i just signed on to this website for the first time today and after reading over a few threads i realized i am way behind in my skills.  basically i would like to teach myself to play the piano.  can anyone recomend a good way to learn on my own or recomend some material to get a hold of in order to get to the level needed to begin progress into jazz piano?

thanks
keith_7
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"the jazz piano book" by mark levine.
keith, the best thing to do right now is take two or three months of weekly piano lessons because when you teach yourself from various books out there, your technique may be wrong. bad technique will always limit how well you can play. a good teacher can instill good habits right away, plus give you all the basic building blocks and knowledge you would need to progress on your own after a couple months.

put it this way- with a teacher it will take one month to learn what it would take a year on your own. the money investment is worth it, and it's not that expensive.

once you've gotten a handle on the piano and can read some music and such, then the jazz piano book is pretty good, but also very advanced for someone in your stage of piano knowledge.  some books on music theory would be a great place to start as well.
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Volume 1 of this educational jazz piano book contains 15 jazz piano exercises, tricks, and other interesting jazz piano techniques, voicings, grooves, and ideas Scot Ranney has picked up over decades of playing on stage.

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