i run a jam session every tuesday night here in bellingham.  last night was just about the best jam we've ever had. the first set, a trio set, went off like it had been planned that way. great dynamics, different styles, tight communication, it  clicked like a swiss watch.

then the session started and all these great players showed up from vancouver, bellingham, and even seattle.  should have had a tape recorder going!
If I'm not back in 24 hours, call the president.

Scot is available for skype jazz piano lessons (and google hangouts, phone call, etc...)
Use the contact link at the top of the page.
There are no comments, leave a comment.
what kind of planning do you do before you play in this type of jam setup?  just count it off?
i usually bring in a few new tunes for the trio set (one hour).  i think about beginnings, endings, and the style i want to play them in.  i usually play through the new tunes at home a few times to make sure i have some sort of coherent idea of how i want to play it.  will it be latin? what kind of latin? samba, bossa, something more energetic, what? i'll make sure i know the tunes well enough so that i'm not surprised by something.

when i get to the gig i have dinner, set  up my pa equipment to amplify the piano and give the drummer a monitor, and then if i have some new tunes that need explanation, i have a "talking" rehearsal with the drummer and bass player so that they know what i'm thinking.

then, before each tune that i have a "plan" for, i'll go over the details really quick with the rhythm section.  maybe i want to do solo piano for a few choruses after we trade 4's, or maybe the tune will start with piano and bass or piano and drums.

then the rest of it is left up to the musicians. i have a good pool of bass players and drummers to choose from these days, so finding great players who are musical is not often a problem.

the thing is this- the preparation i do for the jam session is the same preparation i do for any gig: my daily practice schedule. i don't really prepare for a gig unless there are specific tunes that i'm requested to play that i don't know.

hopefully the practice and study i do is all the preparation i need for most situations.  in the jazz world it's not uncommon for musicians to get thrown together to do a concert, sometimes without a rehearsal.  so it's important to be prepared and keep up your practicing at all times.

i kind of rambled, but you get the idea.
If I'm not back in 24 hours, call the president.

Scot is available for skype jazz piano lessons (and google hangouts, phone call, etc...)
Use the contact link at the top of the page.
Please sign in to post.

Are you in the Pacific Northwest looking for a jazz jam? Check out our weekly Bellingham Jazz Jam!


Jazz Piano Notebook Series
Scot Ranney's Jazz Piano Notebook, Volume 1 - jazz piano tricks of the trade

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.

Being a pro jazz pianist requires good ears, experience, and a bag of tricks that create the kinds of sounds people expect to hear from a jazz pianist. The entries in this book will give you some of those tricks.

buy pdf version - buy coil binding version - videos

Scot Ranney's Jazz Piano Notebook, Volume 2 - jazz piano tricks of the trade you can use today
"Latinesque"

Volume 2 has 14 jazz piano exercises and tricks of the trade, and quite a bit of it is Calypso jazz piano related material, including some Monty Alexander and Michel Camilo style grooves. Jazz piano education is through the ears, and books like this help connect what you're hearing to what you want to play.

buy pdf version - buy coil binding version

Tim Richards' Jazz Piano Notebook - jazz piano tricks of the trade

Volume 3 contains 12 jazz piano exercises and explorations by the acclaimed jazz piano educator, pianist, author, and recording artist Tim Richards.

Tim wrote the well known "Exploring Jazz Piano" and "Improvising Blues Piano" books and has several others to his name.

Tim has a new book out Beginning Jazz Piano (Pts 1 and 2)

Many of Tim's books now come with free access to interactive sheet music ONLINE, which permits slowing down of the backing and performance tracks, as well as the option to loop passages for practice purposes.

Tim now also has online VIDEO courses for his books, including Beginning Jazz Piano, Improvising Blues Piano and Exploring Jazz Piano Vol 1:

buy pdf version Tim Richards' Jazz Piano Notebook Volume 3 -

Jeff Brent's Jazz Piano Notebook - jazz piano tricks of the trade

Volume 4 is by Jeff Brent, a jazz pianist, composer, teacher, and author of "Modalogy" and other acclaimed jazz theory and education books. In this book Jeff shares detailed analysis of transcriptions of live performances. He covers everything from the shape of the songs to the tricks and licks he uses in improvised lines to the ideas behind his lush chord voicings.

buy pdf version - buy coil binding version

Most Recent Discussions
Great Resource for Jazz Pianists
Scale in Calderazzo solo
analyzing Someone To Watch Over Me
Site updates
Korg SV-1 vs Nord Electro
Brad Brad Mehldau's independant left hand
more...
Articles

Piano for Adoption Scam
Aprender Jazz en Piano
BEWARE: FREE BABY GRAND PIANO SCAM
Oh Tannenbaum for Jazz Piano
Volume 5 of the "Jazz Piano Notebook Series" is Available!
LearnJazzPiano.com File Downloads News
more...

Top Sheetmusic Picks

Jazzy Christmas Arrangements
Cocktail Piano
Best Songs Ever, 6th Edition
Christmas Medley
Moana Songbook
Late Night Jazz Piano

Jazz piano education is cool.

be the main character in your own story

Rock on. Follow your passion.

Sign In

privacy policy • terms of service • about • 50,655 messages 63,069 accounts 57,329 logins
LearnJazzPiano.com Copyright © 1995-2026 by Scot Ranney • website software and design by scot's scripts
LearnJazzPiano.com is For Sale - Serious Inquiries Only
▲