Spend 15 minutes playing along with a recording. 

• Comp the chords
• Play the melody
• Play the melody and chords
  
• Steal licks

​Spend 15 minutes of one of the following activities. 

1. Practice the scales, chords, and arpeggios for the tune you will be jamming with. 
2. ​Transcriptions. “Stealing licks” or as Harry Pickins says, collect sounds.
3. Practice sight reading chords from the fake book.
4. ​Practice writing out the chords in the following ways. The photo below comes from a recent lesson. 

• Voice leading chords
• Sonny’s thumbs
• Rootless voicings
• Guide tones

     5. Spend 15 minutes listening and analyzing a recording and ask: “What is going on here? How many times do they play the form in any recording you are listening to?” What instruments do you hear? Is the music played swing or straight? From which era does the music come from or mimic? And so on. 

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:

1. Learning several simple jazz melodies by ear. This will give them something to work with as they learn to improvise. And they won’t be simultaneously working on a tune and trying to improvise at the same time. Using their ears to learn the melodies from YouTube recordings will teach them to articulate the melodies in an idiomatic way because reading melodies from the fakebook never does. Jazz is an aural art form not a visual one. Come to think of it, so is Classical piano.
2. They have started learning, by rote, the sixty jazz chords: Major 7th, Dominant 7th, minor 7th, minor 7b5, and diminished 7th chords. These are the basis of jazz harmony and jazz improvisation.
3. I recommended that they revisit written piano music to keep their piano skills sharp because jazz piano is notorious for “killing” the left hand of pianists.
4. First tune up is C jam Blues. (You can view this part of the lesson for free. No strings attached.) They began learning the different interpretations of that famous melody. Along the way they heard simple licks the pianists put in the music. These licks, learned by ear, are the beginning of their library of idiomatic phrases for later use.

If I can help you, call me.
 
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. 

How should I practice jazz piano?

1. Listen and Study: Start by listening to and studying great jazz pianists and their recordings.
2. Scales and Chords: Practice scales and chords daily to develop finger dexterity and chord vocabulary.
3. Improvisation: Practice improvising over jazz standards and progressions.
4. Transcribing: Transcribe solos from recordings and learn to play them.
5. Theory: Study jazz theory and harmony.
6. Jam sessions: Participate in jam sessions to gain real-life experience playing with other musicians.
7. Repetition: Repeat and practice the basics regularly to solidify your foundation.

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 discover as the steps to becoming a jazz musician have already been mapped out by previous 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. 
​

1. Learn to play your instrument. A few students have tried to skip this step. You might ask, "how good do I have to be to play jazz?" Depends on who you want to play with. Therefore, if your skills are a little short or rusty, call a music teacher and get to work on your keyboard skills. I have several students learning to play piano and jazz simultaneously. They don't sound like Oscar Peterson, but they are having fun while learning to navigate the piano keyboard. 
2. Learn theory. Students frequently ask theory questions without the background knowledge required to understand the answer. This is especially an issue when trying to make sense of YouTube music education videos. 
3. Find someone to play with and learn together. Jazz is a contact sport; a partner makes it more fun. You will learn to listen to each other, which is a prime prerequisite to playing jazz. 
4. Learn how to practice. I've written many blogs on this topic, but I would encourage you to seek out many different views on this important subject. 
5. The number one step to becoming a jazz musician is to learn as many tunes as you can, as fast as you can, because the musician who knows the most tunes wins. Get a list of the most important jazz tunes and get to work. Learn the melodies by ear. Learning chords by ear can come later. If this is difficult, call me and we will work on your aural skills. And you will be on your way. 

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, I teach piano, and jazz. 

David

Look what I found tucked away. You can hear examples in the Bill Evans YouTube video below. 

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:

1. manuscript paper
2. sharp pencil
3. big eraser

Prerequisite knowledge required:

1. key signatures
2. major scales
3. ii-7-V7 chord progressions in major keys

Steps:

1. draw the treble clef
2. add the correct key signature for the ii-7 V7 chord progression
3. add 2 bar lines
4. mark in ii-7 V7 beneath the measures as shown
5. add the chord symbols above the staff
6. add quarter rest in measure 1
7. starting on the 5th of the ii-7 chord, draw three quarter notes ascending in steps or 2nds.
8. measure 2 starts with a quarter note, with a 1/2 step grace note, on the root of the V7 chord and descends a step to the 7th of the chord. This 7th will require an accidental (natural or flat sign) to lower it because of the grace note, which was raised.
9. Bada boom, you're done.

​Have fun. 

The fun starts at 2.27. 

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:

• Download the Bebop shell or Rootless chord sheets through these links: Rootless voicings click here.

Bebop Shells as taught to me by Sonny Stitt click here. 

• In the iReal Pro app search "exercises" in the song list of iReal Pro. I suggest starting with the "II-V-I in 12 major keys" first.

​​Method:

• Practice the chord voicings "II-V-I in 12 major keys" along with the app. Go as slow as you need to, and continue daily until it is automatic.

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. 

1. D minor: Preservation Hall Jazz Band https://youtu.be/6KJ7ZKXRNGk
2. B minor: Ella and Louis https://youtu.be/LDF4_qVgbFU
3. Bb minor: Nora Jones https://youtu.be/xJOtaWyEzaI and Billy Holiday https://youtu.be/uYUqbnk7tCY
4. A minor: Student key
5. Eb minor: Learning key, as notes but one on the black keys.

 
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

Jamey Aebersold gave an illuminating demonstration this past summer on the importance of being able to skillfully play your instrument.  
He assembled students in the auditorium at University of Louisville. He then plucked one “lucky contestant/musician/newbie” to join him on stage. (The repeat campers knew what was coming and sat the back of the room). Jamey would then hand them a microphone and instruct them to sing/scat/hauler a jazz solo along with the jazz chords he would randomly play on the piano.

Guess what?

Everyone could scat. Some sang very well, others just so-so. But the consensus amongst the “singers” was that they could scat better than they could play. Hmmm. “So, the problem wasn’t in your head”, he said, “it’s in your hands”. He continued, “now go home, take lessons, practice like crazy and the jazz will be easier. You can hear the music; you just can’t execute.” (My paraphrasing)

Jamey's second reveal, a thin repertoire is symptomatic of larger issues.

​One morning he asks the musicians, “How many of you can play 50 jazz standards from memory?” I enthusiastically raised my hand. Looking around the 250+ room there were very few hands joining me.

"How many can play 25, 10, any?" (The overwhelming answer was zero.)

Jamie’s 1st conclusion, it’s hard to play freely when your head is in a book.
Jamie’s 2nd conclusion, trust yourselves to play without a book/sheet/app in front of you by starting with simple tunes like:

• C jam blues
• Summertime
• Killer Joe
• Blue bossa

​I can help you get started playing by ear. Please call me,

David
Revised September 2022

Jazz is primarily about rhythm and articulations, those tricky bits that are impossible to notate. Harmony is like math, fun for many and much easier to get your head around for most than rhythm and articulation. Or so beginners believe. But when the moment of truth arrives at a jam session theory goes mostly out the window and instinct kicks in. Adam Maness explores this theme in his video "Why do I still suck". 

Jorge Mabarak, on Facebook, puts it well, theory is a tool. I propose that rhythm is the key. And ear training is the secret.

Here is a practice time breakdown that may work for you:

• Fifty percent of your time is spent improving your instrumental skills. Find a teacher. Put in the work. To paraphrase Wynton, "learn to play your d#%$@# instrument".
• Twenty-five percent of your time is working on ear training, which is transcriptions and memorizing tunes. How many tunes can you play from memory? Ten tunes would be a good start and realistic goal for most jazz beginners. Can you sing the melodies of the tunes you are trying to memorize? Can you sing the chord roots, in time and in pitch, of these tunes? Can you sing the arpeggiated 7th chords found in these tunes?
• Twenty percent of your time is spent jamming with at least one other musician. This is a key component of learning jazz. Jazz is a team sport. For instance, if you are a pianist, call a jazz guitar teacher, they have students who need to jam with others too. Set up a session. Don't be shy. As Adam Maness emphasizes "time for jazz swagger".
• Five percent jazz theory

 
If I can help, please call me. 

David
Revised September 2022

After the demonstration, I break it down. So....hang in there.

​David

Here are some of the things I’m considering in a post-pandemic world. It may be helpful for your situation too.

1. I’ve rethought my priorities as not all activities were missed during the lockdowns. The pandemic gave me an excuse to move on.
2. As always, when I planned my teaching schedule, I blocked out my practice and study time then I booked my students.
3. I will continue my own music studies online thus saving a few hours a week of travel time.

​Best regards,
 
David
Revised October 2022