Imitation vs. Inspiration

My jazz journey began in 2013. Up until then, I was exclusively classically trained, having hardly even heard jazz music. My musical world revolved around Chopin, Ravel, Mozart and Rachmaninoff, and while I had a deep love for the piano, jazz felt like an entirely different universe.

That all changed with one video.

Transcriptions became my gateway into jazz. After stumbling upon a transcribed Art Tatum performance on YouTube, I was captivated. In my two decades of hearing classical piano, I had never heard my instrument played the way Tatum played it. That curiosity led me down a rabbit hole of Art Tatum and Oscar Peterson transcriptions, where I painstakingly dissected and learned their solos note for note. My classical dexterity and sightreading skills helped me learn dozens of jazz arrangements through these transcriptions. For a while, it felt like I was making real progress.

But then, reality hit.

The Imitation Limitation

When it came time to actually improvise? Total ignorance. I could mimic the masters, but I couldn’t think like them. Beyond dominant 7th chords, my understanding of jazz theory was nonexistent, and my instinct for spontaneous creation was even worse.

For years, I continued imitating the greats through transcription and literal imitation in my improvised solos, hoping that by internalizing their styles, I would eventually unleash my own improvisatory mind. I studied Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, James Booker, Fats Waller, Hiromi Uehara, Ellis Larkins, Tete Montoliu.—trying to absorb their essence through sheer repetition.

What I Gained from Imitation

Imitation isn’t inherently bad. In fact, it’s a crucial step in any jazz musician’s journey. Here’s what I gained from those years of transcribing and copying:

✅ Expanded jazz vocabulary – I learned countless licks, phrasing techniques, and stylistic nuances from the masters.
✅ Improved technical fluency – Many jazz pianists have incredibly advanced fingerwork, and learning their solos strengthened my dexterity.

✅ A deeper understanding of jazz language – I began to recognize common chord progressions, reharmonizations, licks, rhythmic patterns and comping techniques.

But there was a downside.

The Problem with Imitation Alone

When I wasn’t imitating, I had little idea what to play on the piano.

Sure, I could string together some flashy licks and reharmonizations I had memorized, but they didn’t really feel authentic. I lacked the ability to think on my feet, to craft my own ideas in real-time. I wanted to truly understand the mechanics of jazz improvisation—not just echo what I’ve heard others play.

That’s when I realized imitation alone wasn’t enough. I must discover how to find the source of live inspiration needed to great improvisation on the piano.

The Shift to Inspiration

A few years back, I started taking a deep dive into my catalog of 500+ piano transcriptions, not just to learn them, but to analyze them. I wanted to uncover to see if I could find common grammar, patterns, techniques, and improvisational structures between these pianists.

I looked at:

• How they built melodic lines over chord changes.

• Their use of rhythm and phrasing.

• Their approach to comping and left-hand techniques.

• Their walking bass lines.

• The harmonic science behind their chord voicings.

Instead of just copying solos, I’ve begun extracting concepts from them. Instead of memorizing licks, I’m trying to study the logic behind them—why they worked, where they fit, and how they could be adapted. This shift is changing everything.

How to Move Beyond Imitation

If you’re stuck in the cycle of imitation, here’s how you can break free:

1️⃣ Analyze, don’t just transcribe – When you learn a solo, take the time to understand why the lines work, not just what notes are played.
2️⃣ Create variations – Take a lick you love and modify it. Change the rhythm, add passing tones, displace notes—make it your own.
3️⃣ Apply ideas in different contexts – Use a phrase from one song in another key, another tune, or a different harmonic setting.
4️⃣ Improvise with constraints – Limit yourself to certain notes, rhythms, or harmonic movements to force creative thinking.
5️⃣ Transcribe from different instruments – Learning from saxophonists, trumpeters, and vocalists can break you out of pianist-specific habits.

The Goal: Finding Your Own Voice

Imitation is a powerful tool, but inspiration is the engine of improvisation. Jazz is about expressing your ideas, not just channeling someone else’s. The great jazz pianists we admire didn’t become legends by simply copying those before them—they studied, absorbed, and then created something uniquely their own.

If you want to truly learn jazz, don’t just stop at imitation. Let it be a stepping stone to something greater: your own voice at the piano. My conclusion through years of brainstorming is that sitting down at the piano and improvising, no matter what it sounds like, is the only true way to become a better jazz pianist. I encourage you to use backing tracks from YouTube and try to play along to your favorite jazz standards. It’s not about hitting the right notes with the right rhythms, it’s about engaging your brain in the practice of improvisation, which enables this skill to grow over time.

Good luck!