Learn How To Play Piano

Review by Eddie Landsberg:

Before Mark Levine’s Jazz Piano book came out, choosing a book on how to play piano was a lot like selecting a presidential candidate – - you may not have been crazy about the choices but… (blah blah blah) What makes this book different is that it walks a fine and brilliant line between theory, application and stylistics and it is never dry, and further it is contemporary. By chapter 10 and beyond he’s getting into fourth chords, upper structures and “so what” chords. Most books sort of end up just when Bud Powell is hitting the vista. This book but will take you up to McCoy Tyner and Kenny Barron. – - Unlike other books, his book also sites practical song examples and specific listening examples. If you’re entirely on your own, I reckon this book, along with a few Aebersold play-a-longs and Amadea’s Harmonic Foundations for Jazz and Pop Music would really take you a long way. Your ultimate goal should be able to sit in at Jam sessions and with real players… that’s where the real learning starts. Do what you have to do to get to the point that you can hang with a blues or Real Book standards. (Regarding suitability for beginers vs. advanced players : This book is pretty excellent for players of all levels, though if you’re starting from scratch another book to consider is Brain Waite’s “Modern Jazz Piano : A Study in Harmony” or Amadea’s book, then this.)

Review by D. Grout:

As a guitarist/percussionist who had piano lessons as a kid (and despised them) I have permanently been a small intimidated by the piano. Toward my goal of being able to comp and improvise over changes, I have bought several jazz piano method books, including titles by Jerry Coker and Dan Haerle, and they have all been helpful.Mark Levine’s book, but, is exceptional. He introduces his concepts in perfect-sized chapters, with musical examples bracketed by coherent and engaging explanations. There are dozens of very musical exercises, and lists of suggested jazz standards for applying them. He conveys the essential elements of jazz theory in an simple-to-digest but highly intelligent anecdotal writing style.The pacing of how clarification is presented in a method book is very vital to the advancing musician. For example, I permanently knew that the melodic minor scale was vital, but it only fully came together in my head when I worked through Mark’s chapters on scale theory. Instead of being bombarded with chord voicing options, there are two or three. The emphasis is on getting you prepared enough to play music! Helpful hints seem to grow just as you need them, and Mark’s enthusiasm for the piano provides subtle encouragement for the exhausting but rewarding process of learning jazz. This is a book which stays on my music stand. It’s large but spiral-bound. The font size is just right, and clarification are well typeset (I despise books where you spend half your time deciphering clarification from the author’s scrawl). Bonus points for the fantastic photos and the recommended discographies from all periods of jazz. I would recommend this book to any intermediate to advanced player looking to expand and strengthen his or her abilities to comp and solo on piano. No one book can teach you everything, but this one is a hell of a start.