Jazz Improvisation: Tonal and Rhythmic Principles [Paperback] Review

This serious, authoritative book turned me on to jazz.The author presents the material inbite size chunks.He has a gift for pulling structure from the chaos. This is not Jazz-For-Dummies.The reader isexpected to be hard working, but needs no previous experience with jazz. The reader should have access to a piano to play the various chordsequences, but the lessons are invaluable to all instrumentalists.
Onedownside to this book it that you have to learn the author's unusualnotation (figured bass), but the power of this notation is also the book'sgreatest strength.The notation reveals the structure of jazz and thesimilarities between the songs.And, hey, Bach used the same notation, soit can't be all bad.
The author gives the chord changes to many commonjazz songs.Usually no particular artist or recording is referenced.So,the reader has to hunt around to find performances that resemble thechanges the author has given.
Once again, this is my favorite book on thesubject.It is never unnecessarily pedantic.It never waters downdifficult concepts.The way the book talks about music is how musiciansthink about music.If this book is not enough, other books in this seriesby John Mehegan pick up where this one leaves off.

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Product Description:
The fundamentals of jazz are here explained and systemized in 70 lessons based on 60 jazz standards. It covers the styles of musicians from Buddy Bolden to Dizzy Gillespie.

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The Contemporary Keyboardist and Expanded (Instructional) [Plastic Comb] Review

John Novello is an amazing musician.Having a book that gives insite into his approach would be quite valuable all by itself, but he has put together a very comprehensive work that is a must have for any musician looking to expand his/her knowledge and abilities.In this modern age where the electronic keyboard provides the easiest access to the world of instrumentation, as a songwriter/arranger I find John's Contemporary Keyboardist to be an essential reference, especially as my main instrument is the guitar.

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Product Description:
This comprehensive, 562-page method, called "Solid, readable and relevant" by Keyboard magazine and "The major work for today's pianists" by International Musician, is divided into four sections. The first, "A Philosophy of Music," deals with communication, cause-effect principles and practice disciplines. The second section, "Mechanics," covers all the basics of keyboard music and playing (notation, harmony, improv, sight reading, etc.), as well as their applications. The third section, "The Business Scene," contains guidelines and industry advice for contemporary keyboardists. Section four, "Interviews," provides insights into the artistry and technique of famous players such as Herbie Hancock, Henry Mancini, Edgar Winter, Keith Emerson, Paul Shaffer and many more. Includes an index.

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FASTFORWARD: 12-BAR BLUES PIANO (Fast Forward (Music Sales)) [Audiobook] [Paperback] Review

This book provides a painless introduction to playing blues piano in six styles: Basic Shuffle, Boogie Woogie, Walking Bass, Stride, Jazz,and Rock. It presents the left and right hand parts separately, then throws them together. Each example has two tracks on the CD, with and without the piano part. The left hand parts are quite complete, but the right hand parts are a little thin, leaving out slides, crushed notes and tremelos. However, the backing tracks on the CD are outstanding. Once you master the material in the book, you can reuse the CD backing tracks with licks from other books like David Bennet Cohen's Blues Piano or Mark Harrison's Blues Piano. Had the author included more material, this could be a 5 satr book.

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Product Description:
Learn to play the 12-bar blues using authentic techniques to get the real blues sound.

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Improvising Blues Piano (w/cd) (Music Sales America) [Paperback] Review

Martan Mann can most definately play piano.The accompanying CD may almost be worth the price to hear him play.However, you're looking for instruction if you're reading this.I don't want to slam his product too hard.I'll just say he doesn't teach well and there's not allot of real meat here for beginners.I've also purchased Andrew D. Gordon's 100 Ultimate Blues Riffs.Riffs in all keys with many many different basslines and virtually zero instruction.Then, finally, I got my hands on something I absolutely love and can recommend wholeheartedly to anyone without a vast musical background who wants to play the blues.Check out the book/cd combos level 1 and 2 by David Bennet Cohen.You won't be dissappointed.I just ordered "Improvising Blues Piano" by Tim Richards and am very excited about it as well.One more you might look into.

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Product Description:
Unlock the mystery of blues improvisation as you develop an understanding of different blues styles and express yourself through your music. Contains scores of exercises designed to get you playing the blues.

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The Fifty Greatest Jazz Piano Players of All Time: Ranking, Analysis & Photos (Book) [Hardcover] Review

Ranking musicians/artists is wrongheaded but some of these picks are just beyond the pale.He ranks the number 1-4 top jazz pianists of all time as Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, Bud Powell and Art Tatum.Reasonable picks.So who's number 5?Gotta be along the lines of Chick, Herbie, Keith, McCoy, Cecil, Fatha Hines, Teddy Wilson, Fats, or Jelly Roll, right?Get this- Monty Alexander!and who's number 6?Benny Green!I was in disbelief.As you wade through the rest of the picks you realize that the closer a pianist comes to duplicating Oscar's style the higher he is rated (Gene Harris rates 12 if I recall).Now I have plenty of Monty Alexander and Benny Green recordings and enjoy their playing, but they are hardly the sort of original pianists that would merit their rubbing shoulders with these giants.This book may familarize the jazz piano enthusiast with some players they didn't previously know but a better book in that regard would be Robert Doershuk's "88: The Giants of Jazz Piano."Doerschuk's book features more pianists, is more informative and comes with a CD.I will say that Rizzo's book has some nice photos.

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Product Description:

Handy resource for jazz listeners and hardcore fans.Spanning players from eighty years of history, this bold book steps forward and claims who are the greatest. Compiled from an extensive survey conducted with the best jazz minds in the ed



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Tons of Runs: For the Contemporary Pianist [Paperback] Review

I'm not a big fan of lick and pattern books, but this one has my seal of approval... and more than that, I HIGHLY reccomend it.There are lot's of ideas in here, some powerful stuff. Really hands on Jazz language material, some that if you're a more experienced improviser you might be using instinctively already, and some you wonder why you haven't touched on all along. The idea is to take them and build upon them...Within hours of getting the book, I immediately tuned out the outside world and was having fun experimenting with it... Some other things I like about it :The licks are in more than one key, suggested fingerings for more difficult ones, they're over a nice variety of patterns, typography is nice, and they're stuff that real people actually play, not just text book prototypes.
I venture to say, that of the books I'm familiar with, this is the best one out !!! Great stuff for professionals as well as folks just getting into improv... and not just for pianists !

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Product Description:
TONS OF RUNS is a wide-ranging compendium of runs, licks, and lines found in the jazz vernacular, each written in three different keys, and presented in a straightforward style without ponderous analysis.This book contains useful phrases derived from chord tones, passing tones, resultant scales, and scale-tone chords that piano players can use right away as vocabulary enhancers. These are the raw material and tools that piano players everywhere can use to polish their performance and improvisation skills, and even create new and more interesting ways to play the music they already know!

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88: The Giants of Jazz Piano [Hardcover] Review

A bonus 11-track cd comes with this portrait of eighty-eight pioneers and players of jazz piano, from Jelly Roll Morton to Benny Green. Here are insights on lives, techniques, and changing perspectives on jazz piano styles and artistry, enhanced by the author's personal experience as a jazz pianist and his original interviews with many of the players. Avid fans of the genre will find The Giants Of Jazz Piano positively absorbing.

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Product Description:
This handsome, insightful hardcover volume delves deep into the music of 88 visionaries who have made an indelible mark on the world of jazz through their mastery of the pianoÃ-s 88 keys. This engaging collection describes the intriguing personality and performance characteristics of each pianist. Seven major figures are covered in depth: Jelly Roll Morton, Earl Hines, Art Tatum, Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, Keith Jarrett and Cecil Taylor. Other featured artists include: James P. Johnson, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Nat "King" Cole, Oscar Peterson, Les McCann, Herbie Hancock, Dave Brubeck, Billy Taylor, McCoy Tyner, Chick Corea and 70 others, in styles ranging from stride to swing, bebop to post-bop, funk to avant garde, and more. Includes a bonus CD with 11 great jazz tracks, 100 photos, and a foreword by Keith Jarrett.
"Like great solos, these essays have grace, wit, and a sense of personal involvement ... Immensely valuable stuff!"
- Dick Hyman

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Complete Jazz Keyboard Method: Intermediate Jazz Keyboard [Paperback] Review

I bought "Mastering Jazz Keyboard" at a local music store and found that it was just a little too advanced for me, though I liked the tone and pace of the book. So I ordered "Intermediate Jazz Keyboard," and so far, I've found that it's just what I was looking for.

I'm a classically trained pianist looking to branch out into jazz improvisation. I sightread really easily, I know my major and minor scales inside and out, but I was always a little confused by chord markings like "Emin7b5" and "Csus". I knew what they meant, but I didn't really get what you'd use them for. What Baerman does is explain when - and why - to use advanced chords.

The best part of the book is the accompanying CD. After reading a few pages, you'll find yourself wanting to try things out but not quite knowing how. Every topic has at least one example track on the CD, usually more than one. And all the tracks are written out in notation, so those of us who are used to reading music won't feel too disoriented.

All in all, this book has a great balance of theory and practice, with a good sense of humor and bits of jazz history thrown in to boot. The only thing that would make it more complete would be a few worksheets or tables to fill in, just for practice constructing chords or scales.

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Product Description:
This book is great for keyboardists who have learned the basics of jazz harmony and improvisation.Topics include a brief review of concepts and skills from Beginning Jazz Keyboard, and continue with the modes of the major scale, chord extensions, making the changes, using chromatic tones and guide tones, chord substitution, ""rhythm changes,"" the blues, altered dominant chords and more.Continuing the format of Beginning Jazz Keyboard, new concepts are reinforced by etudes and songs for practice.Packed with hundreds of harmony and improvisation ideas, this book is essential for any serious student of jazz keyboard.The CD includes examples and opportunities to play along.

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Jazz Piano Best of Bk/Cd (Signature Licks) [Paperback] Review

I don't remember exactly what I was thinking when I purchased this book, but it had something to do with learning licks and styles from accomplished jazz musicians. That is to say, I was looking for a shortcut. I'm finding out what I already suspected, however: there are no shortcuts. What this is then is a road map, with signposts giving a clear concise sampling of solos and riffs in differing styles from eleven great jazz pianists. There are some easy runs and some hard runs, and some slow songs and some fast songs, bits of fifteen different songs in all. There's no fingering marked in the text, so having an instructor to point things out will make this book more practical. The book is staple bound so it works well on the music stand. As near as I can tell, this contains only pieces of songs, so the serious musician will definitely have to have a songbook handy (but what jazz pianist doesn't already have The Real Book: Sixth Edition?). The highlight of this book is the CD that comes with it, which contains samples of the songs, usually both with a backing band and without, as well as examples of the solos at a slower pace and at speed. Fast forwarding through them and back to them is a bit of a chore (there are 94 sample tracks), but having that resource is really great, and the book includes markings for where each track is used, making the pair way more useful. There are also brief biographies of each of the musicians covered, which I think is a nice touch. In short, it is hard not to like this book and CD set. It is well thought out, well executed, interesting, and productive. No, it isn't a shortcut and you will still have to practice. (Sorry.) And though it might not fit every pianist's concept of a learning tool, it fits mine to a `T' and I will get a lot of use out of this book for quite some time.

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Product Description:
Learn the piano styles and techniques of Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson, Errol Garner, Nat "King" Cole, Ahmad Jamal, and more with this great book/CD pack. Rizzo teaches the styles using examples from actual songs, 15 in all. Includes: Caravan * Come Rain or Come Shine * How Deep Is the Ocean (How High Is the Sky) * I'll Remember April * In a Sentimental Mood * It's Only a Paper Moon * No Moon at All * On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever) * Satin Doll * Speak Low * St. Louis Blues * Stompin' at the Savoy * Take the "A" Train * There Is No Greater Love * Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams (And Dream Your Troubles Away). CD includes demonstrations of each.

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How To Play Boogie Woogie Piano (Music Sales America) [Paperback] Review

I have been playing piano for ten years and I finally decided it was time to move away from classical music and try something new. I looked into several Boogie Woogie books and ended up buying this one about a week ago.

This book has a wonderful collection of songs which are fun to play and sound like professional pieces. The book orders the songs from easy to the more difficult to help build on your skills.

The music is not hard at all. Most of the time the same bass pattern is kept in the left hand while the right hand plays the melody. There are no tricky fingerings or even rhythms. The pieces are all in either C, F, or G (from one flat to one sharp) and use familiar notes and chords. The difficulty of this book is a 6 on a scale from 1 to 10 - 10 being the hardest.

This book is perfect for beginners - beginning piano players, maybe not - but if you've never tried Boogie Woogie before and are looking for something new, this book is for you.

Anyone who has taken a year or more of piano lessons should have no problem with this book.

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Product Description:
A collection of 14 boogie woogie solos for piano, with tips on playing technique. They include such favorites as Barrel House Boogie, Tommy DorseyÂ's Boogie Woogie, and Bad Penny Blues.

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Improvising Blues Piano [Paperback] Review

This is a great book! I'm a beginning/intermediate piano player, I went through the first two Alfred's All-in-One Adult piano books and really enjoyed them (and recommend them!). But I found myself at a fork in the road: I was happy to continue memorizing "pieces", and practicing "technique", but I found myself wanting to know more about improvising. I play drums in a blues band, and I've had some music theory for keyboard percussion, so I'm not a total musical-novice. I tried out some other books (Mark Harrison's "Blues Piano: Hal Leonard Keyboard Style Series", but it's still a little over my head, perhaps in a year or so it'll be good for me. Also "David Bennett Cohen Teaches Blues Piano: A Hands-On Course in Traditional Blues Piano", but it really didn't light my fire either, and if I recall correctly, didn't have finger markings which I still find helpful.)This book pulls it all together for me: some blues music theory, some blues history, clearly-marked "assignments", a CD included, (a spiral binding that lays flat on the stand!) ... I'm hooked!

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Product Description:
The basic principles of blues piano explained for the intermediate-level pianist in an easy-to-grasp fashion.

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Beginning Blues Piano (Music Sales America) [Paperback] Review

Amazon, to balance two bogus reviews from:

A Reviewer: Chris (Dorset,england) -
B Reviewer: Joshua Carter (Lafayette, CO USA)

Obviously someone wrote two fake reviews under two different names:

Compare:
Chris: bought this book about 3 weeks ago, and I've been having a load of fun with it. I needed something that would be reasonably easy to play,

Joshua; bought this book about 2 weeks ago, and I've been having a bunch of fun with it. I wanted something that would be reasonably easy to play, but still be interesting.

then compare:
Chris; About half the songs are in C, the other half in pretty easy keys, so you don't get tangled up in reading the music

Joshua; About half the songs are in C, the other half in pretty easy keys, so I don't get tangled up in reading the music.

then compare:

Chris; You can tell he loves this music, loves its roots, and he wants you to love it, too.

Joshua; you can tell he loves this music, loves its roots, and he wants you to love it, too.

The only original sentence is a plug for his other book:

Joshua; I just bought Eric Kriss' other book, "Barrelhouse and Boogie Piano," ....

If someone can't put enough time into creating simple reviews to make them different, they won't put much time into writing their book.

My experience is , I purchased several similar books, including those by David Bennett CohenandMark Harrison..
both of those were far better books.

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Product Description:
Expert blues piano teacher and player, Eric Kriss presents a step-by-step format of the major styles and techniques essential for mastering the blues. He explains chord structure, tonality, bass lines, slides, and syncopation.

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The Ultimate Beginner Series: Blues Keyboard Basics, Steps One & Two Combined [Paperback] Review

I am a beginning piano player, but this book had me playing the blues within hours. First listen to the CD while following along in the book and I'll bet you'll be so stoked you will stop and try the exercises! This is a winner!

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Product Description:
Take the first step towards experiencing the fun of playing blues keyboards. This book/CD will guide you through everything you need to knowto begin playing blues keyboards: the 12-bar progression, shuffle patterns, triplet feels, inversions, and much more!

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Solo Jazz Piano: The Linear Approach (Berklee Guide) [Paperback] Review

I'm a serious amateur jazz pianist who has long noticed that most other jazz piano books--including Mark's Levine's excellent "Jazz Piano Book"--assume you're always playing in a trio or larger ensemble.Consequently, they say very little about the unique problems of solo playing, bass lines, etc.This very well written and organized book contains the best instructional foundation for playing solo jazz piano I've seen anywhere.I had been looking for a book like this for about a decade without success because it was published relatively recently.

After several years of study from Levine's book and others in conjunction with occasional lessons from a couple of good teachers, I decided to study almost exclusively from this book on my own for awhile about a year ago.My solo playing has definitely improved a lot, and studying bass lines in depth seems to have improved my musical ear somehow, making it easier to improvise strong lines in the right hand.

Each chapter of "Solo Jazz Piano" begins with a clear, succinct presentation of the theory that will be drilled throughout the remainder of that chapter.This is generally followed by an etude written out in full (both clefs) that allows the student to feel what it's like to apply the theory immediately.I've learned a lot by analyzing the author's etudes.The etude is then followed by a leadsheet (usually with chord changes the same as or similar to those of the etude).The student is then directed to create an arrangement using the newly learned theory (and techniques learned in prior chapters) to create an original arrangement of the leadsheet.This system is very effective and helps the concepts "stick" in the student's mind, in my opinion.The first part of the book also includes an excellent review of basic chord theory.Once the study of bass lines begins, the author does not abandon the study and use of chords.On the contrary, he reminds the student to play 'comping arrangements in which the left hand plays a bass line and the right hand plays well-voice-led 'comping chords in addition to the usual excercises in which the student plays the melody (with or without added voices in the right hand) and a left-hand bass line.This ensures a well-rounded approach.My only criticism of this book is that it should have been spiral bound like Mark Levine's "Jazz Theory Book" for easier use at the piano.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough to anyone desiring to learn how to play SOLO jazz piano.For those just beginning to learn jazz improvisation, I also recommend "The Joy of Improv" (two volumes) by Dave Frank and "How to Improvise" by Hal Crook.Both Dave and Hal have also been faculty at Berklee College of Music.

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Product Description:
A step-by-step approach to solo jazz improvisation for piano. Learn to improvise using the techniques pioneered by piano greats Lenny Tristano and Dave McKenna. This methodical approach to learning the art of solo jazz piano improvisation will free your creative sense of music. It begins with a review of chord symbol interpretation, walks through bass line development, and ends with how to play several melodic lines simultaneously in stimulating musical conversation. You'll learn how to develop solos that embellish and support the melody, and use lead sheets to help you generate your own musical ideas. Twenty-one lessons present techniques, practice exercises, and tunes based on jazz standards. Notated transcriptions of sample improvisations illustrate each lesson's technique, and the accompanying CD lets you hear a master improviser put these ideas to work.

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Intermediate Blues Keyboard: The Complete Blues Keyboard Method [Paperback] Review

This little book has distilled quite a bit of blues music history and style into an easy-to-understand format.It's really directed at quickly playing blues concepts with just enough explanation and practice exercises.I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly I could play the material and use it in my more traditional jazz playing

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Product Description:
This book is great for keyboardists who have learned the basics of blues improvisation and composing. Beginning with a review of concepts and skills covered in Beginning Blues Keyboard, this book explores further into topics such as chord extensions, blues techniques, building basslines, playing in the key, ii-V substitutions and slow blues.Blues forms such as the twelve-bar blues and the eight-bar blues are explored. Packed with sample licks and songs, this book is essential for any keyboardist serious about learning the blues.

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Bebop Jazz Piano: Hal Leonard Keyboard Style Series [Paperback] Review

I have a few of the other books in this series and find them all great! John Valerio is a wonderful composer and teacher and has a very similar style to Mark Harrison (another composer in this series). This book includes important information about chords, voicings, harmony, chord progressions, scales, tonality, melodic figures and patters, comping, characteristic tunes, styles of Bud Powell and Theolonious Monk...anything that is used in any type of bebop jazz. It goes through the history and evolution of Bebop. The book moves quickly but provides the information that is important. It comes with a very handy CD which allows to hear what it's supposed to sound like. I highly recommend this book and have found that using it with some of the other books in the series is beyond helpful!

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Product Description:
In this book in the Hal Leonard Keyboard Style Series, author John Valerio provides essential, detailed information for bebop and jazz pianists on the following topics: chords and voicings, harmony and chord progressions, scales and tonality, common melodic figures and patterns, comping, characteristic tunes, the styles of Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk, and much more. The accompanying CD features many of the examples in the book performed either solo or with a full band. Also included are combo performances of five of the tunes featured at the end of the book.

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Jazz Piano Voicings: An Essential Resource for Aspiring Jazz Musicians (keyboard instruction) [Paperback] Review

This book is great if you have a young one that hasn't played jazz or if you haven't had much jazz training.This book will give you chord changes in a lot of keys with some very basic bass lines.

THIS CAN BE VERY HELPFUL!!If you don't know what to do if you see a chord like this: Db7#5#9, then this is the book for you!This will walk you through many of the common (and some uncommon) chords and you will generally play these chords in all keys and usually with a walking bass of some sort.

If you are looking for a book that will have you playing repertoire to teach you these chords, you will not like this book.There is not one "song" in here - there are a few progressions that are written out with some right hand patterns as well as bass patterns - but you're not going to finish this book being able to play any repertoire.

But, that is the point - if you finish this book and learn what it has to teach, you'll have the TOOLS to play your favorite standards.

This is a good reference book - even if you have played some jazz...

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Product Description:
The jazz idiom can often appear mysterious and difficult for those musicians who were trained to play other types of music. Long time performer and educator Rob Mullins helps players enter the jazz world by providing voicings that will help the player develop skills in the jazz medium and start sounding professional right away without years and years of study.

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Post-Bop Jazz Piano - The Complete Guide with CD!: Hal Leonard Keyboard Style Series [Paperback] Review

As a jazz enthusiast, this book was something new that went beyond all other jazz teaching books that I have come across.It has given me a new outlook on the jazz of the 1950's.Left-hand voicings, two-hand voicings, scales, tonality, modality are just some of the main ideas that this book goes through.One thing that really caught my eye, is the in depth look at the impression Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, Chick Corea, and Keith Jarrett use in their music.The book is a great option for those looking to expand their jazz knowledge and incorporate their own style.The book moves quickly but provides the information that is important for those of us looking to play.It comes with a very handy CD which allows to hear what it's supposed to sound like. I highly recommend this book.

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Product Description:
This comprehensive book and CD package will teach you the basic skills you need to play post bop jazz piano. From comping to soloing, you'll learn the theory, the tools, and the tricks used by the pros. The accompanying CD features many of the examples in the book performed either solo or with a full band. THE HAL LEONARD KEYBOARD STYLE SERIES provides focused lessons that contain valuable how-to insight, essential playing tips, and beneficial information for all players. Comprehensive treatment is given to each subject, complete with a companion CD.

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Stride and Swing Piano: Hal Leonard Keyboard Style Series [Paperback] Review

Normally books like these present you with the "dumbed down" and easy version of piano music--music you can play with one hand while drinking a sweet iced-tea with the other. Not so with this book. The methods and techniques Valerio teaches are the real thing, and the pieces within the book are those transcribed straight from the big boys--Waller, Johnson, Wilson, Tatum, Joplin, and Morton. This is an excellent introduction/continuation for those interested in stride piano.

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Product Description:
Focusing on styles such as classic ragtime, early blues and boogie woogie, New Orleans jazz, stride and swing, this new book/CD pack in the Hal Leonard Keyboard Style Series teaches left- and right-hand techniques including chords, bass runs, patterns and more. Key players of these styles - Scott Joplin, Jimmy Yancey, Pete Johnson, Jelly Roll Morton, James P. Johnson, Fats Waller, Teddy Wilson and Art Tatum - are prominently referenced. Includes 14 full songs to play, and an accompanying CD!

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