Preludes for Piano, Volume 2: Piano Book

Dobbins gives classically trained pianists permission to improvise without abandoning the harmonic sophistication and structural clarity they already know. The six preludes function as both standalone pieces and models for how to write jazz-inflected music that respects both traditions simultaneously, making this collection a rare resource for bridging technique with spontaneity.

These preludes inhabit the space where a Chopin nocturne might share DNA with a Bill Evans chord voicing. There's contemplation and introspection, but also harmonic color and the subtle swagger of jazz sensibility. You're not just playing notes; you're discovering how deeply these two musical worlds actually overlap.

Pianists with solid classical technique who want to develop improvisational fluency without starting from jazz fundamentals. This collection also serves experienced improvisers seeking the structural discipline that classical prelude forms provide.

• Treat the written notes as a foundation rather than a ceiling; the prelude form invites you to alter voicings, add extensions, and reshape melodic contours across performances.
• Listen closely to how classical phrasing and jazz phrasing create tension in these pieces, then decide which idiom controls each section rather than blending them evenly throughout.
• Record yourself playing the same prelude multiple times in succession. You'll hear where habits calcify and where genuine spontaneity emerges, guiding your practice toward fresher interpretation.

Use individual preludes as recital openers or interludes between contrasting works, especially in programs pairing classical and jazz repertoire. The collection also works as a semester-long study for students developing improvisation skills, with each prelude offering new harmonic or formal territory to explore.

• Improvising within prelude forms and harmonic progressions
• Voice leading across jazz and classical chord vocabularies
• Rhythmic flexibility and articulation between classical and swing feels
• Harmonic reharmonization and extension techniques
• Building interpretive ownership of written music through repeated performance