Stevie Wonder’s music has a sweet spot in jazz - it’s an infectious combination of singable, lyrical, catchy pop melodies combined with at times complex and advanced jazz harmonies that would prove challenging to any jazz soloist. For many music fans Stevie Wonder’s music represents a great intersection between jazz and pop. This makes his […]
Thelonious Monk is one of the most iconic musicians in jazz history. His recordings and compositions are characterized by noticeably angular rhythms, chords, and melodies that highlight his unique approach to jazz vocabulary. Perhaps his most famous composition - 'Round Midnight - has become an absolute must-know jazz standard. Monk's personal piano style is on […]
The bossa nova style is a combination of soft samba (with less percussion) and American jazz, with a focus on melody, romance, and beach culture. Perhaps one of the most famous bossa nova composers (sometimes referred to as the "father of bossa nova") is the Brazilian pianist and guitarist Antonio Carlos Jobim. Jobim composed some […]
The major bebop scale is a very powerful scale that can be incredibly helpful to jazz pianists in a number of ways. It's a tool that can be an excellent device for improvisation as well as jazz arranging. The 8-note scale is built by combining two different chords. In this article we'll discuss the theory […]
Voice leading. Maybe you've heard that term before in musical circles and not fully understood what it means. Voice leading is not just an interesting topic discussed by musicians, it is an absolutely essential part of playing rock piano. And as luck would have it, you've come to the right place. Because in this article […]
Rock keyboard soloing is an important part of a keyboardist's development. Soloing in any context requires that the player is familiar with chords, scales, and keys. Rock is no exception. So in order to go deeper with this you need to learn a couple helpful scales that the pros know (and use masterfully). In this […]
Funk harmony. That terms gets used a lot in funk keyboard lessons. It's an important concept for all musicians to understand, but it's especially important for keyboard players to understand. Why? Because when we hear the term 'harmony,' we naturally think of chords - and rightfully so. After all, harmony responsibilities in the form of […]
Funk keyboard tricks of the pros... well, not "tricks" exactly. There's no "inside secret" that the professionals know and refuse to share with the rest of the world. But there is a little thing called "experience" - something the pros have and the advancing students need. Have you ever wondered why your playing doesn't sound […]
Harmonic analysis is an incredibly important key in unlocking the mysteries of music. By understanding and using harmonic analysis we can answer questions such as "what was the composer thinking about (musically) when he/she wrote this music?" Or, "what chords are being used to make this song sound so good?" Or, "what role are each […]
The hardest part of practicing the piano is finding the time. In our busy world, it is not always easy to set aside 30 minutes a day to practice the piano. In addition, the fact that the piano is often practiced solo (not in a group setting) only exacerbates the situation. I’ve learned over the […]
One of the first overwhelming concepts you encounter when you begin studying jazz piano is the number of chords and chord progressions. There are a lot. A real lot. But when you really break it down there are actually a finite number of chords. And to be perfectly honest with you, the VAST majority of […]
Blues piano improvisation is an essential skill for a blues piano player. One simple form and yet the blues is played in jazz, rock, pop, country, and, well... the blues. We're not gonna talk a lot of theory here. Instead we're gonna offer some practical advice and tips to help you focus on some essential […]