Overview

Combine everything you’ve learned with the final course in the Jazz Piano series

On this course you’ll expand your jazz piano repertoire and put your improvisation skills to the test in this final course in the Learn Jazz Piano ExpertTrack. On this final course in the series, you’ll combine everything you’ve learned up to now, and add some cool new skills to your musical reserves.

Learn ballads, Latin jazz and draw on other musical influences

You’ll be introduced to four advanced blues sequences and the conventions involved in playing ballads. You’ll also look at Latin jazz, Afro-Cuban influences, Brazilian influences and bossa novas.

You’ll then dive into other jazz influences - often referred to as crossovers - such as jazz funk, third steam, indo-jazz, free jazz and improvised music.

Grow your confidence in jazz comping and improvisation

You’ll then learn about a fourth route to improvisation, followed by ways to support the soloist, otherwise known as ‘comping’. There’s an opportunity to apply those new devices to ‘Beautiful Love’ and ‘My Romance’.

Put it all together

By the end of this course, you’ll have developed an arsenal of techniques, influences, and your own personal responses to each exercise to help you improvise and develop your musical style. You’ll explore pianistic and non-pianistic influences, learn some tips on the practicalities of how to practice, how to learn standards by heart, transcribe, compose, and even form a group and get gigs.

The course concludes with two programmed concerts, a solo concert and a concert from My Piano Trio to inspire you to take your music to the next level.

This course requires a basic ability to read music, play the piano and familiarity with scales. They may be of particular interest to university and college piano students studying music or jazz piano. You’ll need access to a piano or keyboard, and have a computer, tablet or smartphone set up next to it.

Syllabus

Blues Sequences and Ballads

Introduction
Blues Sequences
Ballads and the jazz standard "Body an Soul"
The jazz standard "Round Midnight"
The jazz standard "Blue In Green"
Exercises, Learning Objectives, Viewing and Listening and Discussion

Latin Jazz and Even Quavers

Introduction
Afro-Cuban Rhythms
The jazz standard "A Night In Tunisia"
Bossa Novas and the jazz standard "Recordame"
The jazz standard "The Girl From Ipanema"
Montunos
8/8 or even quavers and "Blue In Green"
The jazz standard "You Don't Know What Love Is"
Exercises, Learning Objectives Viewing and Listening, and Test

Introduction to Jazz Funk and Other Influences

Introduction
Intro to Jazz Funk
The jazz standard "Little Sunflower"
The jazz standard "Cantaloupe Island"
Other influences
Free Jazz
Improvised Music
Exercises, Learning Objectives Viewing and Listening, and Discussion.

Special Devices and Comping

Introduction
Special Devices and Comping
Hot Licks Over 2 Bars
The jazz standard "Beautiful Love"
The jazz standard "My Romance"
Exercises, Learning Objectives Viewing and Listening, and Test

Putting it all together

Introduction
Putting It All Together
The jazz standard "Maiden Voyage"
The jazz standard "My Funny Valentine"
Exercises, Learning Objectives Viewing and Listening

The Solo Piano Concert

Introduction
Issues in Planning Concerts and This Concert
The Solo Piano Concert
Recording Studio and Keyboard
A Personal History of Jazz
Exercises, Learning Objectives, Viewing and Listening, Discussion

The Piano Trio Concert

Introduction
The choice of tunes
The Piano Trio Concert
Meet the Trio
Exercises, Learning Objectives, Viewing and Listening, Final Assessments, Fun Quiz and My Recordings