Playing and Understanding Jazz Piano Volume 1: A Step-by-Step Method to Understanding Jazz Theory and Learning to Play Jazz Piano for Beginners

Master Jazz from the Ground Up with Confidence, Clarity, and Groove

Have you ever tried learning Jazz but felt completely overwhelmed by dense and impenetrable theory? Or have you been frustrated by vague and cryptic instructions like "play what you feel" or "find your sound"? If so, then this is the book for you. Jazz doesn’t have to be confusing and mysterious, it can be clear, logical, and exciting.

Welcome to the book that makes Jazz Piano make sense.

Written by the creator of the popular YouTube channel Walk That Bass (100,000+ subscribers, 10 million+ views) and The Jazz Piano Site website, this book is a consolidation of decades of teaching, playing, and thinking. Playing and Understanding Jazz Piano - Volume 1 gives beginners a step-by-step path into Jazz harmony, scales, improvisation, and rhythm without the abstract nouns and philosophical ramblings.

This isn’t another “play these shapes and hope for the best” method. This is Jazz from first principles explained clearly, applied immediately, and built to stay with you for life.

Why This Book Is Different

Most Jazz books throw chords and scales at you, ask you to memorise them, and expect magic to happen. This book does the opposite.

You will:

• Understand how Jazz Theory works, not just rote learn it.
• Build your skills logically and step-by-step from simple concepts to powerful musical techniques.
• Play Jazz that you understand and that sounds good.
• Develop your improvisation through guided practice.
• Learn the “why” behind every voicing, scale, chord and progression.

Inside You’ll Learn:

• The essential building blocks and unwritten rules of Jazz explained in plain English.
• How to read a lead sheet and arrange a Jazz song.
• How Jazz harmony really works (finally make sense of the ii–V–I!).
• The foundations of improvisation and how to sound musical immediately.
• Groove, feel, swing, and articulation basics.
• How to practise Jazz effectively, even if you’re short on time.
• How to confidently play in a group setting.

Plus: Exercises, examples, explanations, drills, diagrams, and more.

Perfect For:

• Adult learners starting Jazz for the first time.
• Classical players curious about Jazz.
• Self-taught musicians tired of guessing.
• Anyone who wants to truly understand what they play.

Start the Journey. Unlock the Theory. Play the Music.

Playing and Understanding Jazz Piano - Volume 1 gives you everything you need to build a rock-solid Jazz foundation with clarity, excitement, and a sense of real progress. This is more than a method book. It’s a new way to learn Jazz.

Don’t just play Jazz. Understand it.