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Every month at Jazz Piano Skills, we begin a new tune study by doing what every serious jazz musician should do first—understand the harmony.

In this episode, Dr. Bob Lawrence launches a month-long study of the classic standard Teach Me Tonight with a thorough harmonic analysis of the tune. You'll explore the form, chord changes, harmonic function, common progressions, and voicing structures that provide the foundation for confident jazz piano performance.

More importantly, Dr. Bob addresses a question every musician eventually faces:

"How do I know when I've finished learning a tune?"

The answer reveals one of the most important truths in music education: the tune is never the goal—the musician is the goal.

Through this discussion, you'll discover why growth requires movement, why studying new tunes strengthens essential skills, and how every tune ultimately points us back to the fundamentals and the Seven Facts of Music.

In This Episode

• Why musicians should continue moving forward instead of waiting to "finish" a tune
• The difference between learning tunes and developing musicianship
• The form and harmonic architecture of Teach Me Tonight
• Harmonic function and common chord progressions found throughout the tune
• Block voicings, shell voicings, and two-handed voicing applications
• The Seven Facts of Music and how they appear in every tune you study
• Practical practice strategies for developing transferable jazz piano skills

Educational Materials Included

Jazz Piano Skills members have access to the complete lesson packet featuring:

• Harmonic analysis worksheets
• Lead sheets and illustrations
• Voicing studies
• Practice guides
• Play-along tracks
• Masterclass support materials

Key Takeaway

The tune changes. The skills remain.

The goal is never to complete a tune. The goal is to become a more complete musician.

Join Dr. Bob as he explores the harmonic foundation of Teach Me Tonight and demonstrates how great tune study leads directly to stronger jazz piano skills, deeper musical understanding, and greater artistic freedom.

Discover. Learn. Play. Jazz Piano.

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