Keeping the Beat How To Teach Classical Piano Students To Play With A Jazz Band

By Rhonda Ringering, NCTM

n an ideal teaching situation, swinging or improvisation. And while future jazz band pianists seeing a prize pupil enter the studio Rhonda would listen to jazz from the with a stack of jazz band charts in Ringering , NCTM, cradle on. They would begin hand may strike fear in many classical received a B.A. improvising and playing by instructors, jazz band playing should degree from Walla ear while they also studied be encouraged, as it will only improve Walla College and classical repertoire, theory and tech - the students’ theory, ear training, an M.M. degree nique. In reality, most pre-college jazz rhythmic, ensemble and improvising from Boston band pianists are intermediate to skills. University. She is advanced classical students who have As the student enters this new world an adjunct piano instructor at had little or no introduction to jazz or of jazz, the instructor’s job is to teach Linfield College and Pacific improvisation. They join the band skills in a way that ensures some level University. Her work has appeared with technique “to burn” but with no of immediate success and to encourage in several magazines. understanding of basic jazz structures the student to further exploration and or chords, chart reading, comping, study. Understanding jazz theory and

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style is essential to becoming a compe - realize just how little the piano plays in around or above middle C and have tent jazz player and is a process that most charts. the left hand play the third and the can take years of study and practice. seventh, and the right hand play the However, there are some skills that The Role of the Jazz Band Pianist fifth and a “color” note (9th, 11th and contribute to more immediate success Classical piano students are used to so forth). Drop the root; the bass will for the jazz band pianist who has no being soloists or perhaps performing play that note. Through time and background in jazz and has just a short with one other player. Most have no practice, the student eventually learns amount of time to learn enough to understanding of how the piano com - to recognize and execute chords with - begin playing charts: listening, under - plements the jazz band texture and will out the instructor’s assistance. standing the pianist’s role in the band, have a tendency to play too many In his article, “Starting a Jazz rhythm, comping and soloing. notes. Jeff Jarvis writes, “The pianist’s Combo at a Small High School,” Kent role is to support the ensemble by Murdick writes, “Don’t start by teach - 6 Listening emphasizing chord changes and punc - ing them theory; get them playing.” 2 Teaching a pianist to play jazz tuating rhythms.” Kurt Ellenberger, in This is particularly good advice for should begin by teaching the ears to his article “From Chart to Reality: The instructors trained in the classical style. hear jazz. If possible, have the stu - Editorial Role of the Pianist in a Big Much classical training revolves around dent’s band director provide recordings Band” writes, “It is not about how teaching theoretical concepts and sym - of all the tunes the pianist will play. many notes can be played; it is really bols, and it is difficult to remember Listen to each tune several times with about complementing the group that jazz is just as much an aural tradi - the student and then listen while visu - through the appropriate style of play - tion as a theoretical one. Once stu - ally reading the chart; write in solo ing. In short, a big band pianist must dents experience some success playing sections and ensemble passages; mark learn to be content with, for the most a few charts, begin teaching them to 3 any time or tempo changes. With a part, a supporting role.” recognize and voice chords themselves. more advanced student, introduce The concept that “less is more” Students with a good classical theory some basic concept of form (AABA, helps make the transition into reading background can make a quick transi - blues and so forth) and mark repeti - big band piano parts more comfortable tion to reading chord changes. Explain tions in harmony or form. for most beginning jazz band pianists. the differences between classical and If recordings of the student’s charts According to Ellenberger, most of jazz notation, then show the student are not available, introduce students to these parts fall into one of four cate - how the chords are simply major, jazz by listening to a mixture of histor - gories: a) chord symbols with rhythmic minor, diminished or augmented with ical and current bands, such as Count notation, b) chord symbols without chord extensions. Using either the stu - Basie, Duke Ellington and Stan rhythmic notation, c) fully notated dent’s jazz band music or a simple 4 Kenton for historical bands; and GRP parts, and d) improvised solos. chart such as C Jam Blues by Duke All Star Big Band, Dallas Jazz Because many beginning jazz band Ellington or Bag’s Groove by Milt Orchestra and Bob Minzer Big Band pianists cannot easily navigate chord Jackson, play chords in root position for more current groups. A more com - charts instructors are advised to pencil so students can see the intervals on the plete list can be found in Scott Reeve’s in voicings in whole notes. Even fully piano. Once they know what belongs chapter “ Whom to Listen To” in notated parts can be too difficult for in each chord, discuss voicings and 1 Creative Jazz Improvisation. beginners, and the pianist must be how to navigate from one chord to the Have the student listen to each track trained to thin the texture. Jarvis rec - next. several times. Listen for the parts ommends building “simple 3- or 4- played by the horns, the parts played note chords, referred to as chord Rhythm by drums and bass and then consider fragments” with the left hand around Many beginning jazz band pianists 5 the role of the pianist. Ask how much middle C. If this is too advanced for have never worked with or in an the pianist actually plays. Most solo the pianist, two-handed voicings are ensemble, and keeping their places in classical players will be surprised to recommended. Keep the chords the chart can be very challenging. If a

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recording of the student’s chart is experience playing different rhythms, a really begin to understand the roles of available, play the recording and have good training source is Jamey the rest of the rhythm section in solo the student listen and count off each Aebersold’s Play-A-Long jazz books. passages. To prepare the pianist to measure while watching the score. It is Each book comes with a CD and the comp, go back to the recordings and imperative the student understands “stereo separation technique” is ideal listen to solo sections to hear the bass that in music, particularly in jazz, it is for beginning jazz pianists: the left lines, the drum parts and the guitar. more important to play the wrong channel includes just bass and drums, Explain that the entire rhythm section note at the right time than the right and the right channel contains the works as an integrated unit to support note at the wrong time. Next, have the piano and drums. The pianist can lis - the soloist and that communication student play the written-in chord voic - ten to the piano part and then play his between players is essential. ings with the recording. Keep it simple own rendition with just bass and More experienced players can begin and play whole note chords; this helps drums. In addition to providing more to experiment with improvising the student keep her place in the score. practice playing jazz chords, the expe - around the soloist. In the words of When this has been mastered, have the rience of playing with a rhythm sec - Chick Corea, “A good basic intent for student learn a basic swing pattern. tion is invaluable to helping a comping is to make the soloist sound The feel of swing cannot be verbally beginning jazz player learn to stay in good; to enhance his lines and expres - 7 communicated. Like so much in jazz, time. sion. To ‘orchestrate’ his melodies.” understanding swing (the primary Pianists can learn to take a phrase from rhythmic idea that a beginning jazz Comping the soloist or to improvise a response band pianist will probably face) “Comping” is a jazz term that is to the soloist, all the while making involves a lot of listening to recordings. used to describe improvised chordal good use of space and enhancing, Explain that swing is not intellectual, it accompaniment and has been com - rather than overpowering the solo line. is movement, and encourage students pared to the basso continuo playing The first thing to teach the student to listen to and move to swing record - that is so much a part of baroque play - is to listen—to the soloist, to the band, ings so the feel is integrated into the ing. Just like basso continuo, jazz band to the rhythm section. Everything the large muscles of the body––not just pianists take chords and improvise pianist plays must fit into the whole conceptualized in the mind. This is a around the other instruments’ parts to without detracting from it. Most stu - long-term learning technique. An fill out the sound of the ensemble. In dents will try to hit every chord immediate tool is to write out several sections of the piece where the ensem - change and fill every “hole,” and they basic swing rhythms and help the stu - ble is playing, the jazz pianist simply must be reminded that silence can fre - dent learn them. Here are two basic “fills holes” in the sound. In sections quently be as effective as notes. Look patterns to get them started: where another instrument is soloing, through the jazz band charts and iden - Begin with one rhythm at a time. the pianist’s role becomes much more tify the important chords. Make cer - Clap it for the student and have her important. Pianists must work with tain the student is comfortable playing clap it back. Explain the importance of the rest of the rhythm section to pro - these chords. Sing or play a melodic feeling the second and fourth beat of vide support for the soloist while mak - line and have the student “comp” the measure, then clap on two and four ing certain they do not interfere with along. As the student becomes com - while the student claps the rhythm. the solo line. Due to the melodic abili - fortable with this, ask for a lot of Choose one chord in the jazz chart and ty of the piano and the ability to play piano support, then very little piano. have the student then play the chord in in any register, the pianist must be This encourages the student to listen this rhythm with the metronome set careful to voice around the range of and to adjust. for the second and fourth beat of the the solo instrument and to not play measure. This will train the student to too much. The piano is also much Soloing play a solid swing rhythm while feeling more exposed during solo sections and This skill takes a lifetime to master the off-beats that are so impo rtant to must be as grounded in the pulse as and is one of the most frightening this style of playing. the drums and bass. aspects of jazz band playing for the As students progress and need more Beginning jazz band pianists can classical pianist. While it is helpful for

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advanced jazz players to hear that they suggest using the blues scale for NOTES can play “whatever they want” in a improvisation or modes, but these 1. Scott D. Reeves, “Whom to solo section, beginning jazz players fac - techniques are frequently too difficult Listen To,” Creative Jazz Improvisation ing 16 bars of nothing but chord for beginning improvisers. (New Jersey: Prentice Hall/Pearson changes need more direction to play One of the biggest challenges the Education, 2000), 12–19. effectively. beginning jazz band pianist faces is the 2. Jeff Jarvis, “Coaching the Rhythm In the beginning of their training, psychological barrier to improvising in Section,” The Jazz Educator’s jazz band pianists may need to have a new idiom. Begin by having the stu - Handbook (Kendor Music, Inc, 2002), piano instructors write in solos for dent improvise in the studio, using the 118–141. them in their first few charts. This chord changes provided in the jazz 3. Kurt Ellenberger, “Chart to may appear to impede creativity, but it band charts. Sit down and improvise Reality: The Editorial Role of the is impossible to be creative in a lan - with the student by providing a Pianist in a Big Band,” Jazz Education guage one has not yet learned to speak. chordal accompaniment to the stu - Journal (October 2005), Remember the goal is to get the stu - dent’s melodic line. When improvising www.iaje.org/article.asp?ArticleID=237 dent playing well from the start to for the first time, many piano students 4. Ibid. encourage a long-term interest in forget to keep steady time. Playing a 5. Jarvis, “Coaching the Rhythm learning jazz. While writing in solos walking bass line or stride pattern will Section.” for students, keep them simple, use help the student improvise without 6. Kent Murdick, “Starting a Jazz chord tones and employ motifs. This dropping or adding beats. Combo at a Small High,” Jazz will be a template for the student to Learning the language of jazz piano Education Journal (May 2003), use to begin creating her own solos. is like learning any other language and www.iaje.org/article.asp?ArticleID=135. Once the student can execute the can take years to master. The skills 7. Chick Corea, “My Musician Hat,” instructor’s solos, have her try building learned through jazz playing only Music Teacher Magazine 7, no. 3 (2003), her own solos in other charts using enhance the abilities of the classical www.musicteachermag.com/miscel - chord tones and short motifs. Unless pianist by giving a better understand - leanous (accessed August 19, 2006; site the student is particularly gifted at ing of chords and form and solidifying now discontinued). improvisation, have her write in her rhythm. Learning to improvise frees 8. Norman Meehan, “Using Melody own solos until confidence increases to the classical pianist to compose and to as the Basis for Improvisation,” Jazz the point that she can play them “off play from memory with less fear. In all Education Journal (August 2004), the cuff.” but the rarest of circumstances, profes - http://www.iaje.org/article.asp?ArticleI When the student is ready to begin sional pianists are required to be able D=188. working with more material, have her to read and play by ear, to interpret 9. Will Campbell, “Creating a try new ideas by using the melody as a classical music and to improvise. Harmonic Roadmap for the Maturing basis for improvisation. Norman Learning to be a jazz band pianist Improviser: Limiting Melodic Options,” Meehan writes, “Some of the most makes young players better-trained Jazz Education Journal (October 2005), beautiful and memorable performances musicians and stronger players. http://www.iaje.org/article.asp?ArticleID in jazz use the tune as a template for Piano instructors possess the skills to =241. 8 improvisation.” Students can quote make the transition to and training of AMT the melody verbatim, focusing on jazz band pianists accessible and changing the tone, paraphrase the rewarding. By regularly listening to melody or use just parts of it in new recordings and being systematically and interesting ways. Will Campbell trained in accessible skills, students can For a list of jazz resources go to suggests that more advanced improvis - experience success and be encouraged www.mtna.org and click on ers write in their target notes (the 3rd, to continue to explore and grow as “Publications,” and then “American 7th or 9th) of the important chords of players. g Music Teacher” and then “Bonus each measure, then practice connecting 9 Bytes.” these notes. Other jazz instructors

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