Mondays 8:15–9:45 pm, 9/21–11/30; No class 11/23

REGISTER

Develop greater harmonic fluency and expand your jazz piano vocabulary. Building on the foundation established in Jazz Piano 1, this course explores melodic minor and diminished harmony—how these sounds function within songs and how to apply them creatively and confidently in improvisation.

Students expand their palette of chord voicings, deepen their understanding of contemporary harmonic language, and refine their improvisational skills through solo transcription and analysis. Personalized coaching in a supportive group setting helps each participant apply these sounds with greater clarity and confidence.

Mondays 8:15–9:45 pm
9/21–11/30
No class 11/23
Bob Karty, $450
(online)

Prerequisites

• Ability to play three-note voicings with proper voice leading through a jazz standard (e.g., “All the Things You Are” or similar)

• Ability to improvise on a 12-bar blues in time

• Ability to play 3rds and 7ths in the left hand

Required Texts

• Jamey Aebersold Play-Along Vol. 54: Maiden Voyage

• The Jazz Piano Book by Mark Levine

Please purchase the texts from your preferred online retailer.

Format

This class meets online in real time via Zoom.

About Bob Karty

Pianist and composer Bob Karty has performed with artists in the San Francisco Bay Area jazz and world music scenes, including GRAMMY-nominated Latin jazz artists Ray Obiedo and Pete Escovedo. He has collaborated with percussionists Karl Perazzo (Santana) and Michael Spiro on numerous projects, including the salsa band Conjunto Karabalí and, with Spiro, the world-jazz sextet Tanaóra.

With Orquesta La Moderna Tradición, Bob recorded three critically acclaimed albums featuring the Cuban danzón and performed at major festivals across the United States for nearly 16 years.

Bob’s current project is his first as a leader and composer, an album of contemporary jazz compositions featuring drummer Mark Walker (Oregon, Paquito D’Rivera), bassist Steve Rodby (Pat Metheny Group), reed player Paul McCandless (Oregon), guitarist Dean Parks (Steely Dan, Stevie Wonder), and others.

Bob teaches at the Jazzschool in Berkeley and at his home studio in Oakland.

bobkarty.com