-🎄 December is here—and so is our new Jazz Piano Skills lesson series! Join Dr. Bob Lawrence as we dive into the beloved Vince Guaraldi classic “Christmas Time Is Here” from the 1965 A Charlie Brown Christmas special. Over the next three weeks, we’ll explore this timeless holiday tune step…
🎹 Jazz Piano Melody–Harmony Combo Challenge! Hosted by Dr. Bob Lawrence of Jazz Piano Skills and The Dallas School of Music, today’s challenge puts both your melodic and harmonic skills to the test. You’ll work through broken triads across the II–V–I Progression using a blend of arpeggio and scale motion—a…
🎹 In this quick jazz piano tip, Dr. Lawrence of Jazz Piano Skills demonstrates how to practice any sound and chord using alternating arpeggio and scale motion through an entire measure—all with a classic jazz 8th-note feel! This powerful exercise is shown using C Minor 7, and it’s a fantastic…
Keywords composing etudes, musical skills, sound focus, chord structures, arpeggios, melodic lines, music education, transformational practice Summary In this conversation, Dr. Bob Lawrence discusses the importance of composing etudes as a transformative practice for musicians. He emphasizes the need to establish specific skills and encourages musicians to create melodic lines…
🎹 Jazz Piano Melody Challenge! Hosted by Dr. Bob Lawrence of Jazz Piano Skills and The Dallas School of Music, today’s Melody Challenge takes your arpeggio skills to the next level. You’ll play four essential arpeggios that outline the entire chord—from the Root to the 13th: Arpeggio 1: Root →…
🎹 In this quick jazz piano tip, Dr. Lawrence of Jazz Piano Skills shows how to practice scales and arpeggios together for maximum improvisation prep! Learn to insert arpeggio motion between the 5th–7th, 3rd–5th, and Root–3rd within a scale—turning scales and arpeggios into one seamless concept. Dr. Lawrence encourages students…
Keywords melody, improvisation, music interpretation, rhythm, musical freedom Summary In this conversation, Dr. Bob Lawrence discusses the importance of mastering melody interpretation as a foundational skill for improvisation in music. He emphasizes that true improvisation stems from a deep understanding and comfort with the melody, allowing musicians to freely interpret…
🎹 Jazz Piano Melody Challenge! Hosted by Dr. Bob Lawrence of Jazz Piano Skills and The Dallas School of Music, today’s Melody Challenge puts your melodic technique to the test. You’ll explore essential arpeggio motion using Traditional Block Chords in Root Position and all Three Inversions — a must-have skill…
🎹 In this quick jazz piano tip, Dr. Lawrence of Jazz Piano Skills demonstrates how to practice scales through the II–V–I progression—the most common progression in all of jazz! Learn how to move ascending and descending through the chords to strengthen your technique, timing, and improvisational fluency. Dr. Lawrence encourages…
Keywords jazz, voicings, harmonic analysis, practice, music education Summary In this conversation, Dr. Bob Lawrence discusses the essential components of jazz voicings, emphasizing the importance of building a strong foundation with blocks and shells. He encourages patience in practice to develop muscle and aural memory for effective performance. Takeaways No…
🎹 Jazz Piano Harmony Challenge! Hosted by Dr. Bob Lawrence of Jazz Piano Skills and The Dallas School of Music, today’s Harmony Challenge puts your traditional harmony chops to the test. You’ll work through the II–V–I Progression using Traditional Block Chords in Root Position and all Three Inversions — an…
🎹 In this quick jazz piano tip, Dr. Lawrence of Jazz Piano Skills shows how to build a rich Dominant #11 voicing using two-handed structures and a polychord approach! Learn how the combination of Ab over F#7 creates the powerful F#7#11 sound—a must-know color for every jazz pianist. Dr. Lawrence…
CORRECTION: In the video, I mention Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne! WRONG! The song "A Beautiful Friendship" was composed by Donald Kahn with lyrics by Stanley Styne. Apologies for the confusion! 🎶 Monthly Tune Study: “A Beautiful Friendship” by Donald Kahn and Jule Styne. Hosted by Dr. Bob Lawrence |…
🎵 Jazz Piano Rhythm Challenge! Hosted by Dr. Bob Lawrence of Jazz Piano Skills and The Dallas School of Music, today’s Rhythm Challenge puts your time feel and groove precision to the test! You’ll start by playing upbeats on counts 2 and 4, then flip the script and play upbeats…
🎹 In this quick jazz piano tip, Dr. Lawrence of Jazz Piano Skills demonstrates how to practice arpeggio motion with any chord—Major, Dominant, Minor, Half-Diminished, or Diminished—using downbeats and upbeats! Learn the technique using the C Minor 7th Chord and discover how rhythmic placement transforms your sound and feel. It’s…
Jazz Piano Skills – Reflect & Project: “Tangerine” Improvisation Week In this week’s Reflect and Project video, Dr. Bob Lawrence kicks off Monday by looking back at last week’s progress and previewing the exciting jazz piano studies ahead. Reflection: Dr. Lawrence highlights the recent Jazz Piano Skills interview with New…
🎵 Rhythm Challenge for Jazz Pianists! Hosted by Dr. Bob Lawrence of Jazz Piano Skills and The Dallas School of Music, today’s Rhythm Challenge puts your time, touch, and coordination to the test! You’ll be playing a dotted quarter / 8th note rhythm stretched across an arpeggio from root to…
🎹 In this quick jazz piano tip, Dr. Lawrence of Jazz Piano Skills uses the classic standard “Tangerine” to demonstrate how to practice quarter note triplets! Learn how to feel and articulate this essential jazz rhythm by working through the melody in the final eight measures of the tune. It’s…
Keywords Jazz, Piano, Music Education, Jazz Piano Skills, Musical Journey, Influences, Practice, Learning, Community, Listening Takeaways Lisa's mother was a significant influence on her love for music. She grew up in a musically rich environment with classical and jazz influences. Lisa's journey into jazz began in college with a history…
🎹 Jazz Piano Skills Weekly Recap – “Tangerine” Melodic Mastery and the Seven Facts of Music This week on Jazz Piano Skills, Dr. Bob Lawrence checked in from the road — coffee in hand, hotel room setting — after visiting his sons in Nashville and Danville, both collegiate baseball players.…
🎹 Melody Challenge for Jazz Pianists! Hosted by Dr. Bob Lawrence of Jazz Piano Skills and Director of The Dallas School of Music. Today’s Melody Challenge tests your ability to play ascending and descending arpeggio motion through the classic progression: I–â™IV7–III–7–VI7–II–7–V7 Dr. Lawrence demonstrates the challenge in F Major, but…
🎹 In this quick jazz piano tip, Dr. Lawrence of Jazz Piano Skills demonstrates how to practice intentional hand shifts when playing four-note arpeggios! Learn the proper technique using the family of C Chords (Major, Dominant, Minor, Half-Diminished, and Diminished) to develop smooth, controlled motion across the keyboard. Dr. Lawrence…
🎹 Jazz Piano Skills: Kicking Off “Tangerine” – Harmonic Analysis Week Dr. Bob Lawrence opens a new month of Jazz Piano Skills with excitement and focus: a new month means a new tune—and this time, it’s the 1941 classic “Tangerine.” As always, Dr. Lawrence guides students through a structured three-week…
🎹 Harmony Challenge: Major II–V–I in F Major! Hosted by Dr. Bob Lawrence of Jazz Piano Skills and Director of The Dallas School of Music. Today’s Harmony Challenge tests your ability to play a classic Major II–V–I progression in F Major — Gm7 → C7 → Fmaj7 — using both…