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Category: articles for learn jazz piano
This is the place to read lots of articles written by Paul Abrahams that relate to your jazz practice and how to improve your jazz solos.
The turnaround in jazz, part 3.
The jazz turnaround is a sequence of 4 chords and appears in many guises. In part 2 of the turnaround in jazz we looked at a ‘I-VI-II-V’ chord sequence in the key of F major. We then exchanged the VI minor chord (Dmin7) for a dominant 7 (D7). This has now created a second V… Read more »
The Jazz turnaround part 2
The jazz turnaround is usually a sequence of four chords that starts with the tonic chord (I) and ends with the dominant (V). In part 1 we looked at what I describe as a pop turnaround, rather than a jazz turnaround. The pop turnaround looks like this: I – V I – IV – V.… Read more »
Jazz basics 3: the dominant 7 chord in jazz
Why is the dominant 7 chord in jazz so important? To answer this question I will first separate this chord into two categories: moving and static. Moving This applies generally to any classical harmony but when this dominant 7 chord in jazz is moving towards its resolution it can be thought of as a tension… Read more »
Jazz Basics, part 2
More about the most important chord in jazz: the dominant 7. When discussing jazz basics there is nothing more basic than your understanding of the dominant 7 chord and its functions. Let’s begin by taking a look at the row of the seven 7th chords constructed over one major scale. Here is an example of… Read more »
Learning jazz basics
Learning jazz basics part 1. The dominant 7 chord and its uses.
My learn jazz piano video course
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! A jazz piano video course with backing tracks, sheet music and quizzes. On week one you will also receive your free copy of my eBook: Learn jazz piano.Then, each week you… Read more »
3 reasons to learn to play jazz piano in new keys
How many of you tend to stick to your favourite keys when you play jazz piano? There are a number of reasons why us keyboard players should learn to play jazz in various keys. It’s the easy option to default to the keys of C, F or G but this can be very limiting, not… Read more »
Creative jazz practice: chapter 12, book 3
Here are some great tips for creative jazz practice. This is an extract from book 3 of Learn Jazz Piano. Click here for your link to all 4 eBooks Chapter 12: Creative jazz practice Keyboard The ideal is to practice on an acoustic piano, as the sound and action will always be superior to an… Read more »
Jazz Practice
Why practise jazz? The obvious answer has to be that we practise in order to improve. But why does the very word cause many of us to go running for the TV remote? Is it just possible that the thought of jazz practice conjures up the brain numbing activity of running up and down scales… Read more »
Working with jazz singers
Understandably, most of my jazz piano students want to improvise; their prime aim is to solo creatively. However, my 40 years as a pro keyboard player has taught me that being given the opportunity to solo comes as a bonus. A more realistic expectation for a pianist is that we will spend most of our… Read more »