Jazz Piano

Dr. Bob Lawrence
Oct 5
4 min read

Common Questions Answered!

Jazz Piano Common Questions Answered

Every month at Jazz Piano Skills, we dive deep into a classic tune. September was no exception. We spent four solid weeks unpacking the jazz standard Blue Bossa—analyzing its harmony, examining its melody, and then dedicating two full weeks to improvisation strategies. By the time we reached week four, we had looked at Blue Bossa from every angle.

But then came week five.

Now, week five of any month is always a bit of a gift. It’s extra time—a bonus week that doesn’t neatly fit into the four-part rhythm of our tune studies. Sometimes I’ll use it to feature a guest, or dive into a lecture-style topic. But this time, I wanted to do something different.

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.

Why Common Questions Matter

If you’ve been studying jazz for any amount of time, you’ve probably asked yourself:

Am I using the right fingerings for scales?
What’s the best way to practice swing?
Do I need to memorize licks to improvise?
What’s the real difference between scales and chords when soloing?

These aren’t just beginner questions. They’re the kinds of questions musicians at every level bump into again and again, because they touch the core of what it means to play jazz well. Even seasoned pros circle back to fundamentals, refining and revisiting them as their playing grows.

That’s why I wanted to dedicate an entire episode—and now this blog—to exploring these common questions.

A Story About Technique

Let me start with one that comes up all the time: Should jazz scales use the same fingerings as classical scales?

The short answer: yes. Good technique is good technique. But here’s a story.

Back in graduate school, I studied with a Russian classical pianist named Nina Lelchuk. She was fierce about technique—precision, clarity, perfection. When I played for her the first time, a Mozart sonata, she looked at me and said bluntly, “You will never be a classical pianist.”

I smiled and replied, “Good. I don’t want to be. I want to be a jazz pianist.”

She didn’t miss a beat. She swept all the Beethoven, Brahms, and Bach off the top of her piano with one arm—literally dumped the sheet music on the floor—and said, “Great. But you still need great technique.”

That moment stuck with me. For two years, we worked on nothing but technique. And I’ve carried that lesson into jazz: whether classical or jazz, your hands need a foundation of technical strength and fluidity. The difference in jazz is that instead of practicing scales from “do to do,” we focus on new entry and destination points—root to seventh, third to ninth—so our ears stay engaged with sound, not just muscle memory.

That’s jazz. Technique plus sound awareness.

On Rhythm, Swing, and Backing Tracks

Another popular question: How do I work on rhythm if I don’t have a drummer?

The truth is, technology is our friend here. Play-along tracks, apps, and software can create an ensemble feel that sharpens your time and groove. A click track is fine, but a musical context is better.

And what about swing? Well, if you can’t say the swing feel out loud, you won’t be able to play it. Jazz is a quarter-note/eighth-note relationship. Practice articulating patterns verbally. Once you can say it, your hands will follow.

Inside vs. Outside Improvisation

One of my favorite questions in the improvisation category was: What’s the difference between playing inside and outside?

Here’s the simple breakdown:

Inside = chord tones and scale tones. Notes that “fit.”
Outside = the five remaining notes that don’t belong. They create tension.

Think of it as 4 + 3 + 5. Every chord has 4 chord tones + 3 scale tones = 7 “inside” notes. The other 5 are “outside.”

Jazz is about learning when and how to step outside, create tension, and then resolve it. That’s where the magic lives.

Repertoire: How Many Standards Do You Need?

Another big one: How many tunes do I need to know before I can play with others?

Answer: one.

That’s right—just one!

When I was 14, my one tune was All of Me in the key of C. I knew the melody, the chords, and I could fumble through some improvisation. That was enough to get me into a jam session. Musicians laughed when I announced I only knew one song in one key—but then they welcomed me in. They played along. And that encouragement fueled my growth more than anything else.

So if you know just one tune—own it. Play it confidently. Take it to a jam session.

Making Chords Sound Jazzy

Students often ask: How do I make my chords sound more jazzy?

The answer: use proper voicings and add extensions. A C major triad is fine. But a Cmaj7 with a 9th or 13th suddenly sounds like jazz. Professional pianists rely on shell voicings, rootless voicings, and extensions to give chords that rich, colorful texture. If you want to sound like a jazz pianist, you need to use the shapes jazz pianists actually use.

Final Thoughts

The beauty of this CQA episode is that it reminded me just how universal these questions are. Beginners ask them. Advanced players ask them. Pros revisit them.

Jazz is a lifelong journey. Whether you’re working on fingerings, tackling the swing feel, learning your first standard, or navigating inside/outside improvisation, the questions themselves are part of the process.

So keep asking. Keep exploring. And most of all—keep playing.

Because, as I like to say, it’s time to discover, learn, and play jazz piano.

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