Jazz Piano School

Finally some jazz chords to start learning! 7th chords are the main type of harmony that create jazz. Any time you are listening to jazz you can be sure you are hearing some form of 7th chords. These chords are going to be the building blocks to learning all sorts of jazz standards! Practice them hard!

Adding some very simple rhythms can really spice up your playing. Check out how you can immediately upgrade your playing with some up beats! Easy Easy stuff.

Finally I talk about how to actually play charts. I know someone of you are like "FINALLY!". In this episode I talk about reading chord changes, how to decipher how many beats per chord change and what slash chords are. There is a lot more to playing pieces, but this is the first place to start in which you will actually be able to hear the harmonies of the piece. I guarantee it will make you feel pretty good to be able to hear the tune!

Avishai Cohen gives another masterclass at the reno jazz festival. He doesn't repeat anything he said in the first class, so pay attention. He has a lot of valuable insight to learn jazz. Enjoy!

Avishai Cohen is a leading trumpet player in the jazz scene. This masterclass was recorded at the Reno Jazz Festival. He has a lot of great insight into advancing as a student, and what to practice. Enjoy!

It can be hard to achieve goals in life. No matter what you are attempting to accomplish. There are certain things you need to know in order to keep going. That certain this is the "Why" for why you want to accomplish your goal. As long as you know that you can do anything, like play jazz piano! This podcast will help you gain confidence and believe you can connect with this music in ways you never dreamed of.

Voiceleading triad inversions will skyrocket your playing in seconds. Once you learn how to implement this technique into your playing you will be able to play any pop / rock / triad type of chart, yes any. Work hard at this method because as I always say, these beginning steps will be a gateway into more complicated jazz voicings to come. And they are coming very soon!

In this episode I talk about what an inversion is. Inversions are great for making all of your voicings and tunes sound better. They help the chord changes flow better and make your playing sound smooth! Practice your inversions and you'll immediately sound better!

Why are major and minor triads useful? They are the stepping stones to all complicated and beautiful jazz voicings. If you know your major and minor triads well you will be able to progress to more advanced voicings with ease. Listen to this podcast to learn how to find your major and minor triads and how they relate to pop tunes.

My good friend and also Dr. Samuel Griffith shares his insight about jazz. He has traveled and played in many different cities with many different artists. When it comes to jazz pedagogy and playing he is the man to talk to. I was learning so much even as I was interviewing him. I strongly suggest you get a pen and paper to take notes because this interview is filled with nuggets you can use in your playing! Enjoy!

Ballads can be tricky to play over because they are going so slllowwwlllyyy. What do you do to spice things up? Listen to the way Wynton Marsalis phrases his lines in this ballad recording I took when I was in college at the New School University. It's an amazing texture to have available to use. Instead of holding out long lines with his horn, he actually plays very simply short lines and ends them with a short articulation. It's as if he is talking through his trumpet and putting periods at the end of all of his lines. I hope you enjoy this. If you have questions please feel free to comment and I will do my best to answer. Enjoy!

Major scales are extremely important to learn and heres why! They help with your movement around the piano. They will help increase your harmony and theory knowledge. You will be able to grasp improvisation concepts much easier. You need them for practically all future steps in this podcast! Now if that last reason isn't good enough to learn them then I don't know what is. Goodluck and happy practicing!

Eric Harland gives a masterclass at Next Gen Jazz Festival in Monterey, 2014. He offers some great insight and knowledge! Enjoy!

This is a great podcast for beginners, to get started on 5 very easy steps today! With these steps you'll have a plan to begin your learning. The best part is they're very easy so you can begin today if you'd like. I know starting is the hardest part so I really wanted to give everyone simple, simple steps to get started so you didn't feel overwhelmed. The first step is by far the easiest and fun! The next steps get slightly more challenging, and by challenging I mean the amount of effort it takes to get off the couch and walk to the kitchen. So goodluck, and as always post questions if you have any!

After a months of nit picking details on the website, I've finally moved into launching the podcast. This will a completely new education facet into learning jazz not to mention extremely accessible. I have always listened to podcast while driving to teach, and I thought it would be great if there was a jazz piano podcast. I have a lot in mind for the podcast, including live interviews and demonstrations with my previous teachers, live rehearsal and gig recordings, tips on all topics and much more. If there is anything you would like to specifically hear or have questions, please ask them in in the comments section or email me at podcast@jazzpianoschool.com. Enjoy!