LearnJazzPiano.com archives: Contemporary Jazz Piano

jazz jasper -- 07/08/2005, 15:35:33 -- #16299

Sorry to be a blunt british person but:  Ive been told i need a more Contemporary sound to my playing, so who do i need to listen to and what do i need to do?   Thanks Jazz

albetan -- 07/08/2005, 17:23:04 -- #16301

Hi Jazz jasper: For a more contemporary sound in your piano performance please see these files at Albetan's Area: Extended chords A & B Forms Quartal voicings Altered seventh chords Melodic voicings 1, 2, 3, 4. Pentatonic scales Performing Jazz lead sheets.

Guillaume_Haydn -- 07/08/2005, 22:27:46 -- #16306

Hi jazz jasper, albetan's advice is brillant as ever. Maybe listen to recordings by the "fabulous four": Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett. To be literally contemporary (those gentlemen mentioned above have all grown 60+ meanwhile), check out Mr. Brad Mehldau or scandinavian Pianists such as Esbjörn Svensson or Tord Gustavson. mfG!

peterh -- 07/11/2005, 02:35:37 -- #16372

you should make your own mind up and play what YOU want to play.Confucius say: Make your own sound and you will be contemporary.

jazz jasper -- 07/11/2005, 08:35:07 -- #16377

I quite like a bebop sound but i dont know if thats a good way to go

JB -- 07/11/2005, 10:09:00 -- #16384

I've uploaded a couple of files to the "Misc Lessons" section which show a few ideas i like to use. Try them out and let me know if you find them useful. Don't practise the actual lines i've written out obviously but internalize the concept. I suggest you practise each example individually (in every key) then try to play them within the context of a tune (eg. all the things, green dolphin street, If i were a bell, giant steps) then play these in every key (if you're brave) There's loads more different modes/substitutions you can use. Just listen and experiment.

Styles -- 07/11/2005, 20:47:08 -- #16405

Bebop is good for improvisation as the best bebop improvisors have extensive knowledge of all chord types, modes, and substitutions. Also the following are "modern" jazz pianists I draw inspiration and material(lol) from: Bill Evans(Blue In Green) Wynton Kelly(who nicely bridges modal music and blues) Herbie Hancock(tunes like Maiden Voyage) Jason Miles(Poetry off of the Cosmopolitan album, very nice song forms) Hiromi Uehara(Versatile...draws from Tatum, Evans, Zappa, and more) And if you are looking for just bare bones, theory tricks Mark Levine's Jazz Piano book is great for illustrating many common-knowledge yet underused techniques(Variety of chord types) and the not so common(Phrygian chords, extensive mode explanation and uses). And if all else fails, Miles Davis' Kind of Blue is always available somehwere.

jazz jasper -- 07/12/2005, 04:17:16 -- #16418

Thanks very much for the files JB there really useful!  Ill have a go in all keys but we'll see!

Copyright © 2005 by Scot Ranney. All rights reserved.

Click Here for more information about performances and clinics. Click Here to sign up for Scot's music announcements.