Taught by renowned instructor
Jeremy Siskind
Renowned educator Jeremy Siskind takes us on a tour of jazz theory for all instrumentalists. Start here if you've found yourself overwhelmed by scales, chords, and other theoretical concepts – Jeremy provides a valuable foundation for more advanced study. He discusses lead sheets and how improvisors conceptualize form, how a swing style works in practice, how to begin thinking about and using our first three chord types, and some concepts for approaching the blues.
Lead Sheets: Using and Understanding
What is a lead sheet? How do we decipher them and turn them into music, whether on our own or with an ensemble? Jeremy talks about this and more – touching on where lead sheets come from, why they're so useful to have, and how to follow one.
Swing: Style and Melodic Personalization
Swing is like a fingerprint – there are as many variations as there are players. Jeremy describes the general tenets of a swing feel and articulation, as well as how to use anticipation and syncopation to personalize a melody in a swing style.
Basic Chord Construction
Jeremy explains the three fundamental chord types in jazz: major, minor, and dominant seventh. He recommends tools for practicing these chords, as well as how they come together to form a ii-V-I progression – the most foundational in jazz music.
Practicing the ii-V-I Progression
How do we get started practicing over the ii-V-I progression? Jeremy discusses how we can find the scales to use for the ii, V, and I chords, as well as defining the modes of the major scale.
Pentatonic and Blues Scales
The pentatonic scale lies at the heart of melodicism in many musical traditions, including the blues. In this lesson, Jeremy explains how we create pentatonic scales, how a simple modification creates the major and minor blues scales, and how to use the blues scale over a ii-V-I.
Intro to Jazz Blues
There are many variants of the blues form – in this lesson Jeremy introduces the most simplistic, as well as two more advanced variations on the harmony. He contiues by discussing what scales we use over the blues and finishes by sharing a practice exercise for building hipper solos!
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Unlock Course →Pianist-composer Jeremy Siskind is a two-time laureate of the American Pianists Association and the winner of the Nottingham International Jazz Piano Competition, establishing himself as one of the nation’s most innovative and virtuosic modern pianists.
read full bio →Explore 1,000+ in-depth lessons taught by GRAMMY winners, Juilliard professors, and world-renowned performers, covering everything from timeless repertoire to advanced technique and artistry.
