1/28/2016 Jazz piano - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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TheloniousMonkin1947.

JazzpianoFromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Jazzpianoisacollectivetermforthetechniquespianistsusewhenplayingjazz.Thepianohasbeenanintegralpartofthejazzidiomsinceitsinception,inbothsoloandensemblesettings.Itsroleismultifacetedduelargelytotheinstrument'scombinedmelodicandharmoniccapabilities.Forthisreasonitisanimportanttoolofjazzmusiciansandcomposersforteachingandlearningjazztheoryandsetarrangement,regardlessoftheirmaininstrument.(Byextensionthephrase'jazzpiano'canrefertosimilartechniquesonanykeyboardinstrument.)

Alongwiththeguitar,vibraphone,andotherkeyboardinstruments,thepianoisoneoftheinstrumentsinajazzcombothatcanplaybothsinglenotesandchordsratherthanonlysinglenotesasdoesthesaxophoneortrumpet.

Contents

1 Technique

1.1 Learningjazzpiano

1.2 Styles

1.3 Ensemblerole

2 Seealso

3 Sources

4 References

5 Externallinks

Technique

Learningjazzpiano

Masteringthevariouschordvoicingssimpletoadvancedisthefirstbuildingblockoflearningjazzpiano.JazzpianotechniqueusesallthechordsfoundinWesternartmusic,suchasmajor,minor,augmented,diminished,seventh,diminishedseventh,sixth,minorseventh,majorseventh,suspendedfourth,andsoon.Asecondkeyskillislearningtoplaywithaswingrhythmand"feel".Injazz,therootsareusuallyomittedfromkeyboardvoicings,asthistaskislefttothedoublebassplayer.Jazzpianists

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BillEvansperformingattheMontreuxJazzFestival.

TheOriginalDixielandJazzBand,withHenryRagasonpiano.

alsomakeextensiveuseofchord"extensions",suchasaddingthesixth,ninth,orthirteenthscaledegreetothechord.Insomecases,theseextensionsmaybesharpenedorflattened,asinthecaseofa"sharp11"chord.

Thenextstepislearningtoimprovisemelodiclinesusingscalesandchordtones.Thisabilityisperfectedafterlongexperience,includingmuchpractice,whichinternalizesthephysicalskillsofplayingandthetechnicalelementsofharmony,anditrequiresagreatnatural'ear'forextemporaneousmusicmaking.Whenjazzpianistsimprovise,theyusethescales,modes,andarpeggiosassociatedwiththechordsinatune'schordprogression.Theapproachtoimprovisinghaschangedsincetheearliesterasofjazzguitar.DuringtheSwingera,manysoloistsimprovised"byear"byembellishingthemelodywithornamentsandpassingnotes.However,duringthebebopera,therapidtempoandcomplicatedchordprogressionsmadeitincreasinglyhardertoplay"byear."Alongwithotherimprovisers,suchassaxesandguitarplayers,beboperajazzpianistsbegantoimproviseoverthechordchangesusingscales(wholetonescale,chromaticscale,etc.)andarpeggios.[1]

Styles

Jazzpiano(thetechnique)andtheinstrumentitselfoffersoloistsanexhaustivenumberofchoices.Onemayplaythebassregisterinanostinatopattern,popularinboogiewoogiestyle,wherethelefthandrepeatsaphrasenumeroustimesthroughoutasong,asperformedbyRobAgerbeekin"BoogieWoogieStomp."Thelefthandcanalsobeplayedasamelodiccounterlinethatemulatesthewalkingofanuprightbass.Instridepiano,(similartotheearlierragtime)thelefthandrapidlyplaysalternatepositionsbetweennotesinthebassregisterandchordsinthetenorregister,whiletherighthandplaysmelodyandimprovises,asperformedinGeorgeGershwin's"Liza".Therighthandmayplaymelodiclines,orharmoniccontent,chordallyorinoctaves.Itmayalsobeplayedinlockstepwiththelefthand,usingadoublemelodyblockchordcalled"lockedhand"voicing,orShearingvoicingatechniquepopularized,thoughnotinvented,bythepianistandsetleaderGeorgeShearing.

Ensemblerole

Jazzpianohasplayedaleadingroleindevelopingthesoundofjazz.Earlyon,blackjazzmusicianscreatedragtimeonthepiano.Asthegenreprogressedthepianowasusuallyfeaturedintherhythmsectionofaband,whichwastypicallyconfiguredasoneormoreofpiano,guitar,bass,ordrums,orotherinstruments,suchasthevibraphone.

Overtime,playingpianoaccompanimentinensemblesets,andthenbands,changedfromprimarilytimekeeping(consistingofrepetitivelefthandfigures)toamoreflexiblerole.Ultimately,theskilledpianistwasfreebothtoleadandtoanswertheinstrumentalsoloist,usingbothshortandsustained,chordalandmelodic,fragmentsatechniqueknownas'comping'.Goodcompingmusicianswerecapableofmanyanddifferentchordvoicings,sotomatchthevariousmoodsthedifferentsoloistswereaimingfor.Intheearlydaysnotallleadingpianistswere

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WikiversityhaslearningmaterialsaboutJazzPianoI

concernedtoprovidecomping.OthersnotablyDukeEllington,whobecamefamousduringtheHarlemRenaissanceattheCottonClubearnedgreatesteemamongbandmembersaswellasothermusicians.Ellingtoncompedenthusiasticallyinsupportofthesoloistanddidmuchtodevelopthetechnique.

Jazzpianomovedawayfromplayingleadmelodytoprovidingfoundationforsongsetssoon,skilledjazzpianistswereperformingassoloists.Inthe1940sand1950s,anumberofgreatpianoplayersemerged.PianistslikeTheloniousMonkandBudPowellhelpedcreateandestablishthesoundofbebop.BillEvansbuiltuponthestyleofBudPowellwhileaddingadistinctclassicalinfluencetohisplayingwhileOscarPetersonpushedrhythmicvariationsandwasinfluencedbythestyleofArtTatum,TeddyWilsonandNatKingCole.WyntonKelly,RedGarland,HerbieHancock,andKeithJarrettwerealsoexceptionalpianistswhoplayedwithMilesDavis.TommyFlanaganwasfeaturedbyJohnColtraneonhishitalbumGiantSteps.McCoyTynerisalsoaninfluentialplayerwhoplayedwithColtrane.

Seealso

ListofjazzpianistsSwing(jazzperformancestyle),atermofpraiseforplayingthathasastrongrhythmic"groove"ordrive

Sources

MarkLevine:TheJazzPianoBook.A"howto"bookonthesubject.RandyHalberstadt:MetaphorsForTheMusician.Insightsintoalmosteveryaspectofjazzpiano.LukeGillespie:StylisticII/V7/IVoicingsForKeyboardists.Coversallstylesofcomping,frombasicandfundamentalapproachestomodern.HalGalper:ForwardMotion.Anapproachtojazzphrasing.RiccardoScivales:JazzPiano:TheLeftHand(BedfordHills,NewYork:EkayMusic,2005).Amethodcoveringallthelefthandtechniquesusedinjazzpiano(andalsoastudyofthehistoryofthelefthandinjazzpiano),withhundredsofmusicalexamples.DavidBerkman:TheJazzMusician'sGuidetoCreativePracticing.Coverstheproblemsofjazzimprovisationalpracticewithafocusonthepiano,butforallinstruments.(Also,itisentertainingandhumorous.)"DukeEllingtonBiography."DukeEllingtonBiography.N.p.,n.d.Web.13November2014.Dupuis,Robert."ContemporaryMusicians:ArtTatum."Encyclopedia.N.p.,1997.Web.15November2014

References1.Jazzology:TheEncyclopediaofJazzTheoryforAllMusicians,byRobertRawlins,NorEddineBahha,

BarrettTagliarino.HalLeonardCorporation,2005ISBN0634086782,ISBN9780634086786.Page141

Externallinks

PianoJazz(http://www.npr.org/programs/pianojazz/)MarianMcPartland'sprogramonNationalPublicRadioBBCScotland'sHistoryofJazzPiano(http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/scotlandsmusic/jazz/jazz1/historyofthepiano/)DrRichardMichael'sHistoryoftheJazzPianoLearnJazzPiano(http://www.learnjazzpiano.com/)LearnJazzPiano.com,establishedin1996,isrunbyScotRanneyandisadedicatedonlinejazzpianocommunity.

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JazzonPiano(http://www.jazzonpiano.com/)AportalandblogonJazzPianotipsandtricksLearntoPlayPiano(http://pianoplayerworld.com/)Ainformationrichresourceforlearningpiano.Nairn,Charlie,(1975):Earl"Fatha"Hines:[1](https://vimeo.com/58414566).1hrdocumentaryfilmedatBluesAlleyjazzclub,WashingtonDC.ProducedanddirectedbyCharlieNairnforUKATVTelevision,1975.Original16mmfilm,plusouttakesofadditionaltunes,archivedinBritishFilmInstituteLibraryatbfi.org.ukalsoathttp://www.itvstudios.comDVDcopieswiththe"JeanGrayHargroveMusicLibrary"(whichholdstheEarlHinesCollection/Archive),UniversityofCalifornia,Berkeley,CaliforniaalsoatUniversityofChicago"HoganJazzArchive",TulaneUniversityNewOrleansandattheLouisArmstrongHouseMuseumLibraries:seealsowww.jazzonfilm.com/documentaries.

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