Classical vs Jazz
Like many pianists, I first started learning Classical music and only later became interested in and transitioned over to Jazz. Unsurprisingly, playing Jazz music requires a completely different skill set to Classical.
Some of the differences between Classical and Jazz music are:
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- Jazz Piano Lessons. Each of the below Jazz Piano Lessons introduces a particular concept found in Jazz. As well as explaining the underlying idea, I give examples of how the theory applies in practice. The lessons are further subdivided into modules covering specific aspects of Jazz.
- Classical music is (generally) completely composed (with the exception of Bach); while Jazz music is largely improvised;
- Classical music generally uses a straight rhythm; while Jazz generally uses a swing rhythm;
- Classical music pieces often have long and highly structured forms (sonatas, etc.); while most Jazz songs have a 12 bar or 32 bar form that just repeats.
Interestingly, both early Classical (Baroque & Classical) and early Jazz (Dixieland & Swing) are harmonically relatively simple. And later Classical music (Romantic & Serialism) and later Jazz (Free Jazz & Post-bop) are more harmonically and structurally complex. In fact, there is some overlap with Jazz and 20th Century Classical music (Rhapsody in Blue).
Introduction to Jazz
Lead Sheets
In Classical music, you use sheet music which indicates every single note you need to play and exactly how to play it. In Jazz, on the other hand, we generally only use a lead sheet (see below). A lead sheet outlines only the skeleton of the song – the basic chord progression and melody – and you are NOT supposed to play it exactly as written. Your job as a Jazz musician is to take the basic chords and melody and:
- Create a more complex chord progression by using extensions, alterations and substitutions;
- Embellish the melody (have a listen to Louis Armstrong play a melody – he never quite plays it exactly as written) and improvise over the chord progression.
Rhythm
Jazz generally (though not always) uses a swing rhythm with a backbeat (accent on beats 2 & 4). This creates a strong syncopated feeling.
Form
Most ‘Traditional’ Jazz Standards have either a 12 bar Blues or a 32 bar AABA/ABAC form, and are played using a ‘Head-Solo-Head’ structure:
- Head: Means playing the chords and melody largely as written (with substitution and embellishment)
- Solo: Means improvisation over the same chord progression (again, with substitutions)
So the song is repeated multiple times with the melody played the first and last time through and improvisation squeezed into the middle. (More modern Jazz, like Post-bop or Free Jazz, use very different forms but we will get to that later).
Homophony
Jazz is almost always ‘homophonic’. This just means that Jazz consists of two part:
- Jazz Chords (Harmony); and
- Improvisation (Melody).
In this module we will be learning all about Jazz Chords – how to build them and how to analyse them. Then in later modules we will move on to discussing scales and improvisation.
Interested in learning jazz? Try your hand at some of these easy jazz piano songs!
If you’re used to playing classical piano styles, we recommend starting with these tips for transitioning to the jazz style.
Next, you’ll want to review jazz piano chords, and then try out some of these helpful exercises.
Beyond that, keep the following tips in mind while attempting to play the following jazz piano songs:
- Play eighth notes unevenly, so that four of them sound like this: “long – short – long – short”. This is called a swing pattern.
- Play any accents lightly, not heavily as in a lot of other piano music.
- Play in a slightly detached and clear tone, as if you were playing a Bach piece. Think of little bells!
9 Easy Jazz Piano Songs to Try
Now that you know some of the basics, here are a few tunes to listen to and try your hand at.
Of course, if you’re serious about playing jazz, you’ll want to work with a piano teacher who can show you the ropes – but these easy songs will certainly get you started!
1. “Summertime”
This celebrated jazz classic is actually the gem of the acclaimed opera “Porgy and Bess”. Take it slow – it is a lullaby, after all.
Simply play the chords in the left hand in a very steady rhythm, and play the melody in a very off-beat way. The word for this is syncopation, which means unexpected rhythmic patterns.
Don’t think too much about it – just be creative. Watch the video a few times, then start playing along!
2. “When the Saints Go Marching In”
If you can play “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”, then you can play “When the Saints Go Marching In”. And because this song’s melody is so simple, it’s the perfect song to help you learn how to improvise!
It’s often included in beginner piano books, and the following tutorial will teach you the melody. This song is really easy and the video takes it very slowly.
Once you learn the melody, you can play it in an even jazzier way by changing the rhythm of when and how you play the left-hand chords.
For instance, you can play the same block chords in eighth notes instead of quarter notes (in other words, twice as fast).
3. “Fly Me to the Moon”
Classic crooner Frank Sinatra made this song famous, and now you can make it your own! First, though, watch the tutorial below.
The keys highlighted in blue are played by the right hand; the keys highlighted in yellow are played by the left hand.
Play along with the video a few times with only your right hand, and then again with only your left hand, before playing with hands together.
4. “Autumn Leaves”
“Autumn Leaves” is another one of the best, easy jazz piano songs for beginners because it introduces us to jazz harmony and the popular chord progression ii – V – I – IV.
Unfamiliar with these symbols? It means that if you’re playing in the key of C, this chord progression would be D minor, then G, then C, and finally F. The tutorial below goes a little fast, so watch it a few times before you begin to play along.
5. “Misty”
This tutorial is easy to follow, taking the right hand first, one note at a time. The second time through, the player shows us the left-hand three-note chords, or triads.
Feel free to play the left hand alone, ignoring the right hand the first few times through, since the left-hand chords will become the steady “time-keeper” of your playing. Then, add the right-hand melody later after the left hand becomes almost automatic.
6. “Someone to Watch Over Me”
George and Ira Gershwin wrote a musical in 1943 called “Oh, Kay!” and this song is perhaps its most famous. Lots of singers have covered it, and lots of pianists love to play it!
This arrangement is a little different, in that it has the left hand playing the melody, and the right hand playing chords. If it seems a little too difficult, it’s okay to simplify the rhythm. As always, take your time and practice hands separately at first.
7. “Take the A Train”
Kent Hewitt leads this fun video about Duke Ellington’s classic, “Take the A Train”. He may sound like he’s playing something really complicated in the left hand, but remember, he’s only playing the chords of the song in different ways.
For example, instead of playing a D chord in a root position block, he’ll play the D way down low, and then the F# and A up in the middle of the keyboard. In this video he guides you all the way through his own version. Have fun!
8. “Satin Doll”
“Satin Doll” may be one of the most famous jazz songs of all time.
This tutorial will teach you the famous introduction and explain the importance of triplets in swing music, and more importantly, how to play them!
Easy Jazz Piano Chords
9. “So What”
Easy Jazz Piano Books
Again, this version has the melody in the left hand and the chords in the right. For most of us, the left hand is just not as dextrous as the right. In other words, it’s not as easy to stretch and move.
If you have a favorite exercise set, (like Hanon) practicing it daily will help you get ready to play this song.
Be warned: the piano player in the video below talks about some advanced stuff, like modes and modulations. But don’t feel intimidated! You can still play the song – just stay patient, and take your time.
This list of easy jazz piano songs is only the beginning. Jazz music is a gold mine of timeless standards and classic pieces to add to your repertoire!
Just remember, online tutorials are wonderful tools, but they’ll only take you so far. Progressing in this genre really takes two steps: listening to a lot of jazz piano music, and finding a great teacher!
Heather L. teaches piano in St. Augustine, FL, as well as through online lessons. She is a graduate of the prestigious Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey and has a wide variety of performance experience. Learn more about Heather here!
Easy Jazz Piano Songs Pdf
Photo by Bruno Bollaert