharm series of progressions this week with a 3-6-2-5. We get a little crazy with the reharms, but all beautiful and effective none the less. We build off concepts from episode 83 so you if you haven't watched that I highly recommend it. Enjoy!
Once you learn a couple of reharm tools it will completely open up your playing. Not only will you be able to comp differently but you will have more options for improvisation, arranging and solo piano freedom. Check out these reharms for a 2-5-1. I will cover different progressions in the upcoming podcasts.
Connecting harmonies during improvisation is very simple when executed properly. Watch as I breakdown some ways to work on connecting harmonies and show you how to put everything together.
This is part 2 of I Should Care Improvisation Analysis. We got a lot of great feedback on this type of podcast so we're going to release a couple more as well. Watch as I break down my thought process while creating a solo from scratch.
Watch as I build a solo from scratch talking about the importance of specific and harmonic changes you should add. I also add my thought process at approaching your connections through the harmonies.
Soloing over diminished chords can be tricky, but very pretty if you have some tools in your toolbox. Check out these two scales to help your improv over the diminished passing chord and dominant chords.
It's hard to know exactly what to do to improve our improvisation right? Most of the time we just spend time learning licks and transcribing but this doesn't really create the freedom we want. Learn how to systematically approach improvement at bebop!
There are always those tiny details that instantly improve the sound of someones playing. This episode is about the little secret movements players put into their playing to add flavor and spice!
Space doesn’t always have to be in your right hand, and it doesn’t always have to mean not playing. Check out these different ways to conceptualize space and add it into your playing for some tasty improvements.
Improvisation is like trying to fill the gaps in a resolution. We're trying to land on chord tones but there are so many ways to resolve, mixed with rhythms...we need to figure out what fits the gap! In this video I debunk improvisation so you don't have to copy and paste licks into your solo's.
Filling empty space in tunes can be challenging. There are a lot of different ways to do it. In this episode I go off on a small journey talking about reharms, but also give you 6 great ways to fill space in tunes. Enjoy!
Latin and Bossa tunes can be a great style to add to your repertoire. A lot of people think they are difficult to play but as I'll demonstrate in this episode there is not much difference in the way you'll approach these tunes.
This was a request from a JPS member who wanted me to play a little bit more in the episode to get some ideas. This episode covers solo piano blues styles advanced textures, and progressions to help spark some creativity. Enjoy!
We're releasing the brand new Solo Piano System on January 23rd at 9am. In this podcast I cover 9 steps taken directly from the course that will improve your solo piano and build a solid foundation for your solo piano future.
We're releasing the brand new Solo Piano System on January 23rd at 9am. This podcast will finally answer the question "How do I arrange my hands while playing standards to achieve a beautiful lush sound?" With these 7 steps you'll be able to arrange any standards of your choice. The solo piano system will go into much more depth and answer all the "But what if this happens" questions.
We start the new year with a massive amount of information explaining the JPS system that has already helped thousands of people. We combine that with a personal summary of where you are in your progress so you can focus on what needs to be done in 2017.
In this episode I wrap up 2016 for JPS and some goals I have for 2017. I also go over 7 tips that if done, will guarantee you make more efficient progress in 2017. Have fun and here's to a new year filled with success!
Learning the difference between double time and double time feel can be very tricky. Playing it can be even tricker. In this podcast I give examples on how to switch back and forth, what it actually means, and how to use it in your playing.
Learning voicings with structure and organization can be complicated. You'll learn one voicing from one resource then a completely different voicing from another resource. Follow my voicing pyramid to make sure you fill all your voicing holes and achieve complete freedom with all your voicings.
The Sus chord is a very, very important chord in jazz. It can be used for many purposes and can advance your playing drastically! In this episode I go over what a sus chord is and show you how it can be used effectively in different situations. Enjoy!
Improving your improvisation skills can be difficult and frustrating. How do we do it? What do we practice? At a certain point you have to get away from notes to continue making progress. Try practicing these 12 strategies and concepts to jumpstart your improv and creativity.
Hearing and figuring out progressions isn't just about using your ear...although thats a big part. :) Use these tips to put the puzzle together to figure out changes within progression that will be valuable in many different types of situations.
Figuring out movements that sound good over the chords to a 2-5-1 can be challenging when you're first starting out. These strong and popular movements are guaranteed to help you navigate your improv better through major and minor 2-5-1s.
I think we can all agree that Oscar Peterson is a beast. He was my main inspiration growing up so I've learned and studies his style...a lot! In this podcast I go over 11 specific characteristics in his playing that make him sound the way he does. This one is a doozy! Enjoy!
Rootless voicing are a great building block to start learning true jazz sounds but how do we expand upon them? In this episode I show you how to take rootless voicing further by altering the natural extensions they contain.
I absolutely love playing the blues and I'm sure a lot of you do as well. There are certain progressions and movements I've picked up that I absolutely love and almost always use while playing the blues. These reharm progressions are guaranteed to to spice up your blues and open your creative box for improvement.
In this episode we take our voicings from last week and start to use them to create different environments, atmospheres, and sounds. When we shift or focus from our RH improv to the support our LH provides, you will start to see drastic improvement in your playing.
As you become more advanced, your LH becomes equally if not more important than your RH improv for certain sounds and atmospheres you can create. With this voicing approach you’ll have more than enough information to break outside the box with your LH voicing and make improvement.
Stride is an extremely fun style of jazz piano to play! Simple to explain, but technically difficult. Learn how to tackle this fun and impressive beast with these podcast tips! Have fun!
This is a fantastic episode that will benefit a lot of people out there. I specifically go over what is the most important aspect when connecting your improv together through odd changes and even more common progressions. Enjoy!
Memorizing & learning tunes throughly is tough! Trust me I've been there. After using this 6 Step Learning Tunes process I never forgot another tune again. It's due all the practice of the fundamental elements of the tune. Enjoy!
We open the flood gates to harmonization with this podcast as I show you that one note can fit and be used in any type of chord you wish in a tune. There are a substantial amount of options so take your time and realize that this is more or less like composing. Find changes that please you the most! This is about self expression. If you like it, then use it!
Harmonizing melodies can be very tricky. What chords do we pick for each melody note and when do we place them. In this harmonization beginner's podcast, I go over how to use diatonic chords as well as some substitutes to spice up a simple melody like twinkle twinkle. Enjoy!
Learning how to play at fast tempos can be quite frustrating. Why can't we play faster?! We see or listen to the monsters do it effortlessly yet when we try it comes out as a moshposh of jumbled up mess. Well here are 7 tips to follow to increase the speed at which you can improvise! Enjoy!
In this episode I expand on our bebop playing by showing you how to apply our approaches to specific improvisation exercises that will help you improve. After you the improv exercises we will apply our approaches to a tune, in this case, Autumn Leaves. Enjoy!
Learning bebop can be quite easy when you relate it to building legos! Simply connect the lego's and bam, you got bebop. Am I making sense? Of course not, but kinda. Learn the simple approaches to improve or start piecing together your bebop improv.
Ballads can be extremely difficult. More so than fast tunes because they are SO slow! You are much more vulnerable to stand out with your mistakes and insecure playing. Luckily, this podcast will help you gain confidence to play ballads with a group, comp for singers or other instruments playing the melody, and improvise like a pro yourself. Enjoy!
Here is the part 2 of the comping series. This one is a doozy! Trust me. There is a lot of great information stacked in here. Take your time and split it up if you need to into different watching or listening sessions. You'll love it!
As I was reviewing through all the JPS podcasts I realized there were none on comping! Wow! Well we're about to change that. In this two part series I'm going to go over everything comping ranging from beginner to advanced techniques, where to place your hands and what voicings to use. Enjoy!
This is a great topic that someone requested on the podcast page the other day. Learning to improvise is one thing. Learning to comp with your LH while your RH improvises is a completely different story. So in this podcast I go over 5 key points that will help you practice your LH comping with your RH improvisation. I know you'll love it! Enjoy!
This is a topic within jazz piano education that I get asked about A LOT! For good reason too. Fortunately, most of the work I get actually come with playing with singers. I've excelled at this through out my career from playing in a church for a long time. In church, I've had to accompany singers in all sorts of styles, genres and situations. Let me tell you, the path is not easy. I'm confident these basics will get you started on the right path. Enjoy!
Well guess what? I fell off again! But who doesn't right? The good thing is you simply pick yourself back up and keep going at it from where ever you last left off. This goes for anything in life. Never give up! Especially jazz piano. If you stop practicing for 1 week, 2 months or even a year, just accept it and start again from where you left off. The hardest part is to start up again, take it from me! Haha In this episode I share some random thoughts that have been on my mind and share a teaser for the next podcast episode to be released. Thank you all for your support!
So excited to be back podcasting! I had so many problems with the podcast on iTunes. A couple episodes were not showing up. Then I had to take the podcast off and it was a mess! Anyway I'm back. I've launched the Jazz Piano School Beginner Course! So excited for this. Already have a lot of signups. In this podcast I go over my thoughts on the new Jazz Piano School Beginner Course. Why it's different than other online jazz piano courses. I also talk about my thoughts for JPS in 2015 and how it can help you!
By do some solo's sound boring and some sound awesome? Rhythms. Rhythms in jazz are the feel good mojo that spices up your solo. They are at the heart of our soul. In order to make our solos pop and have the feel good feeling to them we need to add rhythms to our solo that have contrast. If we are playing all eighth notes and quarter notes on downbeats, our solo's will sound bland and dry. In this episode I give you many different ways to practice your rhythms in order to spice up your solo.
When you're first learning jazz it's hard to get that jazz sound that gives tensions and sounds like we're not playing like a baby. It might sound to you like you're playing is sooo beginnerish still. Well here's how to change it. By learning the altered scale we will immediately give our playing lots of tension and color by using the extensions in this scale. Enjoy!
We as jazz musicians have a lot of freedom to change progressions and harmonies in a tune. How exactly do we do it though? In this podcast I'll teach you a foundational concept that will lead to many more reharm opportunities while soloing, comping, and playing solo piano. Enjoy!
As I've said before jazz is like speaking a language. We know that person in our life that won't stop talking. They just talk and talk and talk. It's never fun to listen to them. The people who take their time and say something meaningful are the ones to listen to. We want to be those people on the piano. It's extremely easy for us as pianists to play and play and play because we have a percussive instrument. We can just bang away on the piano and not reazlie we're not leaving space. In this podcast I'll teach you how to focus your mind so you can develop your solos and say something meaningful.
Solo piano can be very frustrating. You have 88 keys and ten fingers. What the heck do you play? It's easier than you might think. Your LH and RH have different roles that should work together to produce a great sounding tune. When you understand the roles each hand plays you'll be better equipped to play solo piano and make progress. I will dissect the specific LH components in this episode. Enjoy!
Most people gravitate towards jazz because of the rich colors and sounds that come from the music. We all want to be able to play those amazing sounding chords on the piano. How do we do it though? I'll tell you right now. Extensions. Extensions are the colors that allow you to spice up your playing and start to paint the music however you'd like. Extensions are the beginning of the road to freedom in music. Just as a painter paints with his colors, a jazz musician paints with extensions. Let's get into it!
Learning how to walk bass lines is a skill all jazz pianists want to accomplish. And who wouldn't? We have a nice bass register on the piano but we never learn how to do anything with it. Anytime we see an bass player walking all over a tune like he owns we just stare in awe. In this episode I'm going to get you started on the right path to walking bass lines that will impress a bass player! Let's do it!
We recently learned our rootless voicings. In this episode I'm going to show you how to turn these rootless voicings into two hand comping textures to use with groups or while playing solo piano. These sounds are the heart of jazz comping. Anyone who uses these will be creating jazz sounds used through out the years. We're finally getting to the good stuff of jazz piano voicings and comping.
Ear training is highly sought after in jazz because much of the music involves using our ear to hear progressions, licks, movements and much more. The better ear you have, the better player you will be. So how exactly do we go about improving our ear and helping it to hear movements and notes better. In this podcast that's exactly what I will tell you.
So structure 2 is simply an inversion of rootless voicings structure 1. We now start on the 7th degree of our minor chord instead of the 3rd. Once you studied structure 1, structure #2 should come just as easily.
Alright, you've waited long enough for some pro jazz voicings! Well here they are. Rootless voicings will be your key to advanced jazz voicings with both one and two hands in the future. These are your transport system to playing amazing sounding jazz chords. Study these hards because they will only help open more doors to come. There are two different structure and in this episode I will be going over structure 1.
So you may be wondering how can you start putting these diatonic chords to use now. Well there are a number of different ways you can do it. The first benefit we now have is we can transpose music easily, and effectively. When I analyze a tune and understand what the progression is, meaning I know if the chords are serving as a II-7 chord of a V7 chord, I can now take that progression and easily move it into another key using those same roman numerals. Learning progressions is the other big benefit we have. If someone calls out a quick progression or you see me type a set of numbers such as ( 2-4-6-2-3-5-1), you can go to the piano and work on that progression. Composition is another biggie that comes from diatonic harmony. You can put numbers together yourself in any order you'd like and see what comes out. This is the foundation for all our future harmony and theory to come!
I don't use modes. Who needs modes? What good are modes anyway? Modes are the building blocks of improv. Modes are the notes that correspond with a chord. Not using modes is like misspelling words.
We have to be able to understand how to put the puzzle pieces together in jazz. How can you expect to do this without understanding where they go? Well, you can't! This is why Diatonic Harmony is so important. Diatonic Harmony is the road map to explain how chords and progressions fit together. Without learning this you will be completely lost as we continue to progress. Diatonic Harmony is the relationship of chords to a scale and certain key. Pretty easy once you get into it! Leave your questions in the comments section and I'll be happy to help.
To make our solo's sound good we need to be able to connect the chord changes smoothly in our right hand. This means hitting chord tones on down beats without having to think about it. The ability to play these chord tones on down beats as the chords are changing will allow our solos to reflect the harmonies perfectly. We want to practice this very slowly at first until we build up our spontaneous flow. This is not something you will be able to go fast with. If you do you will hinder your learning of this skill set.
Jazz information has always gone about jazz piano improvisation as if it is some trip to outer space. Well you have to explore yourself in order to find out how to improvise. I couldn't disagree more. Jazz improvisation in the beginning is definitely a step by step process. In this episode we move on to step number 2, connecting the chord tones with notes from the major scale.
I don't know about you, but I still get nervous when I play with new singers! Am I playing okay for them? Do they like it? Do they hate it? You never really know. Over the years I've played A LOT for vocalists and I've picked up some very helpful tips that will ensure they hire you back for gigs everytime. Follow these tips and I'm positive they will love you're playing!
When learning how to improvise you want to make sure you have the necessary foundation to support your solo. These initial steps will make sure you get started on the right path to playing killin jazz piano solos and sounding your best.
Learning how to arrange jazz standards for both hands can be tough. Where do I put my left hand? Where do I put my right? There are specific techniques you can use to help arrange the standards in fake books so that you sound great every time. In this episode I teach you two systematic techniques that will build you a solid foundation for more lessons to come. Enjoy!
It's tough creating variety with the blues, but with these reharms and scales you'll be able to spice up your playing in no time.
This interview with Eric Reed was such a great pleasure. To be able to talk to one of the leading jazz pianists in the world and history was surreal for me. I had studied with him at the New School University and Eric was kind of enough to come on the show for an interview. He makes such intelligent points about the music and is able to articulate his thoughts with great clarity. Do not miss this episode and listen all the way through. Some of the best info is at the end! Enjoy!
Playing solo can be extremely difficult. It's hard to move past that beginning stage of just chords in the LH and melody in the RH. This podcast will give you a couple of simple tips that you can be begin to incorporate that will help you sound great in no time! Enjoy!
The blues is a corner stone of jazz. You will find the blues in many traditional jazz tunes and it will also help improve your improvising as well. Listen to this episode to learn how the blues works and how you can start playing it! Enjoy!
You'd be surprised how much information gets left out about gigs. This information could make or break your success at the gig or with the band leader. Do you want more gigs or don't you?
Playing jazz piano standards is actually quite easy. People tend to over think it and then end up not even trying. It only takes a couple of learned principles and you can play any jazz standard you want! Enjoy!
Swing creates that wonderful jazz feeling we all know and love. Here's how to create it and get it right! Enjoy!
Finally some jazz chords to start learning! 7th chords are the main type of harmony that create jazz. Any time you are listening to jazz you can be sure you are hearing some form of 7th chords. These chords are going to be the building blocks to learning all sorts of jazz standards! Practice them hard!
Adding some very simple rhythms can really spice up your playing. Check out how you can immediately upgrade your playing with some up beats! Easy Easy stuff.
Finally I talk about how to actually play charts. I know someone of you are like "FINALLY!". In this episode I talk about reading chord changes, how to decipher how many beats per chord change and what slash chords are. There is a lot more to playing pieces, but this is the first place to start in which you will actually be able to hear the harmonies of the piece. I guarantee it will make you feel pretty good to be able to hear the tune!
Avishai Cohen gives another masterclass at the reno jazz festival. He doesn't repeat anything he said in the first class, so pay attention. He has a lot of valuable insight to learn jazz. Enjoy!
Avishai Cohen is a leading trumpet player in the jazz scene. This masterclass was recorded at the Reno Jazz Festival. He has a lot of great insight into advancing as a student, and what to practice. Enjoy!
It can be hard to achieve goals in life. No matter what you are attempting to accomplish. There are certain things you need to know in order to keep going. That certain this is the "Why" for why you want to accomplish your goal. As long as you know that you can do anything, like play jazz piano! This podcast will help you gain confidence and believe you can connect with this music in ways you never dreamed of.
Voiceleading triad inversions will skyrocket your playing in seconds. Once you learn how to implement this technique into your playing you will be able to play any pop / rock / triad type of chart, yes any. Work hard at this method because as I always say, these beginning steps will be a gateway into more complicated jazz voicings to come. And they are coming very soon!
In this episode I talk about what an inversion is. Inversions are great for making all of your voicings and tunes sound better. They help the chord changes flow better and make your playing sound smooth! Practice your inversions and you'll immediately sound better!
Why are major and minor triads useful? They are the stepping stones to all complicated and beautiful jazz voicings. If you know your major and minor triads well you will be able to progress to more advanced voicings with ease. Listen to this podcast to learn how to find your major and minor triads and how they relate to pop tunes.
My good friend and also Dr. Samuel Griffith shares his insight about jazz. He has traveled and played in many different cities with many different artists. When it comes to jazz pedagogy and playing he is the man to talk to. I was learning so much even as I was interviewing him. I strongly suggest you get a pen and paper to take notes because this interview is filled with nuggets you can use in your playing! Enjoy!
Ballads can be tricky to play over because they are going so slllowwwlllyyy. What do you do to spice things up? Listen to the way Wynton Marsalis phrases his lines in this ballad recording I took when I was in college at the New School University. It's an amazing texture to have available to use. Instead of holding out long lines with his horn, he actually plays very simply short lines and ends them with a short articulation. It's as if he is talking through his trumpet and putting periods at the end of all of his lines. I hope you enjoy this. If you have questions please feel free to comment and I will do my best to answer. Enjoy!
Major scales are extremely important to learn and heres why! They help with your movement around the piano. They will help increase your harmony and theory knowledge. You will be able to grasp improvisation concepts much easier. You need them for practically all future steps in this podcast! Now if that last reason isn't good enough to learn them then I don't know what is. Goodluck and happy practicing!
Eric Harland gives a masterclass at Next Gen Jazz Festival in Monterey, 2014. He offers some great insight and knowledge! Enjoy!
This is a great podcast for beginners, to get started on 5 very easy steps today! With these steps you'll have a plan to begin your learning. The best part is they're very easy so you can begin today if you'd like. I know starting is the hardest part so I really wanted to give everyone simple, simple steps to get started so you didn't feel overwhelmed. The first step is by far the easiest and fun! The next steps get slightly more challenging, and by challenging I mean the amount of effort it takes to get off the couch and walk to the kitchen. So goodluck, and as always post questions if you have any!
After a months of nit picking details on the website, I've finally moved into launching the podcast. This will a completely new education facet into learning jazz not to mention extremely accessible. I have always listened to podcast while driving to teach, and I thought it would be great if there was a jazz piano podcast. I have a lot in mind for the podcast, including live interviews and demonstrations with my previous teachers, live rehearsal and gig recordings, tips on all topics and much more. If there is anything you would like to specifically hear or have questions, please ask them in in the comments section or email me at podcast@jazzpianoschool.com. Enjoy!