Jazz Piano School

Have you been looking for some new ways to harmonize with jazz chords? This one trick will help you reharmonize melodies like a pro! In this lesson, we will explore some new ways to move chromatically through the keyboard just like some of the greatest piano stylists!

Everyone tells us to learn shell voicings but back when I was younger I never knew why...I also never knew how to USE them! This was very frustrating to me since everyone was saying how important they are. In this episode, I'll break shell voicings down for you so you know exactly why they're important AND how to use them. Here we go!

Most of the time improv will sound bland not because of the notes...but because of the RHYTHMS! I had this little epiphany back in my earlier days, and it completely transformed my soloing. In this episode, you will learn how you can add ornaments to your improv lines so they sound 100x times better. Here we go!

Do you ever feel like you're playing the same stuff over and over again? I know I've certainly been in that position before. It could be a simple problem of playing songs at similar tempos! In this podcast lesson, we examine the benefits of trying tunes at different tempos than we might be used to playing in our regular circles. Watch as we unlock new creative possibilities through playing the "In-Between Tempos!"

Here is a quick way to achieve a 70's funk sound, straight out of Herbie Hancock's Head Hunters record! Follow along as we explore the use of this chord from "Watermelon Man."

We continue our rhythm changes series and approach these refreshing new ways to improvise over the 4 dominant chords in the bridge of rhythm changes. If you thought the bridge didn't provide much harmonic content to improvise over...think again! Let's get to it!

Rhythm changes can seriously screw you up. Once you attempted and failed, you probably don't want to try again. BUT...with these 4 secrets that will allow you to easily improvise over rhythm changes, you'll be loving this form and itching to play it as much as possible! Here we go!

In this lesson we'll continue learning how to play "block chord" voicings in the style of George Shearing. We will be working on minor voicings in the key of F, specifically with the tune "Lullaby of Birdland." George Shearing often played this tune with these very voicings, so it is a great model from which to start!

In this lesson we'll learn how to play "block chord" voicings in a jazz style. This technique was made famous by George Shearing, and used by other pianists such as Oscar Peterson and Bill Evans. You can use it to harmonize melodies and achieve a fuller soloistic sound when playing in a group.

I've heard extremely technically proficient and knowledable improvisers completely fail at telling a story with their solo. When this happens it stinks! None of us want to be in that position. Here's 9 ways for you to be a GREAT story teller when soloing. Let's get it!

This quick tool will give you a new way to think about improvising in a modal jazz setting that can take your playing to the next level! In this podcast lesson, we look at how to use the "Coltrane Scale" to improvise in a variety of harmonic settings that will give you access to a sound you may have heard, but never thought would come out of your own hands!

Sometimes people ask me, 'what do you put in your warmup routine?' Here is a quick exercise you can do every time you sit down to play the piano that will get your hands warm, and work to build facility and ease into your technique. The more you do it, the easier it gets! Try out "The Rachmaninoff Exercise" and see how you like it!

It's hard to be honest with ourselves. What do we know, and what do we NEED to know? What do we NOT know...we don't know! Confusing...I know...but hopefully these 12 CRUCIAL ingredients to jazz piano success will allow you to have a clear picture of everything you need in order to become a successful jazz pianist. I shouldn't say everything you need, but at least the most important things you need. Let's just say...without these 12 ingredients, you will not be able to reach the level you're hoping for. So with that being said...let's start learning!

I get this question a lot, and that is... "Brenden, how do I integrate extensions into my voicings?" Well most of the time you'll here upper structure triads brought up immediately. In this episode I would like to go a step further and teach you some easy strategies you can use to extract SPECIFIC colors from your voicings by integrating the extensions of your choice! Here we go!

This exercise is a trade secret I learned to make my improvised lines smoother. After working with this exercise, you will make it through the changes of tunes you used to find challenging with style and grace! In this podcast lesson, well be looking at the notorious jazz standard, "Cherokee" and I'll be showing you different ways to approach working on your eighth notes flows through this exercise. Let's go!

Improvising over 32 measure of minor 7th chords can leave us scratching our heads. What do we play? How do we keep our solo interesting. In this episode I'm going to show you my 7 favorite ways to improvise over modal minor 7th chords so you can implement burnin' colors, textures and atmospheres into your solo! Enjoy!

We ALL get stuck in our own ways of playing something the same way. Even me! Check out these 4 ways to add some spice, texture, and atmosphere to your major 7th chords.You can start to use these 4 building blocks to expand upon as well and create new sounds!

Jazz Piano School has come a LONGGG way since the days I first hacked together a terrible wordpress site. Now, JPS has helped, and is CURRENTLY helping thousands of people learn jazz piano freedom. In this episode I'll explain my goals and ambitions that I've brought JPS to where it is. I'll also talk about the AMAZING expansion, custom website, and teacher tools we plan to implement!Hold on to your butts cause here we go!

Playing in 7/4 meter can be a fun way to explore new rhythmic possibilities and comes with its own set of challenges. In this podcast lesson, we will explore ways of practicing 7/4 by using rhythmic claves to make it feel as natural as possible. Come along and feel the beat!

Learning jazz piano isn't a guessing game, even that's how I approached it for 15+ years. It's a system. The majority of students, including myself start by learning tunes.This should be the LAST step we do. Before that we need jazz piano TOOLS. Would you try and read and write without learning the Alphabet? No of course not. Jazz Piano is the exact same way. In this 15 minute podcast I'm going to break down the 4 step system we use that is has successfully taught thousands of students jazz piano so you can use it too.