Jazz Piano for Classical Players

Quick reference

Keep this on the music stand.

Chord symbols

Quality	Formula	On C	Also written
Major 7	1 3 5 7	C E G B	CM7, CΔ7, CΔ
Dominant 7	1 3 5 b7	C E G Bb	C7
Minor 7	1 b3 5 b7	C Eb G Bb	C-7, Cmi7, Cmin7
Half-diminished	1 b3 b5 b7	C Eb Gb Bb	Cø, Cø7, C-7b5
Diminished 7	1 b3 b5 bb7	C Eb Gb A	C°7, Cdim
Major 6	1 3 5 6	C E G A	C6
Minor 6	1 b3 5 6	C Eb G A	C-6, Cm6
Sus	1 4 5 b7	C F G Bb	C7sus4, C9sus, Bb/C

Chords in a major key

I maj7 · ii m7 · iii m7 · IV maj7 · V 7 · vi m7 · vii m7b5

Circle of fifths

Shell voicings (LH)

Shape A: 1 3 7. Shape B: 1 7 3. Alternate them when roots move by 4ths. Root in the octave below middle C.

Rootless voicings (LH)

A form: 3 5 7 9. B form: 7 9 3 5. On a dominant, swap the 5 for the 13. Keep them between the D below middle C and the G above.

ii-V-I in C

	Dm7	G7	Cmaj7
Shells	D F C	G F B	C E B
Rootless, version 1	F A C E	F A B E	E G B D
Rootless, version 2	C E F A	B E F A	B D E G

Guide tones: the 7th falls a half step to the next chord’s 3rd.

Minor ii-V-i in C minor

	Dm7b5	G7alt	Cm
Shells	D F C	G F B	C Eb A (Cm6)
Rootless	F Ab C D	F Ab B Eb	Eb G Bb D (Cm9)

Upper structures over G7 (LH F B)

RH triad	Sound
A major	13 #11, bright
E major	13 b9, dramatic
Eb major	#9 b13, dark
Db major	b9 b5, tense

Jazz blues in F

F7	Bb7	F7	Cm7 F7
Bb7	Bdim7	F7	D7
Gm7	C7	F7 D7	Gm7 C7

F blues scale: F Ab Bb B C Eb. F9 A C Eb G to Bb13 Ab C D G.

Swing and comping

Eighths: long-short, accent the off-beat. Metronome on 2 and 4.
Charleston: 1, and of 2. Anticipation: and of 4, tied over.

Improvising

Chord tones on the beat · approach from a half step below · enclose (above, below, target) · bebop scale on G7: G F# F E D C B A · The Lick: D E F G E C D

Tricks

The slide (Eb into E) · So What voicing E A D G B · tritone sub (Db7 for G7) · side-slip from a half step above · block chords (C6 and diminished) · I-vi-ii-V intro · tag ending (iii-VI-ii-V three times) · C6/9 final chord: C G A D E