Jazz Piano Tricks

By
Per Danielsson

Studying jazz piano is like all other serious music disciplines. It requires dedication, practice,
listening and of course, study of the masters. Even though jazz is an improvisational art form, learn-
ing what has been done before is extremely important in order to fully understand the concept of
jazz. Remember that the feel and style of jazz can only be learned by listening. I have had students
who have progressed quickly because of listening to historically important jazz musicians such as
Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Bud Powell, Bill Evans and Miles
Davis.

Every time I hear someone quote material from an important musician, I look at him/her as a
well educated performer who has studied and listened to the historical jazz literature, and I respect
that person’s playing all the more. I realize that jazz is based on improvisation which is the ultimate
musical freedom. However, if you learn something from another player, there’s nothing wrong with
using it. Let your creativity be based on all the recordings you have heard, and on all the material
you have studied.

The examples below are a few standard jazz cliches that are good to know. Some of them are
materials that are frequently used on your typical standard jazz gig. Experiment with these rhythms,
phrases and chords and add your own flavor to it. That’s what jazz is all about.

Intro:
It’s common to do an improvised introduction using the 1-6-2-5 progression. In order to make
it more interesting a pedal note is very useful. Below you can see how a C pedal works over a 1-6-2-
5 intro in the key of F. Try to change the quality of the chords while keeping the C pedal to see what
sounds you can come up with.

# # # b
& b c ‰ œj Œ ˙ ‰ œj Œ ˙
FMaj7 D7( 9) Gm9 C7( 9) FMaj7 D7( 9) Gm9 G 13 FMaj7

‰ j Œ b˙ ‰ j Œ b˙
œœœ # ˙˙˙ œœœ b ˙˙ œœœ # ˙˙˙ œœœ b ˙˙ www
œ ˙ œ ˙ w
? b c ˙. œ ˙. œ ˙. œ ˙
œ œ œ b˙ w

Comping Patterns: There are of course endless rhythmic patterns you can use when comp-
ing. But the two following patterns are the first ones that should be mastered. Practice these patterns
with a metronome and work on getting a nice relaxed swing feel in different tempos. It is also useful
to use these figures in your left hand when you are accompaning your right hand solo playing.
Suggested listening to learn about comping: Red Garland, Bobby Timmons, Wynton Kelly.
 b b # b b
Pattern 1:

&c Û ‰ Û Ó Û ‰ Û | Û ‰ Û Ó Û ‰ Û | ..
C9 E 9 D9 D 9( 11) C9 E 9 D9 D 9

J J J J
bœ œ
& c œœœ ‰ b œœ Ó
œœ
œ ‰ b b œœœ ˙˙˙ œœ ‰ b b œœ Ó œœ ‰ b b œœ ˙˙ ..
J J J J
bœ œ b œœ ˙˙ b œœœ b œœ œœ b œœ ˙˙
? c b œœœ ‰ b œœ Ó # œœ ‰ n Jœ ˙ ‰ Jœ Ó #œ ‰ n Jœ ˙ ..
J
b 13
A7b 13 A13(b 9) Gb9
Pattern 2:
6
C9 Dm9 G13 Em9 Dm9

&c ‰ Û Œ Û Œ Û ‰ Û | ‰ ÛŒ Û Œ Û ‰ Û | ..
J J J J
jΠj j j
& c ‰ œœ œœ Œ œœ ‰ œœ ˙˙ ‰ # œœ Œ b œœ Œ œœ ‰ b œœ ˙˙ ..
#œ œ œ ˙ œ #œ œ bœ ˙
j j
? c ‰ œœœ Œ œ Œ œœ ‰ œ ˙ ‰ Jœœ Œ œœ Œ œœ ‰ œ ˙˙
œ ..
J œ œ ˙
Endings: There are a few standard endings that are good to know. You might have been on a
gig when somebody yells, “Basie ending!”, “Flat five!”, “A Train!” etc. These are all call signs for stan-
dard endngs that all jazz pianists should know.

Basie >œ >œ >œ

- œ^ œœ
Basie Ending:
œ # œ j
C13

& c œj œ œ œ # œ œ Ó œ Œ # œ ‰ J Œ ‰ œ ww
œ #œ œ
b œœ w
>
- œ^ j
?c œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ #œ œ ∑ Ó Œ ‰ œ w
J œ w
>
A Train Ending:
^ 6

&c œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ œœœ ww
C9

œ #œ w
>
^
?c œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ
Œ œœ
>œ ww
w
 Flat 5 Ending: It’s called Flat 5 ending because the chord progression starts on the flat 5 of
the tonic. For example, if the tune is in the key of F, the ending would start on B. Look at the exam-
ple and pay attention to the quality of the chords.

b b # b b
j
6

j j j j j j
Bm7( 5) B m7 Am7( 5) A m7 Gm7 G Maj7 F9

& b c œœ œœ .. bœ œ œœ .. œœ œœ .. œ œœ . œ œœ . œ œœ . œœ w
> > > nœ
> . bœ
> . bœ
> . œ ww
>
j j
? b c >œ œ. b >œ œ. >œ œ. b >œ œ. œ œ. œ œ. œ
j
w
nœ œ. bœ œ. œ œ. bœ œ. œ œ. bœ œ. œ w
J J J J > > >
Standard Bossa Ending 1:

^j Djb9 ^j Djb9
6 6 6 6
Vamp C9 C9

& c œœœ œœœ ‰ œœœ ‰ b b œœœ ˙˙

˙
œ œ
b b œœ œœ
œœ œœ ‰ œœ ‰ b œœ
œ œ œ b >œ
˙˙
˙
œ œ .
b b œœ œœ .
> > > > >
> ^ b >œœ
? c >œœœ >œœœ ‰ œœœ^ ‰ b b œœœ ˙˙
˙
bœ œ
b œœ œœ
>œ >œ œ
œœ œœ ‰ œœ ‰ b œ
˙˙
˙
bœ œ
b œœ œœ ..
J J J J
“Killer Joe” Ending: Named after the famous tune “Killer Joe” by Benny Golson, this pro-
gression also works well as an introduction.
b b
Vamp
^ j ^ j ^ j ^ j
6 6
C9 B 13 C9 B 13

& c œœ ‰ œœ ˙˙˙
œ œ b œœ ‰ œœ ˙˙
œœ œœ ˙˙
œœ ‰ œœ ˙˙
œ œ ˙
b œœ ‰ œœ ˙˙
œœ œœ ˙˙
..
> > >
? c œœœ^ ‰ >œœœ ˙˙˙ b œ^ ‰ >œ ˙ œœ^ ‰ >œœ ˙˙
œ œ ˙
b œ^ ‰ >œ ˙ ..
J bœ œ ˙ J bœ œ ˙
J J
b b
U
Ray Charles Ending:

b œœ œœ œ œ œ j
B B 13

&b c ‰ œ
J
œ œ œœ œ
bœ
œ
œ
‰ œœ
œ
˙˙
˙
>
>œ
5

? bb c b
‰ œ ˙
œ ˙
œ œ œ nœ œ J