Ted Greenbaum

Introduction: Learn how to do the following: * Read jazz charts and play proper chord voicing * Tap into your innate ability to improvise naturally * Practice efficiently with techniques for jazz and blues that yield high-quality results * Swing and groove! Learning to play jazz or blues can be a hit-or-miss proposition. Imagine a typical practice session of a beginning or self-taught jazz or blues musician. First, they must hunt for a chord (or a chord progression) that sounds good to them. Then, because they are untrained, they must repeat every chord over and over in order to remember it. They must depend completely on their visual, aural and tactile memory to find and use the chord the next day. This is a valid, even necessary approach, but it is missing a crucial element -- it provides very little intellectual control. My approach to teaching jazz harmony is to supply the missing element of intellectual control along with the necessary visual, aural and tactile practice. This, combined with teaching proper chord voicing and playing techniques will give jazz students at any level a solid foundation in jazz harmony and afford them true mastery of their playing. My approach to teaching jazz improvisation is through teaching of rhythmic, technical and harmonic elements with the goal of unifying feeling, hearing and playing as an expression of your heart, ears and hands. Particular attention is paid to extensive listening to and emulating the sound and feel of great jazz masters and tapping into and expressing your own feelings and musical voice. I have been teaching jazz and blues piano and playing professionally for over 30 years. I have a B.A. in music from Michigan State University and attended Interlochen Arts Camp in Interlochen, MI, where I studied with the internationally acclaimed composer/arranger, Gunther Schuller. I have also studied with award-winning pianists, Manfredo Fest, Art Resnick and Armand Boatman.