What The Heck Are Modes, And Why Do I need To Learn These Weird Names?
Good morning everyone, maybe not morning for you as you read this, but it is for me so I think I’ll keep that. I’ll be talking about modes in this post, and particularly, why do they help with improvisation. Most people I come across in jazz or music say modes are useless, or yea I […]
Jazz Piano School, Ep 10: Determination | Motivation | Willpower
It can be hard to achieve goals in life. No matter what you are attempting to accomplish. There are certain things you need to know in order to keep going. That certain this is the “Why” for why you want to accomplish your goal. As long as you know that you can do anything, like play jazz piano! This podcast will help you gain confidence and believe you can connect with this music in ways you never dreamed of.
Jazz Piano School, Ep 9: Voiceleading Triad Inversions
Voiceleading triad inversions will skyrocket your playing in seconds. Once you learn how to implement this technique into your playing you will be able to play any pop / rock / triad type of chart, yes any. Work hard at this method because as I always say, these beginning steps will be a gateway into more complicated jazz voicings to come. And they are coming very soon!
Learn The Rhythmic Feel And Notation Of Swing
Learning the swing feel in jazz can be frustrating when you’re first starting out. What gives jazz that feeling that makes you want to dance? Why do you feel like taping your foot every time you listen to an album. I’m sure you know because of the title of this blog, but yes, it’s the […]
Jazz Piano School, Ep 8: Triad Inversions
In this episode I talk about what an inversion is. Inversions are great for making all of your voicings and tunes sound better. They help the chord changes flow better and make your playing sound smooth! Practice your inversions and you’ll immediately sound better!
5 Jazz Piano Doubts Reversed.
Every unknown skill or topic has myths behind it that we all as individuals tend to create in our minds. This may be from our own creative brain power, or from a friend who is feeding us these terrible ideas. Have you ever heard “Oh you can’t do that, those guys are born able to […]
Jazz Piano School, Ep 7: Major & Minor Triads
Why are major and minor triads useful? They are the stepping stones to all complicated and beautiful jazz voicings. If you know your major and minor triads well you will be able to progress to more advanced voicings with ease. Listen to this podcast to learn how to find your major and minor triads and how they relate to pop tunes.
How To Decipher Jazz Fake Book Charts!
So maybe you’ve read my posts on triads and 7th chords. Hopefully you have. Hopefully you have practiced the triads and 7th chords. If you have, then you are ready for this post! If not, you can still learn from the post, you will just need to learn your chords first before reading any charts. […]
Jazz Piano School, Ep 6: Jazz Insight With Dr. Samuel Griffith
My good friend and also Dr. Samuel Griffith shares his insight about jazz. He has traveled and played in many different cities with many different artists. When it comes to jazz pedagogy and playing he is the man to talk to. I was learning so much even as I was interviewing him. I strongly suggest you get a pen and paper to take notes because this interview is filled with nuggets you can use in your playing! Enjoy!
4 Considerations for Jazz Piano Comping (Written by Dr. Samuel Griffith, trombone)
1) Time Beginning jazz pianists frequently forget, ignore, and devalue the importance of comping IN TIME. This should be the number one consideration when comping! If a pianist comps with bad time, or is playing out of time, the power of everything they do is lessened. Sometimes, even more experienced players will sacrifice time to […]
