Hey everybody,
Bill Evans is a huge inspiration as a piano player. I know he has influenced many of you as well! To pay a little tribute to Bill I just made a few free jazz piano lessons with video.

I just wanted to share this with the fellow piano community. Hope you enjoy and Bill inspires you in the same way he has for me

http://www.freejazzlessons.com/bill-evans-jazz-lick-lesson/

http://www.freejazzlessons.com/bill-evans-jazz-chords-lesson/

Hey, thanks Steve. I can never get enough good licks -- I like your Eb turnaround lick the most so far.

I've found that the key for me is to learn the lick well enough, and remember to start using it in my playing. Otherwise I forget it.

Thank, Steve! You are in the tradition of the best players who freely give advice - good advice - and licks!

No problem Al. Glad you're enjoying the material! Yeah, that Eb turnaround lick is one of my favorites so far. It's very Barry Harris inspired

You raise a good point in terms of actually taking licks and making them a part of your sound so they always come out. When I'm first learning a lick I'll try to throw it everywhere. Eventually it becomes very automatic and more organic. It can take a while though.

Do you guys try to learn licks in all 12 keys?

Daviel,
Thanks so much for your kind words. Sharing music knowledge is good for everybody

Thanks Steve. I just bought the Complete Riverside Recordings CD Box Set for myself as a birthday present. Pricey but well worth it. Thanks for the free lessons and I hope to be able to incorporate them one day in the far future. It'll be worth the wait.

No problem Venice. Glad you're enjoying the material. The Complete Riverside recordings? Wow..very nice!!

Steve, I just read a couple of your articles about practicing which I found to be helpful. I'm actually a sax player but have recently been thinking about changing my routine. For the last few years I've been spending about 60% of my time on technique. So now I'm going to reduce that to 1/3 of the time and spend more time on transcribing, licks, and tunes. I think this will be more fun.

BTW, I also practice piano as a 2nd instrument, about 30-40 minutes a day, and about 50% of that time is on technique via scales, exercises, and classical pieces. Maybe I should reduce my time on technique on piano too. I was wondering what do you like to practice for technique?

Hi Ken,
Glad you found my practice articles helpful! I have a lot more articles on practice and technique that will be released soon.

Technique is no doubt important but in my opinion it's function is supposed to be a means to an end. Technique is supposed to help you physically execute your musical ideas.

If a player doesn't have developed enough skills in coming up with strong musical ideas then it doesn't matter how much technique you have. They're going to have trouble bringing those musical ideas out from their heart and mind.

When I was 18....man could I burn at Hanon...couldn't solo that well but boy could I play Hanon That was a rude awakening

So, now 15 years later... when I practice technique I try to do it in context of things I want to be able to play or execute.

My Routine

1.I usually practice scales for a short period of time as a warmup. I tend to practice them w/ a swing feel (since I'm mostly playing jazz and blues right now). I always keep track of my metronome markings and try to increase speeds when appropriate.

2. I also will work on trying to execute transcriptions of players solos I've transcribed. Those can be great for technique. I always learn A TON from that. That's a win in many different areas. I learn licks, phrasing, and technique information etc.

3. I'll also work through licks in all 12 keys and try to speed up the tempos while maintaining a good rhythmic feel. This is super helpful. As I'm sure you noticed it's easier initially to play certain ideas in some then others. So, I try to figure out why that is.

That's a great study for me personally. I ask myself what I can do on a technical level to execute an idea just as well perhaps in Gb as in G or C.

For example, can I shoot my thumb under faster? Do I need to curl my fourth finger more? Is the weight in my hand evenly distributed? Am I accenting on a crossover when I should play it more legato?....etc. etc.

I hope this was helpful for you!?

I'd be interested in hearing what the rest of the players here do for their technical routine?

Hi Steve. That's a great looking routine you have there. Interesting that you seem to be killing two birds by using transcriptions and licks through the keys as your technical practice as well. There's something to be said in having a tune based approach to practicing. I've read about another player who says he practices by playing tunes and only does exercises if he comes across any problems.

At the moment I'm going through patterns that my sax teacher has given me and getting the language that way. It has been working pretty well for me. So now by spending less time on technique I can spend more time going through all the stuff he's given me.

Currently my piano routine is:

1. Warmups: Scales. Inversions over tunes or the cycle of 5ths
2. Tune: A classical piece or jazz arrangement
3. Method Book: Berklee Jazz Piano
4. Learning tunes

For No.2 I may replace classical pieces with transcriptions. venice1 mentioned Bill Evan's Riverside Collection. It has a great version of Round Midnight that I think will be my first piano transcription, not too hard technically!

Hey Ken, your question inspired me man! I just wrote a whole new lesson inspired by your questions. Feel free to check it out. Thanks Ken!

http://www.freejazzlessons.com/jazz-piano-technique/

Nice one Steve. I think you have a lot of useful material on your site. Keep on!

Steve,

First I would like to say how much I appreciate what you are doing from a Jazz educator standpoint. Your website is filled with understandable information. Your videos really are clear and easy to follow, and we all benefit from it.

Like you, when I get started practicing I warm up with scales. What I like to do is practice modes of the major scales but most of all, modes of melodic minor. Over time I like to address all types of scales including modes of Harmonic Minor, Whole Tone and 1/2 W & W 1/2 diminished scales. I pick these scales because these are the scales that fit over jazz harmony.

Thanks for creating this type of thread as this I believe is the type of discussion that is needed for players who want to learn and also improve their playing.

Dan

Hi Dan. Thank you for your very nice words! It means alot.

Great to hear your routine. I think it's cool that you're also doing modes of the melodic minor and your whole tone and diminished scales. Good stuff and of course useful over lots of jazz harmonies.