Classical pianists face the rigorous task of sight reading. Sight reading includes being completely fluent in the rhythm and melody of the reading. Reading sheet music is probably one of the most arduous and tedious tasks in playing classical music. Because classical music relies almost exclusively on sight-reading music written by earlier master composers such as Mozart, Hadyn, Bartok, Bach, and the like, there are many guidelines for how songs should be played. The advanced classical technique is also very strenuous and complex. Some advanced pieces can take an average classical pianist several months to learn.

Jazz relies heavily on improvisation. Because jazz is more free-spirited and at the moment, many think it’s easy. Coming from a classical background, this is definitely not the case. Complex chords are often used in jazz music that are never found in classical music. Extended chords like novenas, thirteen flats, etc. it would sound quite dissonant to a classic ear. If Beethoven or Mozart had heard the jazz piano played, they might have wrinkled their noses a bit thinking about harmony issues before actually liking it. It definitely took me a bit of acclimatization to appreciate this style of music.

One of the most complex things about jazz is theory. Although classical music students learn a lot of theory, not much of it is used because students do not depend on theory to play their pieces. All they have to do is learn sheet music and then memorize it.

When it comes to jazz, there are so many different chords and inversions that students will need to learn before they can improvise melodies and rhythms on them. Understanding music theory is a very integral part of interpreting this form of music. Jazz chord changes are also very complex and irregular compared to traditional classical piano pieces. Although both advanced classical and jazz students will know all scales in different pitches, jazz musicians will use this knowledge in a more practical way than the average classical pianist.

Finger technique for both genders can be extremely difficult. In my opinion, neither of them is harder than the other, although many classic riffs can be a bit more complex, as jazz melodies are often created by playing scales. Learning complex jazz and classical riffs will take a lot of dedication and practice to master, and proper finger technique will determine how well you can play both genres.

In conclusion, the two genders have different obstacles and challenges that students will have to overcome and face. I’d say both can be equally challenging, but only in different ways. A true master pianist will have extensive knowledge of both.

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