Alfred's Basic Jazz/Rock Course: Performance, Level 3: Piano Book

Konowitz designs these pieces to reinforce the technical and conceptual work students are already doing in the Jazz/Rock Course, so nothing feels disconnected from their studies. At Level 3, the repertoire strikes a genuine balance between accessibility and musicality—students play real jazz and rock material, not simplified approximations. The writing respects what pianists at this level can accomplish while pushing them toward authentic interpretation.

These 24 pages deliver genuine encounters with jazz and rock idioms at a manageable technical level. You'll encounter swing grooves, blues changes, and rock rhythms written clearly enough that the focus stays on phrasing and feel rather than note-reading struggles. The pieces sound polished and engaging when played well, rewarding the attention you've already invested in studying the course material.

Piano students in Level 3 who are following the Alfred's Jazz/Rock Course and ready to apply improvisation and stylistic concepts to complete pieces. Teachers using this book will find it essential for reinforcing jazz and rock vocabulary in a performance context, making abstract concepts tangible through playing repertoire that matters.

• Balance the melody against the accompaniment patterns. Jazz and rock voicings can obscure the tune if you don't shape the line intentionally; mark your score to identify where the head sits in the texture.
• Commit fully to rhythmic precision in the comping figures and time-feel. These pieces teach groove as much as they teach notes; lock the rhythm before polishing dynamics or articulation.
• Explore the swing or shuffle feel the piece calls for by listening to recorded performances, not just reading notation. Your touch and release will tell the story more than the written note values do.
• Use dynamics to create contrast between sections. Rock and jazz pieces often repeat material; small changes in volume or attack keep the ear engaged and clarify form.

Thread these pieces into student recitals alongside classical repertoire to showcase versatility and genre awareness. Use them as reinforcement during the course rather than waiting until completion; each piece consolidates specific concepts from the corresponding lesson. They also work well as supplementary material for students who learn jazz vocabulary but benefit from structured, written-out application before attempting full improvisation.

• Jazz and rock comping patterns and voicings
• Swing feel and rhythmic precision in groove-based music
• Interpretation of jazz articulation and phrasing
• Recognition and performance of blues progressions and changes
• Stylistic accuracy in rock and funk rhythmic figures
• Hand independence between melody and accompaniment patterns