Jazz Piano Basics: Improvisation, Chords, and Swing Rhythms
- Greater Toronto Music School
- 7 days ago
- 5 min read
🎹 Interested in playing jazz piano but not sure where to begin? Whether you’re interested in learning about jazz piano for beginners or an experienced pianist seeking to level up your improvisation skills, this post breaks down the essential chords, rhythms, and techniques to get you swinging in no time.
By the end of this guide, readers will understand:
✅ How to build jazz chords
✅ The basics of jazz improvisation
✅ How to play with a swing feel
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Table of Contents: Jazz Piano Basics
Introduction: What Makes Jazz Piano Unique?
Jazz is a free, expressive and groovy style of music. Unlike classical music, jazz is not rigid and rather than focusing on through-composed masterpieces, it encourages musicians to improvise and add their own personal flavour to the music.
Do I need classical training to play jazz?💡
Jazz musicians rely more on chord charts or lead sheets and play more by ear than sheet music. Certainly, classical skills and technique can help a jazz pianist but classical training is nota prerequisite.
🔥 Want to learn jazz theory step-by-step? 👉Best Jazz Theory Book
Jazz Chords 101
🎵 At the foundation of jazz piano are chords. Jazz musicians will often use 7 chords, add extensions and play inversions to add some colour and spice up basic major/minor triads.
7th Chords: The Building Blocks
In jazz, most chords include a 7th note, giving them a fuller, more complex sound. Here are the basic types:
Chord Type | Formula | Example (C) |
Major 7th (Cmaj7) | 1 - 3 - 5 - 7 | C - E - G - B |
Dominant 7th (C7) | 1 - 3 - 5 - ♭7 | C - E - G - Bb |
Minor 7th (Cm7) | 1 - ♭3 - 5 - ♭7 | C - Eb - G - Bb |
What’s the easiest way to remember jazz chords?
💡 Tip: Learn them by shape rather than note-by-note. Try playing root position first, then practice inversions. Inversions occur when we take the bottom note and move it to the top, playing the same notes in a different order.
Below, we will take you through a C7 in all inversions:
Root Position: C, E, G, Bb
First Inversion: E, G, Bb, C
Second Inversion: G, Bb, C, E
Third Inversion: Bb, C, E, G
Inversions can be used to create a different feeling or emotion and also to correctly voice lead. It allows us to keep common tones while switching between chords, making the chord changes smoother to the ears and easier for the player to manage.
🔥 Best beginner jazz chord book: 👉 The Jazz Piano Book
Extended & Altered Chords
The 7 chord is the building block for jazz harmony but many pianists will add more notes, also known as extensions, to give the music more depth and colour.
✅ 9th chords (C9) – Adds a 9th for a richer sound. In the key of C, the 9 is D.
✅ 13th chords (C13) – Extends even further. In the key of C, the 13 is A.
✅ Altered chords – Sharp or flat certain notes for tension.
Many jazz pianists omit certain notes from a chord. As long as the root, 3rd and 7th, and any extensions are covered, the chord will sound great. In a band setting, pianists can even omit the root and leave it for the bassist to cover.
Jazz Improvisation Techniques
Jazz music is built on improvisation. The best jazz musicians are able to create beautiful, melodic solos on the spot. Jazz musicians have developed a huge musical vocabulary, allowing them to speak to each other and tell a story to the listener, much like we do with our words during a conversation.
Scales for Improvisation
For beginners, learning the Blues scale is a great place to start. The blues scale is the minor pentatonic scale with a passing tone.
🎵 Blues Scale (C Blues): C - Eb - F - F# - G - Bb - C
Guide Tones & Chord Tones
✅ Guide tones = The 3rd & 7th of each chord and are essential for defining the harmony.
✅ Chord tones = Notes that appear in the chord. Safe choices for improvising.
Swing Rhythms on Piano
Swinging rhythms give jazz music it's cool, laid back, groovy feel.
Swing Feel vs. Straight Rhythm
❌ Straight: In music, a straight feel refers to rhythms where the beat is divided into equal subdivisions. If a beat is divided in two, each beat gets an equal half. We can count 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &. A great example of a straight feel is a metronome sounding on the beat.
✅ Swing: Swing feel in music divides the beat into uneven subdivisions, creating a relaxed, grooving sensation. Instead of equal halves, the first part of the beat lasts longer. Another way to conceptualize it is by dividing the beat into three and leaving the middle pulse silent. To count swing, you can say: "1 a 2 a 3 a 4 a," emphasizing the long-short pattern.
🎵 Try playing a simple melody with a swing feel—it instantly sounds jazzier!
Left-Hand Comping Patterns
Rather than playing steady chords, jazz pianists comp (accompany) the rest of the band using syncopated rhythms, often responding to the soloist and other musicians in the band. If we count a bar of four using the swing feel, we get 1-a 2-a 3-a 4-a. Below are several suggested coming patterns. Try playing a chord on the bolded count to get some nice, swinging comping ideas.
1-a 2-a 3-a 4-a
1-a 2-a 3-a 4-a
1-a 2-a 3-a 4-a
🔥 Best jazz piano exercises: 👉 Jazz Comping for Beginners
Walking Bass Lines
In jazz music, the bassist often plays a walking bass line, which outlines the harmony of the song. For solo jazz piano or in ensembles without a bassist, the left hand often plays a walking bass line.
FAQs: Learning Jazz Piano
Q: Can I learn jazz piano without reading music?
A: Yes! Many jazz musicians learn by ear and focus on chords & scales rather than sheet music. Of course, the ability to read music as always an asset but it's not a requirement.
Q: How long does it take to learn jazz piano?
A: It depends on practice! You can play basic jazz chords in weeks, but mastering improvisation takes time and dedication
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Q: Can I learn jazz piano online?
A: Absolutely! We offer online jazz piano lessons for students worldwide.
Conclusion & Next Steps
Now that you understand the basics of jazz piano, it’s time to start practicing!
🎹 Ready to take the next step? Join our jazz piano lessons in Toronto or online for expert guidance.
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