How to Play Jazz Piano

We've just made this animated video explaining how to play jazz piano using the blues scale. Any other tips or resources for learning jazz piano?
Video: How to improvise on piano.

No.

Dave, you're killing me here!

At least be helpful, and point out that the spelling of the notes on the staff below the animated video does not precisely match the note names mentioned in that video (F# vs. Gb).

Other than that, I agree with you - there IS nothing else to know.
Ed

hehe

Dave you're such a baad boy.


Anyhow, I would like to point out that F# is not a bluesy note; that belongs in Fusion music. "Everybody" knows that to play a blues you have to use the flat notes.

Sorry, I ALWAYS get those two confused!

Yes. Being discombobulated is a common feeling amongst us jazz musicians.

That's a feature, not a defect

But F# is in the blues scale -- so we'd be remiss to not mention it, right?

Thanks a lot for absolutely fantastic video. Man would nearly fall into a trap that it's really that easy. :-)

Thanks, Karel! Glad you enjoyed it.

If you know how to cook, you can probably use any recipe or any recipe book and everything will turn out because you have experience and know what it mean.

When a video on playing the piano is made, the pianst has probably been playing for quite awhile and most of the people watching understand what is going on, but if you are a beginner, it can be difficult to know what is going on until you have more experience and then you know what is going on.

Michael,

I like this metaphor very much. I would simply add this:

If you REALLY know how to "cook", like a our Mr. Frank here, then you ARE the recipe book!

Ed

Interesting point! I guess you've got to start somewhere, eh? Sure, recipes are easy for pros to follow - but crucial for amateurs to start learning.

explaining how to play jazz piano using the blues scale is not just citing the scale and playing it up and down.
Playing inside a scale, making music, sounds some how different.
The outstanding position of the 2 bluenotes b3 and b7 including the chromatic approach #4/b5 within tonality must be pointed out carefully by examples.
(An ascending melody stops on b7, descending afterwards)

Your demonstration of the scale sounds very poor and does not animate anybody to enter the great world of blues. I´m sorry!

And by the way, this isn´t "the blues scale" what you are citing. Where is the major 3, the 9th and 13th?

The animation of your video is OK.

now, now, Cudo....

now, now, it´s everybody´s turn!