How To Play Swing Piano: A Simple & Effective Strategy

Lifting the Fog: A Clear Path to Swing Piano Creativity

In this short rendition of A Foggy Day by George and Ira Gershwin, notice how the left hand’s minimalist rhythm guides us confidently through the tune. Most of the momentum stems from the simple 1–7 chord voicing—yes, just the root and 7th—with swing piano flavor emerging not from complexity, but consistency.

In this approach, the left hand takes a supportive role, gently underpinning the harmony while allowing the right hand’s melodic expression to shine through. Its volume is intentionally kept lower, maintaining a balance that favors the tune’s narrative voice rather than overwhelming it.

This structure is a skeleton, an underlying engine for the harmonic “train ride.” You’ll hear that sometimes the 1 and 7 are played together, and other times staggered to inject light groove. We even slip in the 5th on the upbeat, adding subtle propulsion. Occasionally, a fuller voicing appears for thickness—but it’s never overdone.

In fact, you’ll notice in measure #2, where the melody is Eb (the 5th of the chord A–7♭5), we preserve that melody note on top while employing a 1–7–3–5 voicing—another compact version of the fuller 1–7–3–5–9 structure. This blending shows how swing piano technique can thrive within a simple, thoughtful framework.

These principles integrate seamlessly with ProProach, which unveils the heart of expressive piano voicings by demystifying lush structures like 1–7–3–5–9 and exploring them in manageable bits and pieces.

Swing Piano Momentum: One Phrase, Endless Possibilities

Want to master this? Take a familiar standard and isolate just four measures. Play them in a loop, again and again, but each time ask yourself: “What’s one little thing I could do differently?” Try altering rhythm, voicing order, accent placement—small moves make big musical waves.

This kind of practice is central to Sneak Peeks, encouraging you to innovate without overwhelm. With regular repetition and subtle tweaks, swing piano fluency becomes second nature.

Whether it’s foggy outside or just foggy in your musical mind, this approach clears the haze. You won’t just be playing standards—you’ll be.