Jazz Piano Course

Lesson 1 • Keyboard Geography and Hand Position

Covers key layout, finger numbering, and ergonomic hand posture. Establishes physical habits that prevent injury and support technique throughout the course.

Lesson 2 • Intervals and the Major Scale

Defines melodic and harmonic intervals and constructs major scales in all twelve keys. Interval recognition underpins chord and melody work in every later chapter.

Lesson 3 • Basic Chord Construction

Derives triads and seventh chords from scale degrees. Students gain the harmonic vocabulary needed to begin voicing jazz chords in subsequent chapters.

Lesson 1 • Three- and Four-Note Voicings

Expands shells by adding fifths, ninths, and color tones. Students build a practical chord vocabulary usable in comping and solo piano contexts.

Lesson 2 • Chord Inversions and Voice Leading

Teaches first, second, and third inversions and smooth voice leading between chords. Smooth motion reduces hand movement and creates professional-sounding progressions.

Lesson 3 • Quartal and Cluster Voicings

Explores voicings built in fourths and tight chromatic clusters. These modern sounds expand harmonic options beyond tertian chord stacking.

Lesson 4 • Shell Voicings and Guide Tones

Introduces two-note shells using roots, thirds, and sevenths. These minimal voicings clarify harmonic function and form the basis for all fuller voicing techniques.

Lesson 1 • Modes of the Major Scale

Derives all seven modes from the major scale and maps each to a chord quality. Modal awareness is essential for choosing correct scales during improvisation.

Lesson 2 • Diminished and Whole-Tone Scales

Teaches symmetrical diminished and whole-tone scales and their harmonic contexts. Symmetry enables efficient transposition and creates distinctive jazz textures.

Lesson 3 • Blues Scale and Pentatonics

Introduces major and minor pentatonics and the six-note blues scale. These scales provide the idiomatic vocabulary at the core of jazz and blues expression.

Lesson 1 • Comping in Ensemble Context

Adapts comping density and register to support other musicians. Listening and space-leaving are as important as rhythmic accuracy in a band setting.

Lesson 2 • Rhythmic Displacement and Syncopation

Develops anticipations, delayed attacks, and off-beat accents. These rhythmic devices create forward momentum and stylistic authenticity in jazz comping.

Lesson 3 • Two-Hand Coordination in Comping

Integrates right-hand melody with left-hand rhythmic comping. Coordination exercises build the independence required for solo and ensemble piano playing.

Lesson 4 • Left-Hand Comping Patterns

Builds independent left-hand rhythmic comping using shell and guide-tone voicings. Left-hand independence frees the right hand for melody and improvisation.

Lesson 1 • Phrasing, Space, and Dynamics

Develops breath-like phrasing, strategic rests, and dynamic shaping in solos. Musical phrasing transforms technically correct lines into expressive jazz statements.

Lesson 2 • Approach Notes and Chromatic Lines

Introduces diatonic and chromatic approach notes to decorate chord tones. These devices add bebop character and smooth melodic motion to improvised lines.

Lesson 3 • Improvising Over ii-V-I Progressions

Applies scales, arpeggios, and approach notes to the most common jazz progression. Mastery of ii-V-I unlocks the ability to navigate the majority of jazz standards.

Lesson 4 • Motivic Development in Solos

Teaches repetition, sequence, and variation of short melodic motifs. Motivic logic gives solos narrative coherence and makes improvisation sound composed.

Lesson 1 • Repertoire Building Strategy

Establishes a systematic method for learning and retaining multiple standards. A broad repertoire is essential for professional gigging and jam session participation.

Lesson 2 • Performing a Standard Solo Piano

Integrates melody, comping, and bass line into a complete solo piano arrangement. Solo piano performance demands simultaneous management of all musical layers.

Lesson 3 • Harmonic Analysis of Standards

Identifies key centers, secondary dominants, and modal interchange in standard tunes. Harmonic analysis accelerates memorization and informs improvisation decisions.

Lesson 4 • Common Jazz Song Forms

Analyzes AABA, blues, and rhythm changes forms structurally. Understanding form guides improvisation choices and ensemble communication during performance.

Lesson 1 • Tritone Substitution in Improvisation

Applies tritone substitution to dominant chords in real-time soloing. The technique adds chromatic tension and expands melodic options over ii-V-I progressions.

Lesson 2 • Pentatonic Superimposition

Superimposes non-obvious pentatonic scales over chord changes for modern color. This technique is central to post-bop and contemporary jazz improvisation.

Lesson 3 • Outside Playing and Tension

Explores deliberate playing outside the key for expressive tension and release. Controlled outside playing distinguishes advanced improvisers from intermediate players.

Lesson 4 • Bebop Scales and Vocabulary

Introduces the bebop dominant and major scales and classic bebop melodic patterns. Bebop vocabulary connects students to the foundational language of modern jazz.

Lesson 1 • Stride and Swing Era Piano

Covers left-hand stride patterns and swing-era comping conventions. Historical style fluency enriches a pianist's vocabulary and enables period-appropriate performance.

Lesson 2 • Funk, Latin, and Fusion Grooves

Introduces Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, and funk rhythmic feels at the piano. Cross-genre fluency expands professional opportunities and stylistic range.

Lesson 3 • Bebop and Hard Bop Styles

Applies bebop vocabulary and hard bop rhythmic intensity to performance. These styles form the technical and expressive core of mainstream jazz piano.

Lesson 4 • Modal and Post-Bop Approaches

Explores static modal harmony and the open textures of post-bop piano. Modal playing demands a different improvisational logic than changes-based jazz.