The Jazz Pianist: Piano Book & CD

Hughes structures left-hand voicings as a learnable system rather than an overwhelming theoretical puzzle. By anchoring instruction in four jazz standards that pianists actually want to play, he makes chord theory stick through immediate musical application, and the included play-along tracks give students the rhythm section foundation they need to hear how their voicings function in a real ensemble context.

Working through these pages feels like gaining access to a working pianist's toolkit. The progression from simple triads to complex extended chords builds confidence gradually, and the four jazz standards ground everything in the repertoire you will actually perform.

Jazz pianists at the intermediate level who understand basic harmony but struggle with efficient left-hand voicing and want to develop the harmonic foundation skills essential to comping and solo playing. Students preparing to improvise or exploring jazz standards will find the combination of theory instruction and recorded context particularly useful.

• Work through the triads and seventh chords methodically before moving to extensions. Your left hand needs to build muscle memory for the foundational shapes; rushing to thirteenth chords without this groundwork creates sloppy voicings and slows memorization.
• Use the demonstration tracks to isolate and study how Hughes voices each chord before attempting the play-along version. Hearing the exact sound you are aiming for trains your ear to recognize when your voicing is accurate.
• Practice the chord progressions from each standard at multiple tempos. Start slowly enough that you can voice each chord cleanly, then gradually increase speed to build fluency.

Assign this as a supplementary resource in jazz piano instruction or as independent study for students transitioning from classical to jazz voicing. The recorded accompaniment makes it suitable for students working outside of a group setting, while the chord theory content pairs well with any curriculum emphasizing comping skills and harmonic literacy.

• Left-hand voicing of triads, seventh chords, ninth chords, eleventh chords, and thirteenth chords
• Jazz chord construction and harmonic function
• Chord memorization techniques and practice strategies
• Comping foundation and left-hand independence
• Application of chord theory to jazz standards