The 3 Levels of a Jazz Pianist
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Music Style
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If someone asked what level jazz pianist you are, what would you say?
🎹 Beginner?
🎹 Intermediate?
🎹 Advanced?
You might be surprised by the answer.
In today’s lesson, I’ll break down the same jazz tune at three different levels and show you exactly what separates a beginner, intermediate, and advanced jazz player.
Along the way, you’ll discover:
✅ The simple chord-shell approach every beginner should master
✅ How block chords and rootless voicings instantly create a richer jazz sound
✅ The walking bass line tricks that make your playing groove
✅ Advanced runs that sound incredibly impressive
✅ The #1 thing many classically-trained pianists struggle with when playing jazz
The coolest part? Some of the “advanced” sounds aren’t nearly as complicated as they appear. Sometimes it’s not about learning hundreds of new concepts—it’s about learning the right concepts and applying them with confidence.
So grab a cup of coffee, watch the lesson, and see where you land on the jazz piano ladder.
You may discover you’re farther along than you thought… or you may find the exact skills you need to level up.
👉 Watch the lesson and find out where you stand.
Writer
Jonny May
Jonathan May is a pianist from Southern California who specializes in many styles of piano. At age eighteen, Jonny became the youngest pianist to perform at Disneyland. Each week he entertained thousands of guests with his arrangements of American classics and Disney songs. Jonny has also performed with the Youtube...
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