3 Harmonization Strategies Every Jazz Pianist Needs (Ep: 192)
If you’ve been looking for a way to spice up your chord progressions, try this fun harmonization exercise! This podcast will show you how to take the simplest melodies and give them a more interesting underlying chord structure. Your harmonizations won’t be the same after this!
Creating Tension with Pedal Points (Ep: 191)
A pedal point is when you keep the same note in the bass while changing the chords on top. Doing this for a series of measures creates a sense of both connection and tension. Using pedal points builds energy so that when the bass note finally changes, the harmonies of the tune seem to burst forth like a waterfall breaking through a dam. This lesson explores how to incorporate pedal points into your own playing.
Mastering the Left Hand (pt. 2) – Fourths and Clusters (Ep: 190)
This jazz piano podcast tutorial series will show you how to mix things up and keep your left hand voicings sounding fresh. In this episode, we discuss chords you can use with structures made from fourths and clusters. After this video, you will have the sounds of McCoy Tyner and Bill Evans in the palm of your (left) hand!
Mastering the Left Hand (pt. 1) – Chord Inversions (Ep:189)
This jazz piano podcast tutorial series will show you how to work your left hand so your left hand can work for YOU! In this episode, we discuss which chords you can use in your LH voicings, first through exploring chord inversions. We will have your left hand sounding like the best of them all (Red Garland, Brad Mehldau, Keith Jarrett… ever heard of them??) by the end of this video!
“Walking the Blues” – How to Walk Basslines and Improvise Jazz Piano (Ep:188)
Have you ever wanted to play bass lines on piano and improvise at the same time? Well, with this podcast that idea could become a reality! Follow along as we explore steps to build your own bass lines and work your way toward implementing right hand improvisation over your favorite jazz tunes.
Solo Piano Architecture (Ep:187)
When playing solo piano, it’s helpful to design the flow of an arrangement. With no constraints, playing solo can quickly become boring to both the player and the listener. By developing concepts to shape your arrangements, you will achieve a greater sense of freedom in your playing and have confidence in performance.
Tips to Stay Motivated During Quarantine (Jazz Piano Practice Routine)(Ep:186)
Are you stuck inside left wondering what to practice? This week’s podcast can help with that! We’ll cover aspects of warmup routine, classical workouts, learning tunes, transcriptions and more! By the end, you are sure to have some ideas of new material and hopefully be inspired to find some new things to work on!
My 11 Step Improvisation Blueprint (Ep:185)
This piece of content is taken directly from inside our Jazz Piano School Members area. It’s called the “Improvisation Bootcamp Masterclass”. This is my 11 step improvisation blueprint that is meant to take a step back and show you all the steps you need to master in order to become the burnin’ improv player you want to be. This is juicy my friends. Now does each one of these steps take a lot of hard-work and time? Absolutely! But…if you follow this plan and move through these meticulously you’ll grow exponentially! Have fun!
Learn The Versatile Crunch Chord and Its Many Applications (Ep:184)
Whenever we dedicate time to internalizing musical material, it is ideal to choose structures that are applicable to many common jazz situations. This lesson focuses on one such structure that I have affectionately labelled the crunch chord. There are two main reasons this voicing is so versatile. First, it contains 2 tritones, so it can be used on 4 different dominant chords. Second, it contains many different smaller chords within its overarching structure. The relationships between these chords within the voicing create a unique harmonic texture that is useful for harmonizing any melody of your choosing.
Use These 3 Scales to Shred on Any Modal Tune! (Ep:183)(pt. 2)
Continuing with last week’s episode, this time we will be reviewing an advanced modal tune. Kenny Baron’s “Voyage” has many twists and turns that will always leave the audience wanting more! Learn how to shred over this tune and more in this week’s podcast.
