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 CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 1: GETTING STARTED
Practice Tips
Developing Your Ear
Recommended Listening
Styles
Jazz Standards
The Form of a Tune
The Structure of a Typical Jazz Performance
The Pianist’s Role in a Jazz Group
CHAPTER 2: ESSENTIAL THEORY
The Chromatic Scale
The Whole Tone Scale
The Major Scale
Intervals
The Cycle
Swing Eighth Notes
CHAPTER 3: BASIC CHORDS AND VOICINGS
Triads
CHAPTER 4: REPERTOIRE
Learning Tunes
Interpreting a Lead Sheet
Endings
Ending Idea 1
Ending Idea 2
Applying Voicings
CHAPTER 5:
BEGINNING IMPROVISATION
The Blues Scale
Feeling Time
The Blues Progression
Improvising with Chord Tones
The Modes of the Major Scale
The Mixolydian Mode
The Dorian Mode
Thinking About Scales
CHAPTER 6: DOMINANT VOCABULARY
The Dominant Bebop Scale
Arpeggios
Resolution to the Third
Application to the Blues
More Dominant Ideas
More About Accents
Rhythmic Variations
Phrasing
CHAPTER 7: MAJOR VOCABULARY
Major Scale Improvisation
The Major Bebop Scale
Resolution to the Third and Fifth
Arpeggios and Other Melodic Ideas
Rhythmic Variations
Improvising over Common Progressions
Application to “Afternoon in Paris”
CHAPTER 8: MORE HARMONY
Upper Extensions
Altered Dominant Extensions
Two-Handed Voicings
Harmonizing Tunes
Rootless Voicings
Comping Rhythms
Comping Behind a Soloist
Soloing with Chords
CHAPTER 9: MORE SCALES
The Harmonic Minor Scale
The Jewish or Spanish Scale
Minor II–V–I
The Locrian Mode
The Jazz Melodic Minor Scale
The Altered Scale
The Diminished Scale
Improvising with Whole Tone Scales
Putting It All Together
CHAPTER 10: MORE REPERTOIRE
Variations of Common Chord Progressions
Jazz Blues
Rhythm Changes
“Autumn Leaves”
CONCLUSION
GLOSSARY
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
TESTIMONIALS
 INTRODUCTION
Learning to play jazz can be exciting and fun, but it can also be
bewildering and frustrating at times. This method will guide you step
by step through the complexities of the music and show you ways to
practice that will enable you to play piano in an authentic jazz style.
Ultimately, this will allow you to express yourself and find your
individual voice. It is important to keep in mind that this is a long
road, but one that will yield many rewards along the way.
Only basic piano proficiency and rudimentary music reading are
required to begin this study. Following the practice suggestions in
this book will help you develop essential jazz techniques that will put
you on the road to becoming a skilled jazz pianist. Listening is as
important as practicing. Take in live performances and analyze
recordings. Go to jam sessions, find others who want to get together
and play, and get to know experienced musicians who can answer
your questions. I also recommend that you find a good private
teacher who can help guide you. Be patient, enjoy the process of
learning, and understand that there is no end; there is always more
to know, always new things to discover. This is what makes playing
jazz piano such a fascinating endeavor.
 CHAPTER 1:
GETTING STARTED
PRACTICE TIPS
Move through this book in sequence. Take time to master each
exercise before moving on. Keep a practice log of your activities and
the time you spend on each exercise, technique, or concept. Daily
practice is the key to success. Take the time to learn fingerings that
will allow you to play fluently. It is also important to practice with a
steady pulse. Practice with a metronome and play along with the
recorded examples to develop the strong sense of time you will need
to play effectively, whether in a group or as a soloist. Always choose
a tempo that allows you to play with accuracy. If you are making lots
of mistakes because of the tempo, slow it down and then gradually
work your way up. Learn to play everything you practice from
memory. Resist the urge to play exercises or tunes over and over by
reading them. You need to free yourself from the written music in
order to become an improviser. As you move through the book, you
will undoubtedly need to go back and review certain sections and
exercises. This is all part of the process.

DEVELOPING YOUR EAR

Think of a simple melody; it could be “Mary Had a Little Lamb” or
“Happy Birthday to You.” Randomly pick a starting note on the piano
and try your best to play the song. Once you have played it
successfully, start on a different note and try to play the song. This is
a great way to develop your ear. It also acquaints you with
transposition*, the process of moving a group of notes to another
key. It’s also never too soon to try to play things you hear on
recordings, whether it’s a phrase, an entire melody, or a solo. The
act of notating what you hear is called transcribing. Mimicking other
players is one of the main ways jazz musicians learn, but it takes
practice to get good at it. You may want to try to play some of the
recorded examples in this book by ear and then check your accuracy
with the notation in the book. Eventually, you will be able to
transcribe things you hear on your favorite jazz recordings and this
will help your musicianship immensely.
RECOMMENDED LISTENING
In order to play jazz, you need to be listening to it – a lot! You must
immerse yourself in the music. Listening to all styles of music and to
different instrumentalists and vocalists will be a great source of
inspiration. The recordings of Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker, and
John Coltrane are essential, and listening to them will give you an
excellent historical overview. The following list, however, focuses on
some of the historically important jazz pianists and those who are
most relevant to the topics in this book. Check out as many of them
as you can. For an overview of the history of jazz piano, I suggest
you listen to solo recordings by Art Tatum, Bud Powell from 1953 or
before (considered by many to be his best period), and McCoy Tyner
from the 1960s. Familiarizing yourself with the pianists below will
give you a basis for appreciating and assessing the styles of the
many incredible pianists who have come to prominence in more
recent years.
STYLES
As you listen, take note of the various styles you hear. You will begin
to recognize certain characteristics that are indicative of the time
period in which a recording was made. Early jazz pianists, for
example, often played stride with the left hand, a technique that
usually involved playing a low note on the first and third beats and a
middle register chord on the second and fourth beats of each
measure. Pianists of each era used distinctive, identifiable
techniques.
You will also hear a variety of rhythmic styles. The basic feel in jazz
has been swing, but jazz also makes use of a wide array of grooves
that include Latin, rock, and funk. The bossa nova of Brazil has
been one of the most prevalent Latin styles that jazz musicians have
incorporated. Notice how the music sounds at different tempos, from
slow ballads to up-tempo burners. Historically, most jazz has been
played in 4/4 time signature, however 3/4, 6/8, and other so-called
“odd meters” such as 5/4 and 7/4 are also used.
JAZZ STANDARDS
A jazz standard is a tune that you are expected to know, to have in
your repertoire, as a jazz musician. Many of them were composed
for musicals or movies and some were written by jazz musicians.
Experienced jazz musicians have hundreds of tunes memorized. You
should make a point of listening to recordings of standards. Listen to
classic versions to learn the basic tune, then listen to many different
versions of the same song to understand how different players give it
their own unique treatment. If it is a song with lyrics, find a vocal
version by someone like Frank Sinatra or Ella Fitzgerald. Knowing
the words can help you remember the melody and interpret the
song.
Here is a list of some of the most important tunes to know. You may
choose to start with the tunes I have marked with a letter B. These
tunes are a bit easier for a beginner to learn. Tunes followed by an
asterisk are among the most frequently played and, therefore,
essential. This list is subjective since the musicians you play with
and the musical circles you get into will dictate which tunes are
important for you to know. You will likely find there are tunes that are
not on this list that will become part of your repertoire.
THE FORM OF A TUNE
Form refers to the length and structure of a jazz tune when played
once through, not including an intro or special ending. A blues
(blues progression) is typically 12 measures (12 bars) long. Most
standards are 32 measures in length, but other structures are used
as well. A 32-bar tune can be divided into four eight-measure
sections. When referring to these sections, we assign letters of the
alphabet beginning with the letter A. The same letter is used for
repeated or nearly identical sections, and subsequent letters of the
alphabet are used for sections that are different. “(Somewhere) Over
the Rainbow” is a good example of the most common form, AABA.
The B section of an AABA form is called the bridge. Other common
forms are ABAC (e.g., “Green Dolphin Street”) and ABCD (e.g., “My
Shining Hour”).

THE STRUCTURE OF A TYPICAL JAZZ PERFORMANCE

Although a performance by a big band (an ensemble of 10 or more
members) can be a bit more complex, a small jazz group usually
adheres to a rather formulaic format. A tune often begins with an
eight-measure introduction (intro). A ballad (a slow tune) is usually
introduced with a four-bar intro. After the intro, the melody of the
tune, known as the head, is played once before solos begin (twice
on short forms). Each member of the group is generally given the
opportunity to improvise a solo with rhythm section accompaniment.
One time through the form of a tune is called a chorus, and each
musician usually improvises a few choruses before passing off to the
next soloist. Horns usually solo first, followed by the pianist, the
bassist, and the drummer. The drummer sometimes takes a solo of
one or more unaccompanied choruses or may alternate brief solos
with one or more members of the group, usually in segments of four
or eight measures, a technique called trading fours or trading
eights. The form of the tune is retained during this process. After
everyone has soloed, the head is played again, often followed by a
special ending.

THE PIANIST’S ROLE IN A JAZZ GROUP

We are responsible for playing chords that accompany the melody of
the song and the improvised solos of the members of the group. This
is commonly referred to as comping. We are often part of a rhythm
section that includes bass and drums, but might also include
percussion and/or guitar. Pianists improvise solos that are often
linear, horn-like melodic lines played by the right hand while they
“comp” with their left hand. We are often in charge of setting up
tunes with an intro and we sometimes need to lead the group in an
ending.
 CHAPTER 2:
ESSENTIAL THEORY
THE CHROMATIC SCALE
Most melodies are based on scales, and chords come from scales
as well. Scales are groups of notes arranged in ascending or
descending order. When we use scales to improvise melodies, we
can move up or down or skip around. Chords can be created by
combining three or more notes from a scale. Knowing scales is
essential. We begin with what one might consider the most important
scale. It is a scale that contains everything, our musical universe. It
is called the chromatic scale. It is constructed entirely in half steps
and it contains all 12 notes. There is only one chromatic scale;
everything you play is part of the chromatic scale. Here it is with
right-hand fingering.
Practice: Use a metronome and set the tempo to 72 beats per
minute or slower. mprovise melodies with your right hand by moving
up and down the chromatic scale. Play quarter notes and focus on
being rhythmically accurate; try to make each note you play coincide
exactly with the click of the metronome. Next, try improvising using
only eighth otes. Once you are comfortable with this, try switching
between quarter notes and eighth notes every two measures. This
will elp you develop a stronger sense of time. Work your way up to
faster metronome settings. Here is an example of chromatic scale
improvisation.
THE WHOLE TONE SCALE
Next, play every other note of the chromatic scale. You are now
playing a six-note scale known as the whole tone scale. It is built
entirely in whole steps. Here is the whole tone scale starting on C.

Next, play all the notes you skipped. This forms a different whole
tone scale. There are only two whole tone scales. You can start a
whole tone scale on any note, but you will find that what you play is
always part of one or the other. ere is the whole tone scale starting
on B.
Practice: Try improvising with each of the two whole tone scales
using a metronome and the same rhythmic approach you used with
the chromatic scale. Here is an example of improvisation based on
the C whole tone scale.

THE MAJOR SCALE

At this point, you have become familiar with half steps and whole
steps. These are the intervals that are used to form the major scale.
You can start on any note and ascend using the following sequence
of whole steps and half steps to form a major scale: whole step–
whole step–half step–whole step–whole step–whole step–half step.
The following example shows the C major scale.

You can see that a seven-note scale was formed. The final half step
brings you back to the same note you started on, but an octave
higher.
You need to be able to play the major scale in all 12 keys. If you
remember the pattern of whole steps and half steps, you will be able
to correctly form the scale starting on any note in the chromatic
scale.
Practice: Play the major scales with eighth notes as shown below.
Pick a starting note, play up the scale to the seventh degree
(seventh note of the scale), and come back down. Since most of
your melodic playing will be done by the right hand, only those
fingerings are shown. Use the thumb to begin scales that start on a
white note and use the second finger to begin scales that start on a
black note. Start slowly, use a metronome, and gradually increase
the tempo as you are able. Here is the major scale transposed to all
12 keys.
INTERVALS
It is important to understand how we describe distances between
notes. The major scale is the basis for how these intervals are
named. The first degree (note) of a major scale is known as the
tonic. The following are terms used to describe the various intervals.
The terms in parentheses are part of the proper name, but are often
omitted in common usage.

Tonic up to the flatted or lowered second degree of a major

scale is a minor 2nd.

Tonic up to the second degree of a major scale is a (major) 2nd.

Tonic up to the flatted or lowered third degree of a major scale

is a minor 3rd.

Tonic up to the third degree of a major scale is a (major) 3rd.

Tonic up to the fourth degree of a major scale is a (perfect) 4th.

Tonic up to the sharped or raised fourth degree of a major scale

is an augmented 4th. This is the same distance as the tonic up
to the flatted or lowered 5th, which is referred to as a
diminished 5th. This interval is also called a tritone because it
is a distance of three whole steps.

Tonic up to the fifth degree of a major scale is a (perfect) 5th.

Tonic up to the sharped or raised fifth degree of a major scale is

an augmented 5th. This is the same distance as the tonic up to
the flatted or lowered 6th, called a minor 6th.

Tonic up to the sixth degree of a major scale is a (major) 6th.

Tonic up to the flatted or lowered seventh degree of a major

scale is a minor 7th.

Tonic up to the seventh degree of a major scale is a major 7th.

 Tonic up to the eighth degree of a major scale is a (perfect)
octave.

Tonic up to the flatted or lowered ninth degree of a major scale

is a minor 9th.

Tonic up to the ninth degree of a major scale is a (major) 9th.

We can also describe bigger intervals such as 10ths, 11ths, 12ths, or
13ths.

Practice: Play all of these intervals in every key and practice naming
them. Understanding intervals will allow you to transpose melodies
and chords into any key. You should also try to identify intervals used
in familiar tunes. For example, Harold Arlen’s “(Somewhere) Over
the Rainbow” begins with an octave and Benny Golson’s
composition “Whisper Not” begins with a perfect 5th. You can also try
singing specific intervals and then check your accuracy by playing
them on the piano.
THE CYCLE
It is important to memorize a pattern known among jazz musicians
as “the cycle.” It is a series of notes that move up in 4ths until all 12
pitches have been used and the pattern repeats. For this reason, it is
also called the Circle of Fourths. Chords often move in the order of
the cycle. It also makes a great practice pattern. When jazz
musicians learn things in all 12 keys, they usually play them in the
order of the cycle.

The note you find by moving up a 4th will be the same note you find
by moving down a 5th. For example, if I start on C and go up a 4th I
get F. If I start on C and go down a 5th, I still get an F. C down to F is
a 5th because C is the fifth note of the F major scale. For this reason
you can play the cycle going up in 4ths or down in 5ths. The most
compact way to play it is to alternate going up and down, as in the
example below.
Practice: Start on the lowest C on the piano and play up in 4ths until
you reach C again. Then start on the highest C on the piano (the top
note) and come down in 5ths. Then play the entire cycle pattern by
alternating ascending and descending intervals, as in the example
above. As with all the exercises, it is best to practice in time with a
metronome.
Up to this point, you have set the metronome to click on each quarter
note. Another useful practice technique is to set the metronome to
click on every other beat of the tempo you want. Play along with the
metronome with the clicks falling on beats two and four when you
are playing in a 4/4 time signature. This will prepare you to play with
a jazz drummer, who usually plays the hi-hat cymbals on beats 2 and
4. If you tap your foot, it’s best to tap on every beat rather than just
on 2 and 4. At extremely fast tempos, jazz musicians sometimes tap
their foot on just 1 and 3. Here is the major scale showing the
metronome clicks on beats 2 and 4.
SWING EIGHTH NOTES
Throughout the history of jazz, much of the music has been played
with a swing feel. This is the typical rhythmic feel of jazz music. An
important element of a swing feel is the use of swing eighth notes.
Swing eighth notes are typically notated as regular eighth notes to
make them easier to read, but when a swing feel is called for, the
eighth notes are played with a long-short rhythm. Different players
have their own individual approaches but, usually, two swing eighth
notes are played like a triplet that has its first two notes tied together.
This creates a long-short effect.

Here is a line of straight eighth notes. Tunes played with a Latin,

funk, rock, or ballad feel usually make use of straight eighth notes.

If played with a swing feel, the eighth notes in the line above would
be played with a long-short rhythm. The following example shows
how this sounds. Jazz music is rarely notated using these triplet-
based swing rhythms; instead, regular eighth notes are written. If a
swing feel is called for, it is up to you to “swing” the eighth notes.

Careful you don’t exaggerate the swing feel too much and sound like
this.
Another important aspect of playing swing eighth notes is the use of
accents. The notes that fall squarely on beats 1, 2, 3, and 4 are said
to be on the beat, and the notes in between are said to be on the
upbeats (also called the “offbeats” or the “ands”) of the measure. It is
common to put accents on the upbeats.
Practice: Play the C major scale with a swing feel, and accent the
upbeats, as in the example below. Exaggerate the accents at first to
get the hang of it. Play legato. It is usually best not to use the sustain
pedal when you play eighth-note passages. Pedaling can make your
lines sound indistinct. After you are comfortable with this exercise, try
improvising melodies with the C major scale using swing eighth
notes with accents on the upbeats.

The way swing eighth notes are played varies from player to player.
Some tend to play a bit straighter, and some play with a bit more
exaggerated “long-short” feel. How accents are used and a pianist’s
touch on the piano also help define their individual style. In addition,
some pianists tend to play just slightly behind the beat to create a
more relaxed feel, and some play more on the beat. Playing on top
of the beat (a little ahead) creates an edgier feel, but in general, you
should avoid this because it can create the feeling that you are
rushing. Listen to the greats to help you get a sense of how you want
to sound.
Practice: It’s time to put all of this together. Move through the cycle
pattern to play all 12 major scales with correct fingerings. Play root to
7th and back down. Make the last note a quarter note and allow a
beat of rest before you move to the next key. Play swing eighth notes
with accents on the upbeats. Set the metronome so it is clicking on
beats 2 and 4.
Here are the 12 major scales notated with accents.
 CHAPTER 3:
BASIC CHORDS AND VOICINGS
TRIADS
Now that you have become familiar with the major scales, you are
ready to learn the basic chords. There are four types of triads
(chords of three notes that can be stacked in 3rds). In the chart
below, the name of the chord type is followed by the formula,
followed by chord symbols that are commonly used. The formula
numbers correspond to notes of a major scale that are then flatted or
sharped as shown. The notes that result are referred to as the root,
3rd, and 5th of the chord. These chord formulas are shown in root
position, meaning the root is the lowest note. Chord symbols for
triads are composed of the root of the chord followed by the symbol
that represents the chord type or what we call the chord quality. In
the examples, C is used as the root, but chords can be played in any
of the 12 keys.
Practice: Learn to play major triads in all keys through the cycle.
Once you are comfortable with this, learn to play the other chord
types (chord qualities) in all keys moving through the cycle. Make
sure you are able to play chords with either hand, but when you start
to play tunes, much of your chording will be done by the left hand.
The standard fingering is 1-3-5 for the right hand, and 5-3-1 for the
left hand. You can use the sustain pedal to hold the sound of a chord
as you move to the next one; just be sure to clear the pedal each
time you play a new chord.
Chords can be played as inversions. When a chord is inverted, a
note other than the root is in the lowest position. When the 3rd of the
chord is the lowest note, the chord is in first inversion. When the 5th
of the chord is the lowest note, it is in second inversion. The
standard right-hand fingering for a first inversion triad is 1-2-5, and 5-
3-1 for the left hand. The standard right-hand fingering for a second
inversion triad is 1-3-5, and 5-2-1 for the left hand.
Practice: Play root-position, first-inversion, and second-inversion
major and minor triads in all keys through the cycle as in the
example below.
FOUR-NOTE CHORDS
Here are the formulas for seventh chords, which all have four
notes. Although triads are found in jazz, chords of four or more notes
are the norm. This is a distinctive feature of jazz harmony. In the
chart below, the name of the chord quality is followed by the formula
for the chord in root position, followed by chord symbols that are
commonly used. The chord symbols in bold are the ones I use for
subsequent examples in this book. The formula numbers correspond
to notes of a major scale that are then flatted or sharped as shown.
The notes that result are referred to as the root, 3rd, 5th, and 7th of
the chord. In the examples, C is used as the root, but chords can be
played in any of the 12 keys.

Note the difference in the symbols between dominant and major 7th.
Beginners sometimes see the symbol for dominant 7th and
inadvertently play major 7th instead.
Here are examples of these chords with C as the root.
Practice: Learn to play major 7th chords in all keys moving through
the cycle. Once you can do this, learn dominant 7th and then minor
7th chords. These are the three most common chord qualities in
jazz, and learning them will allow you to get started playing lots of
tunes. Next, you can move on to learning the other chord types in all
keys. The standard fingering for the right hand is 1-2-3-5, and 5-3-2-
1 for the left hand. Remember, it is best to practice in tempo. Start
slowly. Increase your speed as you become more familiar with the
chords.
Seventh chords can be played as inversions. When the 3rd of the
chord is the lowest pitch, the chord is in first inversion. When the 5th
of the chord is in the bass, it is in second inversion. When the 7th of
the chord is in the lowest position, the chord is in third inversion.
Here is an example of C7 in root position and inverted.
Here are a few more four-note chords you will need to know. The
chord symbols in bold are the ones I use for subsequent examples in
this book.

Major 6th 1 3 5 6 symbols: C6, Cmaj6, C6

This chord is sometimes used in place of Cmaj7, often when the root
is in the melody.

Minor 6th 1D3 5 6 symbols: Cmin6, Cmi6, Cm6, C-6

This chord is sometimes used in place of Cm(maj7), often when the

root is in the melody.

Dominant 7th(sus4) 1 4 5D7 symbols: C7sus4, C7sus, C11

This chord is sometimes used in place of a dominant 7th chord.

Here are examples of these chords with C as the root.
SHELL VOICINGS AND CONCEPTS OF VOICE LEADING
Now that you have become familiar with the basic chords, it’s time to
start learning some typical jazz voicings. The term voicing refers to
the particular arrangement of notes in a chord. Shell voicings are
named as such because they provide just a basic framework,
nothing fancy. They make use of just three notes: the root, 3rd, and
7th. The 5th is omitted because it is the least essential note in a 7th
chord. There are two types of shell voicings, closed and open.
Closed means that the voicing fits within the span of an octave, and
open means the interval from the lowest to the highest note of the
voicing is more than an octave. Shell voicings are most often played
by the left hand to accompany right-hand melodies or to provide the
foundation for more complex voicings.
Here is how to play a closed-shell voicing.

The 3rd and 7th can be flatted as needed to create the

various chord qualities, or the 6th can be used in place
of the 7th.

To play an open voicing, move the 3rd up an octave to create a

voicing that spans a 10th. The following example shows how to play
open voicings.
Unless you have hands like Fats Waller or an NBA basketball player,
you are finding that the open chords are either difficult or impossible
to reach with your left hand alone. There are several options open to
you (pun intended). When you are playing with a bassist, you can
leave out the root since a bass line typically provides the root at the
start of each chord change. There will also be times when you might
choose to play just the 3rd and 7th because the chords are fast
moving, and it is just too cumbersome to catch all the roots. Here is
an open shell without the root.

Another possibility is to use the right-hand thumb to

play the top note of the open-shell voicings.

Although leaving out the root or assisting with the right

hand are techniques you will use in the future, as you
are getting started, I recommend you play the entire
open shell with the left hand alone and break the chord
in a rhythmic way.
Play it like this:

Or play it like this:

The main reason to use a combination of closed and open chords is
to achieve smooth voice leading, meaning the notes above the root
of each chord are positioned so only minimal movement is required
to go from one chord to the next. The next ten examples will get you
accustomed to using open- and closed-shell voicings to create
smooth voice leading. You can use the broken chord technique for
the open chords, but if your reach is big enough to play the notes all
at once, go for it! In the recorded examples, I play the broken chords
using a swing-eighth-note rhythm.
In the first of these shell voicing exercises, I play dominant 7th
chords through the cycle and alternate between open- and closed-
shell voicings. The fingering, which you can continue through the
whole exercise, makes it easier to go from one chord to the next.
Note how the upper two voices move down chromatically as you
move through the different keys. You may be used to starting the
cycle pattern on C, but these exercises begin on a chord that allows
you to play through all 12 keys while remaining in an ideal register.

The next exercise provides you with a way to practice playing the
chords that are closed in the preceding example as openshell
voicings, and those that are open in the preceding example, as
closed-shell voicings.
Now try a similar exercise using major 7th chords. Notice how the
upper two voices move in a slightly different way than they did with
the dominant exercise.

Now try it this way.

Now try the exercise using minor 7th chords. In the example below, I
am still following the cycle pattern, but I used enharmonic
equivalents. Two notes that are identical in pitch, but written
differently, are said to be enharmonic. For example, DD can be
written as a CA and GA can be written as an AD. The key signature is
one factor that can determine how a note is written. In the next
example, I used CAm7 and FAm7 in place of DDm7 and GDm7,
respectively. These are the same chords “spelled” differently. It’s
important to get used to seeing chords written in different ways.
Here is another way to play minor 7th chords using open- and
closed-shell voicings.

Lastly, try the exercise alternating between minor 7th and dominant
7th chords. Tracks 35–38 show four different ways to do this using
open- and closed-shell voicings.

Another way to play minor 7th and dominant 7th chords using open-
and closed-shell voicings:

A third way to play minor 7th and dominant 7th chords using open-
and closed-shell voicings:
A fourth way to play minor 7th and dominant 7th chords using open-
and closed-shell voicings:
Practice: Learn to play the examples on pages 20–22 (Tracks 29–
38) from memory. Mastering these chord voicings will prove
invaluable when you start learning tunes.

DIATONIC CHORDS
Chords can be built up from each note in a major scale. The seven
diatonic chords that result serve as the foundation for many songs
and common chord progressions. All of the notes of these chords
stay within a major scale. In the example below, four-note chords
have been formed from the C major scale. Notice that, while all of
the notes stay within the C major scale, different chord qualities have
resulted. Roman numerals are typically used when describing chord
progressions. Often, upper case is used for chords that have a major
3rd, and lower case is used for chords that have a minor 3rd.

Now try playing the diatonic chords in the key of F major, as in the
example below. Notice that all of the notes stay within the F major
scale and the same series of chord qualities occurs. The pattern
remains the same in every key: major 7th, minor 7th, minor 7th,
major 7th, dominant 7th, minor 7th, half-diminished 7th. Memorize
this pattern because it will help you to understand chord
progressions.
Practice: Play diatonic chords in other keys. Start with common
keys like G, B D, and ED. Eventually, you should learn to play them in
all keys.

THE IIM7–V7–IMAJ7 PROGRESSION

One of the most frequently used chord sequences in jazz is the
iim7–V7–Imaj7 progression. Some jazz tunes are composed mainly
of iim7–V7–Imaj7s in different keys. The iim7 and V7 chords set up
tension, while the Imaj7 chord is the release and sounds resolved.
Here is the progression in the key of C played with shell voicings.
Alternating closed and open voicings creates the smoothest voice
leading. Notice that the roots of the chords move in the order of the
cycle.
Here is the iim7–V7–Imaj7 progression starting with a closed-shell
voicing.

Here is the same progression

starting with an open-shell
voicing.

Practice: Learn to play these chord progressions in all keys. Use

broken chords if necessary.
 CHAPTER 4:
REPERTOIRE
LEARNING TUNES
It’s time to start learning some tunes! Use the list of standards from
Chapter 1 to help you decide which ones you would like to begin
with. Jazz musicians usually learn tunes either by ear or from a lead
sheet that shows the melody line and chord symbols. We also refer
to a lead sheet or any written arrangement as a chart. A book of lead
sheets is called a fake book, and if you don’t already own one, now
would be the time to pick one up. The Real Book is one of the most
popular. Because many fake books notoriously contain mistakes,
and since there are many ways to play the same tune, it is important
that you listen closely to classic recordings as an aid to learning
repertoire.
When jazz musicians say they know a tune, they mean they have it
memorized. Learning to play repertoire from memory will help you
gain the freedom necessary to improvise. Practice just the chords to
a tune until you have them thoroughly memorized. I can’t stress
enough how important it is to really know the form and chords to
tunes. You can test yourself in different ways. For example, try
reciting the chords to a tune in tempo, or use symbols to write out
the chords to a tune you are learning. You will quickly discover which
areas need more attention. Also, work carefully on memorizing the
melodies to tunes. Learning lyrics can help with this.
Melodies composed by jazz musicians are sometimes played note-
for-note the way they were written, but many tunes, especially those
with lyrics, are often embellished. The rhythms, too, are frequently
altered to sound more jazz-like.
INTERPRETING A LEAD SHEET
On page 25 is a lead sheet for the old standard “My Buddy.” Play the
melody line with your right hand and add chords underneath with
your left. The key signature on a lead sheet affects the melody just
as it normally would, but it doesn’t affect the chord symbols. For
example, if I play a tune with a BD in the key signature and come to a
Bm7 chord, it does not become a BDm7.
Jazz musicians refer to the chords of a tune as the changes.
Sometimes you will want to simplify the changes. For example,
Gm11 can be played as a Gm7, C13 can be played as C7, and
DD9A11 can be played as simply DD7. The 9, 11, and 13 represent
upper extensions, notes that can be added to a basic four-note
chord. Usually, upper extensions are not essential, and it is fine if
you don’t play them. Often, when they are indicated on a chart, as is
the case here, they are notes that are contained in the melody
anyway. It is okay to simplify. We will learn more about these
extensions in later chapters. The chords in the last measure are
played only if you wish to lead back to the top (the beginning of the
form).
You can use the sustain pedal, but be sure to clear it when chords
change. Jazz pianists are more likely to use the pedal on ballads
than on swing tunes or up-tempo tunes. Always make sure the
melody line and your improvised lines are clear and in the
foreground. Playing the left-hand chords softer than the right-hand
lines will help you accomplish this.
 MY BUDDY
Lyrics by Gus Kahn
Music by Walter Donaldson

Copyright © 2015 by HAL LEONARD CORPORATION

International Copyright Secured All Rights Reserved
The following example shows how I might play this tune with a swing
feel. I used a combination of open- and closedshell voicings to
create smooth voice leading. Sometimes this requires alternating
open to closed or closed to open, and sometimes it means playing
one or more closed or open chords in a row. I broke up the chords in
some spots and added some simple rhythms to keep the tune
moving along. I also played parts of the melody using swing-eighth
notes and added a bit of syncopation, meaning I placed some notes
on the offbeats. In measure 5, the symbol F/A indicates you should
play an F triad with A as the lowest note (first inversion). Chords that
use symbols with a slash are known as slash chords. With this type
of notation, the chord is indicated to the left of or above the slash,
and the note required as the lowest is shown to the right of or below
the slash. I put the middle note of this chord up an octave to create
an open voicing. I also changed the final Fmaj7 to F6 to better
harmonize with the melody. This is often done when the melody note
is the root.

MY BUDDY
Lyrics by Gus Kahn
Music by Walter Donaldson

Copyright © 2015 by HAL LEONARD CORPORATION

 International Copyright Secured All Rights Reserved

ENDINGS
It is often the responsibility of a jazz pianist to lead the ending of a
tune. Some tunes have specific, commonly used endings. As you
listen to more recordings and gain experience, you will learn what
they are. Many times, however, it will simply be up to you to devise
an ending to a tune. It is helpful to develop a “collection” of endings
that you can choose from to effectively bring a tune to a close. Here
are a couple of ways you might end “My Buddy.” These examples
can be used to replace the last four bars of the preceding example.
ENDING IDEA 1

ENDING IDEA 2

Practice: Transpose these endings to other common keys so that

you can use them on other tunes.
APPLYING VOICINGS
As you learn tunes, you will need to choose between the open- and
closed-shell voicings. You should begin by looking for the smoothest
voice leading possible. For example, if I play ADmaj7 followed by
Am7, I would probably play them both either closed or open. When
the root movement is a bigger interval, it usually makes sense to
alternate closed to open or open to closed to create smooth voice
leading. For example, if I play Fm7 followed by BDm7, I will probably
alternate closed to open, or open to closed. In this case, the roots
will move a fairly large distance (a 4th or 5th), but the upper voices
(the 3rd and 7th), will be positioned to create the least amount of
movement possible as you go from one chord to the next.
Sometimes, however, you will find that the smoothest voice leading
moves the chords into a register that is too low to sound clear. In the
following example, based on the chord progression of Jerome Kern’s
“All the Things You Are,” I started out with a closed chord and then
chose voicings to create the smoothest voice movement I could.
When I got to measure 9, the smoothest voice leading would have
led me to a closed Cm7. I could see that if I continued with this type
of voice leading, the chords would soon get too low, so instead I
played the Cm7 in measure 9 as an open-shell voicing, allowing the
subsequent chords in that section to remain in an ideal register. I
also played the FAø7 closed in measure 21 and the DDm7 open in
measure 30 for the same reason.
Practice: Learn to play the following chord progression of “All the
Things You Are.” You can find the melody in a fake book or learn to
play it by ear from a recording. Add the melody with your right hand.
Try to bring out the melody by playing it a little louder than the
chords. If you need to, break the open-shell voicings or use your
right-hand thumb to catch the top note of the chord. Most fake books
show an ADmaj7 chord in measure 35. I changed it to AD6 because
the root is in the melody at that point. The chords in the final
measure are played only when leading back to the beginning.
Practice: Have fun learning more tunes. Experiment with the open-
and closed-shell voicings until you find a good balance between
smooth voice leading and chords that are in an ideal register.
 CHAPTER 5:
BEGINNING IMPROVISATION
THE BLUES SCALE
Most improvised jazz solos are based on scales that relate to the
harmony of a tune, but playing with good rhythm is primary. In fact, I
would say it is more important than hitting the “right” notes,
especially when you first begin to practice improvising. One of the
best ways to get started improvising is to use the blues scale,
shown below in the key of F. The blues scale can be formed by
playing the 1st, D3rd, 4th, D5th, 5th, and D7th degrees of a major
scale.

If you leave out the CD (D5), you are left with five notes that form the
minor pentatonic scale. You can improvise with or without the D5th.
Because it contains the D3rd, the blues scale has a minor sound to it.
It works on the blues, but it is also well suited for improvising on
minor tunes such as “Summertime,” “Sugar,” “Moanin’,” and “Song
for My Father.” You can use the blues scale that matches the minor
tonality of each of these tunes.
FEELING TIME
When we improvise, we must be able to “feel” how long a measure
is. Once you can do this, you can learn to feel durations of two, four,
and eight measures. This will enable you to keep your place in a
tune without having to count. The following exercises will help you
learn to feel time. In the example below, I clap a one-measure
rhythm. I then play phrases that use notes from the F blues scale
played with that same rhythm, separated by bars of rest. The D5th is
notated as BH. Notice that I play this and all subsequent
examples with a swing feel.

In this next example, I again play one-measure blues scale phrases

based on a rhythm, but this time without the measures of rest.

Practice: Use the rhythms above to improvise your own F blues

scale phrases. Then choose one of the following onemeasure
rhythms to improvise phrases, first with the bar of separation and
then without. After you have tried all these one-bar examples, make
up your own. Use a metronome and practice at different tempos.
THE BLUES PROGRESSION
A progression or chord progression refers to a sequence of
chords. The blues progression is the basis for hundreds of tunes,
and it is used in a number of musical styles, including blues, jazz,
rock, and boogie-woogie. There are countless variations of the blues
progression but, in its simplest form, it is 12 measures long and uses
three dominant chords that are based upon the first, third, and fourth
notes of a major scale. Jazz musicians usually refer to this version of
the blues as a three-chord blues or a I–IV–V blues. This 12-bar form
is typically repeated many times during a performance of a blues.
Here is the blues in the key of F, with a suggestion of how to play the
chords with shell voicings. If necessary, break the chords or leave
out the root. Learn to play this from memory.
Practice: Improvise right-hand lines with notes from the blues scale
while you play the F blues progression with the left hand. Use the F
blues scale over the whole blues progression; you don’t need to
change scales when the chords change. At first, try one-measure
phrases like you played earlier, then try longer phrases. Many jazz
improvisations are composed mainly of eighth notes, but pianists
often emulate the phrasing of horn players, so include some rests as
if you were taking breaths.
Here is an example of what your solo might sound like. To keep
things a bit simpler, I left out the D5.
Here is another solo on the blues in F. I play two choruses and, this
time, I have included the D5 (notated as BH ). I have also included
more syncopation and less predictable phrasing. On the recorded
example, and on subsequent recorded examples, I vary the left-hand
comping rhythms a bit. We will discuss this further in Chapter 8.

Here is the basic blues progression written with Roman numerals. I

have included a couple of common variations. You can play IV7 for
measure 10 and V7 is often used for measure 12 to lead back to the
beginning of the form.
Practice: Use the formula above to transpose the blues progression
into other keys. Jazz musicians most frequently choose the keys F,
BD, and C for the blues. Transpose the blues scale as well, and
practice improvising in these keys. Improvisation, like any other skill,
improves with practice. Play with bass and drum accompaniment as
often as you can. When possible, use live musicians. Otherwise,
recorded play-alongs or computer apps that simulate rhythm
sections are available.
Here are chord charts for the blues in BD and C. I have included the
IV7 chord in measure 10. The V7 chord in measure 12 is used only
when leading back to the beginning of the form. To end the tune, stay
on the I7 chord in measure 12.
BD Blues Progression (improvise with the BD blues scale: BD–DD–
ED–E H–F–AD–BD)
C Blues Progression (improvise with the C blues scale: C–ED–F–A–
G–BD–C)

Practice: Create a complete jazz performance by learning a blues

head that you can play twice through before you go into your
improvisation. After you have improvised, play the head two more
times before you end the tune. “Sonnymoon for Two” by Sonny
Rollins is a simple blues head that is usually played in BD but can
easily be transposed to other keys.
IMPROVISING WITH CHORD TONES
Although the blues scale is a great way to get started with
improvisation, jazz musicians also employ other techniques that are
more closely linked to the harmony of a tune. One method is to use
chord tones when you improvise. Below is an example of how that
can sound. Notice that I played two choruses and used IV7 for
measures 10 and 22, and V7 for measure 12 to lead back to the
beginning of the form. To add a little more blues flavor, I sometimes
played a grace note from the D3rd to the H3rd of F7 (e.g., in measures
2 and 4). Occasionally, on the “and” of 4, I played a melody note that
is a chord tone of the next chord. One example of this occurs on the
“and” of beat 4 in measure 4; I play a D, which is part of the BD7
chord that immediately follows. This helps give the solo a more
syncopated feel.
Practice: Try creating a solo using only the notes that are contained
in each chord. Each time a chord changes, you will draw from a new
group of notes. Work on the blues progression in F, C, and BD to
start. Eventually, you can work on other keys and apply this concept
to other jazz standards.
Don’t be afraid to work things out, to devise preset phrases that you
can use in your solos. Sometimes, beginning improvisers are under
the impression that because we are improvising, nothing should be
worked out in advance. Just the opposite is true. Jazz musicians
spend countless hours practicing ideas for solos.
THE MODES OF THE MAJOR SCALE
We have looked at using the blues scale and chord tones in your
solos, but jazz musicians also improvise using scales that match the
underlying harmony. This usually means we have to change scales
every time a chord changes in a tune. Chords come from scales, so
when we see a chord symbol on a chart, we need to be able to
determine the scale from which the chord is derived. This is how we
know which scale to use to improvise. Sometimes, there are several
options.
Many of the chords we use come from the diatonic chords that I
showed you in Chapter 3. Each of these chords can be viewed as
coming from a related mode. Modes are scales that are formed by
starting on each degree of a “parent” scale. The most commonly
used modes come from the major scale and each one has an
ancient Greek name. You will see that the first note of a mode is
used to describe it, not the tonic of the parent scale. For example,
the D Dorian mode starts on D but uses the key signature of the C
major scale (parent scale in this case). Here are the modes of the C
major scale. Each mode is followed by the chord that is formed by
playing its first, third, fifth, and seventh degrees.
You have already practiced the Ionian mode (the major scale).
Mixolydian and Dorian are the most important modes to learn next.
You will eventually become familiar with all the modes.

THE MIXOLYDIAN MODE

The fifth mode, the Mixolydian mode, is often the best choice to use
when improvising over a dominant chord, and it is sometimes
referred to as a dominant scale. It’s like a major scale, but with the
seventh note flatted.
Practice: Learn to play the Mixolydian mode in all keys. With each
mode, play the related dominant chord with the left hand. As with the
other examples, play swing eighth notes and accent the upbeats.
Here is the Mixolydian mode in all keys with right-hand fingerings.
You can use the Mixolydian mode to improvise on the blues. Each
time the chords change, switch dominant scales. Try the following
exercise based on the blues in F.

When you use Mixolydian modes to improvise on the blues, you

don’t have to start on the first note of each scale. You can start in the
middle and you can jump around to create different intervals. Pay
special attention to the fourth note of the Mixolydian mode; it is what
we call a weak tone, a note in a scale that clashes with a related
chord. If you play an F7 chord with your left hand while you play BD
(the 4th) with your right hand, you will hear the dissonance I am
talking about. BD is the weak tone in the F Mixolydian mode. You
don’t need to avoid this note, just make sure you allow it to resolve.
When used as a passing tone, you won’t even notice the “clash” of
this note.
Practice: To get started improvising with Mixolydian modes on the
blues, try limiting yourself to just the first, second, and third notes of
each mode. Then try using just the third, fourth, and fifth notes.
Lastly, try using just the fifth, sixth, and seventh notes. In the
following solo on the F blues, I do exactly that. Notice how, in each
chorus, I limit myself to just three notes on each chord.
Practice: Once you feel comfortable using three-note segments,
improvise on the blues without restriction, using whichever notes you
want of the Mixolydian mode. Have fun. Improvising takes lots of
practice and experimentation.
Here’s an example of what that might sound like.
THE DORIAN MODE
The Dorian mode is another important mode to practice. It is the
second mode, and it is often the best choice to use when improvising
over a minor 7th chord. It’s like a major scale, but with the third and
seventh notes flatted. The Dorian mode has no weak tones.
Practice: Learn to play the Dorian mode in all keys, as in the
example below. With each mode, play the related minor 7th chord
with the left hand.

Here is an improvisation on the chord progression of Miles Davis’s

“So What,” a 32-measure composition with an AABA form that uses
just two chords. This tune has long stretches of minor 7th chords that
are perfect places to use this mode. The first two A sections are all
Dm7, so I used the D Dorian mode (the second mode of C major).
The B section (the bridge) is all EDm7, so there I used the ED Dorian
mode (the second mode of DD major) before switching back to the D
Dorian mode for the final A section. To add a little more movement to
the harmony, I occasionally used a Dm6 chord in place of Dm7.

Practice: Improvise with the Dorian mode over long stretches of

minor 7th chords. Use a metronome or other accompaniment to help
strengthen your sense of time.
THINKING ABOUT SCALES
There are many ways to think about scales when we improvise, and
musicians find what works best for them in a given situation. For
example, if you are improvising over Cm7–F7, you could use C
Dorian on the Cm7, and F Mixolydian on the F7. You could also think
more simply and just use the BD major scale over both chords, or you
could think of using the F Mixolydian over both chords, or C Dorian
over both chords. All of these approaches end up giving you the
same group of notes; they are just different ways of thinking about
them. Get familiar with the modes and you will find that it is easy to
go back and forth between different ways of thinking about how
scales and chords relate.
 CHAPTER 6:
DOMINANT VOCABULARY
THE DOMINANT BEBOP SCALE
Jazz music is very much like language; we even refer to various licks
and phrases that we play as vocabulary. Think of how a baby learns
to speak. First, they babble, just experimenting with sounds, then
they begin to learn single words that they repeat over and over
again, and soon they begin to connect words and construct
sentences that convey more complex ideas. This is exactly how we
learn to improvise. Sometimes people refer to a short phrase as a
lick or an idea. In this chapter, I will show you short dominant scale
ideas that will function like “words.” I’ll show you how you can
connect these ideas, much like sentences, to create longer lines.
Jazz musicians frequently use descending scales of eighth notes to
connect various ideas. When we play scales or any melodic line, we
often try to position chord tones on the beat. We sometimes add
extra passing tones on the upbeats to make this happen. These
descending scales with added passing tones are called jazz scales
or bebop scales.
The example below shows the F7 bebop scale in its basic form. It is
a descending F Mixolydian mode with the major 7th added as a
passing tone. This added passing tone positions all of the chord
tones of F7 on the beats of the measure and the weak tone (the 4th)
on an upbeat so that the scale effectively conveys the sound of an
F7 chord.
Important point: You can play this scale over Cm7 as well as F7,
because these chords form a iim7–V7 progression and they have a
related sound and function. Play the following example to hear how
this scale works over both chords.
Practice: Learn to play the dominant bebop scale in all keys, as in
the following example. Notice that I played each scale over a iim7–
V7 in the left hand. When you begin improvising with these, the
fingerings will need to be adjusted, but learning these basic
fingerings will give you a good starting point. Use the fingerings in
parentheses if you want to continue further down the scale.
Now learn to play down from any note in the dominant bebop scale
(other than from the passing tone (the major 7th)). This involves a lot
of tedious practice, but you will be rewarded with the ability to play
long, connected lines.
If you descend from the root, 3rd, 5th, or 7th, you simply play down
the bebop scale from those points, but if you descend from the 2nd,
4th, or 6th, a special accommodation must be made to get you back
on track with chord tones on the beat. Take a look at the next
example. Notice the extra half step when you descend from the 2nd
or 6th, and the added notes when you descend from the 4th. While
these extra notes are needed to get you back on track, they aren’t
needed in subsequent octaves if you play further down the scale. In
the following example, I descend from each degree of the F7 bebop
scale. Keep in mind that this scale can be used over both Cm7 and
F7.

Practice: Play down from all the scale degrees of F7, BD7, and C7.
Throughout this chapter, we will focus on these keys as a
preparation for improvising on an F blues. Eventually, you will want
to transpose all of this material to all keys.
ARPEGGIOS
Arpeggios are broken chords; the notes are played in succession
rather than simultaneously. We can form four-note arpeggios up from
any note in the dominant scale, but there are three that are the most
common starting points: up from the 3rd, up from the 5th, and up
from the 7th.
For an F7 chord, here are three commonly used arpeggios followed
by the note that usually comes after each one.

All of the arpeggios for F7 can also be used with Cm7. There are
some tendencies, however. The arpeggio up from the 3rd more
clearly suggests F7, and the arpeggio up from the 7th more clearly
suggests Cm7. The arpeggio from the 5th uses the notes of Cm7,
but if you resolve it to the 3rd of F7, it will sound great over either
chord.
The next example shows how the dominant bebop scale can
connect to the arpeggios.
These arpeggios can start on any beat in the measure, so if one
starts on beat 4, it will cross the bar line. The following exercise,
based on the previous example, gets you used to this and
demonstrates how the arpeggios, as well as the scales, work over
the iim7 and the V7 chords. You may find that you need to count out
loud at first to keep track of the measures.
Practice: Get comfortable with this exercise and then transpose it to
BD7 and C7 as a preparation for applying this material to the blues in
F. Eventually, learn this in all keys. Transposing to all keys will
become easier the more you do it. At this point, it’s probably very
difficult for you. Don’t give up hope! Learning to play in all keys is an
ongoing process.
Now the fun begins. You can improvise continuous lines using the
scales and arpeggios. Each time you land on the 3rd, 5th, or 7th, as
you descend the bebop scale, decide whether you want to go up an
arpeggio or continue descending the scale. Notice that two of the
arpeggios can be used to lead into other arpeggios.
Here is an example of what your dominant bebop scale
improvisation might sound like.
Practice: Improvise your own continuous lines using the dominant
bebop scale and arpeggios. After you are comfortable creating right-
hand lines, add the chords with the left hand. Start with this key and
then work on C7 and BD7 before moving on to the other keys.

RESOLUTION TO THE THIRD

Here is an idea that I call “resolution to the third.” It is really just a
fancy way of moving from the 4th degree of the dominant scale to
the 3rd.

It can be inserted into the dominant scale.

It can also be included at the top of an arpeggio from the 5th.

Here is how I might include the resolution to the 3rd idea in a line.

Practice: Include the resolution to the 3rd idea in your dominant

scale improvisations.

APPLICATION TO THE BLUES

It’s time to apply all of this new vocabulary to the blues. We will begin
by playing individual bebop scale segments over each chord of a
blues in F. In the following example, I play down from the second
degree of each scale.
Practice: Learn to play scale segments down from all scale degrees
on the F blues. For example, play a whole chorus descending from
the root of each chord, then a whole chorus descending from the
second degree of each scale (as in the example above), then a
whole chorus descending from the third degree of each scale, and
so on.
Next, we will play arpeggios on the blues. In this example, I play
arpeggios up from the 3rd of each chord. In some cases, to give the
line a more syncopated jazz feel, I have added two notes after the
arpeggio so that the phrase ends on an upbeat.
Practice: Get comfortable with the example above and then try
using the arpeggios that start on the 5th and 7th.
When you hear a good improvisation, you will notice that the line
doesn’t necessarily stop when moving from one chord to the next; it
often continues on through. Achieving a command of scales will
allow you to move seamlessly through a series of chord changes.
The following example shows you ways of making scale connections
and will prepare you to use bebop scales on the F blues. In some
cases, I have either left out the passing tone or put in an additional
passing tone right before the chord change to ensure a smooth
transition. I marked these spots with either NPT for “no passing tone”
or APT for “additional passing tone.” I also show you how the
resolution to the 3rd idea can be used to connect to a new chord in
the next measure. In several spots (measure 17 leading into 18,
measure 19 leading into 20, measure 31 leading into 32, and
measure 33 leading into 34), I used a slightly different type of
connection. I played a note a half step above and then a note a half
step below the chord tone I wanted to land on. This is an example of
a technique called enclosure.
There are many ways these scale connections can be done. In many
cases, there are multiple solutions that would be effective. Study
these examples to gain a general understanding of how to connect.
Up to this point, the scale connection examples have involved scales
that lead to a chord tone. In many cases, however, scales will lead
you to non-chord tones. If you land on the second, fourth, or sixth
degree of a dominant scale, you can use the techniques described
earlier to get you back on track with chord tones on the beat. In the
following example, I land on the 2nd of the BD7 scale.
Here I land on the 4th of the C7 scale.

Here I land on the 6th of the F7 scale.

Here is an example of how you can play long, connected lines on the
F blues using much of the dominant material I have introduced thus
far.
Practice: Create your own lines in this same manner.

MORE DOMINANT IDEAS

Here are a few more ideas you can incorporate into your lines.

The next example shows how you can play inverted arpeggios from
the 3rd and 7th. It is possible to invert an arpeggio from the 5th, but
this was rarely done by Charlie Parker and the other bebop masters.

Here is an example of what it can sound like when I string all of this
together.
Practice: Play the example above and then transpose this line into
BD7 and C7. Practice your own ways of stringing ideas together in
these keys, then move on to the other keys. Getting this material
together in all 12 keys will take a long time, so this can be an
ongoing project as you continue to work on other things. This is
when a practice log comes in handy to keep track of exercises you
have practiced, keys you have mastered, and tempos you have
become comfortable with. It will help you track your progress and set
goals. Continue to use a metronome and/or backing tracks.

MORE ABOUT ACCENTS

We talked before about adding accents on the upbeats of a series of
eighth notes. This is usually where accents are added if a line is
moving in one direction, either ascending or descending; however,
there is quite a bit more variation that can occur. The highest pitched
points of a line often receive strong accents. These can occur on the
beat or on the upbeat. Perhaps, not by accident, language is similar
in this regard. Say any multisyllabic word – “multisyllabic,” for
example. Notice that the highest pitched syllable “lab” gets the
accent. This is just one more way in which jazz melody is linked to
speech. In addition, the first note of a phrase usually gets an accent.
Certain target notes, notes the line is headed toward, sometimes get
accented as well. When an accent falls on the beat, we don’t
typically accent on the upbeat immediately before or after. If you
have the technology to slow down a solo by a great jazz pianist or a
horn player such as Charlie Parker, it will be easier to analyze where
accents occur.
The following example shows what I come up with if I apply these
accent “rules” to the line from the previous example.
In reality, however, it may not feel natural to include all of these
accents, and some may be stronger than others. There is not one
absolute or correct way to apply them. It is up to the individual
player.

RHYTHMIC VARIATIONS
Although eighth notes are the basic note value of many jazz solos,
there is no end to the rhythmic variety that can be incorporated. One
basic way to add syncopation is to begin a scale on an upbeat. You
can think of the starting note as a pickup into the next note. Descend
from the second note in a way that is appropriate for that scale
degree.
Here is the F7 bebop scale descending from all scale degrees,
beginning on an upbeat. In the following examples, I begin the
phrase on the “and” of 1, but you can begin these phrases on the
“and” of any beat in the measure.

You can include an additional note so that a scale, or any phrase for
that matter, ends on an upbeat.
You can also vary the rhythm of the arpeggios. Here are some good
ways to begin a phrase. These arpeggios start on an upbeat followed
by a triplet.

Here are some more ways to begin a phrase. The top note of the
arpeggio is now on the beat, affecting how you continue down the
scale. These arpeggios start on an upbeat – without a triplet.
Here are some more good ways to include a triplet with an arpeggio.
Starting the arpeggio on beat 1 or beat 3 will sound the best.

You can begin an arpeggio with a triplet. Again, because the top note
of the arpeggio is now on the beat, the way you come down the
scale is affected. Start the arpeggio on any beat in the measure.
PHRASING
A good solo unfolds like someone telling a story; there are highs and
lows, suspenseful moments, and sudden outbursts. Phrasing plays a
large role in setting up this drama. Many solos start with short
phrases that draw the listener in, eventually incorporating longer,
more complex phrases that sustain the listener’s interest. Phrases
can be of any length and can begin and end on any beat, just like the
variety of sentences we hear when people are conversing. Listen to
classic solos and take notice of where the rests occur that set off the
phrases. Sometimes these rests occur at the end of a musical idea,
like a pause after a period at the end of a sentence. Sometimes…
rests or pauses… occur in the middle… of a musical strain.
Suspense is created when the line pauses………. and relief is felt
when it continues on.
The following examples show how a continuous line can be broken
up to create more interest.
Let’s start with this continuous line.

Here’s how I might break up the line by adding pauses.

In the following example, I’ve broken it up in a different way, using
the same series of notes.

Here is the same series of notes broken up in yet another way.

Practice: Incorporate rhythmic variations and this type of phrasing
into your improvisations. Here is an example of an F blues solo that
includes many of the techniques discussed in this chapter.

Practice: This chapter has provided you with a lot of vocabulary.

Become proficient using this material on an F blues. Then work on
improvising on the blues in C and BD. Work toward being able to play
all of this dominant vocabulary in all keys.
 CHAPTER 7:
MAJOR VOCABULARY
MAJOR SCALE IMPROVISATION
The previous chapter provided you with techniques for improvising
over dominant 7th chords and, as you learned, this material also
works over a iim7–V7 progression. For example, you can use G7
material over Dm7 and G7 because they form a iim7–V7
progression. Many tunes make use of the iim7–V7–Imaj7
progression. Now’s the time to explore ways of improvising over
Imaj7. The concepts you learned in the previous chapter regarding
phrasing and accents will be applicable here as well.
The major scale, sometimes referred to as the Ionian mode, is the
scale that we most often use when improvising over major 7th
chords. As in the case of the Mixolydian mode, the fourth note of this
scale is a weak tone. For example, if you play an ED in your right
hand against a BDmaj7 in your left, you will hear the “clash” and feel
the need for this note to resolve. Keep this in mind as you improvise
melodies using the major scale. Here is an example of what an
improvisation with the BD major scale can sound like.
THE MAJOR BEBOP SCALE
A major bebop scale can be created by adding a passing tone
between the fifth and sixth degrees of a major scale. It is most often
played descending. The added passing tone (theD6th) positions the
chord tones of a major 6th chord on the beats of the measure and
the weak tone (the 4th) on an upbeat. You can play this scale over a
major 6th or a major 7th chord.
Here is the descending BD major bebop scale.
Practice: Learn to play the major bebop scale in all keys. With each
scale, play a major 7th chord or major 6th chord with the left hand.
Use the fingerings in parentheses if you want to continue further
down the scale.
Now, learn to play down from any note in the major bebop scale
(other than from the passing tone between the 5th and 6th). If you
descend from the tonic, 3rd, 5th, or 6th, you simply play down the
major bebop scale from these points, but if you descend from the
2nd, 4th, or 7th, you need to make a special accommodation to get
you back on track, i.e., to position the notes of a major 6th chord on
the beat. Notice the extra half step when you descend from the 2nd
or 7th and the added notes when you descend from the 4th. These
extra notes get you back on track, and aren’t needed in subsequent
octaves if you play further down the scale. Here’s the BD major
bebop scale descending from all scale degrees.
Practice: Play down from all the scale degrees of BD major, AD major,
and C major. Throughout this chapter, we will focus on these keys as
preparation for later exercises. Eventually, you will want to transpose
to all keys.

RESOLUTION TO THE THIRD AND FIFTH

You can insert the resolution to the 3rd idea into the major bebop
scale.

It also works to include a resolution to the 5th.

ARPEGGIOS AND OTHER MELODIC IDEAS
Play an arpeggio up from the 3rd and connect to the scale.

Play an inverted arpeggio from the 3rd and connect to the scale.

Here are some more ideas that can be connected to the scale.
Sometimes, the idea from the 5th is combined with the resolution to
the 3rd idea.

Here is an example of what it can sound like when I string all of

these ideas together.
Practice: Play the example above and then transpose this line into
AD major and C major. Practice your own ways of stringing ideas
together in these keys, then move on to the other keys.

RHYTHMIC VARIATIONS
You can start scales, arpeggios, and other ideas on upbeats, just as
you did with the dominant material. You can include triplets with the
arpeggio from the 3rd. You can also add a note if you want to end a
phrase on an upbeat. Here are some examples of major phrases
with rhythmic variations.
Practice: Incorporate these rhythmic variations as you continue to
work on stringing together major material.

IMPROVISING OVER COMMON PROGRESSIONS

Now let’s apply this material to the iim7–V7–Imaj7 progression.
Begin by playing down a dominant bebop scale over the iim7–V7
measure and continue in the major 7th measure using major scale
vocabulary. In the following example, I start on each degree of the F7
scale and make a smooth connection into the next measure. I use
connections similar to those I showed you on page 45 (Track 79) in
Chapter 6.
Next, add some dominant arpeggios and other ideas into the iim7–
V7 measures.

Another common chord progression is Imaj7–vim7–iim7–V7. It is

often used as a turnaround, a progression that leads back to the
beginning of a section or to the top of a tune. This progression or
variations of it are the basis for entire sections – the A sections of
“Blue Moon” by Richard Rodgers, for example. The entire tune
“Nutty” by Thelonious Monk is based on variations of this
progression.
To improvise over the vim7 chord, you can simply play the major
scale or major bebop scale based on the Imaj7 because these two
chords are so similar in sound and function. This means that you can
improvise over this progression using just two scales, the major
bebop scale over the Imaj7 and the vim7, and a dominant bebop
scale over the iim7 and the V7.
A common variation of this progression is to play iiim7–vim7–iim7–
V7. The iiim7 is closely related in sound and function to the Imaj7.
Improvise over iiim7 with a major scale or major bebop scale as if it
were Imaj7. Play the example below to learn how you can connect
these two scales. Notice how I sometimes left out the passing tone
or put in an additional passing tone right before a chord change to
ensure a smooth transition from one scale to the next. Here, the
bebop scales are applied to the Imaj7–vim7–iim7–V7 and iiim7–
vim7–iim7–V7 progressions.

Now, if you add in all of your major and dominant licks to the mix,
you’ll be able to form some very cool sounding lines. Here's an
improvisation over Imaj7–vim7–iim7–V7 and iiim7–vim7–iim7–V7
that demonstrates what this can sound like.
The next example is an improvisation over Imaj7–vim7–iim7–V7 and
iiim7–vim7–iim7–V7, this time in the key of C, with one chord per
measure.

Practice: Learn to improvise lines over Imaj7–vim7–iim7–V7 and

iiim7–vim7–iim7–V7 using the dominant and major vocabulary I have
shown you.
APPLICATION TO “AFTERNOON IN PARIS”
“Afternoon in Paris” by John Lewis is a 32-measure tune with an
AABA form. It is ideal for practicing what we have covered so far.
The A sections make use of the iim7–V7–Imaj7 progression in three
keys (C, BD, and AD). The bridge begins in the key of C with a iim7–
V7 that leads into Imaj7–vim7–iim7–V7, followed by CAm7–FA7, a
iim7–V7, over which I play FA7 bebop scale material, and finally
Dm7–G7, a iim7–V7, that leads to the last A section.
Here is an example of a solo on the chord progression of “Afternoon
in Paris” that makes use of many of the techniques you have learned
about so far.
Practice: Learn to play the melody of “Afternoon in Paris” from a
fake book or figure it out by ear from a recording. Improvise your
own solos using all of the vocabulary you have been learning.
Remember, it is okay to work things out. Composing a solo is a great
way to get familiar with vocabulary. Create a complete performance
of this tune by playing the head, followed by as many choruses of
improvisation as you like. After your solo, play the head again to end
the tune.
 CHAPTER 8:
MORE HARMONY
UPPER EXTENSIONS
Upper extensions are notes that can be added to chords. They
provide color and complexity and are a hallmark of jazz harmony.
You can add up to three extensions to most 7th chords, but not all of
them are appropriate in every situation. Knowing which extensions
are suitable requires an understanding of the harmonic context and,
often, simply using your ears as a guide. When you create voicings,
you can pick and choose which extensions you want to include. And
you can scramble up the order of the notes in all sorts of ways to
come up with an incredible variety of effective voicings. The chart
below shows the upper extension formulas for six basic 7th chords.

In their basic position, the upper extensions of each chord form a

triad that is an octave plus a whole step higher than what I call the
“underlying triad” (the root, 3rd, and 5th of the chord). For example,
the extensions for Cmaj7 are D, FA, and A, which form a D major
triad. (See the example that follows.) These three extensions are an
octave plus a whole step higher than the underlying triad (C, E, and
G in this case). When the underlying triad is minor, the upper
extensions form a minor triad an octave plus a whole step above it.
When the underlying triad is diminished, the upper extensions form a
diminished triad an octave plus a whole step above.
The extensions are assigned numbers based on the major scale. As
you play up a major scale, it is useful to note that the 9th, 11th, and
13th degrees are the same notes, but an octave higher than the 2nd,
4th, and 6th, respectively. This can help you think of these upper
extensions more easily, and chord symbols sometimes make use of
the smaller number equivalents. In addition, the A11th is sometimes
referred to as the D5th.
The diminished 7th chord is unique because you can add four upper
extensions to it. Its upper extensions form a diminished 7th chord an
octave plus a whole step above. The extensions of the diminished
7th are the 9th, 11th, D13th, and major 7th. You might think to call this
last extension by a larger number, but it is usually described as the
major 7th (maj7 or 7) when included in a chord symbol.
Here is an example of these chords and extensions with C as the
root of each chord. The 7th chords are in the left hand, with
extensions in the right hand.

Practice: Play a chord with the left hand and the upper extensions
with the right, as in the example above. Do this with the six chord
qualities in all 12 keys.
Sometimes, chord symbols use an extension in place of the 7th. In
these cases, the 7th is still played, as well as the extension
indicated. For example, Fm9 is Fm7 with the 9th added, Dm11 is
Dm7 with the 11th added, and BD13 is a BD7 with the 13th added.
Sometimes a chord symbol contains several extensions. Often,
chord symbols are intended to be just a guide or suggestion. Jazz
pianists routinely add extensions that are not indicated on a chart to
get the sound they desire.

ALTERED DOMINANT EXTENSIONS

When it comes to adding extensions, dominant chords have the
most possibilities. This is because, in addition to the 9th, A11th, and
13th, there are three more extensions that can be used to add more
tension and urgency to the sound of a dominant 7th chord: D9th, A9th,
and D13th. These three tones, along with the A11, are known as
altered dominant tones or altered dominant extensions.
You will encounter a variety of symbols when dealing with altered
dominant extensions. The symbol A9 and the symbol +9 mean the
same thing. D13 can be written as A5 or +5. C+7 means C7A5, which
can also be written as C7(+5) or C7D13. C7alt generally means to
include one or more of the following: D9th, A9th, D13th. C7alt can also
include the A11th. When the A11th is included in the C7alt, it is most
often used in combination with one or more of the other altered
extensions.
While the six extensions that can be added to a dominant chord (9th,
D9th, A9th, A11th, 13th, D13th) can be combined in many ways, an
altered 9th is not typically paired with an unaltered 9th, and the D13th
is not usually paired with the unaltered 13th. When the D13 is used,
the 5th of the chord is generally left out. The A11th can be combined
with any of the other extensions.
Here are the D9th, A9th, and D13th applied to a C7 chord.

Practice: Play the example above and take it around the cycle
(transpose it to the other keys in the cycle).
TWO-HANDED VOICINGS
Voicings used for comping or to harmonize a melody often include
extensions. So far, you have practiced the extensions in their basic
position, but when creating voicings, they can be placed in different
octaves and rearranged in all sorts of ways. To create full-sounding
chords, we often play voicings that require two hands. Here are
some suggestions of how to get started using the right hand to add
another note to the shell voicings.
With closed-shell voicings, add the 9th. You may choose, as I have
in this example, to retain the D5th with the halfdiminished and
diminished 7th chords since this note helps differentiate them from
other chord qualities.

With closed-shell dominant chords you have more options; you can
add the 9th, D9th, or A9th.
With open-shell voicings, add the 5th on top. On dominant chords,
however, it is more common to add the 13th or D13th instead of the
5th. The following example demonstrates open-shell voicings with
one note added.

The next four examples offer suggestions for adding two notes to the
shell voicings. With closed-shell voicings, except for half-diminished
and diminished 7th, you can add the 9th and the 5th with the right
hand. In the case of half-diminished and diminished 7th, I retained
the D5th in the left hand and added the 9th and 11th with the right.

Combining the 9th, D9th, or A9th with the 5th on closed-shell

dominant chords is possible, but using the 13th or D13th in lieu of the
5th will provide more harmonic color. (I didn’t include the
combinations A9th and 13th or 9th and D13th because they are used
less often.) The following example demonstrates some of these
possibilities.
With open-shell voicings, you can add the 5th and the 9th with the
right hand, but in the case of the dominant 7th chords, I again added
the 13th or D13th instead of the 5th and used one or the other in
combination with the 9th, D9th, or A9th. As before, I didn’t include the
combinations A9th and 13th or 9th and D13th on the dominant 7th
because they are used less often. In the second major 7th voicing, I
used the 13th (6th) instead of the 5th. I also included a useful half-
diminished voicing and diminished 7th voicing that make use of the
root in place of the 9th. Note the different positions of the 9th and
altered 9th throughout.
Using these suggestions, here’s how I might play Imaj7–vim7–iim7–
V7.

Practice: Learn to play Imaj7–vim7–iim7–V7 in other keys. Start with

common keys like G, C, F, B D, and ED before transposing to those
further afield.

HARMONIZING TUNES
When you add extensions to harmonize a tune, make sure you pick
notes that are compatible with the melody. Also, since we tend to
hear the top note of a voicing as the melody, keep the notes you add
below the desired melody. Decide which chords will be open and
which will be closed before you begin adding extensions. At first, you
will probably think of harmony in a strictly vertical sense, as if each
voicing stands on its own. However, you must also consider the
horizontal movement of the individual notes within each voicing as
you move from one chord to the next. This will help you determine
which extensions to use and which voicings are most appropriate.
Here is an example of how you might use shell voicings and
extensions to harmonize the tune “Poor Butterfly.” You can play the
top note of the open-shell voicings with your right-hand thumb or
play broken chords. In measure 27, I decided to play just the bass
note rather than a whole chord because of what is going on in the
melody. Sometimes a melody note may coincide with the top note of
a chord voicing. This is the case in measure 25, so I left off the top
DD from the BDm7 open-shell voicing and instead played that note
with the right hand as part of the melody.
It is common, albeit optional, to add one or more altered extensions
to a dominant 7th chord that leads to a chord of any quality that is up
a 4th or down a 5th (as in measure 18 of “Poor Butterfly” below). But
if this chord you are leading to is minor, extensions added are
usually altered (as in the G7 leading to Cm7 in Track 135, page 68).
Analyze which extensions I have added in this example. In measure
30, you will find I added the A11th on ED7.

POOR BUTTERFLY
 Copyright © 2015 by HAL LEONARD CORPORATION
International Copyright Secured All Rights Reserved

Practice: Harmonize other standards using shell voicings and

extensions. Use the suggestions above to get started, but don’t be
afraid to experiment with other possibilities. You can try adding other
extensions such as the 11th and A11th.
ROOTLESS VOICINGS
In the 1950s, pianists such as Bill Evans and Red Garland began
using middle-register, rootless voicings. This has become a
popular way to play the left hand, especially in a group setting with a
bassist to supply the roots. There are two basic ways to play each
chord quality using this technique: one similar to the closed shell, in
that the 3rd is below the 7th (noninverted), and the other like the
open shell, in that the 7th is below the 3rd (inverted). Below are
formulas for some of the most common four-note rootless voicings.
The numbers correspond to notes of a major scale. Jazz pianists
sometimes leave out the second-to-lowest note to create three-note
rootless voicings, or even play just the 3rd and 7th, or 7th and 3rd of
each chord to create two-note rootless voicings.

Here are these formulas shown in musical notation.

Practice: Learn to play each voicing in all keys through the cycle
using the left hand. I usually play the voicings as low as possible
without any of the notes going below the C an octave below middle
C. For practice purposes, you may want to hold the sustain pedal
down as you play the root followed by the rootless voicing. This will
allow you to hear what it will sound like when you have a bass
player. Make sure you clear the pedal when you move to the next
chord. When playing with a bassist, it isn’t necessary to play the
roots.
In the following example, I use the non-inverted major 7th rootless
voicing to demonstrate how you might practice.
When you use rootless voicings in a tune, it is important, just as it is
with shell voicings, to achieve smooth voice leading. In the following
example, I play through the cycle alternating between non-inverted
and inverted major 7th rootless voicings. I show these voicings in
their ideal range. ADmaj7 can be played high or low.

Here are the rootless major 7th voicings played a different way.
Chords that were inverted in the previous example are noninverted
here, and those that were non-inverted are inverted. These voicings
are shown in their ideal range. Dmaj7 can be played high or low.

Practice: Once you are comfortable alternating between inverted

and non-inverted major 7th rootless voicings, do the same for minor
7th and dominant 7th chords.
The following example shows two ways I use rootless voicings to
play iim7–V7–Imaj7. Notice that the smoothest voice leading occurs
by alternating between inverted and non-inverted.
Practice: Play iim7–V7–Imaj7 with rootless voicings in all keys.
Alternate between inverted and non-inverted.
The next example shows two ways I use rootless voicings to play
Imaj7–vim7–iim7–V7. Again, the smoothest voice leading occurs by
alternating between inverted and non-inverted.

Practice: Play Imaj7–vim7–iim7–V7 with rootless voicings in all

keys. Alternate between inverted and non-inverted. Try using an
altered dominant rootless voicing for the V7 chord.
Because iiim7 is so closely related in sound and function to the
Imaj7, use the Imaj7 rootless voicing for both. In the following
example of iiim7–vim7–iim7–V7 played with rootless voicings, I use
the same voicing for both Dm7 (iiim7) and the BDmaj7 (lmaj7) that
follows.

It is common to play an altered dominant in place of the vim7 to lead

to the iim7. Try playing Imaj7–VI7alt–iim7–V7. Here is that
progression with rootless voicings.

Practice: Learn to play the three previous examples in all keys.

Mastering all these voicings is a big project. Start with the keys that
are most familiar to you. Use your practice log to keep track of the
keys you know and which ones you still need to learn. Here is the
tune “Indiana (Back Home Again in Indiana)” played with rootless
voicings. In the process of applying rootless voicings, it is important,
as it is with shell voicings, to find a good balance of smooth voice
leading and chords that are in an ideal register.
 INDIANA
(Back Home Again in Indiana)
Words by Ballard MacDonald
Music by James F. Hanley

Copyright © 2015 by HAL LEONARD CORPORATION

International Copyright Secured All Rights Reserved
Practice: Apply rootless voicings to other standards you know or are
learning.

COMPING RHYTHMS
Whether comping with the left hand to support your right-hand lines,
or comping with two hands behind a soloist, you can play rhythms
that will drive the music forward, add interest, and even create a
dialog between the solo and the accompaniment. Let’s take a look at
how this can be done.
When we comp, we sometimes anticipate chords by an eighth note.
This means that if a chord change happens on beat 1, we might
actually play the chord on the “and” of 4 of the preceding measure,
or if a chord change happens on beat 3, we might play the chord on
the “and” of 2. Red Garland often comped consistently on the “and”
of 2 and the “and” of 4.
Here is an example of this left-hand comping rhythm with a right-
hand improvisation.

You may have noticed that I left off the top note of the final F7
voicing in the example above (measure 8). I did this because the
right-hand melody dipped down lower at that point. When you
improvise, you can leave out upper notes of your lefthand voicings to
accommodate the right hand. Sometimes you might switch to a shell
voicing momentarily, or leave the left hand out entirely to allow for
lower notes in the right hand.
Practice: Use the left-hand comping rhythm from the example above
while you play basic scales or improvise solos with your right hand.
When you comp with the left hand for your own solos or comp with
two hands behind a soloist, the “Red Garland rhythm” is one option,
but you can also vary whether you play the chords on the beat or on
an upbeat, and whether you play them short or long. Comping
rhythms can coincide with the rhythm of the solo, or they can be
used to fill in the spaces between melodic phrases, creating an
exchange or dialog. Pianists sometimes lay out (stop playing) behind
a soloist for one or more sections or even one or more choruses.
Here is an example of a solo on a B D blues accompanied by left-
hand chords that use these rhythmic techniques.
Practice: Improvise on the blues and other tunes and vary your left-
hand comping rhythms.

COMPING BEHIND A SOLOIST

When comping behind a soloist, you need to do your best to make
the whole band groove and make the soloist sound good. If you do
that, you will sound good! Support, but don’t overwhelm, the soloist.
We customarily use two-handed voicings. They can be created from
shell voicings and extensions, as I showed you earlier, or they can
be based on rootless voicings. One technique is to move the
second-to-lowest note of a rootless voicing up an octave. The notes
of the voicing that result can be divided between the hands however
you like.
Here is an example based on the first 16 bars of “Indiana (Back
Home Again in Indiana).”
You can use the right hand to add one or more notes to the rootless
voicings to create all kinds of possibilities. With your right hand
drawing upon the same scales you use when you improvise, add
either a single note or an octave above the left-hand rootless
voicings. Remember, you can play four-note, three-note, or two-note
rootless voicings. Play both hands at the same time to create full-
sounding chords. Here is an example of two-handed comping on the
blues.
SOLOING WITH CHORDS
Two-handed voicings are essential for comping, but they can also be
used for soloing. Pianists sometimes begin their solos with single-
note lines that eventually give way to two-handed chords that help
build energy and excitement. Bobby Timmons’s solo on “Moanin’”
with Art Blakey is a classic example of this. Adding a perfect 4th
below the upper note of a right-hand octave is a technique Red
Garland often used to "fatten up" his chords. Here is an example of a
solo in that style.

Practice: Work on improvising with two-handed chords on the blues

or other tunes. Play both hands at the same time to create big
chords. Try beginning your solos with single-note lines and then
change to chords toward the end to build excitement.
 CHAPTER 9:
MORE SCALES
THE HARMONIC MINOR SCALE
The harmonic minor scale is like a major scale, but with the third
and sixth degrees flatted. You can also view it as an Aeolian mode
(natural minor scale) with a raised seventh degree. Here is the F
harmonic minor scale.

THE JEWISH OR SPANISH SCALE

In Chapter 5, I showed you how to use the Mixolydian mode to
improvise over dominant chords and in Chapter 6, I introduced you
to the dominant bebop scale. When we improvise over an altered
dominant chord, however, a different scale is required. Often, we use
the fifth mode of the harmonic minor scale. This mode is known as
the Jewish scale or Spanish scale. If I play the fifth mode of F
harmonic minor, I get the C7 Jewish scale. The following example
shows this scale and how its notes relate to C7.

The Jewish scale is like a Mixolydian mode, but with a lowered 2nd
(D9th) and a lowered 6th (D13th). The fourth note of the scale (labeled
above as the 11th) is a weak tone. The Jewish scale is frequently
used to lead to a chord of any quality that is up a 4th or down a 5th,
but most often, this scale precedes a minor chord.
Dominant voicings used in conjunction with the Jewish scale often
include the D9th. They might also include the A9th, although this note
is not contained within the scale, so it does not precisely match the
harmonic sound of the scale. The D13th can be incorporated as well
– although, depending on the melodic line, it is sometimes best to
omit this note, or use the 5th instead. These voicings should not
involve the 9th, A11th, or 13th.
We can form a descending bebop version of the Jewish scale by
adding the major 7th as a passing tone. The following example
shows how I can play down from any degree in the scale (other than
from the passing tone (the major 7th)) and lead into a minor chord. In
some cases, I have made an adjustment in order to land on a chord
tone of the minor chord.
Practice: Learn to play the scale connections above and transpose
them to G7 and D7 as preparation for exercises and tunes we will
explore later.
You can play an arpeggio from the 3rd of the Jewish scale. It forms a
diminished arpeggio and can be played ascending or inverted. These
arpeggios can be followed by a continuation of the Jewish scale or
they can be used to lead to a note in the next chord.

You can play a resolution to the 5th, a resolution to the 3rd, or a

resolution to the root.

You can combine the arpeggio or inverted arpeggio with the

resolution to the root.
Sometimes the resolution to the root can instead be used to lead to a
note in the next chord. Notice the difference in the two phrases in the
following example. In the second phrase, I moved the end of the line
up an octave. This is a common bebop lick.

Practice: Learn to play these Jewish scale ideas and transpose

them to G7 and D7. Eventually, you will want to transpose all of the
Jewish scale material to all keys.

MINOR II–V–I
If you recall, the major scale was the source for the iim7–V7–Imaj7
progression. We can generate a progression in similar fashion from
the harmonic minor scale. The result is known as a minor II–V–I.

Notice that all of the notes in the chords above come from the F
harmonic minor scale. The V7 chord has been extended to include
the D9th. The example shows the progression in its basic form,
however, different combinations of altered tones can be used over
the V7, and the im(maj7) is often replaced with im6 or im7. Jazz
musicians generally improvise with a different scale over each chord
of this progression. Let’s take a look at what those scales are.
THE LOCRIAN MODE
The Locrian mode is the seventh mode of the major scale, and it is
often the best choice to use when improvising over a half-diminished
chord. The second note of the Locrian mode is a weak tone. You can
use the Locrian mode to improvise over the iiø7 in the minor II–V–I.
Here is the G Locrian mode.

You can think of ED Mixolydian instead of G Locrian because these

two modes share the same notes, and Gø7 and ED7 are related
chords. Use the ED7 (dominant) bebop scale and related ideas over
Gø7. In more general terms, improvise over a half-diminished chord
using the bebop scale (and related ideas) that begins a major 3rd
below the root of the chord. Here is a line over Gø7 using ED7 bebop
scale ideas.

THE JAZZ MELODIC MINOR SCALE

The jazz melodic minor scale is often used to improvise over
minor-major 7th and minor 6th chords. This scale is like a major
scale but with a flatted third degree. It is played the same way up
and down, unlike the classical version of the melodic minor scale
that is played differently when descending. You can use the scale
over the im(maj7) or im6 in the minor II–V–I. Here is the F jazz
melodic minor scale.

The jazz melodic minor scale has no weak tones. Here is an

improvisation based on the F jazz melodic minor scale.

Here are two good ways of leading to the tonic of the melodic minor
scale.

These are good ways to lead to the 3rd of the scale.

If you combine these “leading” ideas with chord tones of a minor
triad – in this case F, AD, and C – you can come up with some great
melodies. The following example show an F melodic minor scale
improvisation using “leading” ideas.
Practice: Create lines from the jazz melodic minor scale using these
“leading” ideas. Start with F minor and G minor to prepare for
upcoming exercises and tunes. Once these are solid, begin learning
the other keys. In the following example, I have created lines over
the minor II–V–I using the scale techniques covered in this chapter
so far. The V7 chord in the minor II–V–I should be played as an
altered dominant, so here's your chance to use the Jewish scale, as I
showed you earlier. Later, I will show you other scales that you can
use to improvise over an altered dominant chord.
Practice: Learn to play these lines over the II–V–I in F minor as in
the example above, then transpose to C minor and G minor before
attempting to learn this material in the other keys.
Sometimes, a minor II–V is used to lead to Imaj7. The minor II–V
prepares us for a minor chord, so the Imaj7 comes as a bit of a
harmonic surprise. Here are some examples in the key of C. Notice
that I am using BD7 scale material on Dø7. On G7, I am using the G7
Jewish scale, and on the Cmaj7, I am using the C major bebop scale
and related vocabulary.

THE ALTERED SCALE

There are a few more scales that are frequently used to convey an
altered dominant sound. The altered scale is one of these. It goes
by several different names, including the diminished whole-tone
scale and the super Locrian mode. It is the seventh mode of the
melodic minor scale. For example, the G7 altered scale uses the
notes of A D melodic minor. In general terms, if you want to play the
altered scale over a dominant chord, use a melodic minor scale that
starts a half step above the root of the dominant chord.
Try playing the altered scale shown below. The scale contains three
basic chord tones of a dominant 7th (root, 3rd, 7th) and all of the
altered dominant extensions (D9th, A9th, A11th, D13th). Dominant
voicings used in conjunction with the altered scale can make use of
one or more of the altered dominant extensions. These voicings
should not include the unaltered 9th, 5th, or unaltered 13th.

There is a classic phrase that comes from the altered scale that has
become known as the “Cry Me a River” lick due to the fact that it is
similar to the opening phrase of that tune. The altered scale most
often leads to a chord that is up a 4th or down a 5th. The examples
demonstrate that these altered licks can lead to chords of various
qualities. Here are a few ways you can play this phrase.
Practice: Learn the altered scale and “Cry Me a River” licks for G7,
C7, and D7 before beginning to learn them in the other keys.
You can use four-note altered licks to lead to a chord that is up a 4th
or down a 5th. Here are some examples.

It is common to use a short altered phrase right before a resolution.

Check out these examples, where I improvise with the dominant
bebop scale over a iim7–V7 and then insert an altered lick for the
two beats before the resolution to the Imaj7.
To create longer phrases with the altered scale, try joining four-note
altered phrases together.
Practice: Create your own iim7–V7–Imaj7 lines that include these
four-note altered licks. Form longer altered phrases by combining the
four-note ideas.

THE DIMINISHED SCALE

The diminished scale can be used to improvise over diminished
chords as well as dominant chords. It is an eight-note scale that
combines the four chord tones of a diminished 7th chord with its four
upper extensions (9th, 11th, D13th, maj7th), resulting in an alternating
pattern of whole steps and half steps. Here is the C diminished
scale.

Due to the symmetrical nature of the diminished 7th chord and the
diminished scale, it is often said that there are only three diminished
7th chords and only three diminished scales. To understand this, play
the inversions of C°7. You will get ED°7, FA°7, and A°7. All four of
these chords share the same notes. Now try playing CA°7 and its
inversions. You will again come up with four diminished chords that
share the same notes. Lastly, play D°7 and its inversions and you
will again come up with four chords that share the same notes. Can
you see that there are really only three diminished 7th chords? The
same is true of the scales.
Here are three diminished scales. Any other diminished scale you
play will share the same notes as one of these scales.
When we ascend with the diminished scale, we typically begin on a
chord tone, but when we descend, we typically begin on an upper
extension. This allows us to retain the whole step–half step–whole
step–half step pattern that “pulls” the line forward due to the leading
tones. Play the following ascending and descending examples of the
diminished scale.
Practice: Learn to play the three diminished scales up from the four
chord tones and down from the four upper extensions.
Let’s take a look at how the diminished scale can be used with
dominant chords. When a D9th is added to a dominant chord, its 3rd,
5th, 7th, and D9th form a diminished 7th chord and the root of the
dominant chord can be viewed as an upper extension of that
diminished 7th chord. For example, the 3rd, 5th, 7th, and D9th of
G7D9 are B, D, F, and AD, respectively. These notes form B°7. The
root of G7 is an upper extension (D13th) of B°7. This means that
G7D9 and B°7 are related chords, so you can play the B diminished
scale over G7D9. The following example shows how the notes of the
B diminished scale relate to G7D9. Dominant voicings used in
conjunction with the diminished scale can make use of one or more
of the following extensions: D9th, A9th, A11th, 13th. These voicings
should not include the unaltered 9th or D13th.
The following lines are examples of how you can use diminished
scales over dominant chords that lead to major, minor, or other
dominant chords.
Practice: Think of tunes you know that have spots where you could
use lines from the example above. To gain mastery of vocabulary, it
is important that you practice within the context of a tune. Simply
practicing an idea in all keys won’t necessarily mean you will be
comfortable including it in your solos. Practice incorporating specific
ideas and phrases into the tunes you are learning.
Because of its symmetrical nature, the diminished scale is a great
source for patterns. The following examples come from the B
diminished scale or any of its equivalent diminished scales (D
diminished, F diminished, and AD diminished). These patterns also fit
with the related dominants (G7, B D7, D D7, and E7). In the examples,
I lead to Cmaj7, but you can use these patterns to lead to other
chord qualities as well. Any phrase that comes from a diminished
scale can be transposed up or down in minor 3rds to create a
pattern. Study the following examples to understand this concept.
Practice: What you can do with diminished patterns is endless, so
pick one of your favorites and work on including it in appropriate
spots in the tunes you are playing. Try other patterns and make up
your own.

IMPROVISING WITH WHOLE TONE SCALES

Way back in Chapter 2, I told you about the two whole tone scales.
The whole tone scale is yet another scale that can be used to
improvise over dominant chords. It is less common than some of the
other scales we have discussed, but Thelonious Monk used it
extensively and made it a distinctive part of his style. Use the whole
tone scale that starts on the root of a dominant chord. The following
example shows how the notes of the G whole tone scale relate to a
G7 chord. Dominant voicings used in conjunction with the whole tone
scale can make use of one or more of the following extensions: 9th,
A11th, D13th. These voicings should not include the D9th, A9th, 5th, or
unaltered 13th.
Here is an example of some of the linear patterns that can be
created from the whole tone scale.
Practice: Pick your favorite whole tone patterns and try to work them
into tunes. Listen to recordings by Thelonious Monk to get ideas
about where you might include them.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

The following is a solo on the chords of Cole Porter’s “What Is This
Thing Called Love?” I have incorporated all of the scales that were
introduced in this chapter, as well as techniques from previous
chapters.
 CHAPTER 10:
MORE REPERTOIRE
VARIATIONS OF COMMON CHORD PROGRESSIONS
In Chapter 7, I discussed ways to improvise over Imaj7–vim7–iim7–
V7 and iiim7–vim7–iim7–V7 progressions. Many jazz standards rely
heavily on variations of these progressions that include VI7alt in
place of vim7. The symbol “alt” suggests the use of the altered scale,
however, I frequently use the Jewish scale as an alternative; either
scale leads effectively to the minor chord that follows. It is optional
whether you treat V7 as an altered dominant or simply leave it
unaltered. Play the following line based on Imaj7–VI7alt–iim7–V7
and iiim7–VI7alt–iim7–V7 in F.
Practice: Work on improvising over Imaj7–VI7alt–iim7–V7 and
iiim7–VI7alt–iim7–V7 with one chord per bar as in the example
above. Draw upon all of the different scales and techniques that
have been introduced in this book.
Many tunes use Imaj7–VI7alt–iim7–V7 and iiim7–VI7alt–iim7–V7
with two chords per bar. Here is an improvisation based on these
progressions in BD. I have included a few new ideas.

Practice: Work on improvising over Imaj7–VI7alt–iim7–V7 and

iiim7–VI7alt–iim7–V7 with two chords per bar as in the example
above.
JAZZ BLUES
Earlier, we discussed the three-chord blues. Unless this simpler form
is agreed upon, jazz musicians typically use a more complex chord
progression for the blues. Although there are countless variations,
here is the typical jazz version of the blues. Notice that it includes
Imaj7–VI7alt–iim7–V7. The last three chords are used to lead back
to the top.

Here it is in the key of F.

Here is an example of a solo on the blues using much of the material
you have been learning. You will see some chords in parentheses.
B°7 is the Aiv°7 and BDm7 is the ivm7. One or the other are
sometimes included as a way of leading from IV7 back to Imaj7.
The phrase I used in measure 6 is a nice way to move from B°7 to
Fmaj7. This is a useful little idea that you will be able to use on other
tunes as well.

Practice: Improvise on the jazz version of the F blues. Learn an F

blues head such as Charlie Parker’s “Now’s the Time” so you can
play a complete performance. Work out ways of comping so you will
be ready to play in a group. Learn the jazz version of the blues in
other common keys such as B D and C.
RHYTHM CHANGES
Another important progression to get familiar with is rhythm
changes. This is jazz jargon for the chord progression of George
Gershwin’s composition “I Got Rhythm.” You can see why it is easier
to just say, “Let’s play rhythm changes!” Musicians often shorten it
even more and refer to it as simply “rhythm.” There are many tunes
based on this progression and, as with the blues, there are endless
variations.
Here is a basic way to play the progression. Notice that it includes
Imaj7–VI7alt–iim7–V7 and iiim7–VI7alt–iim7–V7. The chords in
parentheses are commonly used alternate chords. EDmaj7 (IVmaj7)
is followed by either EDm7 (ivm7) or E°7 (Aiv°7). Notice how these
chord movements are similar to the chord substitutes I used in the
blues solo earlier in this chapter (page 85, Track 176). The last three
chords are used to lead back to the top.
Here is an example of a rhythm changes solo that uses much of the
material you have been learning. I structured this as an etude in
order to demonstrate many ideas, so I didn’t leave as much space as
I typically would in a solo. In measures 6 and 14, I again use the
diminished lick I showed you earlier (page 86, Track 177).
Practice: Analyze this solo and use it to help you improvise your
own solos. Start with very slow tempos, but gradually work up to
faster tempos. Learn a rhythm changes head like “Oleo” or
“Anthropology.” Work out ways of comping as well. Be prepared –
musicians like to play rhythm changes way up-tempo!

“AUTUMN LEAVES”
Here is an example of a solo on “Autumn Leaves,” a popular
standard composed by Joseph Kosma. I made use of much of the
material you have been learning. The EDmaj7 chord in measures 4,
12, and 24 functions as the IVmaj7 in the key of BD. For this reason, I
didn’t change to the ED major scale in those measures; I simply
continued using the BD major bebop scale and related ideas.
Practice: Work on improvising on “Autumn Leaves.” Learn the head
and work out ways of comping. The blues and rhythm changes are
two of the most commonly played progressions and “Autumn
Leaves” is a frequently played standard. Once you become skilled at
playing them, you will be able to transfer this knowledge to countless
other tunes.

CONCLUSION
You’re probably realizing, now more than ever, that the process of
learning to play jazz piano is a never-ending journey. I hope this
book has unlocked some of the mysteries of this music for you and
that it has inspired you to continue to practice and listen. Sometimes
it will feel like you are making rapid progress, but more often than not
it will seem slow. Learning a new tune, discovering a new artist,
hearing an incredible recording, taking in a live performance, and
playing music with others will motivate you to continue your quest.
Just keep at it every day and enjoy and appreciate the privilege of
being able to play music. Over time, you will look back and be
amazed at how far you have come and what you have achieved.
 GLOSSARY
Aeolian mode: The sixth mode of a major scale, also known as the
natural minor scale.
altered dominant tones (a.k.a. altered dominant extensions):
The D9th, A9th, A11th, and D13th of a dominant 7th chord.
altered scale (a.k.a. diminished whole-tone scale or super
Locrian mode): The seventh mode of a jazz melodic minor scale.
arpeggio: A broken chord, i.e., the notes of the chord are played in
succession rather than simultaneously.
ballad: A slow tune.
bebop scales (a.k.a. jazz scales): Scales containing added passing
tones, commonly used by Charlie Parker and others from the Bebop
Era.
big band: A jazz group of 10 or more members.
blues (blues progression): A musical form, usually 12 measures in
length, or any tune based on this progression.
blues scale: A minor pentatonic scale that often also includes the
b5th.
bossa nova: A Latin style from Brazil.
bridge: The B section of an AABA form.
changes: Jazz musicians’ term for the chord progression of a tune.
chart: A lead sheet or any written jazz arrangement.
chord: A combination of three or more pitches sounded
simultaneously.
chord quality: Chord type (e.g., major 7th or minor 7th).
chorus: One time through the form of a tune.
chromatic scale: A 12-note scale of half steps.
comping: Chorded accompaniment for a melody or improvised solo.
cycle: A series of all 12 notes arranged in a pattern that moves up in
4ths or down in 5ths.
degree: A note within a scale, often labeled numerically to indicate
its position relative to the tonic.
diatonic: Involving notes from a major scale (or related mode) with
no chromatic alterations.
diminished scale: An eight-note scale that combines the four chord
tones of a diminished 7th chord with its four upper extensions,
resulting in an alternating pattern of whole steps and half steps.
diminished whole-tone scale: See altered scale.
Dorian mode: The second mode of a major scale.
enclosure: A melodic technique of leading to a chord tone or other
target note by using notes that chromatically or diatonically surround
it.
enharmonic equivalents: Two notes that are identical in pitch, but
written differently (e.g., CA and DD).
fake book: A book of lead sheets.
feel: Rhythmic style.
form: The structure of a jazz tune when played once through, not
including an intro or special ending. Letters of the alphabet are often
used to describe form and denote sections (e.g., AABA).
half step (a.k.a. semitone): The smallest distance between two
notes on the piano.
harmonic minor scale: A type of minor scale that can be formed by
flatting the third and sixth degrees of a major scale.
head: The melody of a tune.
idea: A short musical phrase that can be incorporated into a solo.
interval: The distance between two pitches.
intro: A musical introduction to a tune.
inversion: A chord arranged so that a chord tone other than the root
is the lowest note.
Ionian mode: The first mode of (and identical to) a major scale.
jazz melodic minor scale: A type of minor scale that can be formed
by flatting the third degree of a major scale. The same notes are
used ascending and descending, unlike the classical version of the
melodic minor scale that is played differently on the way down.
Jewish scale (a.k.a. Spanish scale): The fifth mode of a harmonic
minor scale.
lay out: Stop playing.
lead sheet: A page of music that usually shows just the melody and
the chord symbols of a tune.
leading tone: A note that resolves to a note a half step higher or
lower.
lick: A short, often familiar, melodic phrase.
Locrian mode: The seventh mode of a major scale.
Lydian mode: The fourth mode of a major scale.
major scale: A series of seven notes that can be formed by
ascending from any note using the formula: whole step – whole step
– half step – whole step – whole step – whole step – half step.
minor pentatonic scale: A five-note scale, composed of the 1st,
D3rd, 4th, 5th, and D7th degrees of a major scale.
Mixolydian mode: The fifth mode of a major scale.
modes: Scales formed by starting on each degree of a “parent”
scale.
passing tone: A nonharmonic note that connects harmonic notes.
Phrygian mode: The third mode of a major scale.
progression (chord progression): A sequence of chords.
rhythm changes: Jazz term for the chord progression of George
Gershwin’s composition “I Got Rhythm.”
rhythm section: The musicians in a jazz group that accompany and
help keep time. The most common instruments in a rhythm section
are piano, bass, and drums, but guitar and/or various percussion
instruments may be included as well.
root position: A voicing in which the root is the lowest note.
rootless voicing: A chord, often played by the left hand, that does
not contain the root.
scale: A group of notes arranged in ascending or descending order.
semitone: See half step.
seventh chord: A chord of four notes that can be stacked in 3rds.
shell voicing: A voicing that contains just the root, 3rd, and 7th (or
6th) of a chord.
slash chord: A chord played over a bass note other than the root.
With this type of notation, the chord is indicated to the left of or
above the slash, and the note required as the lowest is shown to the
right of or below the slash.
smooth voice leading: Minimal note movement between voicings.
Spanish scale: See Jewish scale.
standard: A tune that most jazz musicians know. Many of them were
composed for musicals or movies and some were composed by jazz
musicians.
stride: A piano technique that involves the left hand playing a low
note on beats 1 and 3 and a middle-register chord on beats 2 and 4
of each measure.
super Locrian mode: See altered scale.
swing (swing feel): A jazz style in which eighth notes are played
with an alternating “long-short” rhythm.
syncopation: The rhythmic practice of placing notes or emphasis on
offbeats.
tonic: The first note of the major scale, natural minor scale,
harmonic minor scale, or melodic minor scale.
top: The beginning of the form of a tune.
trading fours or trading eights: Alternating brief solos of four or
eight measures between two or more members of a jazz group. It is
common for a horn player or pianist to “trade” with the drummer.
transcribing: Notating music you learn by ear.
transposition: The process of moving a note or group of notes to
another key.
triad: A chord of three notes that can be stacked in 3rds.
tritone: An interval of three whole steps.
turnaround: A progression that leads back to the beginning of a
section or to the top of a tune.
upper extensions: Notes that can be added to a four-note chord
(e.g., 9th, 11th, and 13th).
vocabulary: Licks and phrases used in improvisation.
voicing: The particular arrangement of notes of a chord.
weak tone: A note in a scale that clashes with a related chord.
whole step: An interval of two half steps.
whole tone scale: A six-note scale of whole steps.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Special thanks to my family, friends, and former teachers, for your
support and guidance, and to my students, past and present, for
inspiring me to continue learning. In particular, I would like to thank
my good friend Rick Krause for his invaluable help with this book.
 ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mark Davis is an accomplished pianist and an
influential educator who has been a mainstay on
the Midwest jazz scene for over 25 years. He has
performed with jazz luminaries Eric Alexander,
Peter Bernstein, Slide Hampton, Jimmy Heath,
Brian Lynch, Charles McPherson, Frank Morgan,
and Phil Woods, among others.
Mark began classical piano studies at age eight and soon took to
improvising and composing. His teachers at the Wisconsin
Conservatory of Music included Adelaide Banaszynski and David
Hazeltine. He later studied with jazz legend Barry Harris, who
remains one of Mark’s primary inspirations as a player and educator.
Since 1992, Mark has taught at the Wisconsin Conservatory of
Music, where he serves as Chair of the Jazz Institute. He is also on
the music faculty of Alverno College and Wisconsin Lutheran
College. Many of Mark’s former students have gone on to successful
careers in music, most notably Dan Nimmer, pianist with Wynton
Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.
Mark’s previous work for Hal Leonard Corporation includes
transcriptions for Miles Davis: Kind of Blue for their Transcribed
Score series and numerous recordings for their Real Book Play-
Along series.
For more information, visit www.markdavismusic.com.
 TESTIMONIALS
I find Mark Davis’s Jazz Piano Method to be informative and
insightful, not only for pianists, but for all musicians. His wealth of
knowledge about jazz piano is evident. His method and approach is
interesting and well thought out. As one who does clinics and master
classes, I'm always seeking new ways and methods to inform,
excite, and motivate the students. I highly recommend Mark’s book.
– Dr. Charles McPherson, saxophonist (has worked with Charles
Mingus, Barry Harris, Dizzy Gillespie, Jay McShann, and others)
What I like most about Mark’s Jazz Piano Method is that it’s a well
thought through, logically organized, clearly articulated, and
thorough approach to learning how to play jazz piano. Starting with
the fundamentals of listening, standard forms, and basic scale and
chord construction, Mark Davis clearly explains how to understand
and practice the various aspects of jazz piano playing.
– David Hazeltine, pianist (has worked with One for All, Jon
Faddis, Slide Hampton, Louis Hayes, James Moody, Marlena
Shaw, and others)
Mark Davis has put together a clear and comprehensive book that
will give the student who goes through it carefully everything needed
to enter and explore the world of jazz harmony. Mark is a great
player as well as a great teacher who understands what fundamental
knowledge and skills students need in order to create and to make
their own harmonic discoveries.
– Peter Bernstein, guitarist (has worked with Jimmy Cobb, Diana
Krall, Brad Mehldau, Joshua Redman, Sonny Rollins, and others)
Mark Davis's book is a major achievement! Not only does it take the
student through the basics of jazz piano technique, but it imparts the
core concepts and skills of jazz improvisation brilliantly. Everything is
well organized and presented in a no-nonsense, easy-to-follow
sequence, and the exercises are well thought out. I would highly
recommend this book not only to budding jazz pianists, but to
players on all instruments who want to gain the functional piano skills
essential to the complete jazz musician. I will be recommending this
book to all of my students at the Frost School of Music! Kudos to
Mark Davis – a gifted musician who can not only play it but also
teach it.
– Brian Lynch, Grammy© award-winning trumpeter (alumnus of
Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Horace Silver, Eddie
Palmieri, Phil Woods, and others) Associate Professor of Studio
Music and Jazz, The Frost School of Music at the University of
Miami