Looking for that definitive text that covers improvisation in all its diversity with clarity and ease? Are you ready to put in the time and effort required to be a complete musician? Are you unable to afford huge tuitions for your education, but want the careful guidance that a private teacher with the right text can give you? Your search has ended! This book covers "e;Essential"e; materials for a thorough study of improvisation and Jazz piano in two parts: Techniques and Styles. Part 1 includes studies of chord voicings, (how to arrange chord notes in your hands), harmonic and linear approaches to soloing, keyboard bass, rhythmic phrasing, and the "e;free areas"e; of introductions, endings, and turnarounds. Part 2 covers a chronological study of style from early Stride techniques, through Swing, Be-Bop, modal harmony, Latin "e;montuno"e; techniques and thoughts on soloing in general. Serious amateurs and young professionals alike will learn basic concepts, enabling a deeper pursuit of each subject, opening the door to a personal repertoire and individual style for a lifetime of enjoyment.