Now You Can Play Jazz: Piano

Accessible and inviting. The standards and original pieces in this collection swing with genuine character while remaining manageable at the keyboard. You'll feel the pleasure of playing recognizable material with real jazz flavor rather than struggling through unfamiliar notation or unrealistic technical demands.

Piano students who want to learn jazz fundamentals without prerequisites in advanced theory or technique. This book works for younger learners discovering jazz for the first time as well as adult students looking for a straightforward entry point into a new genre.

• Let the swing feel settle in your body first before adding dynamics. Uneven eighth notes and a relaxed pulse are foundational; everything else builds from there.
• Listen to recordings of the standards in this book played by pianists you admire. Imitation at this stage accelerates your sense of phrasing and articulation.
• Keep your left hand lighter than you might in classical repertoire. Jazz accompaniment breathes; it doesn't need to anchor every beat with weight.

Slot this into spring recitals as a palette cleanser between classical solos, or use individual pieces as rewards for students who've mastered foundation skills. Many private teachers use jazz collections like this to reignite enthusiasm in students hitting a practice plateau.

• Reading jazz chord symbols and basic voicings
• Playing swing feel and articulation in jazz style
• Left-hand comping patterns for jazz accompaniment
• Interpreting jazz melody with phrasing and dynamics
• Sight-reading jazz notation including written-out swing eighths