Beginner Jazz Piano Improvisation Lesson

Today I’m going to show you how to practice improvisation as a beginner.

We’ll cover jazz piano chord voicings (for your left hand), ‘chord tone soloing’, and ‘the half-step below approach pattern’.

Left Hand Chords for Improv.

First, you’re going to need some left hand chord voicings for your left hand to play while you practice soloing in your right hand (since most of your practice will be done alone at the piano - not with other musicians).

I suggest that you practice your improvisation by playing over the ii-V-I chord progression (‘2-5-1’). This is because most jazz songs are built of the ii-V-I, played through different keys.

I also recommend that you practice improvisation in one key to start with - playing in other keys can come later. We’re going to use the key of C major.

Here’s how you can voice the ii-V-I in your left hand (in C major):

IMAGE - 2-5-1 in left hand, literal voicings

Notice that the V7 chord (G7) is played in 2nd inversion (D F G B). This allows you to keep your hand in the same area and creates smooth voice leading from one chord to the next.

Practice these left-hand voicings in your left hand until you can play them on autopilot (key of C major only).

Chord Tone Soloing

Next, you’re ready to start soloing in your right hand, by playing over your left hand chords.

The most fundamental soloing technique is called ‘chord tone soling’. It’s where you compose melodic lines using only notes of the chord - the root, 3rd, 5th and 7th.

So over D minor 7, you could play D F A C.

Over G7, you can play G B D F.

And over C major 7, you’d play from C E G B.

You can play these notes ascending, descending, and in any combination:

IMAGE - chord tone soloing over 2-5-1. D F A C B G F D C E G B.- over left hand literal voicings

The nice thing about ‘chord tone soloing’ is that your melody notes will change each time the chord changes.

PRACTICE: Spend time composing melodic lines that use chord tone soloing. Do this over the ii-V-I in C major. Write down your best ideas.

The Half-Step Below Approach

The next technique to add to your soloing is ‘the half-step below approach’. This is an approach pattern that works beautifully when combined with chord tone soloing - here’s how it works:

Any chord tone (1 3 5 7) can be preceded by a half-step below.

So over D minor 7 - your chord tones are D F A C.

That means you could preceded D with C#.

F can be preceded with E.

A can be preceded with G#.

And C can be preceded with B.

IMAGE - D min 7 with the half-step below approach. D F A C

Notice that some of these approach notes take you chromatically out of scale (i.e. C# and G# are not found in the key of C major, which our ii-V-I is in). This is fine for the half-step below approach - it’s a brief dissonant tension which immediately resolves to the correct note.

When improvising, you’ll probably find yourself playing mostly eighth notes (sequences of eighth notes). So when using the half-step below approach, the half-step below note will last one eighth note only, and then it will resolve to the chord tone a half-step above it (e.g. C# - D).

IMAGE - ii-V-I with half-step below approach ideas

PRO TIP: Play the half-step below approach notes on the off-beats (the weaker beats). Then you’ll resolve to the chord tones on the down-beats (the strong beats).

Practice Tip

Compose your own improvised lines over the ii-V-I in C major. Use a combination of ‘chord tone soloing’ (playing 1 3 5 7 of each chord) and ‘the half-step below approach’.

Compose at least 10 new lines, and write down your best ideas down on paper.

SIDE NOTE: I recommend starting a ‘jazz piano journal’ where you write down notes and keep track of your favorite ideas.