Jazz Theory
The Walking Bass Line Primer—Part One
A walking bass line, it’s one of the signature sounds in jazz. It’s even safe to say improvising walking bass lines iare among the skills
September 12, 2019
Piano Practice
Musical Design
The 24 Shapes (in music) and why you should know them
Something endlessly fascinating about JS Bach’s 5th Prelude in the Well Tempered Clavier, you know, this prelude in D major, is the pattern on top of which it’s
February 3, 2019
Jackdaws
Why YOU should consider attending an Improvisation course at Jackdaws!!!!!!!
From experience, that is, from improvising to learn, we get the lesson, which is, knowing how to improvise. Therefore …. let’s get the experience! We’ll pick up the lessons later! And we will pick them up!.
October 6, 2018
Piano Improvisation
Two piano improvisation courses! One goal!
Piano improvisation! From 21 to 23 September, I’ll be giving a weekend jazz improvisation course at Finchcocks in Kent. There’s one seat left. But it’s
September 9, 2018
Jazz Theory
B. Everything begins somewhere
I’ve written it in a blog post elsewhere, but it’s worth saying again—what Jaki Byard said to me in my first lesson with him at
July 27, 2018
Piano Improvisation
Jazz and improvisation at Finchcocks
There’s a special event coming up that I’d like to introduce—I’m participating in it as the course leader. The event is a workshop on improvisation at
June 18, 2018
Piano Improvisation
Jazz Piano Lesson #8: Negative harmony, Ernst Levy, Jacob Collier, Steve Coleman
NEGATIVE HARMONY. If we have negative harmony do we also have negative counterpoint? Negative scales and negative chords? Negative intervals? Negative everything and anything! Positive
November 1, 2017
Piano Improvisation
Jazz Piano Lesson #7: Pre-hearing and voice leading (and scales)
Know in advance where to go? It’s usually easier to get there? How does that work with pianism? With improvisation? Where do we want to go?
October 9, 2017
Piano Improvisation
Jazz Piano Lesson #6: The art of transcribing in jazz–Whether ’tis nobler
To transcribe or not to transcribe? For many musicians–aspiring, accomplished, or both–that’s the question. On the one hand transcription is for everyone regardless of skill
September 23, 2017
Piano Improvisation
Jazz Piano Lesson #4: Experiential learning and the piano
Experience learning jazz piano How do we induce experiential learning—the learning that comes from experience? I raise the question because aquiring lessons from learning is
July 14, 2017
Mark Polishook, currently based in Leicester in the UK, is known internationally as a jazz pianist and a composer. He is a former director of the music composition and theory programs at Central Washington University in the United States.
Read more about Mark Polishook...