Jazz piano is a collective term for the techniques pianists use when playing jazz . The piano has been an integral part of the jazz idiom since its inception, in both solo and ensemble settings. Its role is multifaceted due largely to the instrument's combined melodic and harmonic capabilities. For this reason it is an important tool of jazz musicians and composers for teaching and learning jazz theory and set arrangement, regardless of their main instrument. By extension the phrase 'jazz piano' can refer to similar techniques on any keyboard instrument .
34-469: Alfred McCoy Tyner (December 11, 1938 – March 6, 2020) was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet from 1960 to 1965, and his long solo career afterwards. He was an NEA Jazz Master and five-time Grammy Award winner. Tyner has been widely imitated, and is one of the most recognizable and influential jazz pianists of all time. Tyner
68-430: A "sharp 11" chord. The next step is learning to improvise melodic lines using scales and chord tones. This ability is perfected after long experience, including much practice, which internalizes the physical skills of playing and the technical elements of harmony, and it requires a great natural 'ear' for extemporaneous music-making. When jazz pianists improvise , they use the scales, modes, and arpeggios associated with
102-587: A Friend (1972), Enlightenment (1973), and Fly with the Wind (1976), which included flautist Hubert Laws , drummer Billy Cobham , and a string orchestra. His music for Blue Note and Milestone often used the music of the Coltrane quartet as a starting point. Tyner also incorporated African and East Asian elements in his music. On Sahara , he played koto in addition to piano, flute, and percussion. These albums have been cited as examples of innovative 1970s jazz that
136-591: A band, which was typically configured as one or more of piano, guitar, bass, or drums, or other instruments, such as the vibraphone. Over time, playing piano-accompaniment in ensemble sets, and then bands, changed from primarily time-keeping (consisting of repetitive left-hand figures) to a more flexible role. Ultimately, the skilled pianist was free both to lead and to answer the instrumental soloist, using both short and sustained, chordal and melodic, fragments—a technique known as comping . Good comping musicians were capable of many and different chord voicings, so to match
170-724: A few exceptions, it is the only university in Finland that provides education in the fields it represents. The University of the Arts Helsinki is located mainly in Helsinki, but it also has operations in Kuopio (department of church music) and Seinäjoki at the University Consortium of Seinäjoki (department of popular and folk music). The university comprises three academies that were formerly independent universities: The Academy of Fine Arts of
204-418: A leader. These included Reaching Fourth (1963), Today and Tomorrow (1964), and McCoy Tyner Plays Ellington (1965). In a 2017 review, Marc Myers of JazzWax said "...the finest of these straightforward piano recordings was Nights of Ballads & Blues . Tyner's playing is exciting and exceptional on all of the tracks... On the album, he exhibits a reserved elegance and tenderness that reveals
238-505: A low bass left hand and raised his arm high above the keyboard for an emphatic attack. His right-hand soloing was detached and staccato . His melodic vocabulary was rich, ranging from raw blues to complex superimposed pentatonic scales ; his approach to chord voicing (most characteristically by fourths) influenced contemporary jazz pianists, such as Chick Corea . Some of his harmonic modal techniques have been connected to Claude Debussy 's piano repertory. Bob Weir , rhythm guitarist for
272-516: A melodic counterline that emulates the walking of an upright bass . In stride piano , (similar to the earlier ragtime ) the left hand rapidly plays alternate positions between notes in the bass register and chords in the tenor register, while the right hand plays melody and improvises, as performed in George Gershwin 's "Liza". The right hand may play melodic lines, or harmonic content, chordally or in octaves. It may also be played in lockstep with
306-498: A replacement if Tyner was not available; between the time Tyner joined the group (around the end of May 1960) and left (December 1965), there was no other pianist accompanying Coltrane. Tyner's involvement with Coltrane ended in 1965. Coltrane's music was becoming much more atonal and free; he had also augmented his quartet with percussion players who threatened to drown out both Tyner and Jones. Tyner commented: "I didn't see myself making any contribution to that music... All I could hear
340-582: Is comparable to Coltrane's maximalist style on saxophone. Writing in 2019, Sami Linna at the University of the Arts Helsinki noted that Coltrane described the two different directions in his playing as: "playing chordally (vertically) or melodically (horizontally)". Linna suggests: "Tyner would eventually find a way of dealing with the two directions simultaneously, in a manner that was supportive and complementary yet original and slightly different from Coltrane's approach." After 1960, Coltrane did not hire anyone as
374-399: Is learning to play with a swing rhythm and "feel". In jazz, the roots are usually omitted from keyboard voicings, as this task is left to the double bass player. Jazz pianists also make extensive use of chord "extensions", such as adding the ninth, eleventh or thirteenth scale degree to the chord. In some cases, these extensions may be "altered" i.e. sharpened or flattened, as in the case of
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#1732868697711408-636: The Grateful Dead , has listed Tyner as an influence on his playing. Tyner was named a 2002 NEA Jazz Master by the National Endowment for the Arts . He won five Grammy Awards : for The Turning Point (1992) and Journey (1993) and best instrumental jazz album for Illuminations (2004), Infinity (1995), and Blues for Coltrane: A Tribute to John Coltrane (1987). Tyner was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music at
442-834: The John Coltrane quartet, which included drummer Elvin Jones and bassist Steven Davis . He worked with the band during its extended run at the Jazz Gallery, replacing Steve Kuhn . Coltrane had known Tyner for a while growing up in Philadelphia, and recorded Tyner's composition "The Believer" on January 10, 1958, which later became the title track of Prestige Records' 1964 issued album under Coltrane’s name. The band toured almost non-stop between 1961 and 1965, recording many albums widely considered jazz classics including My Favorite Things (1961) for Atlantic Records and Coltrane "Live" at
476-628: The 1920s, predominantly in New York , United States. James P. Johnson was a prominent proponent. The left hand was used to establish rhythm while the right hand improvised melodies. Mastering the various chord voicings—simple to advanced—is the first building block of learning jazz piano. Jazz piano technique uses all the chords found in Western art music, such as major, minor, augmented, diminished, seventh, diminished seventh, sixth, minor seventh, major seventh, suspended fourth, and so on. A second key skill
510-544: The 1940s and 1950s, a number of great piano players emerged. Pianists like Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell helped create and establish the sound of bebop. Bill Evans built upon the style of Powell while adding a distinct classical influence to his playing, while Oscar Peterson pushed rhythmic variations and was influenced by the style of Art Tatum , Teddy Wilson and Nat King Cole . Wynton Kelly , Red Garland , Herbie Hancock , and Keith Jarrett were also exceptional pianists who played with Miles Davis . Tommy Flanagan
544-547: The Blue Note label, beginning with Revelations (1988) and culminating in Soliloquy (1991). After signing with Telarc , he recorded with several other trios. These included Charnett Moffett on bass and Al Foster on drums. In 2008, he toured with a quartet of Gary Bartz , Gerald L. Cannon , and Eric Gravatt . Tyner married Aisha Saud; they had three sons. The marriage ended in divorce. Tyner's younger brother Jarvis Tyner
578-566: The Sala dei Notari during the Umbria Jazz Festival . Tyner was a judge for the 6th, 10th and 11th annual Independent Music Awards. Jazz piano Along with the guitar , vibraphone , and other keyboard instruments, the piano is one of the instruments in a jazz combo that can play both single notes and chords rather than only single notes as does the saxophone or trumpet . A new style known as "stride" or "Harlem stride" emerged during
612-621: The University of the Arts Helsinki (until 2013 Finnish Academy of Fine Arts ), the Sibelius Academy of the University of the Arts Helsinki (until 2013 Sibelius Academy ) and the Theatre Academy of the University of the Arts Helsinki (until 2013 Helsinki Theatre Academy ). The total number of students is 1946 (as of 2019). According to the university, the goal of the merger is to strengthen the education, research and artistic activity within
646-479: The University of the Arts Helsinki, students can complete Bachelor's, Master's and doctoral degrees in the fields of fine arts, music, theatre and dance. The University of the Arts Student Union is a student organisation that provides services and promotes the interest of its members. All Bachelor's and Master's students studying at any of the three academies of the University of the Arts Helsinki are members of
680-471: The University of the Arts Student Union. The Student Union was established on 1 January 2013 as a result of the merger between the student unions of the Academy of Fine Arts, Sibelius Academy and Theatre Academy. The University of the Arts Student Union is the only Finnish student union whose members exclusively consist of students studying in the field of arts. In addition to promoting the interest of its members,
714-501: The Village Vanguard (1962), Ballads (1963), John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman (1963), Live at Birdland (1964), Crescent (1964), A Love Supreme (1964), and The John Coltrane Quartet Plays (1965), for Impulse! Records . While in Coltrane's group, Tyner recorded albums in a piano trio. In late 1962 and the first half of 1963, Tyner was asked by producer Bob Thiele to record more straightforward jazz albums as
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#1732868697711748-446: The chord changes using scales (whole tone scale, chromatic scale, etc.) and arpeggios. Jazz piano (the technique) and the instrument itself offer soloists an exhaustive number of choices. One may play the bass register in an ostinato pattern, popular in boogie-woogie style, where the left hand repeats a phrase numerous times throughout a song, as performed by Rob Agerbeek in "Boogie Woogie Stomp". The left hand can also be played as
782-481: The chords in a tune's chord progression. The approach to improvising has changed since the earliest eras of jazz piano. During the swing era, many soloists improvised "by ear" by embellishing the melody with ornaments and passing notes. However, during the bebop era, the rapid tempo and complicated chord progressions made it increasingly harder to play "by ear." Along with other improvisers, such as saxes and guitar players, bebop-era jazz pianists began to improvise over
816-425: The field of arts in the university sector on a national and international scale. Another objective is to provide more opportunities to influence society through art. The rector of the University of the Arts Helsinki is Kaarlo Hildén. Lauri Väkevä and Jaana Erkkilä-Hill are the vice-rectors and Heikki Lehtonen is the chair of the university board. The University of the Arts Helsinki offers over 30 degree programmes in
850-462: The fields of music, fine arts, theatre and dance. The programmes lead to a Bachelor's, Master's or doctoral degree. The university provides the highest level of education in the arts in Finland, also engaging in artistic activities and research. In addition to bachelor's, master's and doctoral studies, the university offers open and continuing education services. University of the Arts Helsinki's Sibelius Academy also offers junior academy studies. At
884-785: The focal point of his life. Tyner's decision to study piano was reinforced when he encountered bebop pianist Bud Powell , a neighbor of the Tyner family. Another major influence on Tyner's playing was Thelonious Monk , whose percussive attacks would inform Tyner's signature style. During his teens, Tyner led his own group, the Houserockers. When he was 17, Tyner converted to Ahmadiyya and changed his name to Suleiman Saud. Tyner played professionally in Philadelphia , becoming part of its modern jazz scene. In 1960, he joined The Jazztet led by Benny Golson and Art Farmer . Six months later, he joined
918-413: The left hand, using a double melody block chord called "locked-hand" voicing , or Shearing voicing—a technique popularized, though not invented, by the pianist and set leader George Shearing . Jazz piano has played a leading role in developing the sound of jazz. Early on, Black jazz musicians created ragtime on the piano. As the genre progressed, the piano was usually featured in the rhythm section of
952-535: The other side of his personality—a lover of melody and standards. In this regard, there are traces of Oscar Peterson in his playing. Perhaps Thiele was using Tyner to take a bite out of Peterson's vast and successful early-'60s share of the jazz market." Tyner also appeared as a sideman on many Blue Note Records albums of the 1960s, although he was often credited as "etc." on the cover of these albums to respect his contract with Impulse!. Tyner's playing style developed in close contact with Coltrane. His style of piano
986-667: The various moods the different soloists were aiming for. In the early days, not all leading pianists were concerned to provide comping. Others—notably Duke Ellington , who became famous during the Harlem Renaissance at the Cotton Club —earned great esteem among band members as well as other musicians. Ellington comped enthusiastically in support of the soloist and did much to develop the technique. Jazz piano moved away from playing lead melody to providing foundation for song sets; soon, skilled jazz pianists were performing as soloists. In
1020-517: Was a lot of noise. I didn't have any feeling for the music, and when I don't have feelings, I don't play". In 1966, Tyner rehearsed with a new trio and embarked on a career as a bandleader. Tyner produced a series of post-bop albums released by Blue Note between 1967 and 1970. These included The Real McCoy (1967), Tender Moments (1967), Time for Tyner (1968), Expansions (1968) and Extensions (1970). He signed with Milestone Records and recorded such albums as Sahara and Echoes of
1054-400: Was born December 11, 1938 in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania, the eldest of Jarvis and Beatrice (née Stevenson) Tyner's three children. Tyner was encouraged to study piano by his mother, who had installed a piano at her beauty salon. When he was 13, Tyner began piano lessons at Granoff School of Music , where he also studied music theory and harmony . By the time he was 15, music had become
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1088-513: Was executive vice-chairman of the Communist Party USA . Tyner died at his home in Bergenfield, New Jersey , on March 6, 2020. He was 81. No cause of death was given, but he had been in ill health. Tyner is considered to be one of the most influential jazz pianists of the late 20th century, an honor he earned during and after his time with Coltrane. Tyner, who was left-handed, played with
1122-473: Was featured by John Coltrane on his hit album Giant Steps . McCoy Tyner is also an influential player who played with Coltrane. University of the Arts Helsinki The University of the Arts Helsinki ( Finnish : Taideyliopisto , Swedish : Konstuniversitetet ), also known as Uniarts Helsinki , is a Finnish arts university that was launched in the beginning of 2013. Apart from
1156-442: Was neither fusion nor free jazz . On Trident (1975) Tyner played the harpsichord and celeste , instruments rarely heard in jazz. Unlike many jazz keyboardists of his generation, Tyner rarely incorporated electric keyboards or synthesizers into his work. During the '80s and '90s, Tyner performed in a trio including Avery Sharpe on bass and Louis Hayes , then Aaron Scott , on drums. He also recorded some solo albums for
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