Improvisation Videos

Check out this jazz improvisation masterclass with Gary Burton the vibraphone virtuoso:

Gary has taught jazz education at Berklee College of Music for the past 30 years. He is a true pioneer in his field and the information and guidance he presents in this masterclass is priceless.

I would recommend watching this masterclass a few times and taking notes as there are so many actionable tips and pointers from a true jazz legend!

Check out this insightful lesson on rhythm from renowned jazz pianist and educator Michael Wolf:

We have covered the modes of scales in many PianoGroove lessons. However, Michael’s concept of ‘rhythmic modes’ is an interesting perspective on rhythm.

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This video is excellent now to get a good handle on this I need to drastically improve my LH / RH independence. Some exercises to improve this please

Yes Micheal Wolf is a wonderful jazz musician… there are some other great videos of him on that channel that are definitely worth checking out! :slight_smile:

Lessons on hand independence is certainly something we can add more on in the future.

There is no real ‘quick fix’ for this. It’s something that comes with time and focused practice. Here is what I would recommend based on what has helped me develop my own hand independence…

  1. Work on 'styles’ where hand independence is essential… You need to be playing styles where the hands have to move independently.

  2. Example styles that require hand independence: are Walking Bass Lines and Bossa Nova Piano.

Check out the courses here:

Walking Bass: https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/blues-gospel-swing/
Bossa Nova: https://www.pianogroove.com/bossa-nova-lessons/introduction-bossa-nova/

Perhaps just pick one of the areas above (bass lines or bossa) and spend a few weeks working on this and I’m sure you will feel more confident. Just spend 30 minutes or so a day on this, make sure you watch the theory lessons, and are also working on the application to jazz standards.