How Do Jazz Piano and Composition Inspire Each Other?
- Diana Mascari
- May 29
- 4 min read
A Surprising Story
When I was studying composition with William Thomas McKinley at the New England Conservatory, he once remarked that there was a relationship between composition and jazz piano that truly surprised him.
Since Tom was both an extraordinary composer and an exceptional jazz pianist, he taught students from both the jazz and composition departments.
One week, he assigned a classical composition student a composition exercise. When the student returned for her lesson, instead of presenting the completed assignment, she played her own jazz arrangement of a standard from the Great American Songbook.
Thinking this was probably the exception rather than the rule, Tom expected one of his jazz piano students to return the following week with a polished jazz arrangement of a standard tune.
Instead, the student arrived with the opening section of an entirely new classical composition.
Over time, this became a surprisingly regular occurrence:
jazz students composing classical music
and composition students playing jazz arrangements
The relationship between the two worlds was much deeper than it first appeared.
Finding a Teacher Who Could Teach Both Worlds
When I realized that I wanted to become a classical composer while continuing to grow as a jazz pianist, I contacted Tom McKinley because he was the only teacher I knew who could truly guide me in both areas.
His expertise as:
a composer
a jazz pianist
and an improviser
allowed him to understand how these two musical disciplines constantly influence one another.
Years later, after earning my two master’s degrees from the New England Conservatory, I found that the relationship between jazz piano and composition had become an essential part of my own musical life.
How Does Playing Jazz Piano Inspire Classical Composing?
Because I continue playing jazz piano while composing classical music, I’m constantly experimenting with:
chords
voicings
rhythmic feels
accompaniment patterns
and improvised melodic lines
Over time, these musical resources naturally become available to me when composing.
For example, I sometimes compose blues-based movements within a classical composition and discover that my improvisational experience helps me shape melodic material that works beautifully for chamber music or orchestral writing.
Jazz Piano Styles Within Classical Composition
Over the years, I’ve incorporated:
walking bass lines
stride piano
beguine bass patterns
jazz waltz styles
and other jazz influences
into my classical compositions.
Once these accompaniments are in place, I often use the imagination and flexibility developed through jazz improvisation to create melodic lines for:
flute
clarinet
strings
brass
or chamber ensembles
The improvisational process helps me discover musical ideas that might never appear through purely theoretical thinking alone.
Improvisation Encourages Musical Freedom
One of the greatest gifts of jazz piano is that it encourages experimentation.
When improvising, you constantly:
test possibilities
reshape phrases
alter rhythms
change harmonies
and react musically in real time
This process develops:
spontaneity
flexibility
listening skills
and musical imagination
All these qualities deeply enrich the composing process.
How Does Composing Inspire Jazz Piano Playing?
The influence also works in the opposite direction.
When you compose regularly, you begin thinking constantly about:
structure
harmony
melodic shape
texture
dynamics
tempo
and expression
As a composer, your musical “antennas” are always up.
Because of this heightened awareness, when you sit down to play jazz piano, you naturally begin shaping the music more thoughtfully and creatively.
Composing Strengthens Musical Awareness
Composition trains you to think about:
long-range musical direction
phrase structure
contrast
tension and release
and how musical ideas evolve over time
As a result, your jazz playing often becomes:
more expressive
more organized
more imaginative
and more emotionally shaped
The ideas you discover while composing eventually find their way back into your improvisation.
Consistency Keeps Creativity Alive
Whether your primary focus is:
jazz piano
or
composition
one of the most important things you can do is remain actively involved in music on a regular basis.
Even:
ten minutes a day
five or six days a week
can help keep your creative energy flowing.
The simple act of:
improvising
experimenting
composing
practicing
or listening deeply
keeps your musical imagination engaged and alive.
Why Jazz Piano and Composition Need Each Other
If I had to summarize how jazz piano and composition inspire one another, I would say this:
Each discipline continually feeds the other.
Jazz piano encourages:
freedom
experimentation
spontaneity
and imagination
Composition encourages:
structure
focus
refinement
and long-range musical thinking
Together, they create a musical balance that keeps creativity:
energized
vital
expressive
and always growing
Final Thoughts
Over the years, I’ve found that jazz piano and composition are not separate musical worlds at all.
Instead, they exist in an ongoing creative dialogue.
The improvisational freedom of jazz continually refreshes my composing, while the structural awareness developed through composition deepens my jazz playing.
Each discipline helps the other remain:
alive
curious
expressive
and creatively engaged
And perhaps most importantly, both continue reminding me that music is not simply something we perform or analyze. It is something that keeps us creative, energized, alive, and deeply connected to ourselves and others.
Interested in Exploring Composition or Playing the Piano?
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