Be Cool--Play Jazz!: Early Intermediate/Intermediate Piano Book

A stroll through mid-century jazz clubs and ragtime joints, each piece with its own personality. The collection swings with genuine character, whether it's the sophisticated stride of a rag or the laid-back groove of a blues ballad.

Early intermediate and intermediate pianists ready to engage with jazz language as real musicians, not just as a novelty. These pieces work for students who've developed solid technical control and can focus on style and interpretation.

• Isolate the swing eighth-note feel in each piece before adding tempo. Play just the rhythmic skeleton slowly until the lilt sits naturally in your hand.
• Let the blues chord changes breathe. These pieces live in the space between the chords, so resist the urge to fill every moment with notes.
• Record yourself playing the left hand alone, then play along with your own recording as a rhythm section. This trains your internal pulse without needing an accompaniment track.
• Approach the syncopations in pieces like That Sly Fox as cross-rhythms rather than accidents. Hear where the emphasis lands against the written beat.

Feature individual pieces in student recitals to showcase jazz literacy alongside classical repertoire. A full recital built around several selections from this collection introduces audiences to how jazz idiom deepens musicianship rather than replacing it.

• Swing eighth-note rhythm and interpretation
• Blues harmonic progressions and voice leading
• Syncopation and rhythmic independence between hands
• Ragtime stride patterns and left-hand coordination
• Jazz articulation and phrasing
• Reading and performing jazz notation conventions