Teaching a course in Jazz/Blues to beginners

[freejazz1985]

I'm putting together a piano course in Jazz for an adult beginner, which I would also like to introduce to my younger students, I would like to ask for your advice, or links, on how you go about structuring the progress? I'm classically trained, and although I do improvise and play jazz myself, teaching it is quite a different matter. Finding appropriate material and deciding on how to structure lessons in a way which is logical and builds upon skill sets is my primary task at the moment. There is such an enormousness amount of ground work - reviewing method books, play along Cds, finding level appropriate materials - that I would like to ask for a bit of help and advice on how to go about doing this.

I'm sure there are other threads, but i wasn't able to locate something exactly along these lines yet.

thanks!

[indigo_dave]

I posted the question about materials for classically trained pianists wanting to learn blues and jazz. It's currently right below your posting.

I'm currently ordering, looking at, and playing through some books for teaching jazz and blues. Maybe we can exchange information. I'm interested in teaching adults who want to play blues/jazz. I'm not currently teaching, but looking to find 2 or 3 students to get started with.

Just now I was playing through "Blues Riffs for Piano" by Ed Baker (ordered it of amazon). I've been thinking that using a simple book like this along with some rote demonstration might be one way to go. Also, I've thought that maybe posting recorded examples in the cloud for students to reference could be beneficial.

The following is a series of semi-improvised exercises in close succession. They would need to be expanded out and separated. Just some ideas.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/38191102/Te...s122512mp3.mp3

If a student has skills/experience with the major scales. Playing a dorian scale shouldn't be too difficult. I've thought that having the student drill the scales/modes needed to play a tune such as "Footprints" could be useful.

I don't have a specific step by step plan yet. Just some ideas. I'm thinking that a method book along with supplemental materials would be a good way to go. Just haven't stumbled on that method book yet.

Again, if you're interested in sharing ideas I'm here.

Dave

[freejazz1985]

Sounds like a good idea. I found this: http://www.groovewindow.com/2008/03/...s-piano-licks/

Still have to check it out, I'm on a slow connection so haven't heard the dropbox link you sent, the Ed Baker is good, for intermediate up I would say.

Also these might be worth checking out:

100 Ultimate Blues Riffs for Piano / Keyboards …
› Andrew D. Gordon

Exploring Jazz Piano - Volume 1 (The Schott Pop …
Tim Richards

Beginning Blues Keyboard (Book & CD)
Tricia Woods
http://www.amazon.com/Beginning-Blue.../ref=pd_cp_b_3

Blues Piano: Hal Leonard Keyboard Style Series …
› Mark Harrison

A First Book of Blues: 16 Arrangements for the Beginning Pianist (Dover …
David Dutkanicz
http://www.amazon.com/First-Book-Blu...ref=pd_sim_b_5

A First Book of Jazz: 21 Arrangements for the Beginning Pianist (Dover Music for Piano) by David Dutkanicz

[jazzman1945]

Strategy of my lessons with beginners is as follows:
First of all, I show pentatonic scale and the twelve bar blues form - in its simplest version.
In left hand is given simple walking groove with Power Chords - left-right, left - right .
In order for a student can begin to improvise in his right hand, I explain to him - what a riff, and its importance as a small musical form (riff can be tune , can be comping , and of course improvisation).Then suggest student invent some sentence of 5-6 words in English , and pronounce it rhythmically, putting in two bars and not forgetting pause.
This is a rhythmic form of the future riff; just have to find him a melody consisting of the pentatonic notes .

In this example, I use the phrase: How wonderful I can improvise


http://freejazzinstitute.com/showpos...51_jazzman1945

[indigo_dave]

When I said I checked your thread, I was referring to the "groovewindow" piano licks video Freejazz. I tried to edit my post but wasn't allowed to. Just trying to be clear.

[indigo_dave]

Back to ideas for teaching. I'd like for us here to kick around some book titles (and their contents of course) . I have a few.

Maybe we could find out which are the highest regarded 3 or 4 and buy 'em if we want to. Then kick around ideas in some of the books. Maybe learn something in the process.

Just a thought. Exchanging observations about the same learning materials.


Dave

[jjo]

I'm an adult who had classical training and then started taking jazz lessons. I think I've posted this somewhere else, but I don't think using a book, except perhaps as reference (like the Jazz Piano Book by Levine) is the way to go. Students should start working on actual tunes based on lead sheets. The student needs to learn how to voice a tune based on the chord, and how to voice the common chord progressions such as the II-V-I. This is the foundation, and I'm not sure a book helps.

[indigo_dave]

JJO, what jazz tunes did your piano teacher use to get you started ? Can you remember the first 4 or 5 tunes used ? Did he/she have you playing scales and modes concurrently with working on the tunes ?

I have the Jazz Piano Book by Mark Levine and I think it's excellent. But I think it would be a bit advanced for many beginners. Still, I was reading it last night about left hand voicings (around page 41) and I thought it broke things down really well. Maybe it could work with a teacher helping to explain what it's getting at. Just thinking out loud here.

Dave

[solomarce1]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVzK1znrBD0

Helpful lessons for beginners.

[mwtzzz]

My series of books is designed specifically with the proper order in mind for teaching jazz to someone with minimal music experience (or classical musicians who don't know how to play popular music.) Feel free to use the books themselves, or their structure:

http://www.lulu.com/us/en/shop/micha...-20923064.html

http://www.michael--martinez.com/music/