I'm getting more into playing jazz piano when I compose (I write piano/vocal) but I want to spice up my chord progressions by learning more jazz theory. How can I improve my chord identification and knowledge of chords. I know the basic major and minor positions but I want to get better at knowing which notes to add for 11 , 23, tritones all that good stuff. How do you learn to quickly recognize what a certain chord relative to the root is?

Help understanding Red Garland’s comping style in this video?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Djh5N1y3abU

I’m fascinated by all the subtle differences in his comping throughout the performance. It feels like he’s using specific intervals and voicings that add so much color and depth. I also notice he includes non-diatonic notes like naturals and flats—how does he know when to include these and make it work? Is there some kind of formula or system behind it, or is he just "moving the keys around" intuitively?

I’m finding it hard to move past just playing simple inversions, basic seventh chords, or normal shell chords when I comp. I’d love to understand what’s happening in his approach and how I can develop this kind of comping style. Are there exercises or concepts I should focus on to make my comping more interesting like this?

Thanks in advance for any advice or insight!

Hello,

I have two goal in my comping, first is to spread out my voicings over both my hands for a more airy and full sound, and the second is to be able to create melodic movements within, this while being diatonic on the dominant. Have only gotten fragments of this in my research and I'd love to get some help.

The most obvious way to create more spread out and full voicing is to use quartal harmony which is what I wish to use. And there seem to be a few ways, one using every other note of the pentatonic scale and another is the so what voicing system. (Or are they the same?)

One way to create melodic movement is inversions and another is movement within a scale. 1. Moving quartal voicing within a pentatonic scale for instance [1] or 2. moving around in a mode [2]. Both these systems have their own problems and quirks. Using the first system we never have 9 on the minor 7 chord and we only use 6/9 on a major chord if I want the avoid the #11. The second system has vague harmony emphasizing the entire dorian mode. Good for modal, but maybe not for "regular" jazz, I don't know.

The diatonic dominant chord using the stacked fourths (and one aug fourth) is the Dom13. G13 would be F B E A D. I am open to breaking out of the diatonics here with #11 here as well but b9 and b13 must be used with caution when comping.

I have difficult tying it all together however. I realize how I construct the minor and major using the so what voicing system or the "magic" one but tying it with the dominant 13 in between is difficult. The Dom13 inversion which sounds good to my ear is when the the 3 and 7 are on the bottom. The other versions sounds a little weird but maybe it would sound better in context.

So what I've found for melodic spread out comping is essentially using the quartal system for minor/major and tying them together with a Dom13. In other words for each of the 5 inversions of the minor chord, move to closes Dom13 inversions, and then move to closes major inversions. That would give 5 inversions on every 2-5-1 to move between.

Regarding alternations on the dominant, that is the next step in my opinion. Being able to comp melodically diatonically is more important.

Have anyone here already mastered this and can give me directions?

Hi everyone, I’m just starting out with transcription and have some questions I’d love to hear your thoughts on:

1. General Tips: Do you have any tips for someone new to transcribing?
2. Your Experience: How has transcribing helped you in your playing or understanding of jazz?
3. Recommendations: Are there specific songs or artists that you found especially valuable to transcribe when you started?
4. Time Commitment: How long do you typically spend on a transcription, and do you try to learn the whole thing?
5. Chords: How do you pick out chords and identify them accurately?
6. Improvisation Exercises: What other exercises or practices, besides transcribing, have helped you improve your improvisation?
7. Incorporation: How do you incorporate the ideas you transcribe into your playing?
8. Focus Areas: What kinds of things do you focus on when transcribing?
9. Anything Else: Are there any other insights or advice you’d like to share about transcription?

I’m really eager to improve my jazz piano and would appreciate any wisdom you have to share. Thanks!

Is anyone aware of some place to find all the Christmas standards like you would normal standards in fake books? I'm not looking for complete jazz arrangements, just a lead sheet with the basic harmony (6th/7th chords). I'll add the substitutions and color tones from there. I just need them all in one place so I can quickly dump them in my set list when playing solo at venues, and I don't have the time to do my own charts one by one

https://on.soundcloud.com/Qxb7i

I am playing with a korg krome 88 recorded it to a midi file and played it back on 2 pianoteq presets after doing a velocity curve calibration. So there are 3 playbacks in the recording.

Playing crazy he calls me just as an accompanist ..sorta rubato. I'm imagining the singer in my head, but you can't hear it :)

To my ears the korg doesn't sound that much worse than the pianoteq. Maybe I'm missing something.

Midi playback of me playing on 3 different digitals which sounds best? Which sounds worst?

https://on.soundcloud.com/2sFYM

EDIT. The pianos were

1. Pianoteq Steinway jazz.
2. Korg krome grand piano
3. Pianoteq Steinway classical

View Poll

I’ve been playing guitar for over 20 years, I also play other instruments, which overall has given me a really great understanding of how music works.

I actually have a piano and have been playing for a really long time but only in passing. I can build chords, I know exactly which notes to flat/sharp in a given key.

But I do not have piano technique. I use piano to write lyrics pretty often. I have kept it very simple over the years. If I’m playing an E major chord, I have two E’s in my left hand, thumb and pinky. In the right hand, I have the E major triad. Sometimes root position, sometimes an inversion.

It’s as simple as I could get. Just so I can play the chords and write Melodies on paper.

So I have no technique. But I would love to learn jazz piano. Even just to play the chords along with some music. I’m trying to find some stuff on YouTube to get me set in the right direction, but every teacher there seems to assume I know nothing about music at all. They all consist largely of basic theory, how to build chords, the Roman numeral system, things like that. Stuff I already know by heart from playing other instruments.

Does anyone know of a channel, or even an online resource from another site, that doesn’t spend so much time on this? Someplace that assumes you already know more than enough about music, and simply focuses on how to apply what I already know onto the piano?

I’m at a point where I need to change up my right hand melody playing with something more. I’m all single note with maybe one chord tone under it. But it’s getting a bit stale.

Wondering a full foray into locked hands would be the right next move? Or any other techniques would be better to gain the ability to better voice some stuff under the melody with my right?

Just looking for suggestions. What worked best for you all?

I teach and I’ve learned that there is a fine line between too hard and doable for students who are learning to improvise solos. After we’ve gone though chord theory and chord scales, it is difficult for them to get passed the next step of transcribing. Some take off with it and others just can’t figure it out. What might be the best first solos and standards to transcribe? I’m hoping that if I can find other doable things, I can help them through it without any issues getting overwhelmed.

Looking to learn the language of jazz piano from the perspective of an advanced classical pianist. I know how to improv pop/rock styles on guitar and piano, and I can stumble through a lead sheet without doing any solo sections alright. I've got a Bill Evans book that has everything notated, but I can't seem to play any of this naturally. I think the physical aspect of playing Jazz doesn't come naturally. I know the vocabulary well enough through my composition background but again, I just can't express it in a way that doesn't sound forced when I'm actually playing. Any good piano book recommendations? I'm considering taking lessons again which might help :)

Hi All, I am pretty new to jazz piano and just started to discover it through Youtube. I came across this really cool collection of tunes on Youtube. To seasoned jazzers I guess it probably sounds derivative but I really loved the vibe and have even transcribed and learned the first solo on All of Me, and playing the chords. There is no information about who plays on these songs (they are all jazz standards), so I was wondering if anyone could listen to these songs, esp the piano solos and tell me which great pianists they sound like, or are trying to imitate, so I can then discover and go deeper into them! thanks
New York Jazz Lounge

So, as the title suggests, i’m looking for a old sounding piano. Not a badly sampled one. I love prestine sounds without noise etc (embertone walker, ivory 3 american is my current favs).

I want an upright that sounds worn. Loved and cared for you know, not an wildly out of tune ”honky tonk piano” but… you know something that sounds like a lifelike small home piano? Not recorded in a big lush hall but intimate and dry sounding.

I could just sample my own, but that would take forever. And i could just record my own piano we got in the kitchen, but i’m not a good enough pianist to not make errors. I need to be able to correct the performance afterwards… so i’m looking for something in the middle. :) making instrumentals for local artists, and piano is not my main instrument. Thought maybe you guys would know?

Take care Niclas

Title.

I'm a classically trained musician who has been learning jazz piano for a while now - I usually put in about 2 hours per day, missing maybe 1 day every week due to work. But that's me on the "come up".

I'm wondering how much and for how long "established" jazz musicians practice - musicians who can charge for their music basically.

Hi all,

I feel like every time I post here, I'm seeking some kind of validation. "Am I okay? Should I quit? Is it okay to like what I like?"

And I see similar posts from other players, learners, beginners, etc.

I appreciate your indulgence and support.

I recently joined a jazz combo at a local community college, and I find myself really struggling. Not only with understanding the music itself (we're doing a lot of post-bop stuff... not that I even understand what that means, but it's how the instructor refers to it), but also the notion that if I *can't* understand/play/enjoy this stuff, then I may as well give up on playing the things that I actually enjoy listening to and aspire to play. And that maybe I'm a little bit of a simpleton for not being able to get into the "harder" stuff.

I adore a lot of the things I've heard from Bill Evans, and even modern players like Edward Simon, or a lot of the people I hear playing behind singers like Gretchen Parlato and Veronica Swift. Is it wild of me to assume that those players have a lot of other chops and styles in their back pockets, and that if I don't start enjoying the stuff that seems so inaccessible to me, I may as well give up?

I know that this all seems like there's an easy answer: "Play what you like. No one is judging you for not liking post-bop, or hard-bop." But it sure *feels* like I'm being judged by those around me. I feel like the direct audience of comedian Paul F. Tompkins's great bit on jazz.

So, if anyone here has ever felt this way, please let me know. Maybe so I just don't feel so alone, and that there might be a path out of the mire and weeds I feel caught in? I'm not doomed to be "not cool enough to play jazz," am I?

Thank you again, JazzPiano community, for your support and time.

I have been learning jazz piano for about a month now and in my previous lesson. My teacher told me to accent the offbeat. Maybe I have a bad sense of rhythm but I can’t seem to do it consistently.

What is the best way to practice this?

Everything out there is for soloing in bebop style. I want to know voicings that John Lewis, Russ Freeman etc played in the 40's and 50's, and what their lead sheets looked like. I have a pretty good ear, but not nearly good enough to pick out piano voicings on those old recordings.

Another fantastic resource would be photos of the actual lead sheets they used back then, I'm guessing they don't exist. Every modern transcription is an over analyzed chord symbol trying to spell out the voicings, and usually only on the solo sections, but I know that's not what their lead sheets looked like.

I’m a teacher with a classical background. I can play off lead sheets with boring voicings but that’s about it, I played in some combos in college but wasn’t very successful. I’ve got an advanced student who wants to learn jazz well enough to play with people, so I’m taking the opportunity to learn along with him. He can already play ballads beautifully so we’re focusing on voicings, comping on uptempo tunes, and improvising. Taking him through Mark Levine’s book.

Question: this week to supplement the voicing and comp stuff, I had him transcribe the first 24 bars of Wynton Kelly’s solo on Freddie Freeloader (off Kind of Blue). When you transcribe, is it useful to also learn the solo? Or is it better to focus on some licks you like and learn them in different keys?

Such a beautifully muted and patient collection of performances. Does anyone know of similar albums? I’ve looked into other Oscar Peterson records but most of the other records I’ve found feature some noticeably more up-tempo tracks the playing is busy and not as sparse as I’d like. Pastel Moods is such perfect background music. The Bill Evan’s stuff I have is great too but again, sometimes the drumming is too present or the playing is frenetic and commands too much attention. A record of sparse and tuneful playing with minimal accompaniment (maybe even just some double bass) is what I’m looking for. Thanks in advance!

I've really started getting into playing more jazz piano lately (I'm primarily a guitarist) and i got the bill Evans Omni book and i absolutely love this style of playing. I want to listen to more pianist that play in this style. Obviously that's very broad and i know could just listen to all the jazz giants, but i wanted to know if you guys had any personal suggestions of some pieces that you find special when it comes to solo jazz piano!