The piano is a versatile instrument that can be found in many musical genres around the world, and its flexibility makes it an ideal choice for jazz. Jazz piano technique utilizes all the chords found in Western art music, such as major, minor, augmented, diminished, seventh, diminished seventh, sixth, minor seventh, major seventh, suspended fourth and more. Mastering the various chord voicings from the simplest to the most complex is the first step in learning jazz piano. When it comes to choosing a piano for jazz music, Yamaha is the clear winner.
However, selecting a piano is such a personal thing that you should try out as many as possible before making your decision. Even two models from the same brand can differ significantly from each other, so it's important to take your time and find the one that's right for you. The Piano World forums are a great place to get advice on which pianos are best for jazz. According to forum members, two of the best pianos they've ever played were a Steinway D at the Performing Arts Center in Melbourne, Florida and an old 11-foot Chickering from 1905 at a now-defunct piano store in Seattle, Washington.
In addition to guitar, vibraphone and other keyboard instruments, the piano is one of the instruments in a jazz combo that can play both individual notes and chords instead of just individual notes like saxophone or trumpet. So if you're looking for an instrument that can provide both melody and harmony in your jazz combo, then the piano is definitely worth considering.
