Steve Nixon
How To Mix The Blues Scale With Bebop Over A Jazz Standard
Would you like to learn how to use blues sounds to improvise over a jazz standard? In this lesson I want to talk about some of the discoveries I made on my tours with B.B. King. Most newbies think that there is a big separation between blues and jazz. A Big Discovery From B.B. King In reality,…
The Blues Scale For Piano: A Simple Guide
If you want to learn how to play the the blues scale on piano you’ve come to the right place! This scale can add a lot of soulfulness and richness to your piano playing. You can hear the blues scale used everywhere and it’s very simple and easy to learn! Even though it’s called the…
7th Chords Guide Part 2
Welcome to our second free piano tutorial on 7th chords! In today’s piano chord lesson we’re going to continue our exploration of basic 7th chords. If you’ve always wondered how to play minor major 7th chords, fully diminished seventh chords, or minor 7th flat 5 chords this will be the lesson for you! (Youtube video…
7th Chords: A Basic Guide Part 1
In today’s free jazz tutorial we’re going to learn how to build and play basic 7th chords like the major 7th chord, minor 7th, and dominant 7th. These types of chords are used in almost every single jazz standard, lots of rock songs, R&B songs, and even classical music too. So, getting comfortable with them…
Happy Holidays!
Hey everybody. This will be probably the shortest post in the history of free jazz lessons (so far). I want to give a well deserved thank you! 2012 was an amazing year for this site. A year ago today we were only getting about 1500 unique visitors per month. By participating, sharing, and experiencing the…
1 of My Favorite Jazz Piano Chord And Reharmonization Tricks Revealed
Want to learn some great sound jazz reharmonization? Are you sick and tired of the same old boring chords and stock arrangements you find in your average fakebook or chord chart? Well, in today’s free piano lesson we’re going to learn one of my favorite techniques for reharmonizing the chords to any of your favorite…
Don’t Explain – Solo Jazz Piano Video Performance
Hey everybody! I wanted to share a quick video performance I just made of the great jazz standard ‘Don’t Explain’. This tune was written and made famous by the late great Billie Holiday. In my opinion she is an extremely underrated songwriter and should absolutely be in the same conversation with other great jazz writers….
Minor 7 Flat 5 Piano Chords Video Tutorial
In today’s free piano lesson we’re going to learn how to play the minor 7 (flat 5) chords in a fun and interesting way. After teaching piano lessons for over 15 years now I’ve noticed an overwhelming trend in regards to this chord. Many people who are learning piano either… a) Don’t know how to…
Jazz Piano Improvisation: Build Great Licks
Do you wish you were better at jazz piano improvisation? Do you wish you could improvise over major 7th chords better than you do now? Do you find yourself lost when major 7th chords come up in your favorite jazz and rock songs? Well, in today’s lesson we’re going to explore some new licks and…
Jazz Masters Method Special Video Blog Thank You
Hey everybody! Today’s post is going to be short but sweet. I’m truly humbled right now. I’d like to thank everybody who’s ordered the Jazz Masters Method DVD so far during this launch week. The response has been simply been AMAZING. I am truly blessed! Thank you!! I prepared a quick little video blog as I…
Learn 7 Sweet Piano Chords
Hey everybody! To celebrate the launch of my jazz instructional DVD “The Jazz Masters Method” (on Monday, October 8th 2012). I wanted to share a quick free piano lesson with you guys before the release. 🙂 (Update: The DVD has been released!! You can get access to the 9 jazz masters right here The Jazz Masters Method DVD ) The…
Stride Piano Lesson: Free Video and Tips
Want some stride piano tips? Would you like to learn more interesting ways of playing your favorite jazz standards and chord progressions on piano? In today’s jazz piano lesson, we’re going to study a classic rhythmic way of doing this called stride piano. (Video lesson, notation, and tips below.) This particular style was made famous…
11 Tips On Playing Piano For Your Career
A few days ago I received an interesting email from a reader of this site by the name of Jake. Jake asked,“Hey Steve! What are the basic skills a piano player needs to play piano for a living, even a very basic one?” I knew this would be a question many of the readers here…
Bill Evans So What Jazz Piano Chords Lesson
Hey friends! Hope you’re having a fantastic day today. Ready to learn some new jazz piano chords? Cool! Let’s get started. In this jazz piano chord lesson we’re going to learn 2 of the most famous piano chords in jazz music. These are the chords that Bill Evans played on the classic Miles Davis tune…
Gold Medal Jazz Piano Practice Challenge FAQ
Hey everybody! Hope you’re having a fantastic day so far. Ok, so far I’ve received a ton of emails asking me questions about the Gold Medal Jazz Piano Practice Challenge. (If you’ve new here you can check out the link right above.) I find it very cool that there are so many people interested in…
Dominant Bebop Scale Video Lesson
In today’s jazz scale lesson we’re going to explore a very sweet jazz scale. You’ll be able to add it into your playing right away when we’re done. This powerful scale is known as the dominant bebop scale. This 8 note scale can actually can be thought of as a chord and a scale at…
The Gold Medal Jazz Piano Practice Challenge
Hey jazz fans! Hope you’re having a fantastic day today. Ok, in today’s post I’m going to share an exciting new practice challenge I’ve just taken up. This is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. Some people will call me crazy after this but that inspires me even more! 🙂 I’m sharing…
Chet Baker Jazz Improvisation Lesson
In today’s jazz lick lesson we’re going to learn a very simple but cool Chet Baker lick. You guys are going to love this one. Chet’s minimalist jazz improvisation style may be basic, but it’s full of tons of great jazz vocabulary, articulation, swing feel, and soul. Plus, he was an awesome singer too. I know…
Clifford Brown Jazz Improvisation Lesson
I always tell my jazz students if they really want to learn jazz improvisation and master the bebop language then they need to go directly to the source. They need to learn from people like Charlie Parker, Clifford Brown, Bud Powell, and Sonny Stitt. So, in today’s jazz improvisation lesson we’re going to do just that!…
7 Inspirational Books For Musicians
Hey fellow musicians! I hope you’re having a very musical day today! So, after I released the latest article on building more creativity as a musician, I received a ton of follow-up questions. Many people asked me if there were any inspirational books I could recommend that were written specifically for musicians. We already have…
How To Nurture Your Creativity As A Musician
– Have you ever felt stuck in your development as a musician? – Have you ever felt blocked creatively, energetically, or even uninspired? – If you’re like most serious musicians your answer will most likely be YES! You’re Not Alone All serious musicians have felt this way as they progress through their journey of improving…
How To Add The Major Bebop Scale To Your Playing
Have you ever heard of the bebop scale? Do you wish knew more ways to bridge the gap between the scales you know and what real jazz musicians actually use in their jazz solos? One of the best ways to go about doing this is to learn the method behind the major bebop scale. When used…
How To Play 4 Different Major Jazz Piano Chords
Are you sick and tired of playing generic piano chords? Do you find yourself playing chords the same old way whenever they come up in a chord chart? If so, then this jazz piano lesson was designed for you! In today’s lesson we’re going to take a look at 4 unique ways of playing major…
Why Do You Play Jazz?
Hello my fellow jazz fanatics! I’d like to welcome all 21,879 subscribers to the free jazz lessons subscription list. We’re growing by leaps and bounds every day and I’m thrilled to have you here! Today, we’re going to help you solve some of your musical problems. In order to do that I’d like to share…