Jazz Piano Skills

Welcome to JazzPianoSkills; I'm Dr. Bob Lawrence. It’s time to Discover, Learn, and Play jazz piano!
I am thrilled to welcome back to JazzPianSkills, Dr. JB Dyas. Dr. JB Dyas has been a leader in jazz education for the past two decades. Currently, Vice President for Education and Curriculum Development at the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz, Dyas oversees the Institute's education and outreach programs, including Jazz in America (www.jazzinamerica.org), one of the most significant and wide-reaching jazz education programs in the world. He has presented jazz workshops, teacher-training seminars, and jazz "informances" worldwide with such renowned artists as Ambrose Akinmusire, Don Braden, Bobby Broom, Dave Brubeck, Gerald Clayton, Robin Eubanks, Herbie Hancock, Antonio Hart, Ingrid Jensen, Sean Jones, Delfeayo Marsalis, Christian McBride, Bobby Watson, and Steve Wilson.
Prior to his current position at the Hancock Institute, Dyas served as Executive Director of the Brubeck Institute where he implemented its College Fellowship Program, Brubeck Festival, Summer Jazz Colony, and Jazz Outreach Initiative. Before that, he served as Director of Jazz Studies at Miami-Dade College – one of the nation's largest and most multi-cultural colleges, and New World School of the Arts – Miami’s award-winning performing arts high school.
Throughout his career, Dyas has performed across the country, designed and implemented new jazz curricula, directed large and small ensembles, and taught various jazz courses to students at virtually every level of musical development – age seven to seventy, beginner to professional, learning-challenged to prodigy. He has conducted jazz and tune-learning clinics, adjudicated high school and collegiate jazz festivals, and presented numerous jazz seminars throughout the United States and in Australia, Canada, Columbia, Cuba, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Russia, and Turkey. He also teaches Jazz Pedagogy at the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, is on the faculty of the Jamey Aebersold Summer Jazz Workshop, and serves as an adjudicator for the Annual GRAMMY Music Educator Award.
Additionally, Dyas has written for DownBeat magazine and other national music publications, presented clinics, and performed at a number of International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE) and Jazz Education Network (JEN) Annual Conferences, co-founded the International Sisters in Jazz Collegiate Competition, served on the Smithsonian Institution's Task Force for Jazz Education in America, and contributed the chapter “Defining Jazz Education” to the biography, "David Baker - A Legacy in Music." Dyas recently introduced his “What is Jazz and Why It’s Important to the World” lecture for International Jazz Day, for which he annually presents education events in conjunction with the Hancock Institute and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). He also has made a series of teacher-training jazz education videos (all available at jbdyas.com), including a national webinar along with Herbie Hancock and US Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona on the importance of jazz education in our public schools.
Dr. Dyas received his Master’s in Jazz Pedagogy from the University of Miami and Ph.D. in Music Education from Indiana University. He is a recipient of the DownBeat Achievement Award for Jazz Education. A professional bassist, Dyas has performed well over a thousand jazz and commercial dates throughout his career and continues performing in various jazz and commercial music settings.
Now, sit back, relax, and welcome back to JazzPianoSkills, Dr. JB Dyas!

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Welcome to Jazz Piano Skills; it's time to discover, learn, and play Jazz Piano!
Every Jazz Piano Skills weekly podcast episode introduces aspiring jazz pianists to essential Jazz Piano Skills. Each Podcast episode explores a specific Jazz Piano Skill in depth. Today, you will discover, learn, and play "Just Friends." In this Jazz Piano Lesson, you will:

Discover
The classic jazz standard, “Just Friends”
Learn
Melody, Guide Tones, Fingerings, Phrases, and Target Notes for “Just Friends”
Play
“Just Friends” using three different treatments, tempos, and grooves.
Use the Jazz Piano Podcast Packets for this Jazz Piano Lesson for maximum musical growth. All three Podcast Packets are designed to help you gain insight and command of a specific Jazz Piano Skill. The Podcast Packets are invaluable educational tools to have at your fingertips while you discover, learn, and play Just Friends.
Open Podcast Packets
Illustrations
(detailed graphics of the jazz piano skill)
Lead Sheets
(beautifully notated music lead sheets)
Play Alongs
(ensemble assistance and practice tips)
Educational Support
Community Forum
SpeakPipe
Episode Outline
Introduction
Discover, Learn, Play
Invite to Join Jazz Piano Skills
Lesson Rationale
Exploration of Jazz Piano Skills
Conclusion
Closing Comments
Visit Jazz Piano Skills for more educational resources that include a sequential curriculum with comprehensive Jazz Piano Courses, private and group online Jazz Piano Classes, a private jazz piano community hosting a variety of Jazz Piano Forums, an interactive Jazz Fake Book, plus unlimited professional educational jazz piano support.
If you wish to donate to JazzPianoSkills, you can do so easily through the Jazz Piano Skills Paypal Account.
Thank you for being a Jazz Piano Skills listener. I am pleased to help you discover, learn, and play jazz piano!

Support the show

Welcome to Jazz Piano Skills; it's time to discover, learn, and play Jazz Piano!
Every Jazz Piano Skills weekly podcast episode introduces aspiring jazz pianists to essential Jazz Piano Skills. Each Podcast episode explores a specific Jazz Piano Skill in depth. Today, you will discover, learn, and play "Just Friends." In this Jazz Piano Lesson, you will:
Discover
An improvisational approach for “Just Friends.”
Learn
About Intentional Formulaic Formats for developing Improvisation Skills using “Just Friends.”
Play
Quarter Note, 8th Note, and Silence Sequences that are applied to the Form and Changes of "Just Friends" to develop TIME and Harmonic Vision.
Use the Jazz Piano Podcast Packets for this Jazz Piano Lesson for maximum musical growth. All three Podcast Packets are designed to help you gain insight and command of a specific Jazz Piano Skill. The Podcast Packets are invaluable educational tools to have at your fingertips while you discover, learn, and play Just Friends.
Open Podcast Packets
Illustrations
(detailed graphics of the jazz piano skill)
Lead Sheets
(beautifully notated music lead sheets)
Play Alongs
(ensemble assistance and practice tips)
Educational Support
Community Forum
SpeakPipe
Episode Outline
Introduction
Discover, Learn, Play
Invite to Join Jazz Piano Skills
Lesson Rationale
Exploration of Jazz Piano Skills
Conclusion
Closing Comments
Visit Jazz Piano Skills for more educational resources that include a sequential curriculum with comprehensive Jazz Piano Courses, private and group online Jazz Piano Classes, a private jazz piano community hosting a variety of Jazz Piano Forums, an interactive Jazz Fake Book, plus unlimited professional educational jazz piano support.
If you wish to donate to JazzPianoSkills, you can do so easily through the Jazz Piano Skills Paypal Account.
Thank you for being a Jazz Piano Skills listener. I am pleased to help you discover, learn, and play jazz piano!

Support the show

Welcome to Jazz Piano Skills; it's time to discover, learn, and play Jazz Piano!
Every Jazz Piano Skills weekly podcast episode introduces aspiring jazz pianists to essential Jazz Piano Skills. Each Podcast episode explores a specific Jazz Piano Skill in depth. Today, you will discover, learn, and play "Oleo" by Sonny Rollins. In this Jazz Piano Lesson, you will:

Discover
Sonny Rollin's Bebop Tune "Oleo"
Learn
Chords Changes, Harmonic Function, Melody, and Fingerings for "Oleo"
Play
Multiple patterns extracted from "Oleo" for developing classic jazz language to use when improvising
Use the Jazz Piano Podcast Packets for this Jazz Piano Lesson for maximum musical growth. All three Podcast Packets are designed to help you gain insight and command of a specific Jazz Piano Skill. The Podcast Packets are invaluable educational tools to have at your fingertips while you discover, learn, and play Oleo by Sonny Rollins.
Open Podcast Packets
Illustrations
(detailed graphics of the jazz piano skill)
Lead Sheets
(beautifully notated music lead sheets)
Play Alongs
(ensemble assistance and practice tips)
Educational Support
Community Forum
SpeakPipe
Episode Outline
Introduction
Discover, Learn, Play
Invite to Join Jazz Piano Skills
Lesson Rationale
Exploration of Jazz Piano Skills
Conclusion
Closing Comments
Visit Jazz Piano Skills for more educational resources that include a sequential curriculum with comprehensive Jazz Piano Courses, private and group online Jazz Piano Classes, a private jazz piano community hosting a variety of Jazz Piano Forums, an interactive Jazz Fake Book, plus unlimited professional educational jazz piano support.
If you wish to donate to JazzPianoSkills, you can do so easily through the Jazz Piano Skills Paypal Account.
Thank you for being a Jazz Piano Skills listener. I am pleased to help you discover, learn, and play jazz piano!

Support the show

Welcome to JazzPianoSkills; it's time to discover, learn, and play Jazz Piano!

Every JazzPianoSkills weekly podcast episode introduces aspiring jazz pianists to essential Jazz Piano Skills. Each Podcast episode explores a specific Jazz Piano Skill in depth. Today you will discover, learn, play Primary Diminished Voicings. In this Jazz Piano Lesson you will:

Discover
Primary Two-Handed Diminished Voicings
Learn
How to construct two Primary Two-Handed Diminished Voicings
Play
Primary Two-Handed Diminished Voicings using 5 Harmonic Technique Approaches

For maximum musical growth, be sure to use the Jazz Piano Podcast Packets for this Jazz Piano Lesson. All three Podcast Packets are designed to help you gain insight and command of a specific Jazz Piano Skill. The Podcast Packets are invaluable educational tools to have at your fingertips while studying and practicing Primary Diminished Voicings.

Download Podcast Packets
Illustrations (detailed graphics of the jazz piano skill)
Lead Sheets (beautifully notated music lead sheets)
Play Alongs (ensemble assistance and practice tips)

EPISODE OUTLINE:
Introduction
Discover, Learn, Play
Invite to Join JazzPianoSkills

Exercise 1:
Chord Isolation
C Half Diminished (Co75)
Option 1: LH = 3-7 | RH = 3-6-2
Option 2: LH = 7-3 | RH = 6-2-5

Exercise 2:
Half Diminished Pairs
C Half Diminished (Co7) and C# Half Diminished (C#o7)
Option 1: LH = 3-7 | RH = 3-6-2
Option 2: LH = 7-3 | RH = 6-2-5

Exercise 3:
Minor 3rd Rotation
Co7, D#o7, F#o7, Ao7
Option 1: LH = 3-7 | RH = 3-6-2
Option 2: LH = 7-3 | RH = 6-2-5

Exercise 4:
Whole-Step Rotation
C-o7, Do7, Eo7, F#o7, G#o7, A#o7
Option 1: LH = 3-7 | RH = 3-6-2
Option 2: LH = 7-3 | RH = 6-2-5

Exercise 5:
Circle of 5ths
C, F, A#, D#, G#, C#, F#, B, E, A, D, G
Option 1: LH = 3-7 | RH = 3-6-2
Option 2: LH = 7-3 | RH = 6-2-5

Conclusion
Closing Comments

Visit JazzPianoSkills for more educational resources that include a sequential curriculum with interactive Jazz Piano Courses, private and group online Jazz Piano Classes, and a private jazz piano community Jazz Piano Forums.

If you wish to support JazzPianoSkills with a donation you can do so easily through the JazzPianoSkills Paypal Account.

Thank you for being a JazzPianoSkills listener. It is my pleasure to help you discover, learn, and play jazz piano!

Support the show