Really Easy Jazzin' About Studies: Fun Pieces for Piano/Keyboard: Piano Book

Wedgwood structures each unit so that technique and style build organically. Short preparatory exercises introduce a concept, then a complete piece demonstrates it in context, giving students an immediate sense of purpose. The result is a book that teaches jazz vocabulary through playing real jazz, not through drills dressed up in fancy language.

Cool, contemporary, and surprisingly soulful. These pieces swing without pretension, incorporating blues feeling and syncopated energy that make them sound like real jazz, not simplified versions. The overall mood ranges from upbeat and playful to moody and introspective, giving students emotional as well as technical variety.

Beginning pianists ready to explore jazz fundamentals, typically ages 10 and up or students with 1-2 years of classical training. This book works equally well in private studios and classroom settings, and it's ideal for students who've mastered basic note reading and hand position but crave more stylistic variety than traditional early method books offer.

• Feel the pulse underneath the syncopation rather than fighting it. Many beginners rush when the rhythm contradicts the beat; steady time in the left hand anchors everything.
• Swing the eighth notes where indicated, even in exercises. The sooner students internalize the feel, the more natural the stylistic choices become.
• Listen to the recorded examples (available separately) before playing. Hearing what these pieces are supposed to sound like removes guesswork and clarifies interpretation.
• Leave space and don't over-pedal the blues pieces. Let chords breathe, especially when you're playing rootless voicings with sevenths and fourths.

Introduce one unit at a time alongside traditional repertoire to expand students' stylistic range. A student working through Bach Inventions or sonatinas will find these pieces refreshing context for understanding rhythm and phrasing outside the classical canon. Late-elementary recitals benefit enormously from a Wedgwood jazz piece; the combination of accessibility and genuine style always impresses audiences and other families.

• Swing rhythm interpretation (understanding eighth-note triplet feel)
• Syncopation reading and execution
• Blues scales and harmony (sevenths, chromatic passing tones)
• Walking bass patterns and left-hand independence
• Chord voicings using fourths and fifths
• Stylistic interpretation and listening for jazz phrasing