This lesson has totally blown me away!! You can learn all the theory and practice that all the universities and colleges of the world can offer, but until someone who knows and understands at this level can play it, teach it, and show you exactly what to do, it won't come all together. Oliver, you brought it all together for me. I am 56, earned a B.A. in Music Composition, but never learned the secret of playing this great genre on piano. Thank you, thank you, and THANK YOU!
I’m 75, started formal piano lessons at 5, played the trumpet and French horn at university brand. No one dared to teach this to me like you just did. I’m eternally grateful.
I've studied music during seven years and never anyone teach me that the music can be so closely and easy to play, you don't know how much i´m grateful for what you've done with this video!!!
Phew! I need to re-wind myself now and start back at the beginning taking this one step at a time! Thanks and I look forward to giving this a try .....slowly!
You are the best...I wish I found you 60 years ago. You explained the basic of jazz piano playing better than anyone else. I'm 71 now but I wish its not too late. Hats off to you, kudos, bravos and a million thanks! And thank you RU-vid. I wasted a lot of money on a lot of paper work. I'm glad I lived this long.
There is only three "too late" points in life: once your fingers don't work no more, or your brain. Or you have passed the finish line. Everything else is a "just right" point :)
You are one of the best online music teachers that I've ever come across. Your ability to teach the theory and to demonstrate it so beautifully, is nothing short of exceptional
Mr Prehn, I've just watched this video again and am - once more - blown away by the quality of what you teach. My playing had improved CONSIDERABLY because of your knowledge shared with us. You are a true RU-vid treasure. Please don't ever lose your humility and graciousness as so many successful RU-vidrs do. Learning from you is like a guilty pleasure for me!
Guitar is my primary instrument, but this visual presentation on piano along with the clear explanation has given me a clearer understanding of chordal and scalar substitutions along with a lot of ideas that I can instantly explore! Thanks so much!!!
Great, great, great lesson! Never seen it explained like this before in all my 40 years of piano playing! You have great musical skill. Awesome tutor/video/tutorial. Thank you for sharing.
I can’t possibly overstate how helpful this is. I’ve played by mostly ear for a decade now and proper jazz has eluded me for so long. Being able to use these scale relationships and transpose them to any key is a huge help. THANK YOU 🙏
Man, your lessons are so usefull and cool. I play jazz for years and I had NEVER seen a real jazz youtube channel. Well you are the reference and I just suscribed. Thank you for everything
I’ve been watching you for almost 2 years now. I’ve picked a few tricks of yours but in the first 12 minutes of this video, you literally “gave me the keys” I’ve been looking for to unlocking improv codes lol I knew/know almost any chord one could think of but this finally helped me connect all my theory knowledge. Thanks 🙏🏽
Greetings Oliver! This is by far the most well ordered, perfectly articulated and readily applicable tutorial I've encountered! I'm excited to explore everything you share with us! Best Regards and happy holidays!
Today is the first time I can able to walking in the bass without sheet piano and it’s amazing when corporate with the R.H. Melody line, I’m from Malaysia. Thank you so much for teaching us the Simple Jazz, my music teacher Oliver Prehn
Brilliant. After having played for 40+ years, your logical well articulated explanation of the simple tools behind the otherwise complex theoretical gymnastics has taken me to a new level of keyboard enjoyment !!!
amazing what a great lesson. I enjoyed the music and your voice and I stayed with you the whole 27 minutes without any dozing off. The mark of a great teacher.
I wish I had found this ten years ago!! The best YT piano jazz teacher so far. Until finding New Jazz I never truly appreciated the power of the circle of fifths, 251, church scales or pentatonic scales, or really understood how to practice them in a way that also strikes a chord in my head, pun intended. Fabulous. More please!
I was a composition major so I've got a strong grasp of theory (a long time ago) and like to just improvise. Your approach is genius and incorporates theory in a way that frees up the mind to just sing inside. THANK YOU!
Oliver, thanks so much for this lesson. It speaks volumes that as a guitarist I had to watch a video by a pianist to get a grip of the basics. Many other (guitar) videos begin flooding the lesson with scales, arpeggios, substitutions, you name it, all great and useful things, but very confusing for a beginner. It's also good to see that it's not just guitarists who think in shapes! Thanks a lot, keep up the good work!
Estoy impresionado de la maravillosa creatividad en las manos de un gran pianista y maestro. Ahora que puedo entender mejor la técnica empleada, me asombro y maravillo mucho más viendo la sencillez de este esquema armónico que permite utilizar las distintas escalas pentatónicas sin importa la base armónica en que se encuentre el bajo. Gracias por esta magistral clase.
Amazing! I have been trying to get into jazz piano for a while now from a classical background. Everywhere online, people will direct you to jazz theory books or tell you the best way to learn to play jazz is to listen (which I don't doubt, but it doesn't help a beginner who just wants to play some jazz). It made jazz improvisation appear extremely complex and something only to be achieved when you have a vast collection of jazz knowledge. Your videos make jazz approachable and not such an impossible feat.
I've been a self-taught player for years.... this video might be the most impressive learning tool to start advancing my progress and taking it to the next level. Thank you so much.
simple yet sophisticated ... plain yet not easy ... not so hard but not quite a piece of cake either ... thank you Oliver Prehn for such a truly beautiful performance and thorough as well as comprehensible explanation of one of the best music formats ever! this is exactly how i'd love to play jazz ...
I love the reflection versus performance distinction. I have learned so much theory from you because you approached it this way. Starting with theory first is not the best way to get into it. First, hand grip and performance, then after, I want to know "why does that work?" ...and so then is the time for theory and reflection. You are the best piano teacher ever!
I am as moved and excited as everyone else. The power of music is mind blowing. The chance to actually create music is so powerful. This video lesson helps in-measurably in helping me create music. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge in a way that makes so much sense.
Now I need translate that "grip" to my electric guitar. That pentatonic scales are easy to follow any time. It's NOT boring learning this way ... if you want to play it on guitar. Best teacher in the world !!!!
More than a decade ago, I told myself that I wanted to learn Jazz. However, I wasn't finding anything on RU-vid that showed the theoretical and practical patterns easy enough for me to follow. After watching this video and the one titled "the 10 steps to improve jazz", I learned so much that I couldn't believe that so much content could fit in 1 hour. I am so excited to watch more of these videos, but it will take me a little while to master what I have learned from just these 2. I have known about the pentatonic scale for years but never really saw the need to practice it. After seeing Mr. Prehn teaching the pentatonic hand grip and demonstrating it so beautifully, I immediately had a high level of respect for the scale and is now motivated to practice it. Its more than 5 yrs since I've had a motivation like this to practice. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and skills with us Mr. Prehn. I will definitely be following your videos as I have already suscribed to your channel.
Finally!!! a great music course (new jazz) after searching for 20 years. this is the best lesson so far. Some will pretend to teach you music but I feel like their main goal is to confuse you more or maybe they just lack the teaching skill who knows. but this guy is gifted for teaching music. Amazing . thank you.
Excellent explanation of the relationships between the minor pentatonic, 3 modes, and a tritone sub. Love the hand grip idea’ and I sure appreciate the comment about theory versus performance. Thank you!
Amazing presentation Oliver. I learned a lot, I can easily incorporate your theory to Saxophone improvisation. Great Job. I've been looking for a lesson like this thank God I found it at your channel.
Hi Oliver, I think we are blessed to have you as our mentor. I followed all your lessons with great interest wondering how far your different minor pentatonic-hand grips will take us. The 2-5-1 Jazz Improvisation Lesson - in a Single Hand Grip of Dec 13, 2017, demonstrates your teachings very effectively. Thanks and God Bless You, Oliver.
Thank you from Bangkok, I was not fortunate enough to have any music lesson, ended up teaching myself on how to play and understand what works and what doesn’t in music. But you have shown me many things, they’re different and simple ways of how to look at things that’s been eluding me through the years. Thank you very much sir. My gratitude! 🙏
You are right sir, this concept really frees up the mind so it can really concentrate on create cool sounding melodies, especially using patterns and sequence. Thank you so much !
Damn, I’m just now finding this channel. This is the most in depth but yet very simple tutorials I’ve ever come across. You’re a great teacher sir, you have a gift
Oliver I have to say ... my last "Thank you" for this year . I practiced your stuff the last weeks and about 70 % is done and it works great. Your tutorial works great, your tipps and tricks. Even the walking bass...most of the time more or less. It was you making my musically End of 2017 a highlight. Wish you all the best for next year and a big party tonight ...or fun whatever you do. :-) Best wishes from the south of the Eifel (Germany) to Denmark. Armin
As to this walking bass line explanation, this lays down a groove while providing support for the chords by using chord tones and a leading tone for smooth chord transition. In short it’s brilliant and beautiful!! Thank You 🙏!
This is such a great lesson! I’m going to adapt it slightly for my grade 9 music class by doing simple closed voicings in the left hand . This is a wonderful way to get kids to play some jazz. You are a very gifted educator.
Oliver, I like your explanations, the hand grip, the scales, the 2,5,1 theory. With these tutorials I learned to connect with the 4th finger the hand grips and the minor chords. your lessons are awesome! you are a great teacher. I'll keep using the tools to learn to play jazz. thank you very much, God bless you and greetings from Mexico City
I have been watching your videos now for 3 months just to see what was going to happen to my playing.....I have to say I have made more progress with these lessons than any lessons I have had in years....you make it fun, make it look easy, and your patient voice soothes me, you take your time and we feel that you really enjoy doing these videos and playing music and alleviate the fear of learning because learning music can seem so complicated......You are awesome....!!! I can't thank you enough....!!
This is the kind of video that tells exactly what you need to after watching. Go to music closet with your music sheet of 2/ 5. Practice and have fun over the weekend. Time musically well spent. Thank you so much. BRAVO. 🎓🎓🎓🎓🎓
Great lesson! I'm not intimidated by learning Jazz improv anymore. I'm a visual learner. The way you privilege performance and reframe theoretical concepts so that they are used as a blueprint for the easy to learn hand grips, as something upon which to reflect allows me to get right to the enjoyment of playing. It's a great way to learn quickly. Thanks!
I can't really express what I'm feeling right now adequately enough: this is more than a light bulb moment... it's a moment of sheer joy. I'll be studying this video over the next few weeks. Mr Prehn: thank you!
HOLY CRAP!!! I've been looking for something like this for YEARS!!! I totally LOVE music theory, and know it so well that my college theory teacher told me that in 20 years of teaching, I was only one of two people who he thought could actually teach it. That's how well I understand it. HOWEVER, it NEVER really translated into IMPROVISING!! I have always been trying to figure out ways to get better at soloing. THIS IS IT!! I can't wait to get into the studio and start PRACTICING and PLAYING with this AWESOME new METHOD!! Thank you so much!! Andrew Colyer, New York
We are just pushing buttons, as many may argue!!!!! Today I can see it clearly. I have found those simple tools you mention. The index finger pointer and pentatonic handgrip that corresponds with the chord over we are playing, Took some time to figure it out , FINALLY. FRUSTRATION LIFTED. THANKS BROTHER OLIVER.
This is so great! Another example of how powerful the "hand grip + markers" method is for playing something that sounds great quickly. (20:29: "we only think about the pentatonic hand grip and the markers and the chord appears automatically"). Then later, or at same time, learn why it works from other videos mentioned in the notes. This is a great one to do for fun while I am getting my fingers back up to speed on scales, etc.
Oliver, Excellent! This is the first Jazz technique that actually shows how to play through a 2-5-1 with class, and ease. New Jazz is just that; it's opening the door to a closed private club, and showing "especially new player's" that they can join the club too. You need to write "Piano Jazz Grips" by Oliver Prehn because this is your "foundation" technique that you will be known by. If you get a chance it would be nice to see this technique in the following: 2-5, and 1-4-3-6-2-5, Bossa Nova, and how to incorporate the relative Am, would make for a very good beginner's foundation to build from in one key CM. Once someone can play in one key quickly, they're encouraged to add another key with one flat, and then one sharp, and so on. Keep up the GREAT work!
Dear Sir Oliver - with no words Your pupils here can describe the enormous high values that You create in their, not only musical, life ! Pls. keep it up , thanx a lot - and all the very Best !
Excellent.... My main instrument is tenor sax, but I love jazz piano. On the saxophone, the pentatonic is the gateway to melodic expression, especially when the 7th is incorporated. You are a very good player and teacher. Thank you very much for the lesson.
What an amazing perspective on 2-5-1s and the practical applications of pentatonics! And the tensions from the tritone subs are so delectable. Your teaching methods are just impeccable, easily understood. My fingers are itching for my keyboard. Thank you so much Sir Oliver, for sharing these gems! May your tribe increase.
Wow man, I love your vid. The thing I love best is the way you simplify otherwise complex theory. Everybody seems to be able to tell us what scale to use over what chords wich is relatively easy to find out anyway, but to make music? thats a whole lot of a different story, and very very few seem to be able to impart their knowledge on how to learn to improvise and make great music. You however are doing such a great job . Thank you very much, and keep it up.
Que puedo decir más que agradecer el impulso que nos das a todos los que no tenemos posibilidad de acceso a información tan bien explicada y útil. Gracias maestro!
This is the piano / music theory lesson i have wanted my whole life. makes all the other pieces fall into place in my mind. can never thank you enough> brilliant Sir.
Oliver, thank you for your approach, love of music and patience to put this together.....so many long standing questions in my mind answered in one place......... this will take several evenings to unpack..... and even more fun evenings putting this into practice on my saxophone....
