Here is a short video recapping my learning project journey:
To watch the video progress from week one, you can check out my YouTube playlist, or read the posts below.
- Learning Project…and all that jazz! (introductory post)
- Week 1 – Jazz Musicians are Really Smart!
- Week 2 – Adding in the Blues
- Week 3 – The Struggle is REAL (baby, pet and life distractions!)
- Week 4 – ‘Leading’ the Way (introducing the lead sheet)
- Week 5 – It’s “Comp” Time! (introducing comping)
- Week 6 – Without Chord Roots!
- Week 7 – Autumn Leaves, Part I
- Week 8 – Improv Attempts
To keep with the theme of my weekly posts, here are some reflections.
What I worked on:
- I began my journey into the world of jazz piano by exploring:
- jazz chord progressions (2-5-1)
- the Blues
- reading lead sheets
- chord voicings and comping
- two pieces – Misty and Autumn Leaves
- early improvisation efforts
Wins:
- Vlogging my entire experience and being vulnerable while learning a new skill
- Making connections to my previous knowledge and adding to my music repertoire
- Playing the piano without sheet music and experimenting. This is a new experience for me and I am really starting to enjoy the freedom.
Fails:
- I had grand plans to become a gigging jazz musician by the end of this project, so I had to adjust my goals. I realized I need to practice a lot more.
What’s next?
- I hope to continue improving my chord voicings, comping and reading lead sheet skills
- Lots of jazzy Christmas music fun