Playing Jazz Piano: Piano

This collection respects the reality that many jazz instrumentalists come to piano without formal training in the instrument. Mintzer sidesteps the trap of oversimplification by using 22 carefully sequenced etudes that isolate specific harmonic and textural concepts, allowing students to hear exactly what a rootless voicing does or how a chord substitution functions. The paired chord voicing glossary transforms these etudes from mere exercises into a reference tool that stays useful long after the initial study.

Methodical and purposeful. Each etude zeroes in on a particular harmonic color or rhythmic gesture, stripped of extra complication so the core concept registers clearly. The variety of styles and tempos keeps the work from feeling rote, while the underlying architecture creates a genuine sense of progression from simpler concepts to more complex harmonic terrain.

Non-keyboardists who play saxophone, trumpet, trombone, or other jazz instruments and want to deepen their harmonic understanding at the piano. Also valuable for pianists working to solidify their jazz foundation, particularly those whose training leaned heavily toward classical technique. Anyone seeking a practical, unglamorous approach to building real jazz vocabulary will find this book directional.

• Spend time with the chord voicing glossary before diving into the etudes. Seeing how each voicing sits on the keyboard builds spatial awareness that listening alone cannot provide.
• Record yourself playing through a single etude multiple times across several days. The repetition cements both the physical pathway and your ear's memory of the sound.
• Work through the progressions at a slow tempo first, focusing on smooth voice leading rather than speed. Only increase tempo once the changes feel natural under your hands.
• Listen to recordings of the styles represented in the book (blues, bebop, modal jazz, etc.) while reviewing the corresponding etudes. The connection between sound and page accelerates internalization.

Assign these etudes to ensemble members who need to strengthen their jazz literacy for a big band or jazz combo. They work equally well as individualized development tools over an academic year, with students working through the glossary and corresponding etudes on their own schedule. Consider pairing the book with live jazz listening sessions or small group coachings where you can hear how students are absorbing the harmonic concepts.

• rootless voicing and chord extensions
• voice leading and smooth harmonic transitions
• recognition of chord function and substitution in jazz contexts
• jazz texture and sonority at the keyboard
• left hand independence in comping patterns
• transcription of jazz harmony by ear