Latest Posts

The melodic minor scale provides all kinds of different options for soloing over altered dominant chords. In this article we explore each of the 7 modes of the melodic scale, and how they work over different chords.

Chris Parks studied jazz guitar with legendary jazz performer and educator, Barry Harris. On this episode, I get my first lesson in the Barry Harris method and Chris shares his stories from his days in the classroom with the master.

Dr. Bob Lawrence, founder of the Dallas School of Music and the Jazz Piano Skills podcast, shows us how to add excitement to our jazz improvisation using rhythmic variety.

Arthur Migliazza, the king of boogie piano, walks us through the techniques in his arrangement of St. Louis Blues, and shows us how to build hand independence.

Tips to get more out of your jazz piano practice sessions with these techniques from Jeremy Siskind.

Disneyland ragtime pianist Jonny May shows us how to take any song and play it in a variety of styles.

Learn how to play in the signature style of Red Garland using his famous left hand comping patterns.

3-note jazz voicings are the simplest way to play 7th chords. They are great for beginners, but don't underestimate them -- the professionals use them all the time too.

A sharp-11 chord can be little intimidating of a concept, especially if you are new to playing jazz, but it's actually one of the most common ways to color major and dominant chords. In this article, we’ll explore various ways to use this chord in your playing.

An avoid note is any note in the scale that is a half-step away from a note in the chord being played. As an example, playing an F on top of a C major chord sounds dissonant, since it's a half step above E, the third of the chord.

One of the most common questions I hear from beginning piano students is "can I learn to play Maple Leaf Rag?" Or, "Is The Entertainer approachable as a beginner?"

These 7 chord progressions make up 90% of jazz standards and are a critical skill in learning to play jazz piano.