Revised and expanded
How does a pianist move from practicing alone to playing in a jazz band? This PDF explains the skills needed to play in the rhythm section of a large jazz ensemble including how to voice chords, what scales to play when improvising, and stock accompaniments and grooves for the main jazz styles.

50 pages
Level: Late intermediate and up

Download includes a studio license authorizing you to print as many copies as required for you and/or your current students? use.

Adding to his two successful editions 'Little Stories in Jazz' (ED 7186) and 'Piano Studies in Pop' (ED 7304), Mike Schoenmehl wrote the collection 'Jazz for Two' for piano duet. Originally published in two volumes, the work was reedited in one volume in our new edition. Schoenmehl's commitment in the field of education to make rock, pop and jazz music accessible to pupils in a fun way shows here too: rhythm, harmony, melody, form and phrasing of popular music shall be imparted on the pupils by means of these fifteen entertaining jazz and pop pieces. Some of the pieces are even accompanied by exemplary exercises and educational remarks. Illustrated with funny drawings by Marcus Reinheimer.

This volume contains a wide selection of famous musical themes from Bach to Carl Orff. Some of them were originally written for the piano. most have had their scores carefully arranged to make them easy to play on the piano. Each piece is followed with a jazz interpretation, which can either be played alone or alongside the 'original' version. Perhaps this will show that the 'classics' are not all that far removed from jazz, and that music of earlier periods contains many of the essential characteristics of jazz. Doesn't Lully's 'Gavotte', for instance, contain one of the most famous jazz themes ever? The 'Blue Gavotte' may make this clearer. The theme from Mozart's Sonata in A major (K 331) doesn't require many rhythmic changes to give it a blues flavour ('Mozart Goes Blues'). The driving rhythm of the ostinato bass in Carl Orff's 'O Fortuna' would suit modern jazz-rock performers well, with a few small changes ('A Fortune for a Tune'). What do Bizet's 'Habanera', Brahms' 'Hungarian Dance No. 5' and Paganini's 'Caprice No. 24' have in common? Why have they been turned into salsa music ('Habanera con Cigarro', 'Hungarian Salsa No. 5', 'Capriccio Latino')? Much of this is up to the individual: if you want to discover similarities, they are easy to find.

JAZZ TIME is a collection of 15 original Jazz piano pieces representing different styles and eras in Jazz history. The book consists of pieces for easy- intermediate to advanced level pianists. Friendly and charming musical language equally appeals to all age groups from children to adults. Each piece paints a colorful picture of some moment in time, sometimes in the past, other times in the future, and creates a wonderful Jazzy mood. The collection represents Ragtime, Blues, Big Band, Swing, Jazz Waltz, New Age, Funk, Bebop, Boogie Woogie and a Ballad. Titles include Sunny Day Rag, Bluer Than Blue, Doing The Town, Friday Jive, Melancholy Waltz, Water So Clear, Carnaval in Brasil, Necessary Jam, Autumn Dance, Broken Circles, Rocking on Through, Artistry In Rhythm, Flowing Dreams, Canada Rag and Moon Dance.