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Instructor
Jonny May
Course
Intermediate
03:03:49

Learn the essential building blocks of Jazz harmony with chord shells and guide tones. Master these voicings with exercises for major, dominant, and minor 7th chords in all 12 keys to build your foundation for advanced jazz harmony.

Course Objectives
  • Learn the construction of Chord Shells and Guide Tones
  • Understand Common Chord Shell Voicings
  • Play Major 7, Dominant 7, and Minor 7 chords with Shells in 2 Positions
  • Master the 2-5-1 Progression with Shell Voicings in 12 Keys
Learning Focus
  • Accompanying
  • Chords
  • Exercises
  • Lead Sheets
  • Technique

Featured Reviews

View PWJ member reviews of this course!

The essential foundation I’ve been missing all these years
I can’t believe I’ve taken so many piano lessons for so many years and NOT managed to get this under my fingers! As I master these, I’m certain that the systematic and detailed way these exercises are constructed will cause me (and my fingers) to instantly play the most important key to jazz piano playing.
Intense but necessary
Is very very important to work the 2-5-1 cadence
Great Foundation for playing lead sheets.
This course is so encouragingly helpful because I learned that the guide tones and roots of the chords are the backbone of playing songs. I always thought that if a dominant chord calls for a more seasoned type of dominant chord in lead sheets, that it had to be played that way. But I learned in this course that as long as you have the root, 3rd and 7th, a song will sound fine. This will also depend on the playing level of a musician. This is very encouraging to learn so that if you are struggling to figure out a more seasoned dominant chord, you can get throught the song with just the essential tones, and it will still be entertaining to the audience. Thank you, Jonny.
Methodical
Nicely paced, methodical, thorough
Refreshing approach
Its been a long time for me to seriously study piano. It was recommended that I start with this course. I really enjoyed the course and was impressed by the approach used. It helped open my mind up to new ways of playing and has me excited to continue on this journey

Course Lessons

2
Chord Shell & Guide Tone Exercises – Lesson 2
27:00

Exercise 1: Major 7 Shells Around the Circle of 5ths

3
Chord Shell & Guide Tone Exercises – Lesson 3
17:49

Exercise 2: Dominant 7 Shells Around the Circle of 5ths

4
Chord Shell & Guide Tone Exercises – Lesson 4
15:29

Exercise 3: Minor 7 Shells Around the Circle of 5ths

Featured Reviews

View PWJ member reviews of this course!

The essential foundation I’ve been missing all these years
I can’t believe I’ve taken so many piano lessons for so many years and NOT managed to get this under my fingers! As I master these, I’m certain that the systematic and detailed way these exercises are constructed will cause me (and my fingers) to instantly play the most important key to jazz piano playing.
Intense but necessary
Is very very important to work the 2-5-1 cadence
Great Foundation for playing lead sheets.
This course is so encouragingly helpful because I learned that the guide tones and roots of the chords are the backbone of playing songs. I always thought that if a dominant chord calls for a more seasoned type of dominant chord in lead sheets, that it had to be played that way. But I learned in this course that as long as you have the root, 3rd and 7th, a song will sound fine. This will also depend on the playing level of a musician. This is very encouraging to learn so that if you are struggling to figure out a more seasoned dominant chord, you can get throught the song with just the essential tones, and it will still be entertaining to the audience. Thank you, Jonny.
Methodical
Nicely paced, methodical, thorough
Refreshing approach
Its been a long time for me to seriously study piano. It was recommended that I start with this course. I really enjoyed the course and was impressed by the approach used. It helped open my mind up to new ways of playing and has me excited to continue on this journey
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