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New articles are published each week.

Barry Harris 6th Diminished (with real examples)

Barry Harris' 6th diminished scale provides a simple to understand explanation of jazz (especially bebop) harmony. But just because it's simple to understand, doesn't mean it's easy. This video shows real world examples of the scale in action, and provides you with practice techniques.

Josh Walsh
Josh Walsh on May 06, 2022

Beautiful, Spicy Dominant Chords (every jazz pianist should know)

10 different ways to voice dominant 7th chords on the piano, including altered dominant voicings from Barry Harris.

Josh Walsh
Josh Walsh on Apr 21, 2022

You Too, Can Play Blues Kazoo

Not a day goes by where some kid passes me on the street and asks "Hey Mr. Josh, will you teach me how to play blues kazoo?!"

Well kid, today is your lucky day.

Josh Walsh
Josh Walsh on Apr 01, 2022

Blackbird - Jazz pianist deconstructs Brad Mehldau

Brad Mehldau's interpretation of Blackbird (Lennon / McCartney) from Art of the Trio in 1996.

Josh Walsh
Josh Walsh on Mar 25, 2022

C Jam Blues - Jazz pianist deconstructs Oscar Peterson

Oscar Peterson's recording of C Jam Blues is one of the great bebop standards. In this video we explore 5 jazz licks transcribed from that recording.

Josh Walsh
Josh Walsh on Mar 22, 2022
Charlie Parker playing Donna Lee

Can I learn the hardest bebop tune?

Can I master the famously terrifying Charlie Parker standard, Donna Lee?

Josh Walsh
Josh Walsh on Mar 03, 2022

Jazz Up Your Hymns - 5 Levels of Reharmonization

In this video we take a classic hymn, Amazing Grace, and we reharmonize it 5 ways with increasing jazz harmony.

Josh Walsh
Josh Walsh on Feb 21, 2022

Your First Jazz Piano Lesson

Learning to play jazz as a classically trained pianist comes with many challenges. Playing "off-the-cuff" from a lead sheet, and making it unique with each performance.

Josh Walsh
Josh Walsh on Feb 04, 2022
More than the Blues Scale...

Modern Tips for Playing the Blues

When you start learning how to play the blues you learn about blues scales, blues licks, and shuffle patterns. But when you listen to the pros play the blues, they don't use these things -- at least not in the same way we do.

Josh Walsh
Josh Walsh on Jan 16, 2022
It's their D.N.A.

Dominants come from Diminished - Barry Harris

It's Friday, so that means a new Barry Harris video! This time, we explore Barry's concept of dominant chords coming from diminished chords, and how they literally share the DNA of their parents, the whole tone scales.

Josh Walsh
Josh Walsh on Dec 31, 2021
Name that chord.

Borrowing Diminished Notes

Barry Harris taught us how to borrow notes from the 6th diminished scale to create tension and release.

Josh Walsh
Josh Walsh on Dec 24, 2021
Play the 6th on the 5th

The first thing I learned from Barry Harris

I've learned so much by studying Barry Harris' teachings. This concept of "6th on the 5th" was the first that I really took to heart. I hope it's useful for you.

Josh Walsh
Josh Walsh on Dec 17, 2021
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