PIANO JAZZ - OLTRE IL REAL BOOK
From the Real Book to your hands: voicings, harmony and standards
con Francesca Tandoi
Course with subtitles available in
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I DETTAGLI DEL CORSO
A jazz piano course designed for those who want to finally go beyond the Real Book, understand what lies behind chord symbols, and learn how to turn them into living, personal, and conscious music. A complete journey that takes the student step by step from reading a simple lead sheet to creatively interpreting a standard, with a concrete, musical, and fully jazz-oriented approach.
Through eleven progressive lessons, the course explores in depth the essential harmonic progressions, starting from the II-V-I and the turnaround, up to their practical application in some of the most representative tunes in the repertoire, from Satin Doll to It Could Happen to You. Each concept is demonstrated at the piano, with real examples, alternative voicings, and explanations on how to choose the most effective setting depending on the melodic context.
Work on the hands is constant: the left hand becomes a harmonic compass, while the right hand develops phrasing, control, and expressive freedom. The lessons delve into the relationship between melody and harmony, showing how to build coherent voicings and how to move between different solutions – 1-7, 1-3, rootless – without losing the musical sense of the tune.
At the heart of the course there is also space for the blues, with its endless possibilities for substitution, and for block-chord harmonization, approached through the use of the bebop scale and chromatic movement between the fifth and sixth degree. This leads to a vision of jazz piano not as a simple accompanying instrument, but as a complete orchestra, capable of suggesting harmonic motion, supporting the melody, and shaping ensemble dynamics.
The final lessons focus on comping in jam sessions and on the importance of active listening: playing less, but better; respecting the melody; knowing how to react in real time. The course closes by encouraging the development of solid technical foundations and a patient mindset, reminding students that simplicity is the starting point for reaching more complex solutions.
“Piano Jazz Beyond the Real Book” is, ultimately, a course that teaches you to think like a jazz pianist, and to play with open ears, a clear mind, and genuine freedom.
START NOWThe importance of balance between the hands and the study of major scale harmonization in all inversions.
Let's start from the basics and from 1-7 and 1-3 voicings.
Building and practicing 1-7 and 1-3 voicings along the scale, applied to typical jazz cadences.
Analysis and practice of the I-VI-II-V progression, voicing variations, and introduction to the first alterations and dominants.
Applying the studied voicings to the harmonization of the theme, conscious choice between 1-7 and 1-3 according to the melody.
Decoding Real Book chord symbols and building 2-5-1 progressions in Ellington's tune.
Harmonic expansion of the tune with chromatisms, tritone substitutions, and use of the Kenny Barron voicing.
Complete harmonic analysis of the tune, choosing the correct voicings and correcting some Real Book chord symbols.
Twelve-bar structure, study of "Billie's Bounce" and introduction to harmonic substitutions typical of jazz blues.
Harmonization of the bebop scale with chromatisms and application to the tune "Beautiful Love" in D minor.
Practical tips for accompanying singers and instruments, attention to the melody and conscious use of the Real Book.
Course conclusion: importance of fundamentals, constant practice on 2-5-1 and turnarounds, study of the bebop scale and simple approach to comping.
COURSE EXCERPTS
COURSES ON MUSICEZER
95%
User satisfaction rating
87%
Course completion rate
KEY STRENGTHS
A video learning path in 4K and HD audio, the complete booklet with all transcriptions of the musical parts analyzed and played by Francesca Tandoi.
♾️ THE COURSE IS YOURS FOREVER
🎧 LIKE IN THE FRONT ROW
🎓 LEARN FROM THOSE WHO REALLY PLAY
FRANCESCA TANDOI
Francesca Tandoi is a pianist, singer, composer, and band leader.
Graduated cum laude from the Royal Conservatory of The Hague and Codarts in Rotterdam, she has established herself as a leading figure on the international jazz scene.
She has performed at prestigious venues such as Dizzy's Club at Lincoln Center in New York, Stockholm Concert Hall, Bimhuis in Amsterdam, Hakuju Concert Hall in Tokyo, and Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza, participating in festivals including North Sea Jazz, Umbria Jazz, Cork Jazz, and Sumatra Jazz Festival.
She has collaborated with renowned artists such as Snarky Puppy (Umbria Jazz 2023, GroundUp Festival 2025), Scott Hamilton (three albums recorded together), Philip Harper, Lewis Nash, Lee Pearson, Joe Cohn, and many others. Since 2024, she has been featured in the show "Piano Conclave" alongside Dado Moroni, Rita Marcotulli, Danny Grissett, and Benito Gonzales. She has performed with Darius Brubeck, Stefano Bollani, and Tony Hadley, and was a guest at the Bösendorfer Piano Gala Netherlands.
Since 2014, she has recorded seven albums as a bandleader and participated in over twenty productions. The album "Wind Dance" (Atelier Sawano Japan) was included in the Top 10 Best Jazz Albums of 2017 by Jazz Life, which called her "one of the most exciting emerging talents on the international jazz scene".
Francesca is also a highly regarded educator: she has held masterclasses at Washington University in St. Louis, Clinics of Jazz in Moscow, Music University of Pretoria, and at festivals throughout Italy and Europe. Critics celebrate her for her flawless technique, musical taste, and incredible sense of swing.
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