Introduction to Teaching Jazz
Why Teach Jazz Piano?
- Jazz is truly American music.
- Jazz is an important part of our musical heritage.
- Jazz is American art music and an important part of our culture.
- Jazz is an international language, bringing together people of different races, ages, and backgrounds.
What does a jazz pianist do?
- Plays as a soloist
- Plays as an accompanist to a singer
- Plays in a piano duo or trio (with bass or bass and drums)
- Plays in a jazz combo (bass, drums, trumpet and/or saxophone)
- Plays in a big band (part of the rhythm section in an 18-20 piece band
What does a jazz pianist need to know?
- How to spell and play chord types and alterations of those chords
- How to voice chords for comping
- A variety of comping rhythms and styles
- How to create bass lines when needed
- How to read jazz rhythms and keep good time
- How to improvise a chorus
- How to feel four- and eight-bar phrases
- How to hear what's happening in the music at all times
What can a classically-trained teacher do to help?
- Develop solid piano technique
- Teach harmonic theory
- Teach chord-scale relationships
- Make jazz listening assignments
- Create improvisation activities and opportunities
- Do lots and lots of ear-training
- Teach "Lines and Changes", "Jazz Works" and "Jazz Piano Projects"
(pardon the plug for my publications, but they are some of the small percentage of available teaching materials designed with the classically-trained teacher in mind.
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