Jazz Piano

In spite of advice to the contrary, I started pursuing my music career almost from the minute I left school. What I love most about jazz piano is its reliance on improvisation, giving you plenty of room to express yourself. It is largely based on the understanding of chord progressions, so a thorough knowledge of all the different related scales is really important.

There are lots of resources out there to help you improve your playing, as well as some great ideas for licks and scales to draw on in your solos.

I can personally recommend the The Jazz Piano Book by Mark Levine. It lays everything out in clear, accessible stages, from the basic principles to the more advanced. Although it is obviously aimed at jazz pianists, other instrumentalists will find it useful as an aid to a better understanding of harmony.

Of course, there is no substitute for playing as much as possible, finding your own musical voice and listening to as many other jazz musicians as you can.

You'll find that wherever you live, you're probably not too far away from a live music venue, and these are often great places to meet other musicians and get your work heard. Check out if there are any jam nights; these are normally frequented by sympathetic ears, so offer a relaxed atmosphere in which you can make all your mistakes!

Of course, it also gives you valuable peforming experience- one session in front of an audience can be worth many hours of practise. Just bite the bullet and give it a go!

And don't forget, that though knowing the theory will undoubtedly help you improve your playing, it won't make you a player. Find your own voice and style, and enjoy the process. Learning technique should always liberate your playing rather than restrict it, so try to have fun whilst your learning your exercises!

Although it's a little bare at the moment in here, we are working really hard to provide you with some great resources and information, so do come back again soon when there should be a lot more going on!

Until then- happy playing!

More on Jazz Piano:

Jazz Glossary

Advice on Playing Jazz Piano

Basic Jazz Theory

Scales and Modes

Sus Chords

Melodic Minor Scale Theory