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 […]
Shell Voicings for Solo Piano
What are shell voicings? Shell voicings are LH (left hand) voicings for piano which form the foundation for any third-based harmonic accompaniment. They can be found in the repertoire of great pianists such as Bud Powell, Sonny Clarke, and Phineas Newborn, to name a few. Where do they come from? These voicings define the harmony […]
How to Arrange “Here’s That Rainy Day” Like Bill Evans
Last time we looked at some orchestration techniques and the main challenges involved in playing solo piano. If you haven’t checked that out yet, click here to read that first. Today we are going to tie it all together by looking in-depth at a solo piano arrangement of Bill Evans on “Here’s That Rainy Day”. […]
Jazz Piano School Ep. 77 – 11 Ways To Add Elegance To Your Jazz Piano Playing
There are always those tiny details that instantly improve the sound of someones playing. This episode is about the little secret movements players put into their playing to add flavor and spice!
Jazz Piano School Ep. 71 – 9 Steps To Improve Your Solo Piano
We’re releasing the brand new Solo Piano System on January 23rd at 9am. In this podcast I cover 9 steps taken directly from the course that will improve your solo piano and build a solid foundation for your solo piano future.
9 Steps To Improving Your Solo Piano – The JPS Solo Piano System
Playing solo piano is the type of thing that may literally make you want to go into Crate & Barrel with a baseball bat and smash everything to bits. (Don’t tell me you’ve never thought of doing that.) Well maybe not, but still you get the idea. IT’S FRUSTRATING! How do I know? Because […]
Jazz Piano School Ep. 70 – The 7 Step Arranging Process For Solo Piano
We’re releasing the brand new Solo Piano System on January 23rd at 9am. This podcast will finally answer the question “How do I arrange my hands while playing standards to achieve a beautiful lush sound?” With these 7 steps you’ll be able to arrange any standards of your choice. The solo piano system will go into much more depth and answer all the “But what if this happens” questions.
Jazz Piano School Ep. 61 – The Oscar Peterson Style
I think we can all agree that Oscar Peterson is a beast. He was my main inspiration growing up so I’ve learned and studies his style…a lot! In this podcast I go over 11 specific characteristics in his playing that make him sound the way he does. This one is a doozy! Enjoy!
Jazz Piano School Ep. 53 – How to Harmonize Melodies Part 2
We open the flood gates to harmonization with this podcast as I show you that one note can fit and be used in any type of chord you wish in a tune. There are a substantial amount of options so take your time and realize that this is more or less like composing. Find changes that please you the most! This is about self expression. If you like it, then use it!
Jazz Piano School Ep. 52 – How to Harmonize Melodies
Harmonizing melodies can be very tricky. What chords do we pick for each melody note and when do we place them. In this harmonization beginner’s podcast, I go over how to use diatonic chords as well as some substitutes to spice up a simple melody like twinkle twinkle. Enjoy!
