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My jazz students have begun the following practice ritual. This one page sheet grew out my own quest to quickly play jazz vibraphone. For more information, please visit my practice blog. Notes:
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This is the homework assignment for a current student. She plays regularly with a bassist in the Toronto area. She is aiming to build her jazz chops and sophistication at the piano. I'm encouraging her to abandon the books and embrace the ear. This is a practice plan created for an advanced jazz piano student. (She earned her Royal Conservatory of Music ARCT as a teenager.) Jazz warmups and technique Over the course of a week, she will review the major and minor scales, modes, and left-hand voicing systems: Bebop shells, rootless chords, and occassionally modal or quartal voicings. The scales can be played straight or swung starting on the leading tone upbeat. (see below) She will play these etudes with the metronome playing on beats 2 and 4. This builds an acute sensitivity to the jazz pulse.  Repertoire retention and development She reviews a piece or two to retain it. Furthermore, as she learns to techniques, she can apply them to her existing repertoire. Aural Training Aural or "ear" training is the most important part of practice because jazz is an aural tradition. The training jazz musicians since 1917 has revolved around playing with recordings and "stealing" or lifting interesting ideas. One exercise it to play the melody, for example Satin doll, along with the recording and try to match the rhythm. This is trickier that it sounds. Sightreading Randomly open the fakebook and sight read along the chords and possibily the melody to a recording. Slow the recording down if it is tricky. Keeping the left hand alive Jazz piano is not kind to the left hand because in most styles of mainstream jazz it doesn't get much of a workout. So, she keeps the left hand strong by returning regularly to some favourite classical piano tunes. In her case, Chopin. (For me it is Bach. ) If I can help you design a personalised curriculum call me. I will assess your skills, consider your goals, and plan a path forward for you too. David How to comp chords in swing jazz.
  Keywords: Comping, comp, playing chords
Spend 15 minutes playing along with a recording.
Have fun. David  A New Student's Profile
The new student is a young professional with a keen interest in learning to play jazz piano. They took piano and trumpet lessons in high school. They have a basic understanding of music theory. Aural skills are excellent. Their program will include the following components:
David This is a lesson given to a student this week. Louis Armstrong, on the topic of how to improvise, said something to the effect, "memorize the melody, mess with the melody, and then mess with the mess." For beginners, this is the best advice I've ever come across. It is truly the shortest distance between A and B. Or jazz newbie to intermediate jazz student and beyond. Prerequisites: The student can already play. Therefore, it is a question of what to play and less of how to play it. Warmup: Two octave scales: C, F, Db, Bb, Eb Four note broken chords: C, F, Db, Bb, Eb Two octave arpeggios: C, F, Bb, Db, Eb Please use a metronome and practice different tempi, dynamics, and articulations. Etude Being able to play the broken chords is an important starting point in improvisation.  Repertoire
How should I practice jazz piano?
ChatGPT Jan 30 Version. Free Research Preview. Our goal is to make AI systems more natural and safe to interact with. Your feedback will help us improve. Good advice. David  Jazz students are often looking for new chords for the standards they are playing. This blog offers you some suggestions if you are unable to transcribe. 1. The iReal Pro app is a useful source. It doesn't always have the most exciting chords, but it does help you move on from the fakebook. 2. YouTube transcriptions, though not always reliable, will help you explore new harmonic ideas. 3. The Real jazz Solos Book by Hal Leonard is a reliable book to consult. Have fun. David  
There are no secrets to becoming a jazz musician because the steps have already been mapped out by generations of musicians and educators. My first suggestion? Don't waste your time online looking for "the secret."
Here are my top five non-secrets to learning to play jazz.
Here is a project suggestion. Investigate the jazz curriculum outlines of jazz colleges and compare. Here is a start. Jazz in America Lesson Plans through the National Jazz Curriculum - Hancock Institute of Jazz TRADITIONAL JAZZ CURRICULUM - Jazz Education Network (jazzednet.org) Yearly Program Study Plan; B.Mus. Jazz | Music - McGill University Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies - Education - Capilano University Jazz Studies (BJazz) | Explore UM | University of Manitoba (umanitoba.ca) You will note the following areas are common: lessons, theory, ear training, ensemble playing, history, and improvisation. If I can help you call me because I teach piano, and jazz. David Louis Armstrong key of Ab Doreen Ketchens, Preservation Hall Dr. John, Rebirth, Al Hirt, Wynton, Tuba Skinny key of F Fats Domino key of Eb
When learning to play Brazilian jazz it is best to go to the primary sources, the original and other seminal recordings recorded in Brazil, both past and present. At the end of this sample of Brazilian recordings is a fine recording by Kenny Barron, who it must be said, has listened to the original recordings. Practice routine? Spend an afternoon playing the melody with the recordings, mimicking as much as possible what you hear. Then add the chords. David
Jazz has been around for 120+ years. It has gone through many different periods: early jazz, swing, bebop, model, free and more. Now it is 2022, what now? The hoary old standards are wearing a bit thin, but just in time, and to the rescue, the next generation of meta-modern musicians has arrived. I'm in awe. Here is a small sample of performances that got "2 thumbs up" from my young teen jazz students this week.
I've used a simplified "lick" from a Wynton Kelly recording of Autumn Leaves. You may recognize it. Here is a method to integrate this, or any other "jazz lick" into your playing. First, play the lick as written, then write out the lick in the keys of C, Eb, F, G, Gb using the following steps. Materials needed:
Prerequisite knowledge required:
Steps:
Have fun.  Learning tunes from a fake book is the hard way to go about things. Here is the Bill McBernie method of jazz practice in which you play by ear to multiple recordings. I could recall the basic outline of the tune "A foggy day" from playing it years ago. That helped. (If you don't know the tune, you must listen until you can sing along.) Below are the recordings and the order in which I played them. Some were played numerous times as I recalled more of the melody and figured out the key. The song was played in the keys of F, C, Eb, and Bb. I played along on vibes, not piano. I focused only on the melody . As the practicing progressed, I began to recall and understand the chords. Today I was playing it on the piano, from memory, with the chords. David
 
Here is my top 10 list of skills to work on ahead of camp. You don't need to be an expert, but you will need some familiarity with the following skills and activities. 1. Comping and voice leading chords. 2. Practice sightreading simple chord charts like blues in Bb and F, Summertime, Killer Joe, etc. Click out the Aebersold picture for some suggestions. By clicking on the image, you will go to a product page. I don't take a commission. 3. Play along with recordings. 4. Record yourself and listen back. 5. Practice playing louder because drums are loud. 6. Practice your right-hand broken chords for every tune on the Aebersold list. 7. Use a metronome on everything you play and practice. 8. Learn to clap and count aloud eighth note jazz rhythms. 9. Listen to jazz daily. 10. Sign up early to camp because piano spots go quickly. What tunes should you practice? If I can help you, call me. I've attended a dozen jazz camps over the years as a pianist and drummer. David   What do we gain by learning Jazz and Pop Standards by ear?
1. We acquire an intuitive understanding of jazz and pop rhythm. 2. We learn the feel of the music, which is something that can't be notated. 3. By playing along with recordings we learn to stay in place. 4. We learn how to solo by acquiring ideas (licks) that we can use in other pieces. 5. We learn how to play our instrument idiomatically by hearing it played in context. 6. We begin to appreciate the depth and scope of jazz and pop history and its eras and players. 7. We learn how to mess with a melody. A first step to soloing with finesse. "Learn the melody, mess with the melody, then mess with the mess" Louis Armstrong If I can help you on your journey, call me. David Revised August 2022 Lesson Plan Materials needed:
Have fun. If I can help, call me. David revised August 2022 Playing in different keys is an invaluable skill. You will learn to visualize musical shapes, key signatures, and hear rhythm in new ways. Try playing just the melody in the following keys with the recordings. Modify your note and rhythm choices to fit in the best you can.
The assignment is to play and mimic the melody with the recordings. You will learn jazz rhythm, jazz articulations and phrasing all by ear. Have fun. David Revised August 2022
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You've got to learn your instrument. Then, you practice, practice, practice. And then, when you finally get up there on the bandstand, forget all that and just wail. AuthorI'm a professional pianist and music educator in West Toronto Ontario. I'm also a devoted percussionist and drum teacher. Categories
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