Here's a new video I just shot for the online piano instruction site www.pianolessonsonline.com. It features some cool way to decorate major chords using the 9th. The basic idea behind this piano lesson is to give a player some new ideas when they see basic piano chords in a chord chart. 

Instead of just playing triads the whole time there are lots of simple ways of creating variations. This provides some different textures and definitely cooler sounds than the plain old triad approach.

You can add the…Read more

 Here is another video lesson I just shot.  In this particular video lesson I feature a lick by the very famous jazz piano player Bill Evans.  I hope you enjoy this video.  Shooting these jazz piano lessons has been a great way to share with the community.  I hope to teach you all piano in my chicago piano lessons  studio very soon.

 Here's another free jazz lesson I just made.  This one was shot in my Chicago Piano Lessons studio.  Hope you enjoy and I get to teach you soon.  There are a few slots still open for private lessons. Please contact me today to get started.

 Here's a free lesson I just shot for the website www.freejazzlessons.com I really go into depth on how to play rootless jazz piano chords and voicings behind a soloist. There's some cool chords and rhythms in there. I'm excited to share it with friends in Chicago and around the world!
 
This video lesson combines 2 of my favorite styles. Jazz and Blues. I even throw in a couple gospel chords in there for good measure too! If you're interested in learning more about this style o any other jazz piano…Read more

Here is another free video lesson I made for freejazzlessons.com  

This video is a lesson on how to play a turnaround lick.  Turnarounds are very common in jazz and this lick and can be used on lots and lots of tunes.  Barry Harris made this particular lick idea famous.  Enjoy the free lesson!

Here's a video I just made for www.freejazzlessons.com  
It features a very cool jazz piano bebop lick over a minor ii - V - i  chord progression.  Enjoy!

Many future piano students are overwhelmed by finding the right piano teacher.
Finding a teacher that understands your individual goals and can help you achieve them can seem very difficult.  Here is just a few tips to assist you in selecting the best piano teacher for you. 


1. Choose a teacher with lots of professional performance experience. 

If you study with a teacher who has very little experience in the real world of performance they are teaching based off of what they think "may" work.  On the… Read more

Here is a very cool video I just found.  It's of Otis Spann playing his "Spann's Blues".   There are some phenomenal blues licks in this video and the first chorus is a close up of his hands.  Spend some time learning these blues licks my friends.  Otis Spann was perhaps the greatest Chicago Blues Piano Player of all time.  Enjoy!

I'm going to start posting some jazz solos that I've transcribed.   Here's Ulf Wakenius' solo on "Stella By Starlight".  This is off Ray Brown's album "Seven Steps To Heaven".   Enjoy!

Click here for solo 

Do you get nervous before you perform?  Have you avoided any opportunities to perform for fear of making mistakes in public?  You're not alone.  Fortunately, there are some really effective strategies to overcome your fear of playing in front of an audience.  When practiced properly performance becomes a true pleasure.

Playing at a recital becomes much easier if you practice the art of performing. One way to practice performing is to do it in an incremental way. You can actually study peformance in a…Read more

I'm excited to share with you my recent interview with keyboard player Jeremy Baum.
Jeremy is currently the full time keyboard player for Grammy Nominated blues singer
Shemekia Copeland.

Jeremy and I first met on a gig in Atlantic City. I heard one solo of his and I knew
immediately he had something special! We developed a friendship backstage after the
gig and we’ve been friends ever since.

Over the years Jeremy has done freelance work for many different artists, touring and/
or recording with…Read more

I'm excited to share with you my recent interview with good friend Marty Sammon. If you don't know of Marty yet you need to!

Marty is truly a phenomenal blues keyboardist. He has toured the world many times over as the current keyboard player for blues superstar Buddy Guy.   He's also worked with a plethora of famous names in both blues and the rock world appearing with such artists as Eric Clapton and Carlos Santana (just to name a few).

It is to be note that you don't get opportunities like this by…Read more

Many piano players who start playing Hammond B-3 Organ find themselves intimidated by the concept of drawbars. Piano players are used to creating tone from their hands, wrists, fingers, and the way they use their body to strike the piano. In the beginning, manipulating tone with levers and buttons can just feel strange. Here are a couple approach concepts that can really help you start your own map of the the "B-3"!

1. First, just memorize the general sound/feel of 4 different drawbar settings.…Read more