Playing The Jazz Piano

Playing the jazz piano can be considered as one of the most complex tasks. Of course, while almost anybody can learn to play basic pop songs on the piano, playing jazz is something that requires many years of study. Practice and hard work, a natural talent and an ear for improvisation are also required to be good.

Jazz Piano Roles In Jazz Music

Jazz piano is one of the most important instruments in jazz music. As opposed to instruments such as the trumpet or the saxophone, one can play chords, multiple notes at the same time, on the piano so it has a much more complex role than the trumpet for example. The jazz piano can be used to accompany the solo instrument, for time-keeping, to provide the basic swing and the melodic and harmonic background. The jazz piano can also function as a solo instrument, in these cases it provides the basic rhythm, the basic, guiding chord structures and the melody at the same time.

Jazz piano also has an important role in jazz, as it can serve as an instrument to demonstrate the complex, harmonic melodic and rhythmic conceptions of jazz theory. Some notable jazz pianists, who have managed to bring something new to jazz theory or developed it in some way are for example Jelly Roll Morton, Art Tatum, Thelonius Monk, Keith Jarret, Oscar Peterson, Herbie Hancock, Bill Evans or Dave Brubeck. Listening to these experts is essential in the process of learning to play the jazz piano.

Playing the jazz piano is a skill that is really hard to acquire. Though one basic advice is that one should listen to lots of jazz including all of its styles, ragtime, swing, cool, bebop, free jazz, jazz pianists and other artists and bands alike. One should also listen attentively, not just as background music, but actively trying to understand the basic styles and harmonic constructions that different artists use and why they use them.

To play jazz piano properly, one needs to have firstly, an overall knowledge of the theoretical background of classical music and jazz, as jazz theory and classical theory go hand in hand. Y should first have a classical training, at least simultaneously with a jazz training. When one is really confident playing from sheet music, one can learn to improvise, to start playing by ear and with extensive background knowledge of music theory build up and create unique improvisations. Playing the jazz piano involves the extremely proficient playing of the instrument itself and the ability to improvise uniquely, without musical commonplaces. First, one will naturally copy the styles of some favorite pianists, but really great jazz piano players are definitely able to develop their own style from a firm theoretical background.