How to Play Jazz Piano – Improvisations, chord progressions and more

Learn how to play Jazz Piano with our free jazz piano lessons that teaches scales, chord progressions, improvisation, theory & technique,and more. We also cover the best resources to help you improve your jazz piano playing.

Looking for easy lessons to learn jazz? Want to know how to improvise…substitute chords…?

Lot of people like Jazz piano because of the improvisations that you can use in your piano playing! In fact, Jazz players never play the original chords; they just keep on using different chords to liven up the song.

Again, if you are used to playing Classical or Pop, it may take some time to get used to this style of music.

But once you start improvising, just beware; it can become addictive!

“When I started listened to Led Zeppelin, I noticed something about the lead guitarist’s role. I remember at the time, something about Jimmy Page’s guitar solos, I realised that in jazz, the piano gets to do what guitars get to do in rock, you know, stretch out and take solos and be featured. So I said ‘Oh, so if I’m playing piano, I should learn to play jazz, because that’s where you learn how to do that.'” American pianist Craig Taborn

Prerequisites to Play Jazz Piano

You need to have a good understanding of scales and the various chords, which means you should have at least a few months lessons under your belt.

So jazz piano is not exactly for beginners.

While you can definitely play several pop songs using just a few chords, jazz requires a better understanding of the various chords.

Improvisations

Improvisation is what you will need to learn…to know how to play Jazz Piano, and Chord Substitutions do play a major role here.

For this, you will have to learn the various seventh and ninth chords (if you want to), which can be a bit of challenge initially. But Improvisation not only means substituting different chords, it can also mean changing the rhythms while playing.

You can change the rhythm every two bars while playing; this way though your melody remains the same, the dynamics of the song keeps on changing.

 

 

Characteristics

Here are some of the skills that you will need, if you want to know how to play Jazz Piano. With practice, you should be able to incorporate them in your playing!

• • Chord substitutions

Substituting chords to make them sound more interesting.

• • Swing rhythm

Play chords in a delayed manner.

• • Syncopation

Play chords on an up-beat instead of on the beats.

• • Scales / Chords

You already know about these now.

• • Riffs

These are punchlines, short interesting lines used as fill-ins.

 

 

 

 

Classical to Jazz

If you are one of those players who have learnt and can play classical piano very well, here is what you can do to start improving on your jazz skills.

First thing to do is to start listening to as many good jazz players as possible. Listen to the works of Oscar Peterson, Art Tatum, Thelonious Monk and so on. I am sure you will get impressed and you will also have an understanding of what good jazz music should sound like.

Next would be to pick up a book on Jazz theory/Piano!

The one by Mark Levine especially is good. Get some play-along jazz recordings, especially the ones by Jamie Aebersold. You will also need a copy of the Real Book; try to learn and memorize as many tunes as possible from that book.

Try playing the melodies with the chords in almost all the keys. Use only the root notes of the chords if you want to make it simple. Once you start getting comfortable with the various chords, try to practice chord substitutions, which you can learn from the jazz theory book.

How to Play Jazz Piano: Start Improving on These

To become good at jazz piano, try to improve on these things:

• Get Good at Comping: Learn to accompany by playing chords. Add new tricks to your comping skills.
• Jazz Solo: You’ll have to solo a lot to discover your true musical voice.
• Improve Harmonic Skills: Learn standard and varied chord progressions/substitutions.
• Listen more: Keep listening to jazz music

 

Get Some Inspiration

You can learn a lot from the exercises in the jazz books but you should still listen to as many professional jazz musicians as possible.

Don’t miss opportunities to see live jazz performances as far as possible. You will always hear something new when you listen to the pros.

Try talking to jazz pianists wherever possible and get their suggestions.

Try to read about famous jazz pianists as well, they will provide an excellent source of inspiration and will encourage you to put in more effort, which is a must if you want to become a better jazz player.

 

Recommended Books!

• [easyazon_link identifier=”0961470151″ locale=”US” tag=”keytarhq04-20″ cart=”n”]The Jazz Piano Book[/easyazon_link]: by Mark Levine (Author)
• [easyazon_link identifier=”B004KA9VDI” locale=”US” tag=”keytarhq04-20″ cart=”n”]Jazz Piano Masterclass[/easyazon_link]: with Mark Levine(With CD)
• The Jazz Theory Book – by Mark Levine
• Oscar Peterson – Jazz Exercises, Minuets, Etudes & Pieces for Piano
• Jazz Piano Technique: Exercises, Etudes & Ideas for Building Chops – Great for Intermediates and Above
• Jazz Standards: 40 Sheet Music Bestsellers Series Paperback
• Jazz, Rags & Blues Book 1 (Alfred’s Basic Piano Library) – Great for Beginners

 

History Of Jazz Piano In 12 Minutes: By Kris Bowers

Thelonious Monk Competition winner, Kris Bowers gives an overview of various jazz piano styles from the late 1800s to the present day, covering over 40 tunes, in this 12 minute video. Ragtime, stride, bebop and other variations are covered along the way.

 

 

 

 

The first thing that comes to the mind whenever such a video is produced is ‘why is this player missing’. But then, I’m sure its not possible to cover all the awesome jazz piano players in just under 12 minutes. Or is it because the pianist is not sure about handling the technique of players like Oscar Peterson?

 

 

 

 

I would definitely love to see a dozen more in the list; nevertheless its a great video. If you’re new to jazz, its such videos that encourage you to listen more. Remember, this video is for fun, and not really an encyclopedia. There are several intriguing branches of Jazz, but the true Jazz piano will forever remain with the likes of Duke, Oscar, Bill, and Art.

Three-CD set ‘Oscar, With Love’ is a jazzy tribute to piano virtuoso Oscar Peterson

“Oscar, With Love”, showcases never before released compositions by Peterson, all were performed and recorded in Oscar’s home studio on his treasured Bösendorfer Imperial piano.

For a long time Kelly Peterson, widow of piano virtuoso Oscar Peterson, had been trying to think of ways to honor his legacy and share his compositions with the world. After all, Oscar Peterson ranked alongside Art Tatum as one of the super heroes when it comes to jazz piano.

So when a piano technician came to the Peterson home in Toronto to tune her husband’s Bösendorfer Imperial grand — with its 97 keys, an idea was born.

The technician “said the piano is in remarkably good shape, but it needs to be played,” recalls Kelly Peterson.

“So that’s when I got the idea: We would do a recording of Oscar’s music on Oscar’s piano. In my naivete, I thought this would be the easiest recording in the world to make: solo piano and in my home. I don’t even have to go to a studio.”

Few years later, Kelly is all set to release “Oscar, With Love,” a three-CD set for which several of the world’s greatest jazz pianists have recorded her husband’s music on his Bösendorfer, in his home studio. The musicians include veterans such as Ramsey Lewis, Michel Legrand, Chick Corea, Monty Alexander and Kenny Barron as well as exceptional younger artists such as Gerald Clayton, Benny Green and Justin Kauflin.

 

 

Watch: Oscar, With Love/At Home With Oscar (Behind The Scenes)

[easyazon_link identifier=”B00494VGXS” locale=”US” tag=”keytarhq04-20″]Buy ‘To Oscar with Love’ on Amazon[/easyazon_link] 

 

One can only imagine how intimidating it must have been for any pianist, even those as accomplished as the ones Kelly Peterson convened, to sit at the great man’s piano, surrounded by portraits of Duke Ellington, Tatum and Peterson himself.

“He’s one of my main influences. So we went downstairs, and she says: ‘Well, here’s his piano.’ And it was almost like: ‘Do I touch it? Or should I touch it? So I kind of had to walk around and digest this at first. Finally, I sat down at the piano, and I kind of just sat there for a few minutes before I touched it,” recalls Lewis, the Chicago pianist who, like many other musicians, long revered Peterson.

Its not easy to get all these artists — most of whom tour the world relentlessly — to the Petersons’ home during select time slots. For Kelly, the process became a maze of scheduling, recording and producing.

 

 

[easyazon_infoblock align=”none” identifier=”B00494VGXS” locale=”US” tag=”keytarhq04-20″] 

 

The music album includes 36 tracks, most composed by Oscar Peterson, several never recorded before and a few penned in homage to him by Corea, Alexander, Makoto Ozone, Oliver Jones and others.

Source: latimes.