Funk: The Infectious and Pungent Cousin of Jazz
The great jazz educator and drummer Justin DiCioccio has one simple motto: “make everything in life feel like a groove.” This is actually a deceptively simple token of advice, commenting on finding peace and stability in the hardest of times. But, taken on a surface level, this philosophy also happens to be a pretty spot-on […]
Developing Your Own Style: Listening Through Generations
What do Brad Mehldau, Mark Turner, and Eric Harland all have in common? They’re some of the foremost jazz musicians of our time. And yes, they’d sound amazing in a band together, of course. But what are we really talking about here? STYLE. Each one of these musicians has their own unique style and voice […]
Why Solo Piano Can Be Even More Fun Than Playing With a Band
Getting Started with Playing Solo: When you’re first starting off, playing solo piano can be a daunting task. Thankfully, it doesn’t have to be. As jazz scholars, we are often taught to play with a band before truly exploring the art of playing by ourselves. This is probably because when you get right down to […]
Understanding Jazz Theory (Part 1): 3 Most Important Jazz Theory Concepts For A Beginner
4 Chords Families While these are not the only chord families, these 4 are the main families that make up the diatonic series: Major 7th Symbols: M7, Ma7, Maj7, Δ7 Dominant 7th Symbols: 7, dom7 Minor 7th Symbols: m7, mi7, min7, -7 Minor 7 Flat 5 or Half-Diminished Symbols: m7(b5), min7(b5), ø7 Next, it is […]
Behind The Scenes: 3 Takeaways From Barry Harris Masterclass
On Monday, October 2nd, 2017 I had the privilege of participating in Barry Harris’ Masterclass at Manhattan School of Music as his ginny pig pianist. Barry is a bebop pioneer whose teaching has played an important part in the development of many jazz musicians. Here are 3 takeaways from what he showed me at this […]
Problem/Solution: What & How To Practice
Last time we examined why we practice – which is to slow down the process, extract your internal information, and achieve a high level of control in order to best equip yourself to spontaneously create. Today I am going to offer solutions to the common questions: what and how should I practice? HOW TO PRACTICE […]
Nancy Wilson and Tips for Playing with Singers
By Joanna Sabater Since Nancy Wilson recently celebrated her 78th birthday, we’re going to learn about her life and impact on jazz. We’ll also talk about some tips for playing with singers. After winning a talent contest in High School, Wilson got her start headlining a local show in Columbus, Ohio called Skyline Melodies. After graduating […]
How To Approach Incorporating Transcription Into Your Playing
-Guest Blog Post Written By Joey Lieber for Jazz Piano School. Joey Lieber is a pianist and piano / music teacher based in Westchester, NY. To follow Joey or for any questions, visit http://www.joeylieber.com A common question I’ve gotten from students is: “What is the best way to learn new vocabulary?” After all as musicians […]
Educational Perspectives of a Jazz Pianist by David Hazeltine
By David Hazeltine I was 11 years old when after 3 years of basic music instruction, I began my weekly lessons with Will Green, a very accomplished blind, Jazz pianist and organist. His style of teaching was completely hands on, meaning he taught me exactly how to play tunes with precise voicings and bass notes, […]
Active Listening – Written By Fred Hersch
I have taught jazz piano and composition for many years at music schools including New England Conservatory, The New School, The Manhattan School and have given workshops, master classes and done residencies at schools around the world; I am been lucky to have taught a number of prominent young pianists. And one thing keeps showing […]
