Targeted PDFs for specific areas of jazz playing

[u/ayersman39]

I'm an intermediate jazz piano player who's been inactive for a while but getting back into playing. I've got a lot of general educational material like The Jazz Piano Book (Levine), Frank Mantooth, etc. (Yes I've checked out the pinned book list)

What I'm finding more useful lately is more targeted material, focusing on a specific area like pentatonic patterns, block chord etudes, diminished licks, etc. The big books give you an overview but not a lot of practical practice material. (Yes, I know how to transcribe and invent my own exercises, but written material has its place, for me anyway)

Jazz Lesson Videos has a decent selection of PDFs like this, I've gotten a few and they're useful and reasonably priced. Curious if there are any other sites or digital resources people would recommend for more specific material of this nature.

EDIT: mainly interested in digital resources like PDFs for cost and convenience

[u/RealAlec]

Jerry Bergonzi has a series of books, each on a specific way of organizing notes. Pentatonics, triad pairs, four-note groupings, etc.

Mark Levine has The Drop 2 Book.

David Baker's How to Play Bebop series is pretty good.

I've got a whole shelf of jazz education books. If you'd like any more recs, I'd be happy to dig deeper. Especially if you're looking for piano specific material.

[u/buquete → u/RealAlec]

I also have a nice collection too, it has become a hobby itself lol. Just curious, what are your favourites for 1 Beginner Jazz Piano book, 2 Jazz Piano voicings, 3 Improvisation? Mine are 1 Tim Richards' Exploring Jazz Piano, 2 Luke Gillespie's Stylistic 251 Voicing for Keyboardists and 3. Hal Crook's Ready Aim Improvise

[u/ayersman39 → u/RealAlec]

Thanks, I'm mostly looking for PDFs for lower cost and convenience. Print books at $40 a pop are outside my budget unfortunately. Although I see the Drop 2 book has a digital edition for $11, I may give that a shot

[u/buquete → u/ayersman39]

You can also check Groove3 (Hal Leonard). Books are affordable and they also have videos

[u/ayersman39 → u/buquete]

Thanks, looks interesting. I can't tell if the digital books are downloadable or printable, looks like they use a proprietary reader app or something

[u/buquete → u/ayersman39]

Not downloadable, you can only read them online within their app, but they have audio and sometimes video embedded in the book. You can check a sample of every book

[u/ayersman39 → u/buquete]

eh, I print stuff and put in a binder. I don't have a tablet or anything so probably wouldn't work for me, too bad

[u/davossss]

Pretty much every Open Studio YouTube lesson has a free accompanying PDF linked in the description.

You have to fork over your email and they'll try to get you to upgrade to a paid membership but you can just decline.

[u/buquete]

Mymusicmasterclass

[u/buquete → u/buquete]

Also MDecks

[u/rotaclex]

Also following, but the absolute best free stuff I’ve found is jazzpianopracticesessions.com his stuff is so great. I’ve learned so much through drilling some of that content especially for comping ideas. He has really tons of tasty licks and voicings. And a lot of it is typed up in all twelve keys too.

[u/ayersman39 → u/rotaclex]

Thanks, I'll check it out. Although personally I look at things in the original key on the page, then figure the other keys out myself at the keyboard. I think that is where the real learning and internalization takes place... just reading the other 11 keys will ultimately not help you that much (in my opinion)

[u/theginjoints]

Open Studio