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The Jazz Piano Book Mark Levine
I have just completed the first 6 chapters of this excellent book and the audio and a couple of videos of my studies can be found on my website here  http://www.cmajornine.webspace.virginmedia.com/page4.htmlÂ
Anyone else studying/studied this book and have any views or comments on it?
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Have the book. Have not started it. Will be watching this thread.
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what does is say about developing rhythmic skills?
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It hasn't said anything yet. Not specifically, all the the examples in the book are given as notes on a stave and it does not come with a CD, mp3 or any examples of how to play them. I know my examples sound a bit wooden but you got to start somewhere.  I am only a learner.  If anyone wants to work on this book with me as a collective your welcome.  Maybe you beeboss could inject some rhythmic input into the proceedings on the next chapter " Left Hand Voicings"
Sent from Samsung tablet
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I have studied jazz piano for many years with an excellent teacher. The Jazz Piano Book is her and my go to reference book. It is a terrific resource, but I would offer two comments: 1. It is not a method book. It does not have a series of lessons in a sequence. It has chapters on various subjects that, to some degree, go for simpler to more complex, but I think it would be very hard to learn jazz by reading that book and playing the examples. It was a best used as a reference work when you decide to work on something covered by the book. 2. It focuses more on voicings and scales then it does on rhythm. There are sections on rhythmic issues, but it is not a focus. Then again, I'm not sure how much a book can do on rhythm. That comes from listening to hours and hours of the great ones (transcribing is best) and playing along with them.
So, I'm a huge fan of the book, but one has to realize how it is best used.
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2. It focuses more on voicings and scales then it does on rhythm. There are sections on rhythmic issues, but it is not a focus.
More precisely - the sound, time, groove, articulation. Notes can not help here.
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1. It is not a method book. It does not have a series of lessons in a sequence. It has chapters on various subjects that, to some degree, go for simpler to more complex, but I think it would be very hard to learn jazz by reading that book and playing the examples. It was a best used as a reference work when you decide to work on something covered by the book.
I don't agree with this at all, The book has chapters entitled Major Modes II-V-1, Three note voicings, Adding notes to three note voicings, Tritone Substitution and more, and offers in depth explanations of each concept. I reckon that after working through this book from start to finish you should be able to work on simple arrangements of jazz standards and be able to put your own stamp on them. A book like the one below is what I have in mind. Am I deluded? http://www.amazon.co.uk/Piano-Playb...swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= More precisely - the sound, time, groove, articulation. Notes can not help here.
Ooh look what I got for Christmas, a Metronome Have the book. Have not started it. Will be watching this thread. Watch this space
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Ooh look what I got for Christmas, a Metronome
Metronome has the same relation to the articulation, as a dictionary of English - to his New York accent.
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cmajornine: I believe the book you provided a link to has fully written out arrangements? If I'm right about this, there is no need to learn what is in the Jazz Piano Book for playing that material. The book is directed towards enabling you to make your own arrangements using the Real Book or other lead sheets. Just get the Real Books, which is what everyone I play with uses.
Why do I think it's better used as a reference? Because it is so dense. You can literally spend a lifetime trying to learn all that is in that book. You could spend months on learning what is in one chapter. It also includes some VERY advanced concepts that I, after studying jazz for 7 or 8 years, am not ready for yet (E.g. Phrygian modes).
The book may work for you as a method book, and if so, that's great. But you asked what people think of it, so that's what you got!
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I have studied jazz piano for many years with an excellent teacher. A great teacher (as jjo points out) and then experience on the a gig or playing with other people ...those experiences will beat a book or books every time
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cmajornine: I believe the book you provided a link to has fully written out arrangements? If I'm right about this, there is no need to learn what is in the Jazz Piano Book for playing that material. The book is directed towards enabling you to make your own arrangements using the Real Book or other lead sheets. Just get the Real Books, which is what everyone I play with uses.
Why do I think it's better used as a reference? Because it is so dense. You can literally spend a lifetime trying to learn all that is in that book. You could spend months on learning what is in one chapter. It also includes some VERY advanced concepts that I, after studying jazz for 7 or 8 years, am not ready for yet (E.g. Phrygian modes).
The book may work for you as a method book, and if so, that's great. But you asked what people think of it, so that's what you got! Thanks jjo for your further enlightenment on the subject, I am humbled by your response on the density of the information contained in the book & how long it would take to complete the book in linear study, I can see now why you recommend its use as a reference manual. Yes the book I referred to has written out arrangements but they are simple sparse arrangements, knowing how to rearrange and play them in your own way using jazz techniques and concepts is what I hope to achieve. Unlike some pianists who have to stick rigidly to the sheet music on the page. I am still going to attempt to go through the book I will see how far I am this time next year I will use this thread to let you know how I getting on, I must say that I was surprised that not many people had professed to using the book, I thought it was a lot more popular among the jazz piano fraternity. Sent from Samsung tablet
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I must say that I was surprised that not many people had professed to using the book, I thought it was a lot more popular among the jazz piano fraternity.
It is no accident - a jazz piano teachers (myself included) are highly appreciated the material in this book , professional performers do not need it ; but for beginners it HIGHLY complicated. Page 1 - Intervals, page 2 - upper structures, drop 2 chords with tensions,, trirons, minor 7/9 inversion in left hand. Further even more difficult. Between pages 1 and 2 are missing the following topics, required for understanding further material : Triads and their inversions 5 types seventh chords and their inversions Voice leading between chords The notion of harmonic tensions and usage them in different chords Close and open position of chords Low interval limits
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I must say that I was surprised that not many people had professed to using the book, I thought it was a lot more popular among the jazz piano fraternity.
It is a good book but only really useful for harmony, there is nothing much about melody or especially rhythm. Also lacking completely is any way of developing improvisation skills, which is the most important thing for someone starting with jazz piano. For someone starting out a teacher would be much more useful, and, failing that, at least a guide to developing improvisation and rhythmic skills. That said it is very clear in the description of basic jazz harmony, maybe it is even one of the best texts for this aspect.
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Any recommendations for books that fill in the gaps? (improvisation and rhythmic skills)
We are the music makers, And we are the dreamers of dreams.
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It is a good book but only really useful for harmony, there is nothing much about melody or especially rhythm. Also lacking completely is any way of developing improvisation skills, which is the most important thing for someone starting with jazz piano. For someone starting out a teacher would be much more useful, and, failing that, at least a guide to developing improvisation and rhythmic skills.
For improvisation - a highly excellent book of Hal Crook HOW TO IMPROVISEhttp://halcrook.com/bkdets/hti/hti.htmlExactly what Groove On is looking for. ================================================================= I can understand the idea of ML : enter into jazz of classic trained pianist , who able to read music , via entrance gate of jazz harmonies - that's what he is able to play immediately. I would call the book " The Jazz Sound Book for Pianist ".
Last edited by Nahum; 12/26/15 07:18 AM.
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I have studied jazz piano for many years with an excellent teacher. A great teacher (as jjo points out) and then experience on the a gig or playing with other people ...those experiences will beat a book or books every time Thanks for offer but I can't afford a teacher both in financial and in time. I work unsociable hours and I also play for a local church so I don't have a lot of Spare time Self tuition is the only way for me.
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Thanks for offer but I can't afford a teacher both in financial and in time. I work unsociable hours and I also play for a local church so I don't have a lot of Spare time Self tuition is the only way for me. IMO, you can combine the lessons with a teacher and work on the textbooks that will significantly reduce the costs of the teacher.I have such a student - he comes to me every 3 weeks.
Last edited by Nahum; 12/26/15 03:08 PM.
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Any recommendations for books that fill in the gaps? (improvisation and rhythmic skills) I don't know of any good books. The jazz greats didn't learn to play by reading books. To learn to improvise you need to do it not read about it. Playalongs can help, playing with people can help, a metronome can help, listening to lots of different jazz can help, aural training can help, transcribing can help. All the information anyone could ever need is already on the web but learning to use it is something that we all have to work out for ourselves - a teacher or more experienced player can help with that..
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I don't know of any good books. The jazz greats didn't learn to play by reading books.
They also weren't hesychasts. They lived there together, and could do without the interaction of printed word. I remember - in the late 50's my environment was in a completely different place and in very different conditions. People were playing jazz by copying at hearing, did not understand the essence of what is played. Later came the first textbooks , which have provided great help, also for beginners .
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I don't know of any good books. The jazz greats didn't learn to play by reading books.
They also weren't hesychasts. They lived there together, and could do without the interaction of printed word. I remember - in the late 50's my environment was in a completely different place and in very different conditions. People were playing jazz by copying at hearing, did not understand the essence of what is played. Later came the first textbooks , which have provided great help, also for beginners . The world is a different place these days. Jazz has moved off the streets into the classroom, for better or worse. Everything is much more theoretical now, more complex rhythms structures and harmonies which all need to be absorbed. Luckily learning the theory is easy in comparison with learning to apply it, which takes the whole lifetime.
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