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Jazz Chords


Malcos
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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.

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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.

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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.

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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...

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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: ).

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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.

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  • 3 weeks later...

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.

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