Welcome to Rocket Piano’s Introduction to Jazz Piano!

A Personal Message from Me

Table Of Contents

01

01
Rocket Piano Progress Tracker
Lesson or Skill Page # Date Signature
Chapter 1. A Brief History of Jazz
Chapter 2. Jazz Rhythm 42

The Dotted Eighth Note

 
       
Exercise

1 a and a 2 a and a 3 a and a 4 a and a 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and 1 2 3 4

           
      

01
Swing Time

                     

Chapter 3. Seventh Chords

Major 7th Chords

  
C major 7th chord


(root position) 7th
5th
3rd
root

1, 3, 5, 7
Dominant 7th Chords

  
C dominant 7th chord


(root position)
7
5
3
1

1, 3, 5, 7

1, 2, 3, 5 1,
2, 4, 5
5, 3, 2, 1 5, 4, 2, 1
Minor 7th Chords

  
C minor 7th chord 43


(root position) 7
5
3
1

1, 3, 5, 7

Chord Quality
Exercise

02

         
           
 

  

 
  

 


        
           
 

 



  

 



WE’RE JAMMIN’!

Jam Track 16

Exercise:

16
Allegro 5 4

  
1
       
3 2
       
      
      
1 4 1  
   1       
4 5 4 3 2 4 1 4 5 3 2
5

       
5 4
        
3 2
    
       

          
 1
  
2 1 5
4 5
10

    

        
     
 
          
         

15
 

   
               
   
 
     
              
20

              
       
 
             

      
24

        
 
     
       
   
  

16x
Chapter 4. Chord Progressions

44
Key of C Major

Exercise

03
 I major7 V dominant7
IV major7
5
    
32                 
1

   







 


C major 7 G dominant 7
F major 7

                    

 







 



                    
     
   

13

            
       
         

Key of B Major

04
I major7 V dominant7
IV major7
    
        
   
    
    

Key of G Major

05
I major7 V dominant7
       

IV major 7

     
    
   
 Chord Progression in the Minor Keys

Key of A Minor

06
i minor7 V dominant7
iv minor7

  
    
  
    
   

Key of D Minor

i minor7 07
V dominant7
iv minor7

q = 96
3 3 3
             

           
  

6
3 3
              


        

  

Key of E Minor

i minor7 V dominant7 08
iv major7
q = 78

    
        

  3 3 3
                

 
 
        
       
   
       
3
    
   

                
 
 3 3 3
                

13

 
 
    
   
 
3
          
 
16

      

   
   3    3   3    3 
  
 
Chapter 5. Building on What You Know

Minor 7 Flat 5 Chords 45

  

C minor 7 flat 5
(root position) 7
5
3
1

1, 3, 5, 7

Recap of 7th Chords

Chord Progressions Revisited

ii minor7 IV major7 vi minor7 I major7

I major 7
iii minor7
V dominant

7
 
vii minor

7b5

   
       

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1
C major7 E minor7 G dominant7 B minor7b5
D minor7 F major7 A minor7 C major7

46
Iv, iii, V, I Chord Progression

 
IV major7 iii minor7 V dominant7 I major7
   
IV, iii, V, I progression     
   
in C major
09
 
     
F major7 E minor7 G dominant7 C major7

10
Exercise
IV iii V I IV iii V I

     

    
    

  
     
Chapter 6. Playing Chord Progressions

11

IV iii V I IV iii V I

  
   

 

 

 
 





 

 
 




       

Syncopation

12
IV iii V I

   
     






  
   
 
Chord Displacement 47

13

         

       

     





  
          

iii, vi, ii, V, I Chord Progression

ii minor7 IV major7 vi minor7 I major7

I major iii minor V dominant vii minor7b5
 
7 7 7

   

        
 
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1
C major7 E minor7 G dominant7 B minor7b5
D minor7 F major7 A minor7 C major7
 14
iii vi ii V I
 
   
  

 
  
   


15

iii vi ii V I iii vi ii V I


    
  
    
 
   
       
 
WE’RE JAMMIN’!

Jam Track 17

Exercise:

17
Swing
    
          

   

   

        
          
       



               
 

                     

 
10

 
1. 2.

   

  



 
                   
          
15

    
             

                   
   

    
21
        
     
 
            
  


24

            

        
           
 

17x
Chapter 7. Melody

Each melodic note here is a chordal note.

In other words, every note here is found
in the C major 7 chord.

        
      

  
I IV V I

I IV V I

         
          
    
     

Exercise 16
Syncopation in the Melody 48

I IV V I

          
                
  
       

17

Exercise

18
 1 5 1
= 58

        
      
 
  1       
 
    


2
3
6 5

              


       
     
  

11
         
         
       
    
16

                     
 
 
      
    
21

                  


 
    
     
Passing Notes

19

non-chordal notes non-chordal notes non-chordal notes non-chordal notes

of C major 7 of F major 7 of G dominant 7 of C major 7
(passing notes) (passing notes) (passing notes) (passing notes)

                             

        




accented

                             
             
        




Exercise
Review

Exercise
1
2
3
5

20
 iii vi
1 3 1
q = 84

                        
     
mf
      
ii V I
1 1 3 3
    
5
     
   

  
   
        

                      
9


    
      

13
        
           
         
              
  

            
17
       
  
        
                     
  
21
        
               
  

 

 



 
Chromatic Notes

                            
  

        





21

chromatic chromatic chromatic chromatic chromatic

passing note passing note passing note passing note passing note

non-chordal non-chordal non-chordal non-chordal non-chordal non-chordal

passing note passing notes passing note passing note passing note passing note

                       


        



Chapter 8. Real Jazz
 22
= 96
              
           
      
    
  

             
     
     
  


      
         

9

                 
      


       


  

13
              
          
        
       



      
17

   
          
  
 
               


  
           
21
   
  
      
  
       

        
         
25
    

     
 
  

29

                
    
   

31

                   
   
     
 

Conclusion