How to learn jazz online?

How do I practice reading jazz chords off of a lead sheet? How would I quickly learn to sight read piano music?

• I'm a student in the 11th grade. I attend an art school, I am currently studying piano with jazz chords and progressions. I would like to join the jazz band but I need to learn to ...show more

• Answer:

  Something that I've found to be really useful is to work out what I call "chord combos". A "chord combo" is a short 2-3 chord progression that happens often... such as a ii-V-I. Work out several different combos and drill them to the point that they are instinctual. If you see a Bm7(b5) - E7b9 - Am7, you automatically throw it down. The nice thing about working these out in advance is that you can come up with some cool voicings and inversions that you probably wouldn't play if you were just flying by the seat of your pants. I've got a neat one to go from a m7 to a dominant 7th on the same root. It has a chromatic ascending bass line and moves through the ii chord and a couple inversions. It sounds really cool, and I'd never come up with something like that by just improvising... it gives my playing a unique flavor and style.