Jazz Piano and Harmony : A Fundamental Guide (Book & CD) [Paperback]

John M. Ferrara (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 22, 2000

A comprehensive guide to jazz piano and harmony for the beginning to intermediate pianist/musician. The subject content starts with basic triad and seventh chord construction, and continues with inversions and voice leading, left hand voicings, improvisation techniques, tensions, spread voicings, diatonic harmony and substitutions, secondary dominants, harmonic analysis, cadences, and blues. There are over fifty full pages of music examples, along with exercises to help the student comprehend the subject matter.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Author John Ferrara is a jazz pianist who has toured with and arranged for the Buddy Rich Big Band. He has performed with Joe Williams, Chico Hamilton, Philly Joe Jones, Clark Terry, Lou Tabackin, Al Cohn, Nelson Riddle, and Suzanne Somers, among others. He is a former instructor at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, and San Diego State University, and has taught at jazz seminars in Copenhagen, Denmark. He holds a bachelor's degree in composition and piano from Berklee, and has recorded with his own jazz trio and the Carmen Leggio quartet. His latest CD "Intervals of Light" is available on Amazon. He currently works as a freelance pianist and arranger in New York City.

Product Details

• Paperback: 99 pages
• Publisher: John Ferrara Music Pub (April 22, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0970136706
• ISBN-13: 978-0970136701
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,244,850 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jazz Pizzazz, October 12, 2000

By 

Rena A Lukoski (Hanover, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jazz Piano and Harmony : A Fundamental Guide (Book & CD) (Paperback)

Jazz Piano and Harmony written by John Ferrara is geared to beginners and intermediate players, especially classical players who want to learn jazz piano basics. Chords, inversions, diatonic harmony, and improvisation techniques are all covered in a well-organized, progressive manner. Three and four part chords are shown to be related to a major scale which is actually the basic way improvisational melodic lines are derived: from chord scales. The discussion on inversions illustrates how left hand voicings can move smoothly from one chord to another utilizing common tones. The bottom line is that it gives you a way to construct left hand accompaniment to a melodic line. For classical players who are primarily note readers, this removes a lot of the mystique from the concept of playing a chordal arrangement with only a melodic line and chord symbols. The chapter on chord scale construction shows how simple it is to create chord scales that will work over diatonic and non-diatonic structures. This gives you the option of playing and thinking linearly, rather that playing around the chord tones which most untrained players tend to do. The written exercises are excellent in helping the student assimilate the material. I would highly recommend this book which has been designed to help a good pianist become a great musician!!

36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jazz Piano and Harmony - An Invaluable Guide! A Winner!, October 4, 2000

By 

Michael Zabrocki (Middle Village, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jazz Piano and Harmony : A Fundamental Guide (Book & CD) (Paperback)

Being "raised on rock" I continuosly heard things like - "if you don't know jazz - you'll never know jazz", "if you don't feel it (jazz) - you'll never feel it". Mr. Ferraras book "Jazz Piano and Harmony" has proved them all wrong! My experience after reading and applying the concepts outlined in this book can only be compared to "scales falling off my eyes".

I was immediatly able to add new colors and creativity to my playing. The chapters "Voice Leading Concepts" and "Improvisation Techniques" explained to me techniques I had been envious of other players for years!

The chapters on "Spread Voicings" and "Tensions" were also a joy to read and apply. ( I should add I am a part time "rocker" but a full time Church Organist/Liturgical Composer/Choir Master and I wish Bach could hear me now!)

It will come as no surprise that the author is a former professor from the Berkley School of Music. A part of me wished I could go back and attend his courses during my formative years (and yet - I feel I have attended his lectures after reading this book).

My daughter has just begun college majoring in music this fall and she is planning on sharing this book with her classmates. I have nothing but praise for this book! Great for all levels and especially for those with a hunger to learn what the Jazz Masters live! Looking forward to Mr. Ferrara's next offering.

As a side note I must mention that I purchased this book from Amazon after a simple search on "Jazz Piano" and they made the purchase VERY easy. It was delivered to my home in 48 hours! Thanks Amazon!

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sophisticated without being overwhelming., May 3, 2003

By 

M. Mazza (Elizabeth, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Jazz Piano and Harmony : A Fundamental Guide (Book & CD) (Paperback)

If you've been considering studying jazz piano, this is the book you must definitely own...I first purchased Mark Levine's Jazz Piano book, and though this is a fantastic reference source on the stylistic history of jazz piano with many examples, it is a bit overwhelming to manage from a practical standpoint. There is just so much, one doesn't know where to start.
Mr. Ferrara, on the other hand, has a gift for focusing the student on critical areas. His chapter on voice leading is so enjoyable and wonderful to work through that it is both inspiring and demystifying.
For [the money], you get the book and CD, in which Mr. Ferrara lectures and plays some tasty examples...
Here is what you get:
1.) Step by step chapters on chord construction: You begin with triads and work your way through four-part chords.
2.) Voice Leading techniques: as you play chords, your transitions can be creative and smooth. Mr. Ferrara takes you through this with a tasteful progression that is fun to play--that is, IT DOESN'T FEEL like an exercise. My teacher had me apply a bass line to it while doing the voice leading in the right hand. I've also applied other apporaches (i.e. stride with voice leading). Better yet--you can use this in actual tunes--and you will be playing as a professional does. I can't tell you how happy you'll be to hear yourself voicing chords this way. I have plenty of books, and I rarely see other authors address the topic with the clarity that Mr. Ferrara does. Some ignore it altogether.
3.)Diatonic Chord Substitution: this is usable theory that is easy to understand and apply.
4.) A Complete listing of the II-7--V7--Imaj7 progression in all keys: This is fantastic practice--and critical.
5.) Spread Voicings: beautiful voicing ideas. You'll be constructing chords by spreading their notes over different registers of the piano.
6.) Secondary dominants.
7.) Improvisation note palettes.
8.) Blues progressions and scales.
9.) Tensions with an accompanying chart to show how and where to apply those 9ths, 11ths, and 13ths.

I should also mention that certain sections are designed like a workbook. You label chords, write them in note by note (great reading practice), develop progressions, understand substitutions, and more. This means you can also practice away from the piano.

For [the money], you get enough to keep you busy and entertained for a while. Mr. Ferrara's book is easily worth twice as much. I already have his second book, and it looks just as promising. I'm still working with this one, and I am so convinced of its quality that I wanted to recommend it to others who may be confused about what resources to use. You won't be sorry if you purchase this. Enjoy!