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Category: Jazz piano articles by Paul Abrahams
Here you will find a collection of my articles relating to learning jazz piano.
Learning jazz basics
Learning jazz basics part 1. The dominant 7 chord and its uses.
My learn jazz piano Video course
A jazz piano video course with backing tracks, sheet music and quizzes. Subscribe to my Learn Jazz Piano video course and work through all 31 video lessons. It’s never been easier to learn jazz piano online!On week one you will also receive your free copy of my eBook: Learn jazz piano.Then, each week you will… Read more »
Finding the sweet notes
Finding the sweet notes In video lesson 24 of Learn Jazz Piano I focus on how songwriters employ ‘sweet notes’ to add that spine tingling effect to their melody. I then relate this to jazz improvisation and show you how to employ this technique in your solos. Here’s an extract from chapter 10 of my eBook… Read more »
Learn Jazz Piano checklist for soloing
Learn Jazz Piano checklist for soloing Here are 12 essential tips to learn jazz piano soloing. (This is an extract from my forthcoming book: Learn jazz Piano, book 4: How To Solo.) 1) Chords belong to families. A chord rarely exists in it’s own right and is far more likely to have a relationship… Read more »
Learn jazz standards, part 2. (Full list in book 3)
Learn Jazz Standards Here are 10 more jazz tunes you need to be familiar with. Although they are all popular, the two essential songs are ‘Autumn Leaves’ and ‘All The Things You Are.’The best way to learn jazz standards is to identify the map, in other words, spot the key centres. Autumn Leaves only has… Read more »
Are you ready to start jazz piano lessons?
Starting 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… 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 »
Study jazz piano: Suggested listening part 1
Three ways to study jazz piano Three ways to study jazz piano are playing, studying and listening. Playing: I can only continue to encourage you to seek out other musicians. One of the best ways to study jazz piano is by playing with other people, whether with friends, with your teacher, at an evening class or summer… Read more »
Ear not eye: a guide for learning about jazz piano
Learning about jazz piano: a musical journey. Two facts: for over 40 years, while learning about jazz piano, I have been making my living as a professional keyboard player and piano teacher, and yet failed all my music exams at secondary school. Ear not eye: a guide for learning about jazz piano I’m sure that… Read more »
The 2nd golden rule: learning to play jazz piano.
learning to play Jazz Piano with Paul Abrahams Golden rule number 2 when learning to play jazz piano: Know all your 7th chords. When studying jazz piano you must ensure that all 7th chords are under your fingers. These are 4-note chords that have intervals of either a minor 3rd or a major 3rd. A minor 3rd has… Read more »