A new month means one of my favorite things—we begin exploring a brand-new tune. And as I like to remind all of you: new tune, same comfortable, familiar, skill-centric approach. It’s the consistency of this approach—thorough, organized, structured, and most importantly, logical—that allows us to learn jazz piano the right way. Because learning tunes isn’t really about the tunes at all. It’s about the skills that tunes illuminate.

As we wrap up another exciting month here at Jazz Piano Skills, I’m diving into one of my favorite topics — improvisation development. Over the past few weeks, we’ve explored the harmonic and melodic structures of the 1941 jazz classic Tangerine. Now, it’s time to pull everything together and focus on how to intentionally build melodic ideas through a concept I call Improvisation Trees. Improvisation Trees are a simple, structured way to develop authentic jazz vocabulary.

This week, I want to revisit a Podcast Episode I did on July 22, 2025, addressing the use of Inverted Arpeggios for developing jazz vocabulary to improve improvisation skills. Improvisation requires a multi-dimensional understanding — the ability to see and hear chords from every possible angle. That’s why this episode, Inverted Arpeggios, deepens our harmonic awareness and expands our jazz vocabulary.

Welcome to Jazz Piano Skills! I’m Dr. Bob Lawrence — and this week, we’re diving into Week Two of our monthly study of the classic 1941 standard, Tangerine. If you’re a regular listener, you know what Week Two means — it’s Melodic Analysis Week. Last week, we dissected Tangerine harmonically — form, changes, harmonic function, common movement, voicings, shells, and two-handed structures. This week, we shift our focus to the melodic side of the tune — learning the melody by e

Now it’s time to put those harmonic skills to work on Tangerine, a timeless standard from the Great American Songbook. As always, we begin our three-week tune study with Week One: Harmonic Analysis. Here’s what we uncover: Form: Unlike many standards that follow AABA or ABAB, Tangerine uses an ABAC form — less common, but beautifully balanced. Unique Chords: The tune contains 14 distinct chord changes, right in line with most jazz standards. Key: The standard key is F Maj

I receive questions every week from students and listeners worldwide. And while I normally spotlight one as my “question of the week,” the truth is, there are so many more fantastic questions that never make it into an episode. They’re too good to sit on the shelf. So I thought, why not take this bonus week and dedicate it entirely to them? And so, the Common Questions Answered (CQA) episode was born.

I’ll be honest: the word “improvisation” has intimidated more students than I can count. I still remember the first time a student sat across from me, eyes wide, almost whispering: “Dr. Lawrence, I just don’t know how to improvise. It feels like magic.” And I get it. The word carries a certain mystery, like you’re supposed to close your eyes and conjure something from thin air. But here’s the truth I always circle back to: improvisation is not magic. It’s music. And music

This week’s heart of the lesson was all about improvisation using harmonic shapes. Instead of improvising “freely” (which usually results in running scales aimlessly), Dr. Lawrence builds solos by locking into specific shapes—root position, inversions, or upper extensions of chords—and then applying self-imposed constraints. The method is surprisingly freeing: Pick one harmonic shape per chord. Stay inside the notes of that shape. Create melodic ideas rhythmically

A melody isn’t just a collection of notes—it’s the voice of the tune. It’s what sticks in our memory, what we hum in the car, and what gives the harmony its purpose. That’s why week two always focuses on dissecting the melody: learning it by ear, figuring out fingerings, identifying phrases, and experimenting with treatments (ballad, bossa, swing) That’s the “catch-22” You need understanding to create a good practice plan, but you also need a good plan to gain unstandng!

I remember the first time I played Blue Bossa on a gig—I was around 15. I thought, “This is going to be easy.” But then the solo section came around, and suddenly that G7 altered chord wasn’t so easy. I stumbled. I fumbled. And I quickly realized: this “simple” tune has a way of showing you exactly where your skills are strong—and where they need work. That’s why I love teaching it. Blue Bossa is forgiving, but it’s also honest.

When teaching is student-centered and learning stays music-centered, that’s when the magic happens.

The featured improvisation for this week’s episode is a complete solo written over the entire form of "That’s All." It emphasizes: Chord tones first (the backbone of improvisation), Diatonic movement with a few tasteful approach notes, Repetition and space as creative devices, Grace notes (or “crush tones”) to make the piano sing more like a human voice.

Melody is the heart of a jazz standard. To truly understand and play a tune, we must explore its phrases, fingerings, target notes, and treatments. This is why every month at Jazz Piano Skills, we pair our harmonic analysis with a deep dive into melody, It's time to Discover, Learn, and Play "That's All" (phrases, fingerings, target notes, and treatments).

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