UK Piano Page Piano Forum

Hello,

I have a student who wants to learn to play some blues, funk, pop and jazz piano. He says he likes some Billy Joel and Ben Folds stuff. I am a jazz pianist so I can teach him jazz OK, but I was wondering if anyone could suggest some good books I could get to help cover the other styles (blues, funk and pop). Here are some I have come across so far:

Blues:
Beginning Blues Keyboard and Intermediate Blues Keyboard (Alfred publishing);
Blues Piano - Mark Harrison (Hal Leonard) (Not sure if the material covered in this is also covered in Harrison's The Pop Piano Book [see below]);
All about blues basics for beginners - Michael Furstner;
Creative Keyboard's deluxe blues piano solo book - Matt Dennis & Paul Smith;
Blues - arranged by Frank Booth;
Improvising blues piano : the basic principles of blues piano explained for the intermediate-level pianist in an easy-to-grasp fashion - Tim Richards.

Funk:
Funk Keyboards - The Complete Method

Pop:
The Pop Piano Book - Mark Harrison.

Can any of you advise me on what the best chocies to make would be?

Thanks alot

Hi,

I suppose we all have our favourites. Without reflecting badly on those listed above (I am not familiar with them all) I can highly recommend Martan Mann's Improvising Blues Piano, which has Gospel, Tritone, Boogie Woogie, Stride, Funk, Rock, Jazz, and Minor blues styles explained - aimed at the reasonably competent. It's listed at Amazon as Martin Mann (he really is Martan), so search on that. It should be under a tenner. Excellent.

Rgds.

What do you think are the best books for teaching rock piano (like Billy Joel for example)?