Easy 2-5-1 Jazz Improvisation with Pentatonic Scale

We will learn a very practical method to improvise Jazz over the 2-5-1 chord progression in Major. We will also talk some nerdy jazz theory in between. But when we perform, we use simple pentatonic tools that automatically unfold the music!

Index:
00:00 Welcome
00:17 Listen to the sound we can make
01:59 The chords in use
02:31 The walking bass
04:59 The pentatonic hand grip
06:32 Where to place the hand grip
07:41 We play a solo
08:48 Where to place the hand grip - continued
10:40 The scales in use
12:44 The avoid note
16:44 Playing a solo with Lydian scale
18:14 The arpeggio technique
21:02 "Pep-up" the improvisation
21:55 We play "outside" on the dominant chord
23:48 The substitute dominant Mixolydian
25:19 More Music
26:52 Goodbye

References:
Tutorial about modal theory and the church modes:

Exercises with the pentatonic scale and the hand grip:

Often I use blue notes in the video above. That technique is explained in this lesson:

Donations:

Sheet music with walking bass:

Many of you have requested a video tutorial using the "pentatonic hand grip" on the II V I chords. Finally I made the lesson - thanks a lot for your patience :) And thanks for always making great inputs in the comments and giving me great moral support :)

Warm Regards
Oliver Prehn

[Captainhit]

5 YEARS of music conservatory and was never taught this - yes we had classes in ALL the major styles of music!! THANK YOU!!!

[danwilson]

This lesson has totally blown me away!! You can learn all the theory and practice that all the universities and colleges of the world can offer, but until someone who knows and understands at this level can play it, teach it, and show you exactly what to do, it won't come all together. Oliver, you brought it all together for me. I am 56, earned a B.A. in Music Composition, but never learned the secret of playing this great genre on piano. Thank you, thank you, and THANK YOU!

[larryclair]

You lit up life. Started playing piano at age 12, 77 years old now. What a blessing your video is. Thankyou Sir.

[brunoamaral]

I am almost crying right now because of this lesson. A HUGE AHA moment turned out in my head. This is art. Thank you so much!

[jessalvo]

You are the best...I wish I found you 60 years ago. You explained the basic of jazz piano playing better than anyone else. I'm 71 now but I wish its not too late. Hats off to you, kudos, bravos and a million thanks! And thank you YouTube. I wasted a lot of money on a lot of paper work. I'm glad I lived this long.

[alejandrobarros]

I've studied music during seven years and never anyone teach me that the music can be so closely and easy to play, you don't know how much i´m grateful for what you've done with this video!!!

[korento]

Prehn's Piano Grip Method for improvising jazz. Deserves wide recognition among pros and beginners alike!

[wvzgtse]

Дорогой, Оливер, где вы были 50 лет назад, как же мне не хватало этих знаний. Низкий вам поклон.

[cannabis]

Great, great, great lesson! Never seen it explained like this before in all my 40 years of piano playing! You have great musical skill. Awesome tutor/video/tutorial. Thank you for sharing.

[seanonel]

Mr Prehn, I've just watched this video again and am - once more - blown away by the quality of what you teach. My playing had improved CONSIDERABLY because of your knowledge shared with us. You are a true YouTube treasure. Please don't ever lose your humility and graciousness as so many successful Youtubers do. Learning from you is like a guilty pleasure for me!

[markanthony]

Oliver, Excellent! This is the first Jazz technique that actually shows how to play through a 2-5-1 with class, and ease. New Jazz is just that; it's opening the door to a closed private club, and showing "especially new player's" that they can join the club too. You need to write "Piano Jazz Grips" by Oliver Prehn because this is your "foundation" technique that you will be known by. If you get a chance it would be nice to see this technique in the following: 2-5, and 1-4-3-6-2-5, Bossa Nova, and how to incorporate the relative Am, would make for a very good beginner's foundation to build from in one key CM. Once someone can play in one key quickly, they're encouraged to add another key with one flat, and then one sharp, and so on. Keep up the GREAT work!

[dadautube]

simple yet sophisticated ... plain yet not easy ... not so hard but not quite a piece of cake either ...
thank you Oliver Prehn for such a truly beautiful performance and thorough as well as comprehensible explanation of one of the best music formats ever! this is exactly how i'd love to play jazz ...

[AndrewColyerMusic]

HOLY CRAP!!! I've been looking for something like this for YEARS!!! I totally LOVE music theory, and know it so well that my college theory teacher told me that in 20 years of teaching, I was only one of two people who he thought could actually teach it. That's how well I understand it. HOWEVER, it NEVER really translated into IMPROVISING!! I have always been trying to figure out ways to get better at soloing. THIS IS IT!! I can't wait to get into the studio and start PRACTICING and PLAYING with this AWESOME new METHOD!! Thank you so much!! Andrew Colyer, New York

[cedricfrancis]

More than a decade ago, I told myself that I wanted to learn Jazz. However, I wasn't finding anything on YouTube that showed the theoretical and practical patterns easy enough for me to follow. After watching this video and the one titled "the 10 steps to improve jazz", I learned so much that I couldn't believe that so much content could fit in 1 hour. I am so excited to watch more of these videos, but it will take me a little while to master what I have learned from just these 2. I have known about the pentatonic scale for years but never really saw the need to practice it. After seeing Mr. Prehn teaching the pentatonic hand grip and demonstrating it so beautifully, I immediately had a high level of respect for the scale and is now motivated to practice it. Its more than 5 yrs since I've had a motivation like this to practice. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and skills with us Mr. Prehn. I will definitely be following your videos as I have already suscribed to your channel.

[Fogertian]

Now I need translate that "grip" to my electric guitar. That pentatonic scales are easy to follow any time. It's NOT boring learning this way ... if you want to play it on guitar. Best teacher in the world !!!!

[LeonardoGiordani]

Oliver, thanks so much for this lesson. It speaks volumes that as a guitarist I had to watch a video by a pianist to get a grip of the basics. Many other (guitar) videos begin flooding the lesson with scales, arpeggios, substitutions, you name it, all great and useful things, but very confusing for a beginner. It's also good to see that it's not just guitarists who think in shapes! Thanks a lot, keep up the good work!

[Virtual-Tiger]

Hi Oliver, I think we are blessed to have you as our mentor. I followed all your lessons with great interest wondering how far your different minor pentatonic-hand grips will take us. The 2-5-1 Jazz Improvisation Lesson - in a Single Hand Grip of Dec 13, 2017, demonstrates your teachings very effectively.
Thanks and God Bless You, Oliver.

[TheAsyou]

Finally!!! a great music course (new jazz) after searching for 20 years. this is the best lesson so far. Some will pretend to teach you music but I feel like their main goal is to confuse you more or maybe they just lack the teaching skill who knows. but this guy is gifted for teaching music. Amazing . thank you.

[korento]

I wish I had found this ten years ago!! The best YT piano jazz teacher so far. Until finding New Jazz I never truly appreciated the power of the circle of fifths, 251, church scales or pentatonic scales, or really understood how to practice them in a way that also strikes a chord in my head, pun intended. Fabulous. More please!

[RL]

I've been a self-taught player for years.... this video might be the most impressive learning tool to start advancing my progress and taking it to the next level. Thank you so much.