🎹 Jazzing It Up  and Breaking Free From Traditional Song Learning 

In today’s online piano lesson, I had the joy of working with one of my Oclef students on the exciting piano duet Cool Walking Bass from the Piano Adventures Method Book 3A.
This piece is more than just fun—it’s a great introduction to blues and jazz styles, offering students a first taste of swing rhythm, walking bass lines, mordents and syncopation.

To deepen the learning experience, we took the lesson a step further by combining both duet parts and exploring basic improvisation techniques. Jazz and blues are all about creativity, so I introduced the Major Jazz Scale to help my student break free from rigid note-reading and start experimenting with sound and self-expression.

One of my favorite teaching methods is playing the full musical score for my students. It helps them internalize the tempo, mood, and style of the piece. It’s also a fun and engaging way to develop their musical ear and inspire expressive playing. Watching a complete performance gives students a model for interpretation—and let’s face it, it makes the lesson more exciting!

🎥 Watch a sneak peek of our lesson here: