Jazz Chords

[Malcos]

This question is less about jazz chords than it is about jazz chords progressions. In fact any chord progressions will do! Any tips on playing jazz piano? I'm trying to improve, but I've hit a glass ceiling and I want to smash through!

I'll start with some of my favourites, I use these progressions most of the time. I'll just do the most comfortable fingerings (for me anyway). For those not familiar with slash chord fingerings, something like C/G means play a C chord but with a G note as the bass with your right hand instead of a C.

1. (Cm7, Gm7, AbM7, Fm7)

Fingering, starting with the lowest note to be played in the chord: C+Eb+G+Bb, Bb+D+G+Bb, Ab+C+Eb+G, F+Ab+C+Eb.

2. G+B+C+E/A, G+B+D+E/G, F+A+C+E/F, E+G+B+D/G

3. Eb+G+Bb+D/C, Ab+C+Eb+G/F, F+Ab+C+Eb/Db

Ahhh, all my secrets are out! lol.

[Yoozer]

I bought this.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0961470151/sr=1-8/qid=1137520935/ref=sr_1_8/002-5622418-7637640?%5Fencoding=UTF8

Apparently it's pretty good.

[Chavous]

Ok, my advice on jazz is this:
Take the strangest notes ever and mash them together to make a sound and then use them for variations on regular chords. So:

Instead of dm-am-CM-em

do dm2(D-E-F-A) - am9 (A-C-E-G-B) - CMaj7 - em7

I've actually seen progressions like this before, and they don't sound bad.

Anyway, that's just my experience.

[Malcos]

That book looks great Yoozer thanks, I'll be picking that up!

Chavous, I didn't quite 'get' that chord progression, I thought that Gm fitted the last chord instead of an Em. But then again, I need to learn some more jazz! Thanks!

[ubernym]

You want to be a better jazz player? 3 things:

1. Learn the blues scale
2. Get a Real Book
3. Listen to as much jazz as possible, but especially musicians who play your instrument.

If you play piano, I highly recommend the following artists:

Thelonius Monk
Chick Corea
Keith Jarrett
Brad Mehldau
Jimmy Smith (organ, sure, but still good to check out)
Dave Brubeck
Count Basie
Oscar Peterson
Art Tatum
Bill Evans
Bud Powell
Jelly Roll Morton
Wynton Kelly
Duke Ellington
McCoy Tyner
Ahmad Jamal

And a whole lot more. But that should give you quite a bit to check out.

[Cyan]

You want to be a better jazz player? 3 things:

1. Learn the blues scale
2. Get a Real Book
3. Listen to as much jazz as possible, but especially musicians who play your instrument.

If you play piano, I highly recommend the following artists:

Thelonius Monk
Chick Corea
Keith Jarrett
Brad Mehldau
Jimmy Smith (organ, sure, but still good to check out)
Dave Brubeck
Count Basie
Oscar Peterson
Art Tatum
Bill Evans
Bud Powell
Jelly Roll Morton
Wynton Kelly
Duke Ellington
McCoy Tyner
Ahmad Jamal

And a whole lot more. But that should give you quite a bit to check out.

Hrm? I assume you forgot about Herbie Hancock. He's like the god of jazzpiano...

[Chavous]

Chavous, I didn't quite 'get' that chord progression, I thought that Gm fitted the last chord instead of an Em. But then again, I need to learn some more jazz! Thanks!

Actually, I just threw together random chords as an example. That isn't a real thought-out progression, though I've seen all those chords before (just not in a row :wink: ).

[ubernym]

You want to be a better jazz player? 3 things:

1. Learn the blues scale
2. Get a Real Book
3. Listen to as much jazz as possible, but especially musicians who play your instrument.

If you play piano, I highly recommend the following artists:

Thelonius Monk
Chick Corea
Keith Jarrett
Brad Mehldau
Jimmy Smith (organ, sure, but still good to check out)
Dave Brubeck
Count Basie
Oscar Peterson
Art Tatum
Bill Evans
Bud Powell
Jelly Roll Morton
Wynton Kelly
Duke Ellington
McCoy Tyner
Ahmad Jamal

And a whole lot more. But that should give you quite a bit to check out.

Hrm? I assume you forgot about Herbie Hancock. He's like the god of jazzpiano...

Totally spaced it.

[Malcos]

Wow, great! Thanks Ubernym :D

[IC]

I bought this.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0961470151/sr=1-8/qid=1137520935/ref=sr_1_8/002-5622418-7637640?%5Fencoding=UTF8

Apparently it's pretty good.

Nice, I'll be picking that up as well.

I need to play piano more.

[DrumUltimA]

I really like Mark Levine's jazz theory book. I really really like it.

[Malcos]

Got the book! I'm working through it now (slowly!). It's very very good, I'm having to annotate everything cause I can't really read music all that well, but it's really opening doors for me.:D

Thanks again guys!

Right now I'm listening to a lot of Brad Mehldau.

[IC]

My book got lost in the mail.

:cry: :cry: :cry:

There goes 35 bucks.

And here goes another 35...

Edit: Doubt anyone cares, but, it finally got here, yay!

Oh, and poop on Amazon, they sent me the 1989 edition, when the page says 2005. I don't think a 2005 edition actually exists though. The latest Barnes and Noble had was 1993.