Easy Jazzin' About for Piano/Keyboard (Revised): Piano Book & CD

This collection refuses to talk down to young pianists. The syncopation and riffs feel genuinely jazz-inflected rather than watered down, and the CD with both full performances and slowed-down backing tracks gives students a real sense of ensemble playing from day one. Students who tackle these pieces actually want to practice them.

Cool without pretension. These pieces swing and strut with genuine style, moving fluidly between the laid-back warmth of blues, the energy of rock grooves, and the sophisticated playfulness of jazz. There's real character here, from dynamic moments that make you sit up to nostalgic passages that settle in comfortably.

This book is ideal for piano and keyboard students in their first year of study who are ready to move beyond classical etudes and folk song arrangements. It's equally valuable for teachers seeking contemporary material that won't bore advanced beginners, and for classroom musicians who want to explore jazz language early in their training.

• Lean into the syncopation without rushing. Use the backing tracks to internalize the groove before performing live; the combination of laid-back phrasing and precise rhythmic placement is what sells the jazz idiom.
• Experiment with the touch and tone you use for blues versus rock pieces. A slightly grittier attack works for funk riffs, while smoother fingering brings out the charm in the more nostalgic tunes.
• Let the slowed-down backing tracks become your default practice setting during early run-throughs. Once the notes sit comfortably, gradually bring the tempo up using the full-speed tracks.

Slip individual pieces into recitals or casual performances when you want to break up a program of classical works and show what your young pianists are capable of musically. A few selections can also anchor a jazz appreciation unit or contemporary music showcase, introducing audiences to the breadth of what elementary pianists can explore.

• Syncopated rhythm reading and execution
• Swing feel and jazz articulation
• Blues scale and riff patterns
• Left-hand independence in rock and funk idioms
• Listening and responding to backing tracks in ensemble context
• Stylistic differentiation between blues, rock, and jazz vocabularies