Blues PDFs
The section contains useful notation and transcriptions for mastering blues piano. Download PDFs containing full 12 bar blues arrangements, blues turnaround examples, blues licks and riffs, New Orleans blues chord voicings and substitutions.
Blues Turnaround Voicings
Learn to play turnarounds for 12 bar blues. This PDF file contains the basic blues turnaround, the turnaround with passing chords, and the turnaround with left hand embellishments.
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Slow 12 Bar Blues Transcription
A full transcription of the 12 bar blues in F played in the slow blues piano style. This transcription contains passing chords, space fillers, walk-downs, and other stylistic devices used in slow blues piano.
DownloadChord Voicings
Being able to construct a wide range of chords and voicings is an essential skill for the jazz pianist. Below you can find a selection of downloadable PDF files containing the most common chords and voicings in all 12 keys:
Altered Harmony Practice Planner
The altered harmony practice planner contains a selection of drills and exercises to master chord alterations and upper structure triad harmony.
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Beegie Adair Lesson Supplement
This PDF file contains the notation from the lesson on “How To Play Like Beegie Adair”.
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Common Voicing Formulas
This download contains a number of common voicings for major, minor, dominant, sus, and dim chords. Numeric formulas included.
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Triads Lesson Supplement
The triad is the basic building block of many different types of chord. Triads will more than likely be the first types of chords you come across.
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The 5 Types of 7th Chord PDF
Most chords you will come across in jazz piano will be one of these five types of chords and so it’s important to understand their function.
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Major Scale Diatonic 7th Chords
Each major scale contains 7 diatonic 7th chords. They are used to create common progressions such as major 251s and 1625 turnarounds.
DownloadHerbie Hancock Voicing all 12 Keys
The Herbie Hancock voicing is a rich-sounding, two-handed minor 11th chord. Download the Herbie Hancock voicing in all 12 keys here.
DownloadKenny Barron Voicing All 12 Keys
Download the Kenny Barron voicing in all 12 keys. This resource contains both the major and minor variations of this very useful chord voicing:
DownloadSo What Voicings All 12 Keys
The ‘So What’ chord is a stack of three 4th intervals with a major 3rd on top. It’s a useful voicing over minor chords with the 5th in the melody.
DownloadChord Extensions Supplement
Rich an lush extended chords are one of the hallmarks of jazz piano. This lesson supplements contains a number of useful extended chord voicings.
DownloadMajor Chord Voicings Supplement
This is a supplement for the major voicings lesson. We outline a range of major voicings that can be used under each note of the Lydian mode.
DownloadSus Chord Lesson Supplement
Learn to play sus chords and add suspended harmony to your arrangements. This document includes both basic and advanced applications.
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Minor Chord Voicings Supplement
This is a supplement for the minor voicings lesson. We explore the different voicings that can be used under each of the 7 notes of the Dorian scale.
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Targeting The b9
A PDF worksheet for targeting the b9 chord alteration over dominant chords. Notation in C major and the whole step 251 sequence.
DownloadBossa Nova Chord Voicings
A PDF file of beautiful Bossa Nova chords for the classic Brazilian tune ‘Corcovado’. The PDF contains note-for-note voicings and inner voice movement highlighted in red.
DownloadJazz Progressions
There are a number of common chord progressions that you will find in virtually every jazz standard. After learning and memorising these important progressions you will have a much clearer understanding of jazz harmony.
Major 251s All 12 Keys
The 251 progression is the most common progression in jazz. It is the DNA of jazz music and it must be learnt and memorised in all 12 keys.
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Rootless 251s All 12 Keys
Rootless voicings sound more professional then root based voicings and they voice lead much more smoothly in the context of a 251 progression.
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Minor 251s All 12 Keys
The trick with learning minor the 251 progression is to visualize the starting position, if you can find that the rest of the progression will fall into place.
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Advanced Minor 251s Notation
This variation of the minor 251 uses a -11b5 as the 2 chord. You have multiple options for alterations over the V chord including #5#9 and b9#5.
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1625 & 36251 Formulas
Create killer introductions with these formulas. We provide the numeric notation so that you can build these sweet progressions in every key.
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251 Comping Voicings
These 4 & 6-note comping voicings are suited to a trio or big band performance. We cover notation examples in both major and minor keys.
DownloadScales & Modes
The major and minor scales are an essential step in learning jazz piano. They provide a pool of notes for you to choose from when improvising and set the foundations for further modal scale study.
Chicago Blues Licks & Riffs
Download all the licks and riffs covered in the lesson. Hammered 8th notes, easy blues licks, rolls, slurs, slides, and harmonising melodies with 3rds & 6ths.
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Major Scales All 12 Keys
The 12 major scales provide the foundation for further scales study. Learn these scales thoroughly so that you can play them by memory.
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36 Minor Scales PDF
There are 3 types of minor scale: natural minor, melodic minor and harmonic minor. Each scale has a different use and application in jazz piano.
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Major Pentatonic Scales PDF
The major pentatonic scale is built from the 1, 2, 3, 5 & 6 degrees of the major scale. It’s used for improvisation and also to build chord voicings.
DownloadMinor Pentatonic Scales PDF
Listen to McCoy Tyner and John Coltrane to get an understanding of the types of sounds created through improvising with pentatonic scales.
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Half Whole Diminished Scales PDF
The half-whole diminished scale is an 8 note symmetrical scale. It’s played over altered dominant chords and has tensions b9, #9 & #11.
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How To Swing Lesson Supplement
This is a supplement to lesson on “How To Play Swing Rhythm”. If you come from a classical background you will need to work on swing feel.
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The Modes Of The Major Scale
A mode is essentially a scale with an exotic name. We can derive 7 modes from the major scale which can be used for improvisation in major keys.
DownloadThe Modes Of The Melodic Minor
Also known as the ‘jazz minor scale’, these modes are exotic sounding scales that can be substituted in place of less interesting harmonies.
DownloadTheory Docs
#11th Chord 251 Workout
Download the notation and voicings for the dominant 7(#11) 251 Workout in all 12 keys.
DownloadFoundations Practice Guide
In this practice plan we cover the foundations of jazz harmony including major and minor scales, triads, 7th chords, and the 251 progression.
DownloadMoon River Voicings
Download the exact voicings and reharmonisations used in the Moon River performance.
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Samba & Bossa Nova Grooves
This resource contains voicing and rhythms for a simple Bossa Nova/Samba groove in the key of G. Voicings for the major 251 and 2516 progression.
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Triad Options PDF
A handy PDF document containing triad options for improvisation over all chord types over C Root. Chords include Maj7, Min7, Dom7, Sus, & Dim.
DownloadTriste Voicings
This PDF contains the voicings for Triste as played and demonstrated by Jovino Santos Neto.
DownloadChet Baker Minor 251 Notation
This PDF contains a minor 251 line transcribed from a Chet Baker recording. Transcribing from solos is the most effective way to learn to improvise.
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Walking Bass Lines Supplement
This is a supplement for the lesson on walking bass. We explore how to walk that bass in your left hand up basic triad shapes and scale fragments.
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Upper Structure Cheat Sheet
The upper structure triad cheat sheet contains the 4 most common upper structures and the formulas for constructing them in all 12 keys.
DownloadSoulful Blues Chord Voicings
A 2-page theory worksheet containing chord voicings and chord progression formulas. These soulful bluesy voicings can be applied to jazz standards and the when playing blues piano.
DownloadBody & Soul – Chord Voicings
A 3-page PDF file of chord voicings for’Body & Soul’. The notation includes basic 7th chords, extended and altered voicings, and stride piano technique.
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