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.

bebop scales part 1

Using bebop scales in your jazz solos is easier than you think! Chapter 4: of Learn Jazz Piano book 4 I don’t believe that most of us can learn jazz piano by instinct alone and these scales should be a part of your vocabulary. The key is getting the right balance of instinct and theory. Here are… 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 »

Practising Jazz Piano: THE 3RD GOLDEN RULE

Do you know the most important chord sequence when practising jazz piano? This is by far the most important chord sequence when practicing jazz piano, and you need to recognise it in its major and minor forms. Here’s the sequence in Bb major. And here’s the sequence in G minor. Both the major and minor II… 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 »

Studying Jazz Piano with Paul Abrahams: The first golden rule

Studying Jazz Piano with Paul Abrahams Golden rule number 1 when studying jazz piano: 1               When studying jazz piano, learn all your major and minor scales. Major             Major scales run horizontally through major II – V – I sequences. Don’t avoid the flat keys; they come up all the… Read more »

learning Jazz piano book 4

Here is an excerpt from learning jazz Piano book 4, in my series Learn Jazz Piano. Click here to get Learn Jazz Piano eBooks Chapter 1: The trouble with 7 chords. Because this learning jazz piano book is primarily concerned with soloing over chords, I’ll start with the chord that seems to be everywhere: the seventh. I… Read more »

Learn how to play a jazz piano solo

Is it possible to learn to play a jazz piano solo or  can you play just by instinct? The story goes that Errol Garner   couldn’t read music, but unless you’re  a genius, you need more than just good instinct. The following article was first published on WikiHow.  4 steps on how to play a jazz… Read more »

learning Jazz piano online – lesson 18

Video lesson 18 of Learning Jazz Piano online is now available and is called ‘Decoding a jazz standard.’ Can you solo your way through any jazz standard? In order to do this, you need to interpret the song’s map and identify all its key centres. Lesson 18 of learning jazz piano online helps your achieve this.… Read more »

jazz piano course online: lesson 17

Lesson 17 of my jazz piano course online. My jazz piano course online has over 30 videos and here’s a summary of lesson 17. This jazz piano lesson combines your knowledge of rootless voicings (lesson 15) and tritone substitution (lesson 16). Learn to improvise with my clear and methodical method. I show you how to use… Read more »

Lesson 15: chord voicing

For a jazz pianist, chord voicing is an essential skill. I’m now in the process of preparing lesson 15 of my video course Learn Jazz Piano Online. This 15th lesson of Learn Jazz Piano Online will be all about chord voicing, particularly how to voice left hand rootless chords. Playing these chords will achieve two… Read more »