How to Play Jazz Piano
Listen., Assuming you already know some very basic theory, first learn all 12 major scales (there are twelve different sounding scales, but in theory B/Cb, F#/Gb and C#/Db are separate scales)., Make sure you can read music and can play some basic...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Listen.
This is by far the most important step in becoming a musician.
Find as many recordings as you can get your hands on.
Don't discriminate--listen to the old greats, like Art Tatum and Count Basie and Thelonious Monk, as well as up-and-coming pianists of today.
Listen, take what they do, and apply it to your own playing.
Doing this consistently will make you an excellent jazz pianist. -
Step 2: Assuming you already know some very basic theory
Learning all the scales will be extremely helpful. , The first real step in your journey will be to break away from "the dots" and train your ear.
So... , Make sure that chord symbols or guitar tabs are written above the melody line, like "Dbm7."
So, for example, to play C7 (C dominant 7th) you'd play C, E, G, and Bb.
For C diminished seventh, you'd play C, Eb Gb, and A (Bbb).
You need to know them well enough to be able to see a chord symbol like the one in the step above and be able to play it without thinking.
If you know your major scales, you could have this step mastered in a week. , Find a song you like and play the melody line in the right hand with the appropriate chords in the left, as you're reading them from the chord symbols.
You are now playing a song without reading music (in the traditional way, aka Fakebook style).
Congratulations! , You can always go back to the sheet music to see how they're voicing the chords in clever ways that you're not. , Learn those four positions for every chord, but only after you're comfortable knowing what every chord is, and have Step Four under your belt.
Don't scramble your brain. ,, Add some more, and take some of the originals out. , By now, you're probably IMPROVISING! Learn those two scales for every key. , Try to splice one from one song into another. , Also learn tritone substitutions and the circle of fifths.
Play the same songs in different keys. , Learn modes and different scales.
Listen to different sorts of music from all sorts of time periods, and anything that you can steal harmonic and melodic ideas from.
When you've gotten this far, you can easily teach yourself. -
Step 3: first learn all 12 major scales (there are twelve different sounding scales
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Step 4: but in theory B/Cb
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Step 5: F#/Gb and C#/Db are separate scales).
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Step 6: Make sure you can read music and can play some basic stuff
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Step 7: even if it's not jazz.
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Step 8: Buy a songbook of one of the masters: Cole Porter
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Step 9: Gershwin
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Step 10: Learn a major 7th (1 3 5 7)
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Step 11: minor 7th (1 b3 5 b7)
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Step 12: dominant 7th (1 3 5 b7)
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Step 13: half diminished (1 b3 b5 b7)
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Step 14: and diminished chord (1 b3 b5 bb7) of every key.
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Step 15: To reward your hard work
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Step 16: pull out the songbook.
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Step 17: Even though it probably sounds horrible
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Step 18: practice for long enough and you'll sound more and more like what's written there without you even knowing it.
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Step 19: learn chord inversions: learn to play CM7 like (C
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Step 20: E) and (B
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Step 21: Learn the pentatonic scale of your favourite key.
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Step 22: Add in a couple of notes from it into a song you're comfortable with.
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Step 23: Now learn the blues scale of that same key and mix the two.
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Step 24: Look at the chord sequences in the songs you're playing.
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Step 25: Learn the 3
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Step 26: 1 progression.
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Step 27: When you're ready
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Step 28: learn chromatic and diatonic harmony.
Detailed Guide
This is by far the most important step in becoming a musician.
Find as many recordings as you can get your hands on.
Don't discriminate--listen to the old greats, like Art Tatum and Count Basie and Thelonious Monk, as well as up-and-coming pianists of today.
Listen, take what they do, and apply it to your own playing.
Doing this consistently will make you an excellent jazz pianist.
Learning all the scales will be extremely helpful. , The first real step in your journey will be to break away from "the dots" and train your ear.
So... , Make sure that chord symbols or guitar tabs are written above the melody line, like "Dbm7."
So, for example, to play C7 (C dominant 7th) you'd play C, E, G, and Bb.
For C diminished seventh, you'd play C, Eb Gb, and A (Bbb).
You need to know them well enough to be able to see a chord symbol like the one in the step above and be able to play it without thinking.
If you know your major scales, you could have this step mastered in a week. , Find a song you like and play the melody line in the right hand with the appropriate chords in the left, as you're reading them from the chord symbols.
You are now playing a song without reading music (in the traditional way, aka Fakebook style).
Congratulations! , You can always go back to the sheet music to see how they're voicing the chords in clever ways that you're not. , Learn those four positions for every chord, but only after you're comfortable knowing what every chord is, and have Step Four under your belt.
Don't scramble your brain. ,, Add some more, and take some of the originals out. , By now, you're probably IMPROVISING! Learn those two scales for every key. , Try to splice one from one song into another. , Also learn tritone substitutions and the circle of fifths.
Play the same songs in different keys. , Learn modes and different scales.
Listen to different sorts of music from all sorts of time periods, and anything that you can steal harmonic and melodic ideas from.
When you've gotten this far, you can easily teach yourself.
About the Author
Dorothy Bailey
Brings years of experience writing about lifestyle and related subjects.
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