BIJAN TAGHAVI- PIANIST, COMPOSER, EDUCATOR
About
Media
Pianist
Educator
Composer/Arranger
Articles
Calendar
Upcoming Performances
Past Performances
Educator
Video Exchange Lessons
Transcriptions
Bijan Taghavi
>
Stella by Starlight (Solo Piano)
Body and Soul (Solo Piano)
Autumn Leaves (Solo Piano)
I Should Care (Solo Piano)
Have You Met Miss Jones (Solo Piano)
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (Solo Piano)
Ask Me Now (Solo Piano)
Wave (Solo Piano)
East of the Sun (Solo Piano)
Everything Happens to Me (Solo Piano)
Bill Evans
Kenny Barron
Barry Harris
Hank Jones
Herbie Hancock
Oscar Peterson
Lesson Videos & PDFs
Comping
>
Group Comping Voicings Overview
Jazz Piano Comping EXPLAINED!
Oscar Peterson Take The A Train Transcription Analysis
2 Tips Comping For Vocalists
Chromatic Approach
LH Contrasting Texture (Body and Soul)
Comping over Rhythm Changes (for a Bass Solo)
The Secrets to Walking Basslines on Piano
Funky Bassline
LH Comping Approach for Solo Piano
Comping P.2
>
Comping Fill over Just Friends
Develop Your Rhythmic Vocabulary to Create Interplay (Bb Blues Comping)
Bossa Nova Duo Comping
Exchanging Ideas When Comping over a Ballad
LH Sweeping Texture on "Ask Me Now"
SECRET To Playing Bossa Nova Solo Piano
How Listening Fuels CREATIVITY
Harmony
>
How to Harmonize a Melody with 2 Voices
Inverted Pedal Point on Rhythm Changes
How to Jazzify the Living Pianos Theme Song
How to Get a Full Sound out of the Piano
5 Inner Voice Movements on "I Should Care"
How to Create RH Counter-Melodies (Body and Soul)
2 Ways to Use a Pedal Point
Create Chords From ANY Scale (Barry Harris)
How To Create Inner Voice Movement
How to REHARMONIZE Jazz Standards
Harmony P.2
>
Barry Harris Round Midnight Reharmonization
3 Inner Voice Movements for a dom7 chord
How to Use Barry Harris' "Diminished Notes"
Solo Piano Rubato Intro on "Days of Wine and Roses"
Let Your Melodies Dictate Your Chords (Solo Piano Rubato Intro P.2)
How to Harmonize Every Melody Note with a New Chord
3 Inner Voice Movements on "Wave"
3 Ways to Create Motion
The SECRET to Creating LH Counterpoint like Bill Evans
Do You Know the Original Chord Changes to "Wave"?
Harmony P.3
>
How to Use Pedal Points (Part 1)
How to Use Pedal Points (Part 2)
2 Ways to Use Pedal Points
Swing Like Bach: Contrary Motion in Your Improv
Improv
>
Barry Harris Passport (Blues) Improv Analysis
Kenny Barron Autumn Leaves Melody Transcription Analysis
Rhythm Changes Improv Ideas (Bijan Transcription)
Rhythmic Motifs in Jazz Improvisation
Chordal Improvisation
Chordal Improvisation Part 2
Jazz Improv - How to Play OUTSIDE
How to Create LH Counterpoint (Body and Soul)
2 Ways to Create LH Counterpoint (P.2)
Using Quotes in Jazz Improvisation (Quoting "A Love Supreme" on "How Deep Is The Ocean")
Improv P.2
>
Jazz Improv Tip: DEVELOP Your Ideas (2 Melodic Motifs on "Esau")
Modal Solo on min7b5 (from "It Always Happens")
Using Shapes in Jazz Improv
How to Use the Melody in Your Improvisation
Watch What Made Rodney Whitaker "Swink"
How to Outline Chord Changes (Improv on "Autumn Leaves")
16th Note Improv Lines over "Autumn Leaves"
Soloing in 3/4 on "Autumn Leaves"
How to STOP Playing the Same Licks in Your Jazz Solos
5 Octaves in 5 Seconds with this KILLER Run
Improv P.3
>
What is Over the Barline Phrasing in Jazz Improvisation?
How to Use Theme & Variation like Kenny Barron
Modal Solo on Cmin7 (from "Crossfire")
Use This Motif When Improvising in 3/4!
2 Ways to Use Triplets in Your Improvisations
3 Ways to Approach the Bridge of Rhythm Changes
How to Use Shapes to Achieve New Sounds in Your Improvisations
Jazz Improv Tip: DEVELOP Your Ideas P.7 (I Fall in Love Too Easily)
How to Play Bluesy over Non-Blues Chord Changes
What are Red Garland Block Chords?
Improv P.4
>
Repetition in Improvisation
How to Use 16th Notes in Your Jazz Solos (Days of Wine and Roses)
How to Adapt Improv Shapes to Fit Over New Chords (Days of Wine and Roses)
3 Tips to Take Your 16th Note Lines to the Next Level
Chordal Improvisation Part 3
3 Ways to Sound Like McCoy Tyner
Use this Shape to End Your Phrases
Chordal Improvisation Part 4
What are New Orleans Block Chords?
3 Tips for Soloing in 3/4
Improv P.5
>
How to Build Your Solo Using Motifs
Stop Time
16th Note Line EXPLAINED (Have You Met Miss Jones)
3 Substitutions over a 36251
Building a Jazz Solo
How to Play Fast Like Bud Powell
Up-Tempo Improv over "Donna Lee"
Playing the Blues
How to Start Your Solo
How to Interact with the Drums While Soloing
Improv P.6
>
Piano + Drums Duo?
The SECRET to Fluid Improvisation in 3/4
The Power of ACCENTS
How to Use This Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk Improv Shape
The Piano is an Orchestra
The SECRET To Channeling McCoy Tyner
The Importance of DANGER in Improvisation?
The SECRET to Playing Fast Bebop Lines like Oscar Peterson
TASTEFUL Chordal Improvisation on "Wave"
The SECRET to Spontaneity in Jazz Improvisation
Improv P.7
>
6 Ways to Create Tension-Release
3 Ways to Create Your Own Jazz Lines!
Regular 2-5-1 vs Sidestep 2-5-1
Jazz Improv Tip: Get the Drummer Involved!
Jazz Improv Tip: Develop Your Ideas P.14
Interlocking Polychords
2 SECRETS to Playing Fast Runs (Ala Mulgrew & Herbie)
Improv Analysis on "I'll Remember April"
Use Monk Clusters to Create HIP Phrasing
Take Your Phrasing to the NEXT LEVEL with this Simple Trick!
Improv P.8
>
How to Improvise on a SOLO BREAK
Jazz Improv Tip: Get the Drummer Involved (P.2)
Rhythm
>
Polyrhythm vs Polymeter EXPLAINED
How to Create Rhythmic Tension in 3/4
2 Ways to Create Rhythm Section Interplay (Rhythmic Telepathy Part 8)
Soloing on an E Minor Blues in 12/8
The SECRET To Making Stride Piano Swing
Polymeters EXPLAINED (Superimposing 3 over 4)
Improvising over Changing Time Signatures (over Ahmad Jamal's "Crossfire)
Rhythmic Telepathy PART 6 ("Secret Love" arr. Bijan Taghavi Trio)
Rhythmic Telepathy PART 7 (Superimposing 3 in 4 on "End of a Love Affair")
Rhythm P.2
>
Jazz Slang P.2 - Double Time Feel EXPLAINED
Metric Modulation over "Autumn Leaves" (Part 1: 4 to 3)
Metric Modulation over "Autumn Leaves" (Part 2: 3 to 4)
Playing in 2 vs in 4 (Part 2)
Half Time vs Double Time ("Here's That Rainy Day")
How to "Set Up" The Band
Metric Modulation on Have You Met Miss Jones
How to Swing
Communication on the Bandstand
Piano + Bass Rhythmic & Harmonic Telepathy (Part 10)
Rhythm P.3
>
How to Create Rhythmic Interest on a Ballad
Metric Modulation over "Ask Me Now" (Part 1: 4 to 3)
Metric Modulation over "Ask Me Now" (Part 2: 3 to 4)
CRAZY Rhythmic Technique Creates Piano+Drums Connection
INSANE Trio Interplay (Starting & Stopping the Time)
3 Levels of Jazz Basslines
CRAZ Duo Interplay (Piano+Bass)
Rhythm P.4
>
2 Rhythmic Feels on a Ballad
How Quoting Jazz Standards Can Create Piano+Drums Connections
Metric Modulation on a Jazz Ballad
Metric Modulation on "Everything Happens to Me" (3 to 4)
Bossa Nova Rhythmic Language You MUST KNOW!
Jazz Rhythmic Language You MUST KNOW!
2 Bossa Nova Rhythmic Hits You MUST KNOW!
Piano Orchestration
>
3 Ways to Orchestrate A Melody ("Asojano" from TrioGram)
Orchestrating A Melody P.2 ("Esau" from TrioGram)
How to Orchestrate a Melody for Solo Piano (Autumn Leaves)
How to Orchestrate a Melody for Solo Piano (I Fall in Love Too Easily)
PAINT: How to Orchestrate a Melody for a Ballad (Here's That Rainy Day)
Piano Orchestration P.2
>
How to Orchestrate a Melody for Solo Piano (Have You Met Miss Jones)
How to Add Colors in Your Playing
3 Ways to Fill When Orchestrating
What is Inner Tonal Movement?
Using the Bottom of the RH to Fill
Stride Piano SECRETS on "East of the Sun"
Piano Orchestration P.3
>
How to Orchestrate a Rubato Ballad (Everything Happens to Me)
How to Orchestrate an In-Time Ballad (Everything Happens to Me)
Intros/Outros
>
Jazz Trio Intro EXPLAINED
Ahmad Jamal Ending Chords
How to End a Song Quietly
How to Fade Out (Ending to "Secret Love")
The CRAZIEST Cadenza You've Ever Heard
How to End a Ballad with a Solo Piano Cadenza ("Here's That Rainy Day")
Intros/Outros P.2
>
The Magic of Circle of 5ths Endings
Classic Ending for Any Jazz Standard (#4 Ending)
How to Create an Elegant Intro ("Wave")
Ending Wave with a Reharmonized Cadenza
MUST KNOW Chord Progression to Create a Classic Jazz Intro
BLUES OUT on a 3625 Progression
Solo Piano Rubato Intro on "East of the Sun"
Piano Technique
>
3 Parts of the Body
2 Reasons Why You MUST Strike From The Surface of the Keys
How to Bring Out the Melody in Your Playing
SECRET Practice Exercise for Voicing Control
How to Use Dynamics to Create Drama
Piano Technique P.2
>
3 Piano Technique Tips - Lessons From Robert Estrin
How to Play FAST
Subtractions Practice Technique (for Syncopation & Hand Independence)
Composition/Arranging
>
3 Ways to Use Counterpoint in Jazz
3 Tips When Composing an AABA Tune
Inspired by Ahmad Jamal's Poinciana ("Secret Love" arr. Bijan Taghavi Japan Trio)
Press
Interviews
Quotes
EPK
Contact
Common Chord Progressions: Ch 4
Sections
2-5-1
1-6-2-5-1
1-4-5
Major 2-5-1 to Minor 2-5-1- Blue Bossa and Solar Endings
About
Media
Pianist
Educator
Composer/Arranger
Articles
Calendar
Upcoming Performances
Past Performances
Educator
Video Exchange Lessons
Transcriptions
Bijan Taghavi
>
Stella by Starlight (Solo Piano)
Body and Soul (Solo Piano)
Autumn Leaves (Solo Piano)
I Should Care (Solo Piano)
Have You Met Miss Jones (Solo Piano)
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (Solo Piano)
Ask Me Now (Solo Piano)
Wave (Solo Piano)
East of the Sun (Solo Piano)
Everything Happens to Me (Solo Piano)
Bill Evans
Kenny Barron
Barry Harris
Hank Jones
Herbie Hancock
Oscar Peterson
Lesson Videos & PDFs
Comping
>
Group Comping Voicings Overview
Jazz Piano Comping EXPLAINED!
Oscar Peterson Take The A Train Transcription Analysis
2 Tips Comping For Vocalists
Chromatic Approach
LH Contrasting Texture (Body and Soul)
Comping over Rhythm Changes (for a Bass Solo)
The Secrets to Walking Basslines on Piano
Funky Bassline
LH Comping Approach for Solo Piano
Comping P.2
>
Comping Fill over Just Friends
Develop Your Rhythmic Vocabulary to Create Interplay (Bb Blues Comping)
Bossa Nova Duo Comping
Exchanging Ideas When Comping over a Ballad
LH Sweeping Texture on "Ask Me Now"
SECRET To Playing Bossa Nova Solo Piano
How Listening Fuels CREATIVITY
Harmony
>
How to Harmonize a Melody with 2 Voices
Inverted Pedal Point on Rhythm Changes
How to Jazzify the Living Pianos Theme Song
How to Get a Full Sound out of the Piano
5 Inner Voice Movements on "I Should Care"
How to Create RH Counter-Melodies (Body and Soul)
2 Ways to Use a Pedal Point
Create Chords From ANY Scale (Barry Harris)
How To Create Inner Voice Movement
How to REHARMONIZE Jazz Standards
Harmony P.2
>
Barry Harris Round Midnight Reharmonization
3 Inner Voice Movements for a dom7 chord
How to Use Barry Harris' "Diminished Notes"
Solo Piano Rubato Intro on "Days of Wine and Roses"
Let Your Melodies Dictate Your Chords (Solo Piano Rubato Intro P.2)
How to Harmonize Every Melody Note with a New Chord
3 Inner Voice Movements on "Wave"
3 Ways to Create Motion
The SECRET to Creating LH Counterpoint like Bill Evans
Do You Know the Original Chord Changes to "Wave"?
Harmony P.3
>
How to Use Pedal Points (Part 1)
How to Use Pedal Points (Part 2)
2 Ways to Use Pedal Points
Swing Like Bach: Contrary Motion in Your Improv
Improv
>
Barry Harris Passport (Blues) Improv Analysis
Kenny Barron Autumn Leaves Melody Transcription Analysis
Rhythm Changes Improv Ideas (Bijan Transcription)
Rhythmic Motifs in Jazz Improvisation
Chordal Improvisation
Chordal Improvisation Part 2
Jazz Improv - How to Play OUTSIDE
How to Create LH Counterpoint (Body and Soul)
2 Ways to Create LH Counterpoint (P.2)
Using Quotes in Jazz Improvisation (Quoting "A Love Supreme" on "How Deep Is The Ocean")
Improv P.2
>
Jazz Improv Tip: DEVELOP Your Ideas (2 Melodic Motifs on "Esau")
Modal Solo on min7b5 (from "It Always Happens")
Using Shapes in Jazz Improv
How to Use the Melody in Your Improvisation
Watch What Made Rodney Whitaker "Swink"
How to Outline Chord Changes (Improv on "Autumn Leaves")
16th Note Improv Lines over "Autumn Leaves"
Soloing in 3/4 on "Autumn Leaves"
How to STOP Playing the Same Licks in Your Jazz Solos
5 Octaves in 5 Seconds with this KILLER Run
Improv P.3
>
What is Over the Barline Phrasing in Jazz Improvisation?
How to Use Theme & Variation like Kenny Barron
Modal Solo on Cmin7 (from "Crossfire")
Use This Motif When Improvising in 3/4!
2 Ways to Use Triplets in Your Improvisations
3 Ways to Approach the Bridge of Rhythm Changes
How to Use Shapes to Achieve New Sounds in Your Improvisations
Jazz Improv Tip: DEVELOP Your Ideas P.7 (I Fall in Love Too Easily)
How to Play Bluesy over Non-Blues Chord Changes
What are Red Garland Block Chords?
Improv P.4
>
Repetition in Improvisation
How to Use 16th Notes in Your Jazz Solos (Days of Wine and Roses)
How to Adapt Improv Shapes to Fit Over New Chords (Days of Wine and Roses)
3 Tips to Take Your 16th Note Lines to the Next Level
Chordal Improvisation Part 3
3 Ways to Sound Like McCoy Tyner
Use this Shape to End Your Phrases
Chordal Improvisation Part 4
What are New Orleans Block Chords?
3 Tips for Soloing in 3/4
Improv P.5
>
How to Build Your Solo Using Motifs
Stop Time
16th Note Line EXPLAINED (Have You Met Miss Jones)
3 Substitutions over a 36251
Building a Jazz Solo
How to Play Fast Like Bud Powell
Up-Tempo Improv over "Donna Lee"
Playing the Blues
How to Start Your Solo
How to Interact with the Drums While Soloing
Improv P.6
>
Piano + Drums Duo?
The SECRET to Fluid Improvisation in 3/4
The Power of ACCENTS
How to Use This Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk Improv Shape
The Piano is an Orchestra
The SECRET To Channeling McCoy Tyner
The Importance of DANGER in Improvisation?
The SECRET to Playing Fast Bebop Lines like Oscar Peterson
TASTEFUL Chordal Improvisation on "Wave"
The SECRET to Spontaneity in Jazz Improvisation
Improv P.7
>
6 Ways to Create Tension-Release
3 Ways to Create Your Own Jazz Lines!
Regular 2-5-1 vs Sidestep 2-5-1
Jazz Improv Tip: Get the Drummer Involved!
Jazz Improv Tip: Develop Your Ideas P.14
Interlocking Polychords
2 SECRETS to Playing Fast Runs (Ala Mulgrew & Herbie)
Improv Analysis on "I'll Remember April"
Use Monk Clusters to Create HIP Phrasing
Take Your Phrasing to the NEXT LEVEL with this Simple Trick!
Improv P.8
>
How to Improvise on a SOLO BREAK
Jazz Improv Tip: Get the Drummer Involved (P.2)
Rhythm
>
Polyrhythm vs Polymeter EXPLAINED
How to Create Rhythmic Tension in 3/4
2 Ways to Create Rhythm Section Interplay (Rhythmic Telepathy Part 8)
Soloing on an E Minor Blues in 12/8
The SECRET To Making Stride Piano Swing
Polymeters EXPLAINED (Superimposing 3 over 4)
Improvising over Changing Time Signatures (over Ahmad Jamal's "Crossfire)
Rhythmic Telepathy PART 6 ("Secret Love" arr. Bijan Taghavi Trio)
Rhythmic Telepathy PART 7 (Superimposing 3 in 4 on "End of a Love Affair")
Rhythm P.2
>
Jazz Slang P.2 - Double Time Feel EXPLAINED
Metric Modulation over "Autumn Leaves" (Part 1: 4 to 3)
Metric Modulation over "Autumn Leaves" (Part 2: 3 to 4)
Playing in 2 vs in 4 (Part 2)
Half Time vs Double Time ("Here's That Rainy Day")
How to "Set Up" The Band
Metric Modulation on Have You Met Miss Jones
How to Swing
Communication on the Bandstand
Piano + Bass Rhythmic & Harmonic Telepathy (Part 10)
Rhythm P.3
>
How to Create Rhythmic Interest on a Ballad
Metric Modulation over "Ask Me Now" (Part 1: 4 to 3)
Metric Modulation over "Ask Me Now" (Part 2: 3 to 4)
CRAZY Rhythmic Technique Creates Piano+Drums Connection
INSANE Trio Interplay (Starting & Stopping the Time)
3 Levels of Jazz Basslines
CRAZ Duo Interplay (Piano+Bass)
Rhythm P.4
>
2 Rhythmic Feels on a Ballad
How Quoting Jazz Standards Can Create Piano+Drums Connections
Metric Modulation on a Jazz Ballad
Metric Modulation on "Everything Happens to Me" (3 to 4)
Bossa Nova Rhythmic Language You MUST KNOW!
Jazz Rhythmic Language You MUST KNOW!
2 Bossa Nova Rhythmic Hits You MUST KNOW!
Piano Orchestration
>
3 Ways to Orchestrate A Melody ("Asojano" from TrioGram)
Orchestrating A Melody P.2 ("Esau" from TrioGram)
How to Orchestrate a Melody for Solo Piano (Autumn Leaves)
How to Orchestrate a Melody for Solo Piano (I Fall in Love Too Easily)
PAINT: How to Orchestrate a Melody for a Ballad (Here's That Rainy Day)
Piano Orchestration P.2
>
How to Orchestrate a Melody for Solo Piano (Have You Met Miss Jones)
How to Add Colors in Your Playing
3 Ways to Fill When Orchestrating
What is Inner Tonal Movement?
Using the Bottom of the RH to Fill
Stride Piano SECRETS on "East of the Sun"
Piano Orchestration P.3
>
How to Orchestrate a Rubato Ballad (Everything Happens to Me)
How to Orchestrate an In-Time Ballad (Everything Happens to Me)
Intros/Outros
>
Jazz Trio Intro EXPLAINED
Ahmad Jamal Ending Chords
How to End a Song Quietly
How to Fade Out (Ending to "Secret Love")
The CRAZIEST Cadenza You've Ever Heard
How to End a Ballad with a Solo Piano Cadenza ("Here's That Rainy Day")
Intros/Outros P.2
>
The Magic of Circle of 5ths Endings
Classic Ending for Any Jazz Standard (#4 Ending)
How to Create an Elegant Intro ("Wave")
Ending Wave with a Reharmonized Cadenza
MUST KNOW Chord Progression to Create a Classic Jazz Intro
BLUES OUT on a 3625 Progression
Solo Piano Rubato Intro on "East of the Sun"
Piano Technique
>
3 Parts of the Body
2 Reasons Why You MUST Strike From The Surface of the Keys
How to Bring Out the Melody in Your Playing
SECRET Practice Exercise for Voicing Control
How to Use Dynamics to Create Drama
Piano Technique P.2
>
3 Piano Technique Tips - Lessons From Robert Estrin
How to Play FAST
Subtractions Practice Technique (for Syncopation & Hand Independence)
Composition/Arranging
>
3 Ways to Use Counterpoint in Jazz
3 Tips When Composing an AABA Tune
Inspired by Ahmad Jamal's Poinciana ("Secret Love" arr. Bijan Taghavi Japan Trio)
Press
Interviews
Quotes
EPK
Contact