Learning the fundamentals of playing jazz
piano will be an exciting adventure, if you keep one thing in mind:
it's like learning a language. With experience, you become more and
more versed. You mightspeak English very well. Do you know every
word in the English language? Of course not. And, to get your point
across, when speaking to someone, you are more than competent. Well,
the same hold true for playing jazz. The more you gain experience, and
the more confident you become and, as it is with the English language
(or any other), you decide which words are to your liking and which
ones are not.
Learning jazz scales is like that. For
example you might be playing a C7 chord in your left hand. Since there
is a direct correlation between chords and scales, you might choose to
improvise, with your right hand, a melody using the C scale that
looks like this:
C D E F G A Bb C
At another time, with the same C7 chord
being played in your left hand, you might opt to play this C
scale:
C D E F# G A Bb C
Both jazz scales are fine. Is one better
than the other? Not necessarily. It depends on the situation and what
you prefer. Do you have to know both of them before you can start
improvising on a C7 chord? Of course not. But once you get involved
more and more with playing jazz piano, you won't have second thoughts
about wanting to know more and more. It's exciting!
So, where does one begin? Well, there are a couple of
directions we'd like to offer you:
If you have no experience
with playing jazz piano, get involved with Rocket
Piano. As a matter of fact, this comprehensive music software
program will take you from the ground up, from elementary skills such
as learning your music notes to offering you their very own Rocket
Piano Jazz Piano Book, which is part of the program. Very
good.
Have some experience with piano playing and want to
move onto jazz piano? Then here it is: Jazz Basics and
Fundamentals. So nicely illustrated and effective! Video
clips put you right in the game. Clearly your choice if you play a
little piano and want to learn jazz piano the fun way. You are taking
one inspiring journey!
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