Jazz Keyboard for Pianists and Non-Pianists: Piano Book

Coker writes from the trenches of actual teaching, not theory alone. This book works equally well for pianists trying to understand jazz vocabulary and non-pianists who need keyboard fluency to survive in professional music settings. The included Teacher's Supplement means you're getting both the student material and guidance on how to deliver it effectively.

Practical and unpretentious. Coker cuts through mystique without sacrificing musical substance. You're learning the real tools working jazz pianists use, explained by someone who has watched hundreds of students internalize these concepts.

Anyone who needs functional keyboard knowledge but didn't grow up as a classically trained pianist. Band directors, composers, arrangers, horn players, singers, and working musicians will find direct application here. The book assumes you read music and understand basic harmony but doesn't require jazz background.

• Work through the exercises systematically rather than jumping around; Coker's sequencing builds each skill on the last one
• Apply patterns from the book to fake books you're already reading; the transfer happens fastest when you're working with real charts
• Record yourself playing through sections to catch timing and harmonic accuracy issues your ear might miss in the moment
• Study the voicings in context of different tempos and groove feels, not just as standalone shapes

Assign sections to jazz ensemble members who need to understand keyboard harmony and voicing for better section blend and comping awareness. Use it in coaching sessions with accompanists who are learning to support jazz soloists. Individual students can work through it independently while you address other program needs.

• Chord voicing and substitution on keyboard
• Reading and performing jazz comping patterns
• Harmonic analysis of jazz standards
• Left-hand techniques for walking bass and rootless voicings
• Improvisation fundamentals over changes
• Translating fake book notation into playable keyboard arrangements