Basic Turnaround (LOTW #33)
Turnarounds can be tough to play over. If you don’t nail them it can sound very strange coming back to the top of a tune. If you have questions or requests please leave them in the comments section and I will accommodate. Points for practicing this lick: Starting on the 9 of D-7 Going to […]
Tritone Substitution (LOTW #32)
This lick is a little more advanced than most that I’ve posted. It is very technically challenging and if you haven’t worked much with pentatonics before the coordination can get a little tricky. But! Practice very, very slowly and anyone is possible of playing this. If you have questions or requests please leave them in […]
V7 Tritone (LOTW #31)
Enjoy this lick using the tritone of our V7 chord in the key of C. We are replacing the Db7 for the G7 and using our Db7 lydian scale, meaning #11, to solo over the tritone. This creates a very unique sound over a 2-5-1. I then added the lydian scale over the Cmaj7 as […]
Jazz Piano School, Ep 26: Beginner Improv Part 2, Connecting Chord Tones
Jazz information has always gone about jazz piano improvisation as if it is some trip to outer space. Well you have to explore yourself in order to find out how to improvise. I couldn’t disagree more. Jazz improvisation in the beginning is definitely a step by step process. In this episode we move on to step number 2, connecting the chord tones with notes from the major scale.
5 Improvisation Upgrades For Any Level
I had a student that was a puzzle to me. It barely seemed like he cared, was always late, and never practiced. But…when I asked him to improvise over tunes, he would tear it up! I just couldn’t understand. I hadn’t even taught him much yet he was playing like a ten year vet. So […]
Jazz Piano School, Ep 25 : How To Get Singers To Hire You Back Everytime!
I don’t know about you, but I still get nervous when I play with new singers! Am I playing okay for them? Do they like it? Do they hate it? You never really know. Over the years I’ve played A LOT for vocalists and I’ve picked up some very helpful tips that will ensure they hire you back for gigs everytime. Follow these tips and I’m positive they will love you’re playing!
5 Hard Truths Behind Learning Jazz Piano
It’ll always amaze me how many people believe they can take one lesson from me and somehow get some magical tips or tricks that will give them everything they need to improve their playing. I see this everywhere. The look of disappoint on their face saddens me. It’s as if I have let them down […]
Jazz Piano School, Ep 24: How To Start Improvising (Beginner)
When learning how to improvise you want to make sure you have the necessary foundation to support your solo. These initial steps will make sure you get started on the right path to playing killin jazz piano solos and sounding your best.
Jazz Piano School, Ep 23: Arranging Standards For Solo Piano
Learning how to arrange jazz standards for both hands can be tough. Where do I put my left hand? Where do I put my right? There are specific techniques you can use to help arrange the standards in fake books so that you sound great every time. In this episode I teach you two systematic techniques that will build you a solid foundation for more lessons to come. Enjoy!
What Rootless Voicings Are, And How To Use Them
Wow! Well it’s been quite a while since my last blog post. I’ve been extremely busy gigging, teaching and trying to raise money to upgrade this site in the coming months. I’m very excited about this because I’ll be working with a great branding and marketing company by the name of Dreambox Creative. The owner […]
