The Jazz piano style, from a technical standpoint, may be more demanding than any other style of music for a number of reasons. A repertoire of great classical pieces, when performed live, or in concert, by some of the finest pianist in the world, clearly display a level of technique that requires years of study to develop . The study of Melody, Harmony, Rhythm, Technique, Phrasing, and Dynamics are all very important parts of that learning process. After mastering these pieces, however, each performance of pieces thereafter, is confined to nothing beyond what was written.

A true performance of the Jazz Piano style requires the same dedication to the study of music that the classical style does. Unlike the classical pianist though, the Jazz pianist is not confined to what’s written on the printed page. Rather, he or she is able to improvise within the original form of the piece. In a Jazz performance, the piece is used as a springboard to launch new ideas outside of the boundary of the piece as originally written. To do this, the technical part of the performance has to be put on automatic pilot, more so, we think, than in a classical rendition of a piece, largely do to the improvisational aspect of the Jazz Piano style.

So to help build a solid foundation on the piano, the Music As a Language course incorporates the Michael Aaron, grade levels one through five approach to music fundamentals, for beginners. Where appropriate, students are exposed to Jazz concepts. The Thematic Guide to Piano literature comes in a set of five books. This material is suitable for intermediate and advanced students. Four to eight measures of a piece written by masters of the classical repertoire, are presented for study. Students are exposed to a great many styles and techniques as a result of spending a limited amount of time on these small portions of songs, compared to the amount of time it would take to learn pieces that are several pages long.

Classical pianist are more inclined to perform as soloist for the most part, while in Jazz performances, pianist are involved in accompaniment kinds of responsibilities, trio, quartet, and big band jobs. This is the kind of work that demands a much broader concept of the piano as a whole.