Exerpt from Jazz Exercises for the Piano

This is an exercise in smooth phrasing. The Chords must run together in the most legato mannner. The only percussive sounds come near the end where the dots over the chords indicate a short percussive sound. The rest of the piece should be played as though the student were pouring honey onto the keyboard. This exercise may be practiced without the use of the sustaining pedal. By doing this the student learns how to hold the chords down with the fingers and develop a smooth, legato style of playing. If there is a seperation between the chords when you play, then you are not playing the legato exercise correctly. The pedal may be used sparingly, but it is better to practice running the chords together with only the use of the fingers to sustain them. George Shearing is an excellent pianist to listen to for this style since he is ine of the men who brought it into existence. If you need to relate to an image when playing this exercise, picture the progressions as sax section playing them - phrasing them smoothly with a few accents here and there and leaving spaces to breathe where there are 8th rests or whole note holds.

This is the way some of those rock rhythms look when they're written out. This is a good exercise for your reading. Again, practice it slowly - make sure you have the correct meter before you get to playing it too "hot." Do it with the metronome so you don't cheat on the time. Read it correctly, play it aggressively and enjoy!