Pick one style per week. Funk week: Focus on the right-hand staccato and left-hand 16th-note patterns. Latin week: Isolate the left-hand tumbao while the right hand plays sparse montunos.
Novello’s career spans session work, film scoring, and touring. His pragmatic, "I’ve actually used this on the gig" approach filters into every chapter of his book. He understands that the modern keyboardist cannot just read dots on a page; they must comp, solo, use synth programming, and understand rhythmic feel. This real-world experience is why The Contemporary Keyboardist feels less like a textbook and more like a seasoned mentor sitting beside you. When musicians search for the John Novello PDF , they are usually tired of standard piano methods that move too slowly or focus exclusively on classical repertoire. Novello’s book begins with the assumption that you want to play modern music immediately. the contemporary keyboardist john novello pdf
Do not skip the finger independence exercises. Novello uses non-standard fingerings designed for organ and synth action, not weighted piano keys. Practice these with a metronome for two weeks before moving on. Pick one style per week
In the vast ocean of music education literature, few books achieve the status of a "bible" for their respective instruments. For the Hammond organ, that book is Jimmy Smith’s transcribed solos. For jazz piano, it’s Mark Levine’s The Jazz Piano Book . But for the versatile, working keyboardist who needs to navigate jazz, rock, funk, Latin, and fusion from page one— John Novello’s The Contemporary Keyboardist stands in a league of its own. Novello’s career spans session work, film scoring, and
Have you studied from The Contemporary Keyboardist? Share your practice tips and favorite chapters in the comments below. And if you found a legitimate digital source, link to it—just keep it legal.