► Get your FREE Top 5 Piano Tips Guide:

Top 5 Tips

► Download this Quick Tip lesson sheet:

Jazz Piano 10 Steps from Beginner to Pro

► Learn all major and minor scales and chords:

Beginner Piano Foundations – Part 1

► Learn 7th chords:

Intermediate Piano Foundations – Part 1

► Learn Shells & Guide Tones:

Chord Shell & Guide Tone Exercises

► Learn Chord Extensions & Alterations:

Piano Chord Extensions

Piano Chord Alterations

► Learn Rootless Voicings:

Rootless Voicings – Chord Types & 2-5-1 Application

► Learn Block Chords:

Block Chords

► Learn Drop 2 Chords:

Drop 2 Voicings

► Learn Quartal Voicings:
https://pianowithjonny.com/smartsheets/quartal-voicings/

► Learn Upper Structures:

Coloring Dominant Chords With Upper Structures

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LESSON SUMMARY

Do you want to learn jazz piano? Have you tried in the past and pressed pause in discouragement? Do you struggle to comprehend the music theory that jazz pianists seem to roll off their tongues so easily—“just play an E♭7(♯9♭13)“? Maybe you’ve been playing for awhile, but you still get that lump in your throat when someone asks, “do you play jazz?” What does is take to really be considered a professional jazz pianist and how can you get there? Friend, if you want to learn jazz piano, you’ve come to the right place. In this Quick Tip, I’m going to give you 10 steps that provide a solid roadmap for your journey. Will you join me? Chances are, you are already a few steps further along than you think! Check out the following preview…

1. Major Scales
2. Major & Minor Triads
3. 7th Chords
4. Chord Shells & Guide Tones
5. Chord Extensions & Alterations
6. Rootless Voicings
7. Block Chords
8. Drop 2 Voicings
9. Quartal Voicings
10. Upper Structures

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:51 Step 1: learn the major scales
01:13 Melody example: Fly Me to the Moon
01:40 Step 2: learn major & minor chords
02:29 Step 3: 7th chords
03:03 7th chord examples
03:53 Step 4: shells & guide tones
04:46 Examples of shells & guide tones
05:19 Step 5: extensions & alterations
07:12 Examples of alterations & extensions
07:39 Step 6: rootless voicings
09:08 Examples of rootless voicings
09:36 Step 7: block chords
11:13 Examples of block chords
11:43 Step 8: drop 2 chords
13:03 Example of drop 2
13:27 Step 9: quartal voicings
14:42 Example of quartal voicings
15:16 Step 10: upper structures
16:44 Example of upper structures
17:08 Conclusion

Get your FREE 14-Day Trial to PWJ here: https://pianowithjonny.com/

Happy practicing!
Jonny May
Video Rating: / 5

Sheet Music: https://bit.ly/HowToPlayJazzBlues
Jazz Piano Bundle Vol. 1: https://bit.ly/jazzpianobundle
Blues Piano Bundle Vol. 1: https://bit.ly/bluespianobundle
Oscar Peterson Lick Lesson Bundle: https://bit.ly/OPeterson-lick1-bundle
Autumn Leaves Improvisation Bundle: https://bit.ly/autumnleavesbundle

Do you need a practice plan for this lesson? Alright, check this out:

In the video, I start with step 5, just because I don’t want to bore you with the basics. However, if you never played a walking bass before, the following practice plan is for you.

First, let’s create a very simple walking bass for this project.
Step 1 – 4:21
Step 2 – 4:53
Step 3 – 5:22
Step 4 – 5:51

You can memorize the same walking bass line that is shown in the video, or you can create your own based on the simple rules I just presented you in Step 1,2,3 and 4.

Before we start to improvise over our walking bass, let’s just get familiar with the 12 bar blues form, by playing Step 5 again and again.

Step 5 – 0:20
LH: Walking Bass
RH: Voicings (Rootless voicings + Basic 7th chords too)

(Note: In a jazz school, you learn that playing chords with the root, it’s a ‘no no’. Especially when you play walking bass with your left hand, or you have a bass player in the band. And that’s a great rule. However, if you do it here and there, just because this is the sound you are looking for, no worries. Nobody is going to think that you are a bad person.)

Step 6 – 0:48
LH: Walking bass
RH: Common Jazz Comping Rhythms

Once you feel comfortable with Step 5, add some rhythm to your voicings. Again, you can copy mine (if you are a beginner and need some ideas) or create your own. The best if you can vary/change your rhythm patterns whenever you play through the form.

Step 7 – 1:17
Can you play a five-finger blues scale up and down and keep the left hand steady? Let’s figure this out. If the answer is yes, move to Step 8.

Step 8 – 1:46
Can you play the complete ‘A minor blues scale’ up and down and keep the left hand steady? Let’s figure this out. If the answer is yes, move to Step 9.

Step 9 – 2:15
Student A: You can already start to improvise freely with the blues scale.
Student B: Whenever you start to improvise freely with your right hand, you mess up the walking bass.
Solutions:
1. Go back to Step 4 and 5 and play it 100 times.
2. Create a blues improvisation etude

When you create or follow my improvisation etude, you are practicing to get use to the randomness that is happening in your right hand. Since it is ‘planned randomness’ you have a bigger chance to keep your left hand steady.

Once you memorized the etude, you can try to play some melodic or rhythm variations on it.

Step 10 – 2:44
Find an A minor blues lick (just one or max 2) and apply it to your 12 bar blues.

Bonus Step – 3:13
Let’s go back to our Improvisation etude, and try to add some blues licks to it.

When you completed all these steps, just forget everything you learned so far and start to improvise freely 🙂

Note: Once you purchase a sheet music, you will be able to download the PDF file right away from the website. You will also get an email with the downloadable links. (If not, check your spam folder)

To get started you can download the free “how to practice scales (Jazz, Bebop)” here: https://bit.ly/freejazzscales

Complete Piano Improvisation course for beginners, intermediate and advanced students:
https://www.soundofemotions.com

My Sheet Music store
https://bit.ly/sheetmusic-shop

My Music:
https://fanlink.to/soundofemotions
https://skaar.bandcamp.com/music

My Links to Follow:
https://www.instagram.com/sound_of_emotions_official
https://www.facebook.com/thesoundofemotions/

Thanks for watching!
See you soon!
Video Rating: / 5