Top 5 Jazz Piano Practice Exercises (not easy, but essential)

I once heard a music teacher say this:

"Practice doesn't make practice...

Only perfect practice makes perfect."

In other words, you have to practice the right things to get the results.

Not just any old practice.

So today I want to show you five practice exercises that are essential to learning Jazz piano.

In my view, 'Jazz piano success' = doing these five things.

Let's dive in:

Goal #1: 'Interval Arithmetic'

Learn to count all 12 intervals from all 12 notes.

This is probably the hardest thing you'll ever do in Jazz...

But it will make everything else relatively easy.

Start by memorizing the 5ths (C - G, B - F#, Bb - F, etc).

Then go on to the 3rds, 4ths, tritone and 7ths.

(The major and minor 6th are slightly less important for Jazz - but you can learn those too).

Practice counting intervals AWAY from your instrument.

Go on 'interval journeys' in your mind - multiple times a day:

"Up a 5th - down a whole-step - up a tritone - up a minor 7th - down a major 3rd..."

Deadline: 4 weeks.

Goal #2: 7th Chords

Learn the three main types of 7th chord:

C major 7 = C E G B
C minor 7 = C Eb G Bb
C dominant 7 = C E G Bb

Now transpose and build each of these chords from all 12 notes.

(That's 36 chords total).

How do you know you can do this?

When you can play any of these 36 chords in under two seconds:

F# min 7 (< 2 secs)
Db7 (< 2 secs)
E maj (< 2 secs)
Bb7 (< 2 secs)
G maj 7 - and so on.

Deadline: 2-4 weeks.

Goal #3. ii-V-I in all keys

Here's how to voice the ii-V-I:

D min 7 = D F A C (1 3 5 7)
G7 = D F G B (5 7 1 3 - inverted)
C maj 7 = C E G B (1 3 5 7)

Now transpose this and play it through all 12 keys.

How do you know you can do this?

When you can play the ii-V-I through all 12 keys, three times in a row, note-perfectly.

(That's 108 chords in a row).

If you mess up once, you have to go back and start again.

Once you manage to do this - at least once (three times perfect) - you're good to move on.

Deadline: 2-4 weeks.

Goal #4: Learn three songs

Choose three Jazz songs from your Real Book.

Play them 100 times each - so that you can play them without the sheet music.

Why three songs?

This is not just for fun...

This is so you can use these songs as a learning tool...

Every time you learn something new in Jazz...

(A new voicing, lick, or reharm.)...

Go and apply it to your '3 familiar songs'.

Recommended songs:

All The Things You Are
Autumn Leaves
Fly Me To The Moon
Georgia On My Mind
Girl from Ipanema
Satin Doll
Stompin' At The Savoy
Summertime
Tenderly
Slow Hot Wind
So Nice (Summer Samba)

Free Resource: Download my '30 Beginner Jazz Songs' list.

Deadline: 2 weeks.

Goal #5: Add new voicings

A lot of the later steps will be to add new voicings to your toolbox.

Focus on one voicing at a time.

Shells, Rootless, Upper structures, etc.

How do you know you've learned a voicing?

When you can play it from all 12 notes (in under 2 seconds).

And 2. you can play the ii-V-I using that voicing through all 12 keys.

(if it's applicable to the ii-V-I. Some voicings aren't for the ii-V-I).

Again, play the ii-V-I note-perfectly through all 12 keys, three times in a row. No mistakes.

Once you can do that - you're good to move on.

Deadline: 1-2 weeks per voicing.

Summary:

Today we covered 5 essential Jazz piano practice exercises:

Interval arithmetic
7th chords
ii-V-I in all 12 keys
Learn 3 songs
Add new voicings (one at a time)

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If you only learn one type of chord voicing - learn this one:

Free Resource: Download my 'Jazz Piano Chord Voicing Guide'.

Transform your playing just by adding these chord voicings to your playing.

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