Month: August 2014

Learn Jazz standards part 3: Tunes in 3/4 time

Learn Jazz standards part 3:Tunes in 3/4 time I’m guessing that as you learn jazz standards most of your repertoire is in 4/4 time. However, 3/4 is just as important and fun to play. This time I’ve also given you the structure (form) of each tune. If you just want to start learning jazz standards and… Read more »

Building your Jazz Repertoire part 2: Latin

All these tunes in this jazz repertoire have a straight 8 feel rather than swing. The world of Latin American music is vast and would take a lifetime of study. What we are looking at here when building jazz repertoire is a small collection of jazz repertoire tunes with a Latin feel; songs that are likely… Read more »

Building a Jazz Repertoire part 1: The Blues

Building a Jazz Repertoire part 1:17 essential blues tunes. When building a jazz repertoire there’s no better place to start than with the blues. Notice that blues compositions are not confined to the jazz musicians that we associate  with the genre. We have everyone here from Miles Davis and Charlie Parker to Mingus and Monk. The… Read more »

Are you ready to start jazz piano lessons?

I receive many enquiries from people who want to start jazz piano lessons but I take on only about 10% of them. So why do I turn away so many potential students? One of the first questions I ask is ‘Do you listen to jazz?’ and if the answer is ‘no’ then my interest quickly wanes.… Read more »

Great jazz albums part 4

Great jazz albums This is the final instalment of my list of great jazz albums. You can find the complete list in book 3 of my eBook Learn  Jazz Piano. Click here for the link I begin with my favourite jazz musician of all time: John Coltrane, and to chose just one album is almost… Read more »