Up-Grade! Jazz Piano, Grades 1-2: Piano Book

Wedgwood knows exactly how to make standards feel fresh without losing what makes them beloved. This collection bridges grades thoughtfully by pairing recognizable jazz classics with new original pieces, giving students the confidence boost of playing music they know alongside material that stretches them just enough.

Cool, approachable, and swinging. The pieces maintain the lightness and clarity expected at this level while introducing genuine jazz vocabulary: walking bass lines, swing rhythms, chord changes that move purposefully. You'll recognize melodies from old Hollywood and the jazz canon, but Wedgwood's arrangements strip away unnecessary complexity, letting the joy of the music come through.

Pianists solidifying their Grade 1 skills and preparing to move into Grade 2 material will find exactly what they need here. This collection works equally well for students who have been working through a traditional method book and are ready to engage with real jazz standards, or for those returning to piano after a gap.

• Listen closely to the walking bass line and lock it in with the left hand before adding the melody; the interaction between hands defines the jazz feel in these arrangements.
• Work with the swing rhythms gradually, focusing on the feel rather than rushing the dotted figures; letting the groove breathe makes the difference between playing notes and playing jazz.
• Experiment with subtle dynamic shaping in the introductions to set the mood before the main theme arrives.
• Allow yourself to lightly lift between phrases, especially in the ballad-style pieces, to create space and shape the line naturally.

Schedule these pieces as recital or studio class repertoire during the transition between grade levels, when students benefit from playing familiar material with fresh arrangements. The original pieces by Wedgwood sit naturally alongside the standards, creating a cohesive set that holds an audience's attention without asking young pianists to program only well-known songs.

• Reading swing rhythms and dotted note figures in jazz context
• Playing walking bass lines while maintaining independent melody
• Interpreting jazz phrasing and articulation
• Understanding basic jazz chord voicings
• Developing rhythmic independence between hands