High level overview of principals of jazz piano

1. List of songs to begin experimenting with

a. Happy Birthday

b. Somewhere Over the Rainbow

c. The First Noel

d. Chestnuts Roasting on An Open Fire

2. Chord types

a. Basic triads

b. 7 th chords

i. Major 7 th chords

ii. Minor 7 th chords

iii. Dominant 7 th chords

iv. Diminished 7 th chords

c. Chord extensions

d. Chord alterations

e. Rootless chords

f. Chord voicings

3. Chord progressions

i. Basic ii,-V,-I progressions and cycle of fifths

ii. Chord substitutions

iii. Chord modulation techniques

4. Improvisation techniques:

a. Staying in the key the song is in

b. Outlining the chord that is played

c. Using non-chord passing tones

d. Altered rhythm patterns