Are you looking for tips on how to play jazz piano? One thing you need to understand is that jazz is a form of art that has grown to get influences from every music genre. If you are a beginner, it is best to focus on learning to improvise in jazz. Here are some easy tips to get going.
Listen
Listening is the most important step in becoming a musician. You should get as many recordings as possible. Do not discriminate. Listen to both upcoming pianists and established musicians. Listen and take the most important ideas from what they do. Listening will make you an excellent pianist.
Learn 12 major scales
If you already know some important basics about the theory, you should learn all the 12 major scales as they will be extremely helpful.
Make sure you can play some basic stuff
Learning how to play jazz piano for beginners involves learning how to read music and playing basic stuff. It doesn’t have to be jazz. You should learn to break away from the dots.
Purchase a songbook
A songbook of one of the masters will be helpful. Make sure the guitar tabs and chord symbols are written above the melody.
Pull out the songbook
You will have to reward yourself by pulling out the songbook. Get a song that you like and play its melody line in your right hand and the appropriate chords in your left. Play as you read them from the symbols of the chords. You will reach a point where you can play music without reading.
Practice
Learning how to play jazz piano can be frustrating because it may sound horrible at first. However, do not give up. Try to practice for long enough until you sound better. You will reach a point where you will feel like you are playing like a pro.