Blog Lessons Full Plan (Hidden)

The full curriculum

1) (Jazz) Music Theory

1A Understanding chords and scales

1B Major Scales

Lesson 1 – Construction of the major scale

1C Minor Scales (melodic, harmonic, natural)

Lesson 1 – Construction of the melodic minor scale
Lesson 2 – Construction of the harmonic minor scale
Lesson 3 – Understanding the natural minor scale

1D Triads (major, minor, diminished, augmented)

Lesson 1 – Understanding triads
Lesson 2 – Construction of the four triad types
- C (major)
- Cm (minor)
- Cdim (diminished)
- Caug (augmented)

1E Four note chords

Lesson 1 – Understanding four note chords
Lesson 1 – Constructing the six four note chords
- Cmaj7 (major seven)
- Cm7 (minor seven)
- C7 ( (dominant) seven)
- Cm7b5 (half-diminished / minor seventh)
- Cdim7 (diminished (seven) )
- CmMaj7 (minor-major seven)

1F Chord inversions

1G Extensions and alterations

Lesson 1 – Understanding extensions and alterations
Lesson 2 – Extensions 9-11-13
- Specific extensions for different chord types
Lesson 3 – Alterations b9-#9-#11-b13
- Specific alterations for different chord types

1H Degrees

Lesson 1 – Understanding degrees
Lesson 2 – Major scale degrees

1I 2-5-1s

1J Chord Pairs

Lesson 1 – Understanding 2-5-1s and chord pairs
- Major 2-5-1 (ii-V7-I)
- Minor 2-5-1 (iiø-V7b9-i)
- Diatonic 2-5 chords
Lesson 2 – Basic major diatonic chord pairs
- ii-V7
- iii-vi
- IV-viiø
Lesson 3 – Minor diatonic chord pairs
- iiø-V7b9
- iiiø-VI7b9
- #ivø-VII7b9
Lesson 4 – Additional diatonic chord pairs
- viiø-iii
- IV-iv
- IV-bVII7(#11)
Lesson 5 – Substitutions in diatonic chord pairs
- ii- chord substitutions
- V- chord substitutions
Lesson 6 – Adding chords and passing chords
- Before ii- chords
- Before V-chords

1K Progressions

Lesson 1 – Understanding progressions
Lesson 2 – Basic diatonic progressions for practice I
- Four chord progressions
  - Major 2-5-1-6
  - Major 1-6-2-5
  - Minor 2-5-1-6 and 2-5-1-4
  - Minor 1-6-2-5
Lesson 3 – Basic diatonic progressions for practice II
- Eight chord progressions
  - Major 2-5-3-6-2-5-1-6
  - Minor 2-5-3-6-2-5-1-6
  - Major 4-7-3-6-2-5-1-1^7
  - Minor #4-7-3-6-2-5-1-1^7
Lesson 3 – Basic diatonic progressions for practice III
- “Full diatonic progression” (16 chords) with both major and minor chord pairs
  - (M)4-7-3-6-2-5-(m)3-6-#4-7-3-6-2-5-(M)1-1^7
Lesson 4 – Other common progressions
- TWNBAY A-part
- RC A-part
- Blues simple
- Blues jazz

1L Additional information (Jazz Music Theory)

Minor scale degrees

1M Pop/Rock (Jazz Music Theory)

2) (Jazz) Chords And Voicings

2A Understanding chords and voicings

Lesson 1 – Understanding chords and voicings
- What is a voicing?
- Specific information regarding voicings
- Typical names of common voicings

2B Voicing types

Lesson 1 – Simple voicing for triads and four note chords
Lesson 2- 2 note vocings
- 2 note shell voicings
  - 1-3 and 1-10
  - 1-7
- 2 note rootless shell voicings
  - 3-7 and 7-3
- 2 note quartal voicings
  - 1-4
  - 1-5
- 2 note rootless quartal voicings
  - 4-7
Lesson 3- 3 note voicings
- 3 note shell vocings
  - 1-3-7
  - 7-1-3
  - 1-7-10
- 3 note rootless voicings
  - 3-7-9
  - 7-3-6
- 3 note “Triad” voicings
  - 3-5-9 plus inversions
  - Other Triads under Lesson 5-6 “Upper structure”
- 3 note quartal voicings
  - 1-4-7
  - 1-5-9
- 3 note quartal rootless voicings
  - 4-7-3
- 3 note “Open” voicings
  - 1-5-10
- 3 note “Open” rootless voicings
  - 3-1-5 (3-8-12)
Lesson 4 – 4 note voicings (most standard)
- Basic 4 note voicings
  - 1-3-5-7
- Rootless 4 note voicings (“AB”/”Bill Evans”/”Box” voicings)
  - Position A – 3-5-7-9
  - Position B – 7-9-3-5
- 4 note quartal voicings
  - 1-4-7-10
  - 1-5-9-13
- 4 note rootless quartal voicings
  - 4-7-10-13
  - 5-9-13-10
- 4 note rootless “Kenny Barron” voicings
  - 5-9-10-7
Lesson 5 – Other voicings
- Kenny Barron (full) voicing
  - 1-5-9-10-7-11
- 11 and sus voicings
  - Rootless AB voicings with 4 instead of 5
  - (Upper structure – major triad based on the b7 of chord)
- 7#11 voicings
  - 1-3-5-b6 “superchord” (triad plus added b6) with inversions based on the 2 of chord
- Slash chords
  - One hand
  - Two hands
Lesson 6 – Upper structure I
- Understanding upper structure voicings
  - Major chord upper structure (Cmaj7 and variants)
  - Minor chord upper structure (Cm7, CmMaj7 and Cm6/9)
  - Half-diminished chord upper structure (Cm7b5)
Lesson 7 – Upper structure II (Dominant chords)
- “Clean” dominant (C7)
- Dominant with extensions (C9 / C13)
- Dominant with alterations (C7b9 / C13b9 / C#9 / C7#9b13=C7b9b13=C7alt / C7#11)

2C How to play voicings properly

Lesson 1 – Fundamentals of voicing chord pairs
- “Wide” to “Narrow” concept
- Minimal movement concept
- Exceptions to the “rules”
Lesson 2 – Adapting voicings to usual chord pairs I
- 5-1 (and variants)
- major 2-5 (and variants)
- minor 2-5
- 1-6 (and variants)
- 4-7 (and variants)
- 1-5
Lesson 3 – Adapting voicings to unusual chord pairs II
- 2-b2
- 1-3 (and variants)
- 1-#1
Lesson 4 – Adapting patterns to diatonic turnarounds and progressions
- 2-5-1-6 (minor and major)
- 4-7-3-6-2-5-1
- “Full progression”
- Other progressions / Songs

2D Left hand only, Right hand only or both hands? (Voicings)

Lesson 1 -When to play left hand, right hand or both hands
- Playing left hand only
- Playing right hand only
- Playing both hands
Lesson 2 – How to “split” voicings for two hands
- Containing the root
  - LH Options
  - RH Options
    - Triads (upper structure)
    - Quartal
- Rootless
  - LH Options
  - RH Options
    - Triads (upper structure)
    - Quartal
- Other
  - “Drop 2” and “Drop 4”

2E Additional information (Jazz Chords and Voicings)

Chords and voicings for pop/rock piano

3) Jazz Comping and Rhythm

3A Comping rhythms

Lesson 1 – Understanding comping and rhythm
Lesson 2 – Basic comping rhythm patterns
Lesson 3 – More advanced comping rhythm patterns

3B Walking bass

Lesson 1 – Understanding walking bass
- Specific information regarding walking bass
  - “Normal” chord pairs
  - Static chords
  - Double time / half time
  - Diatonic/chromatic approach
  - 3/4 and 6/4 time
Lesson 2 – Walking bass patterns
- “Upwalk”
- “Downwalk”
- “1-3-5 Triad”
- “1-5-3 Triad”
- Other
Lesson 2 – Adapting patterns to usual chord pairs I
- 5-1 (and variants)
- major 2-5 (and variants)
- minor 2-5
- 1-6 (and variants)
- 4-7 (and variants)
- 1-5
Lesson 3 – Adapting patterns to unusual chord pairs II
- 2-b2
- 1-3 (and variants)
- 1-#1
Lesson 4 – Adapting patterns to diatonic turnarounds and progressions
- 2-5-1-6 (minor and major)
- 4-7-3-6-2-5-1
- “Full progression”
- Other progressions / songs

3C Stride

Lesson 1 – Understanding stride piano
- Specific information regarding stride piano
  - Left hand
  - Right hand

3C Additional information (Jazz Comping and Rhythm)

4) Soloing and improvisation

The three way approach to improvisation

Lesson 1 – Understanding the three way approach to improvisation
- 1- Theory approach (what to play)
- 2- Rhythm approach (when to play)
- 3- Musicality approach (how to play)

4A Theory approach (what to play)

4A i) Simple scales for improvisation (Diatonic and “superchord” scales)

Lesson 1 – Understanding diatonic and “superchord” scales
- Information regarding the diatonic scales
- Information regarding the “superchord” scales
Lesson 2 – Adapting diatonic and “superchord” scales to diatonic turnarounds and progressions
- 2-5-1-6 (major)
- 4-7-3-6-2-5-1
- “Full progression”

4A ii) Chord-scale relationship

Lesson 1 – Understanding the chord-scale relationship
- Information regarding the chord-scale relationship
Lesson 2 – Additional scales to the major-minor scales
- Diminished scale
- Whole tone scale
- Blues scales
  - Minor blues scale
  - Major blues scale
  - “Augmented (major) blues scale”
  - “Full blues scale”
- Pentatonic scale
- Block chord scale (“George Shearing” chords)
- “Superscale” (1-2-3-4-5-b6)
Lesson 3 – Scales for chord types I
- Major chord (Cmaj7 and variants)
- Minor chord (Cm7, CmMaj7 and Cm6/9)
- Half-diminished (Cm7b5)
- Diminished chord (Co7)
Lesson 4 – Scales for chord types II (Dominant chords)
- “Clean” dominant (C7)
- Dominant with extensions (C9 / C13)
- Dominant with alterations (C7b9 / C13b9 / C#9 / C7#9b13=C7b9b13=C7alt / C7#11)

4A iii) Target notes

Lesson 1 – Understanding target notes
- Information regarding target notes
Lesson 2 – Targeting notes of the chord (what and when)
- the 3rd
- the 5th
- the 7th
- Extensions (9,11,13)
- Alterations (b9,#9,#11,b13=#5)
Lesson 3 – Adapting patterns to diatonic turnarounds and progressions
- 2-5-1-6 (minor and major)
- 4-7-3-6-2-5-1
- “Full progression”
- Other progressions / Songs

4B Rhythm approach (when to play)

4B “Rhytmic syllables”

Lesson 1 – What are “rhythmic syllables”
Lesson 2 – the different rhythmic syllables
- “Bronx” (quarter note)
- “New York” (eight note)
- “Tennessee” (triplet)
- “Mississippi” (sixteenth note)
Lesson 3 – Using breaks to create patterns
Lesson 4 – Double time
Lesson 5 – Adaption over progressions
- 2-5-1-6 (minor and major)
- 4-7-3-6-2-5-1
- “Full progression”
- Other progressions / Songs

4C Musicality approach (how to play)

4C i) Call and response

Lesson 1 – What is call and response
Lesson 2 – Different ways to practice call and response
- Melody based phrases
- Different duration of call and response (2-2 / 1-1 bar sequence)
- Ending phrases

4C ii) Practicing patience and pacing

Lesson 1 – Using breaks during improvisation
- 1-1 / 1-2 / 1-3 bar sequence
- Making lines have a meaning

4C iii) Practicing making musical phrases and contour

Lesson 1 – Understanding direction and movement
- Using a target note as an anchor
- Making movement
- Skips vs. linear movement
- Repeated movement/phrases

4C iv) Interaction between the hands

Lesson 1 – Understanding interaction between the hands
- Call and response between hands
- Imitating jazz ensemble settings with a piano

4D Additional information (Soloing and improvisation)

Improvisation for pop/rock piano

5 “Lesson Leftovers”

What are the “Lesson Leftovers”?
Are all keys created equal? (Should I practice all keys?)
Optimising practice methods and time for busy people

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