Das Jazz Piano Buch: Keyboard/Piano Book

This book refuses the false choice between theory and application. By interweaving concepts with transcriptions from Powell, Shorterï, and other masters, Levine keeps your hands on the keyboard and your ears engaged rather than lost in abstract chapter organization. The scope spans from foundational voicings to advanced harmonic substitution, making it useful across multiple years of serious study.

Structured progression from transparent three-note voicings through modal interchange, tritone substitution, and upper structures feels like gaining x-ray vision into the harmonic choices of jazz masters. The writing is direct and purposeful, never padding pages with unnecessary theory.

Intermediate to advanced jazz pianists ready to understand the harmonic architecture underlying modern jazz styles. Non-pianists studying jazz harmony will benefit from the visual clarity of the keyboard, though the book is specifically designed as a piano practice resource, not a theory text for reading alone.

• Work through the voicing chapters sequentially at the keyboard rather than reading ahead. Each concept builds on physical understanding, not just theoretical knowledge.
• Use the transcriptions and standards referenced throughout as performance material itself. Learning to voice "Just Friends" or "Infant Eyes" teaches the concepts more directly than isolated exercises.
• Return to the listening and hearing chapters after you've worked through harmonic material. They reframe what you've learned in the context of actual musical sound.
• Approach the left-hand voicing section as a separate skill block. Practice these independently before integrating them with right-hand comping patterns.

Assign chapters as technical foundations for student improvisation projects. The book works best as a semester or year-long independent study resource for students pursuing jazz piano seriously, or as a reference for ensemble directors coaching rhythm section voicing and comping accuracy.

• Three-note and extended voicings across all chord qualities
• II-V-I harmonic progressions and voice leading
• Modal scales and modal interchange within jazz contexts
• Tritone substitution and altered dominants
• Left-hand voicing techniques for comping and melody support
• Upper structures and quartal harmony in jazz
• Stride piano and bebop voicing approaches
• Latin jazz and salsa harmonic applications
• Improvisation over complex harmonic substitutions