Long term goal - jazz on the piano/keyboard

[GallenWolf]

Hi!
I'm wondering if I want to pick up jazz music for piano, should I just go look for a jazz teacher/course, or instead focus on more basic stuff like learning the different scales, and approach it from a more "classical" direction? (Can't think of a better term...)

My experience: Yamaha Electone organs, but that was donkey years ago. I can still play it, but I'm pretty bad.

My hardware: I currently have a midi keyboard that I hook up to fluidsynth on linux.

My interest: For fun! Game music is also something else I play with; currently learning "Stones" from Ultima 5. I also like jazzy kind of music, bossa nova etc so would like to approach that direction in the longer term.

Thanks for your advice!

 

[pf]

How do you intend to do it from the 'classical' direction?

 

[soft]

If you want to do jazzy music, go straight to a teacher who can teach you to do that. Day-in-day out listen/play/eat jazz. I would love to do that too.

 

[pf]

James...I listen to jazz when I sleep also. Hope the music will go into my blood like an air borne virus. But somehow, that doesn't seem to be happening leh..

 

[GallenWolf]

lol thats why I mentioned for can't think of a better term I'm just not sure.

Guess I'll go hunt for a jazz piano teacher directly instead of learning piano basics when i get to my next location. Thanks!

 

[soft]

Good luck. But most important, ENJOY!!!

 

[iansoh]

i think a good general grounding in music is necessary before you attempt to dive into jazz music. no credible teacher would try to train you up for jazz without first ensuring a firm understanding of basic music/chord theory and some degree of independent learning.

no problems with going to a jazz teacher to train u in the basics. but it may come at a higher price. if budget is not an issue, then it would be a good idea to go straight to a jazz teacher.

also, u may want to seriously consider getting some weighted keys.

 

[pianomankris]

Jazz harmony is an extension of basic diatonic (i.e. pop) harmony.

Don't bother learning classical. It'll more than likely be a waste of time. Best to begin with jazz, and, once you know the chords/progressions etc, if you feel your technique is lacking, get some classical lessons later.

Classical is pointless, since most (not all, but most) classical teachers get you to learn a piece without having an understanding of the harmonic content of the music.

My thread (beginner's pop piano lessons) will eventually lead on to jazz harmony, so if you are in no rush, just work through the stuff i'm posting. It will reach jazz harmony sooner than you think.

I remember once playing at a masterclass for Dominique Merlet, and a girl was playing a Schubert impromptu (I was bashing my way through L'Isle Joyeuse). Dominique asked the girl what the chord was in bar 12 (it was just a Cm), and she didn't have a clue. It made me realise just how 'dumb' many classical players are/can be - even the technically virtuosic ones.

 

[pf]

I don't think the threadsetter meant to learn classical. I think he means that to learn jazz by learning all the scales in jazz such as the blues scales and also getting full piano score of jazz pieces to play. The usual way people do classical, just that the content is now jazz.

But this way of learning jazz is incomplete. As pianomankris says, sometimes classical pianists focus on the individual trees (notes) and miss the whole forest (chords). And because the spirit of jazz is improvisation, so going in the 'classical' direction might not get one who aspire to learn jazz where he wants to be. (More than half the fun comes from playing a jazz standard/familiar tune the way no one has played before! And watch the expression of your audience. Priceless. )

As pianomankris and ian said, there needs to be a understanding of chords and also the diatonic harmony to play jazz. Since the threadsetter played the electone before, I supposed he has some idea to play pop and chords, no?

So, I think looking for a jazz teacher is a great idea. Most importantly is to enjoy the learning process!

 

[GallenWolf]

Hey guys!
Thanks for the comments and suggestions! I think pf understands best what I'm trying to get at. Perhaps the question I should have asked first should be:

What pre-requisites should I learn before taking up Jazz piano.

But I think I got that answered mostly. Cheers!

 

[kongwee]

True improv music school don't required you to know music before hand. They will teach the theory and the most importantly the spirits. Is a lot of hardwork. Is the people that teach can motivate you to go further.

 

[[vogue]angel]

yeah. A teacher can inspire you. If ur teachers passionate, u will feel super motivated. But most of all, u must motivate urselflar.

 

[CliftonSantiago]

[=GallenWolf

Learn all the major & minor scales, then all the triads that come from those scales, then all the four-note chords (not that hard once you learn it in one key)

Mark Levine's 'The Jazz Piano Book' is where I started & it rocks.

 

[GallenWolf]

Thanks for the further thoughts everyone! Clifton, thanks for that suggestion! I've booked marked it on amazon

Also, I was hunting for jazz teachers in oz, happened to come across this website:
http://www.jazclass.aust.com/courses.htm - this guy has some free course notes aboud, may help other inspiring hobbyists

 

[pf]

GallenWolf, please don't get the jazz piano book before you can be sure that you can learn independently, i.e. stopping every other line and check out what the terminologies mean. In addition, this author (as do most) write as if you already have some understanding. If you do not have experience learning from books, please go to the esplanade library to take a look at such piano instruction books to see if you can learn in this way. If not, just save the money for lessons.

I think the material in the jazz piano book might be closer to this:
http://aebersold.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=JAZZ&Category_Code=_HANDBOOK
than the link which you have provided.

 

[kongwee]

Book and DVD don't work for 99% people here. Don't try your luck.