The Jazz Piano Thread

[2bornot2bop]

I might have to start studying the David Hazeltine. He sounds fantastic and seems to break it down well. That's the sound I want to achieve.

He knows Jazz Piano and is a great teacher!

[2bornot2bop]

It's kinda nice having a jazz piano thread on the jazz guitar forum. Now time for some instruction posts.

Kent Hewitt is an accomplished player, formerly from New York. Lots of lessons from his channel.

[2bornot2bop]

And a great arrangement with The Look Of Love..

[2bornot2bop]

Pedal Tones

[2bornot2bop]

More 4th voicings ala McCoy, Oscar Peterson, etc.

[2bornot2bop]

And the great Bill Evans explained

[Clint 55]

He was really going to town with his left hand on that first tune. Great lesson.

[2bornot2bop]

He was really going to town with his left hand on that first tune. Great lesson.

You noticed that too! Kent Hewitt is a gift to YouTube.

[Clint 55]

Yep, because I like interwoven left hand parts. When I'm playing I'll usually think, 'I should try to do more with the left hand, nah I'll just comp and do a few things.' I hear him and he's going to town the whole time.

[bleakanddivine]

I started the guitar with conventional harmony about 50 years ago, and, like many, I've bolted on some Barry Harris ideas over the past couple of years.

I got a keyboard at Christmas and started diligently working on ii-V-I voicings (per Coker and Levine), having in the back of my mind that I would convert to a BH way of thinking/playing later on when I'd mastered the conventional basics.

But then it ocurred to me that it might be interesting (and/or even more efficient) to start the BH way from the outset. Does anybody actually learn piano exclusively from a BH perspective? Are there any materials out there to support this? Did Barry (or anyone else) ever teach rank beginners his way? I can see that you might need a certain basic level of harmonic understanding to grasp some of the BH material, but I already have that from the guitar. Should I just start working out M6, m6 and dim voicings instead of m7, 7 and M7?

[Clint 55]

You will need to know how to build every chord, so don't skip certain ones. Ime, bh is how to add more sophistication into chording. It's something which isn't necessary to learn at the beginning, but you could totally start developing it now if you wanted to. I'm an intermediate keys player and I use it only a little bit. I play mostly Hammond so having my foot, left hand, and right hand all in time, and a good right hand line is more important than doing sophisticated bh chording. Although I would like to get that down eventually.

[Jazz_175]

I did a certificate in Jazz playing at St Andrews University one year, but couldn't move into the second year for the Diploma, as they insisted on piano playing as a second subject. I tried really hard, but just couldn't connect brain, keys and fingers. I demonstrated I could do all their exercises on guitar, and they were impressed, but "rules is rules!".

Their point was that they weren't trying to turn me into a pianist, but that the piano helped with theory and orchestration. Again I argued I could do all that from the guitar, but...ah well.

I did that course too many years ago in St Andrews! I only did the advanced course and learned how to play Autumn Leaves on piano (just the main theme). As far as I remember the left hand playing was done only with 3rd and seventh of the chord.

We used to go on monday evenings to Edinburgh from St Andrews for jam sessions at Eighty-Queen-Street Pub!
I remember the house-pianist was exceptionally good, his name might have been Patrick, if I well remember.

[2bornot2bop]

I did a certificate in Jazz playing at St Andrews University one year, but couldn't move into the second year for the Diploma, as they insisted on piano playing as a second subject. I tried really hard, but just couldn't connect brain, keys and fingers. I demonstrated I could do all their exercises on guitar, and they were impressed, but "rules is rules!".

Their point was that they weren't trying to turn me into a pianist, but that the piano helped with theory and orchestration. Again I argued I could do all that from the guitar, but...ah well.

With your knowledge you’d have easily become a fine pianist. You simply needed two things. Time. And a “want” to. To be willing to sit and play a tune in all twelve key’s requires a huge want to. But it’s all right, perhaps in your next lifetime.

[Alter]

I studied classical piano for a few years as a kid. I tend to play/practice a few months a year, then other stuff takes over. At some point i practiced scales, chords and arpeggios, but basically i just play tunes and use it for theory. Meaning, a lot of jazz stuff comes naturally to me on the guitar nowadays, but on the piano i need to think about what i'm trying to do, substitutions, theory, etc., so it's a great workout.

I have a digital and a upright piano, but having a grant piano... and the room for it.. nothing compares to this sound! Maybe one day. Between all the notes you can play on a good piano, and the overtones, i'd end up like Keith Jarrett, where you can spend forever just listening to one chord! Guitar is so much simpler, acoustically speaking. And i much prefer the physical aspect of playing a guitar to that of a piano.

[2bornot2bop]

I studied classical piano for a few years as a kid. I tend to play/practice a few months a year, then other stuff takes over. At some point i practiced scales, chords and arpeggios, but basically i just play tunes and use it for theory. Meaning, a lot of jazz stuff comes naturally to me on the guitar nowadays, but on the piano i need to think about what i'm trying to do, substitutions, theory, etc., so it's a great workout.

I have a digital and a upright piano, but having a grant piano... and the room for it.. nothing compares to this sound! Maybe one day. Between all the notes you can play on a good piano, and the overtones, i'd end up like Keith Jarrett, where you can spend forever just listening to one chord! Guitar is so much simpler, acoustically speaking. And i much prefer the physical aspect of playing a guitar to that of a piano.

Ask a piano player and they’d prefer piano 10/10. We each have our preferences. There’s no wrong answer. But you said it yourself. Being awash in overtones, there’s nothing like it. And you only truly get that playing a decent grand. I’ve owned uprights and two grands. I’ve been more inspired to sit at a grand. Digital piano’s are a poor substitute. All these years of trying, yet they still aren’t there. There’s only one that comes close, the Nord, and it’s $5k. Cheap compared to a guitar, I know. But digital’s are fantastic for the other sounds they produce.

[Bop Head]

Ask a piano player and they’d prefer piano 10/10. We each have our preferences. There’s no wrong answer. But you said it yourself. Being awash in overtones, there’s nothing like it. And you only truly get that playing a decent grand. I’ve owned uprights and two grands. I’ve been more inspired to sit at a grand. Digital piano’s are a poor substitute. All these years of trying, yet they still aren’t there. There’s only one that comes close, the Nord, and it’s $5k. Cheap compared to a guitar, I know. But digital’s are fantastic for the other sounds they produce.

Did you try Pianoteq which is based on physical modeling? The basic version with two piano models is only 129 EUR. The demos on the website sound great. Disadvantage: You need a computer if you would like to use it life but the website says it could be run off a Raspberry Pi.

[Bop Head]

I am not playing piano more myself than knowing how to figure out chords on a keyboard but I think Shan Verma is a good teacher for online lessons. He has a YouTube channel called JazzSkills. He is a Barry Harris student and I like his calm and pleasantly unagitated way in those videos.

[Filmosound 621]

I bought my upright Piano - a Yamaha SU-118 - about three years ago, without having played a single note on any keyboard instrument before - ever.

When it got delivered, I thought I had made one of the bigger mistakes in my Life so far, as I had no idea how to approach it.

Anyway, I realized within minutes how much fun it is and it became my main instrument pretty soon,

As with guitar, I play my own stuff solely, 100%


I play guitar still, every day, but it it my #2 instrument now.



I have had 2 vintage vibe e-pianos but sold them, the Rhodes sound is not mine, it kills my ears, when turned up in volume.

I have a Wurlitzer 207 ( 2nd now ), that needs a new amp.

And I have a digital Piano as of lately ( Yamaha P-115 ), of which I love dearly as well.


I get up at 6 am, to play Piano in the morning sun around 7 then.

thank you.

[2bornot2bop]

Did you try Pianoteq which is based on physical modeling? The basic version with two piano models is only 129 EUR. The demos on the website sound great. Disadvantage: You need a computer if you would like to use it life but the website says it could be run off a Raspberry Pi.

I was unaware of those programs. Thank you for the tip. I’m going to check them out. They sound really good!

I bought my upright Piano - a Yamaha SU-118 - about three years ago, without having played a single note on any keyboard instrument before - ever.

When it got delivered, I thought I had made one of the bigger mistakes in my Life so far, as I had no idea how to approach it.

Anyway, I realized within minutes how much fun it is and it became my main instrument pretty soon,

As with guitar, I play my own stuff solely, 100%


I play guitar still, every day, but it it my #2 instrument now.



I have had 2 vintage vibe e-pianos but sold them, the Rhodes sound is not mine, it kills my ears, when turned up in volume.

I have a Wurlitzer 207 ( 2nd now ), that needs a new amp.

And I have a digital Piano as of lately ( Yamaha P-115 ), of which I love dearly as well.


I get up at 6 am, to play Piano in the morning sun around 7 then.

thank you.

That’s a wonderful story, thank you for sharing! Welcome to my world!

[Bobby Timmons]

Bumping the jazz piano thread. Wanted to list my top favorite jazz pianists, though there are others.

1. T Monk
2. Bill Evans
3. Herbie Hancock
4. Bud Powell
5. Hank Jones
6. Bobby Timmons

[Petimar]

I'm trying to gain understanding on bebop line construction. Particularly over a basic jazz blues.

no better place to go than learn the Barry Harris stuff.

[frabarmus]

I wasn't aware of this thread... nice one!

To answer the OP's first question, I've got this book that I think is great. It even has a lot of "Keyboard fingering boxes" (the equivalent of guitar fingering boxes for keyboard players). Written by a pianist for non (or should I say: not necessairily) pianists.

https://www.shermusic.com/1883217121.php

[Bobby Timmons]

Old Hank Jones, old BH, and Bill are my jam right now.