Jazz Piano: 3 Basics of Improvisation

Course details

Explore techniques that can help to enhance your improvisational jazz piano skills. In this course—the third in a series focusing on learning how to play jazz piano—learn concepts than can increase the sophistication of your playing. Grammy-winning keyboardist George Whitty helps you add another note to your left-handed voicings, and tackle the 2-5-1 progression—one of the most important progressions in jazz. He also helps you broaden your melodic horizons by showing how to arpeggiate triads over the 2-5-1 chords.

Learning objectives
Adding extensions to guide tones
Integrating 9th chords
The 2-5-1 progression
Practicing essential jazz scales
The E minor bop scale
The D major 7 bop scale
Arpeggiated triads as a melodic device

Concepts

0. Introduction

01 - Welcome

1. Adding Extensions to Guide Tones

02 - Adding your first extension to guide tones
03 - Falling Grace

2. 9th Chords

04 - Integrating 9th chords
05 - Practicing 9th chords

3. The 2-5-1 Progression

06 - One of the most important progressions - 2-5-1

4. Essential Jazz Scales - 3

07 - Essential jazz scales - The E minor bop scale
08 - Essential jazz scales - The D major 7 bop scale
09 - Sneak previews - Expanding your melodic horizons

5. Practicing Scales and Playing over the 2-5-1

10 - Practicing the new bop scales - Using approach patterns
11 - Practicing over your first 2-5-1
12 - Offsetting your approach patterns

6. Essential Jazz Scales - 4

13 - Essential jazz scales - D minor, G7, and C major bop scales
14 - Practicing D minor, G7, C major bop scales

7. Melodic Devices

15 - Arpeggiated triads as a melodic device
16 - Using all the tools on extended 2-5-1, part 1
17 - Using all the tools on extended 2-5-1, part 2