It takes time to learn how to improvise jazz piano but that doesn’t mean you can’t make speedy progress while having a blast. There are numerous aspects to learning, but that is part of the fun. Learning to improvise is a never-ending process. Don’t believe the myth that being good at improvising is a skill that only a select few can master. It needs determination, commitment, and a grasp of how to improve.
What is jazz piano improvisation?
Jazz piano improvisation is a skill that can be mastered, and despite the term improvisation, it needs a lot of practice. Improvisation does not imply the creation of something new. It is the technique of transforming composition and artistically combining elements you already know.
Why is it worth learning to improvise jazz piano?
It is normal to feel intimidated when learning piano and many people become discouraged when they can’t perfect playing a new piece. With jazz improvisation, you can deviate from playing the correct notes and this enables you to overcome any fears and frustration while still making progress. Jazz improvisation is instantaneously rewarding, which will make you enjoy playing the piano even more.
How to learn jazz piano improvisation?
The initial goal of jazz piano improvisation is to be creative and to feel at ease playing a melody in different ways each time and having fun while doing so. The following tips will help you to understand better how to learn jazz piano improvisation.
Deep Listening Every Day
Start listening to jazz every day and do it with focus. Although we might be exposed to a large number of stimuli at once, focusing our minds and distinguishing between them takes a very particular skill: attention. Learn to pinpoint all the elements and train your ear to isolate the different aspects of intervals, chords, and melodies.
Learn the Jazz Culture
Learn about the origins of jazz and the lives of jazz musicians to gain a better understanding of their experiences and how they represented themselves in their music. It also gives you better insight into how jazz legends learned how to improvise. You can also pick up some tips and sound ideas from going to live jazz music events. You will find plenty of like-minded people at the events to learn from.
Understand Jazz Improvisation
Dispel the misconception that jazz improvisation is entirely made up on the fly. Recognize the importance of preparation in learning how to improvise. It necessitates striking a balance between discovering, learning, and applying new concepts and jazz improvisation techniques.
Learn Jazz Basics
When starting out on how to improvise jazz piano, learn about the various aspects of jazz to get a sense of how everything connects. Learn the four most important jazz chords, how they’re constructed, and how they fit into a chord progression as well as learn the most important jazz scales and how they connect to chords.
Get Started with Jazz Piano Improvisation Exercises
As a beginner to jazz improvisation, you might not know where to begin or how to practice. Here are a few activities that can help you develop and refine your ability to improvise.
Simple Chord Progressions
Start with choosing a simple chord progression. There are a lot of common chord progressions in jazz, however, most of them have a lot of chords. Choose one with fewer chords so you can concentrate on learning the fundamentals of jazz improvisation. Because it only comprises four chords, the Turnaround Progression is the best chord progression to get started with.
Left-Hand Accompaniment
An important improvisation exercise for jazz piano is to have a solid left-hand accompaniment. You could play simple root position chords, however, by practicing playing chord shells, you can actually enhance and change up the sound. A chord shell is where you play only 2 or 3 notes of a chord instead of all 4 notes. The great thing with jazz piano is that you do not have to play every single note in a chord.
Creative Repetition
When you play a selected phrase, repeat it but make changes such as modifying one note, the rhythm, the tempo, play it backward/invert it, and do whatever you want with it. When you’re comfortable with this, you can repeat it four, five, or twenty times, changing one thing each time.
How long can it take to learn jazz piano improvisation?
These jazz piano improvisation tips will have you develop your ability to improve. Learning how to play jazz piano takes a long time and requires more than just reading music; you must also be able to improvise and that takes time, effort, and commitment.
Why is jazz piano improvisation learning a life-long journey?
When it comes to jazz piano improvisation, you will never stop learning. There are endless tunes available, which you can use as a starting point to create your own music. It is great to have a hobby that excites you and relieves you of life’s stresses. Once you’ve become addicted to jazz piano improvisation, you’ll be able to keep exploring new components for the rest of your life.