A Blazing Fast Blues Lick By Oscar (LOTW #226)

Sometimes Oscar Peterson plays SO FAST, you have to slow it down to even hear what he is playing! Luckily, we’ve done that for you for this week’s LOTW. Check out this lick from “Billie’s Bounce,” a blues track off of Oscar’s album “Encore at the Blue Note” (1990). https://youtu.be/Y_ZIFvOV7yk CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL […]

Letting The Melody Be Your Guide

Have you ever heard the phrase “Let the melody be your guide” but wondered how to practically apply it to your playing? In this podcast, I show you how to use the melody as a springboard for melodic development in your solos. If you don’t want to sound like a robot, this episode is for you.

Chick Corea Slays This Version Of “Tones for Joan’s Bones” (LOTW #225)

After Chick Corea’s passing this year, we truly experienced just how deep of an impact he had. His compositions and performances throughout his career were brilliant and pushed the limits of what we thought was possible in the jazz world. After his original version of “Tones for Joan’s Bones” in 1968, he recorded it again […]

A Soulful E Minor Lick By Bill Evans (LOTW #224)

In 1961, Bill Evans recorded his 4th album as a leader “Explorations.” It featured some more experimental and advanced jazz piano techniques, but through it all carries his deep sense of style and soulfulness. Here is a lick taken from the beginning of his solo on “Nardis,” an original composition of Bill’s which went on […]

Horace Silver Tears Through the Changes of “Solar” (LOTW #223)

Miles Davis has been responsible for either creating or taking credit for many of the jazz standards which we know and love to this day. “Solar” is no exception, and the album Walkin’ (1956) by the Miles Davis Quintet has several of these notable jazz standards. Horace Silver was a great pianist and sideman in […]

Ahmad Jamal’s Opening Sequence From “Woody ‘N’ You” (LOTW #222)

Here is a classic opening line from “Woody ‘N’ You” off Ahmad Jamal’s classic album Live at the Pershing (1958). Ahmad’s trio stylings have made this album one of the classic jazz trio recordings of all time, evident in his melodic prowess and joyful swing feeling. The trio really shines on this particular track, enjoy! […]

Improvise Better with These 5 Skillsets

Download: MP3 Audio59 MB Share on facebook Facebook Share on google Google+ Share on twitter Twitter Share on linkedin LinkedIn Making progress on something in the moment is pretty easy, but making progress consistenly over a long period of time is very hard. We hit plateaus and stumbling blocks that halt our progress. In this […]

Gerald Clayton’s Mysterious Lines (LOTW #221)

Gerald Clayton has become one of the leading voices in modern jazz piano in our era. He often keeps his audience guessing, and this lick is no exception. Check out this modal line over “All of You” from his breakout record Two Shade (2009).https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7ST2IdkjZ0 CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL LICK BOOK If you have questions […]

Bud Powell’s “Get Happy” Lick (LOTW #220)

Bud Powell inspired many pianists of future generations with his innovations of the bebop style. His long, virtuosic runs set a new standard for modern jazz piano playing in the 1950’s. In this excerpt from “Get Happy,” we hear Bud execute an unusual lick which lays well in the hands. You may hear similar patterns […]

How To Play Stride Piano For Beginners

I’m know how it goes, trust me. You hear someone’s LH flying back and forth at lightening speed while the RH is playing some ridiculous line and you think to yourself, “There is no way I could do that”. Am I right? This used to happen to me all the time. In

To lead into our brand new specialty course called “How To Play Stride & Ragtime Like A Pro”, set to be relased on June 29th, at 6am eastern, I have a great podcast to present to you to get you in the mood.

Believe it or not this podcast will break things down so much that even a brand new pianist could take these methods and start to use them to play stride.

If you put a little trust in me and check out what I teach, I promise you, there is hope for your stride future.

Enjoy!

To join the next live podcast recording go to: http://www.jazzpianoschool.com/livepodcast

If you have questions or suggestions for a podcast lesson you would like us to do, please leave them in the comments down below.

Jazz Piano School