Piano I
This entry-level course for absolute beginners guides students through a comprehensive, gradually paced introduction to the piano, focusing on technique and reading. Concurrent enrollment in Introduction to Music Theory is highly recommended. Recommended texts: Mastering Piano Method 1A, Mastering Theory 1A, Janet Vogt (available at Jazzschool Books and Records).
Saturdays 10 – 11:30 am
10 weeks (1/14 – 3/17)
katherine westine $365
Piano II
A continuation of Piano I, this beginning/intermediate course focuses on technique and reading. Instructor also covers basic functional harmony with an emphasis on scale and chord theory, providing students with a solid harmonic foundation. Recommended text: Bastien Piano for Adults II (available at Jazzschool Books and Records).
Prerequisites: Piano I or equivalent.
Saturdays 11:45 am – 1:15 pm
10 weeks (1/14 – 3/17)
katherine westine $365
Piano III: Applied Keyboard Harmony
Through innovative and fun exercises, this hands-on class acquaints students with playing tonic-dominant, basic turnarounds and chord inversions in all keys. Students then play standard tunes using those basic progressions, in lead sheet format. This class prepares students for Jazz Piano I and is particularly useful for pianists with a classical background interested in learning how to interpret leadsheets and improvise. Instructor provides handouts.
Prerequisites: Piano II or equivalent.
Saturdays 1:30 – 3 pm
10 weeks (1/14 – 3/17)
jeanne walpole $365
Jazz Piano I
This hands-on class provides students with a basic understanding of jazz piano. Students learn rhythmic, melodic and harmonic terminology as applied to jazz — including all aspects of interpreting a lead sheet — and several basic approaches to jazz improvisation. More specifically, students are provided with an overview of harmonic functions in major and minor keys; an exposure to a variety of structural forms such as AABA song form and 12-bar blues; a palette of chord voicings, including root position, inversions, simple open voicings, rootless voicings, and chord extensions; and an introduction to voice leading. Instructor coaches students in developing their sense of time and swing feel at the piano, and students apply concepts to numerous standards and jazz tunes over the course of the quarter.
Prerequisites: Piano I, II and III or equivalent. (basic piano proficiency, knowledge of major scales, ability to play root-position major, minor, and dominant 7th chords in any key, and ability to read treble and bass clefs). Telephone consultation required.
Section I
Wednesdays 8:15 – 9:45 pm
10 weeks (1/11 – 3/14)
bob karty $365
Section II
Saturdays 3:15 – 4:45 pm
10 weeks (1/14 – 3/17)
ben stolorow $365
Jazz Piano II
A continuation of Jazz Piano I, covering a variety of soloing and comping techniques. Students are introduced to additional melodic resources commonly used in jazz improvisation. Students continue the study of techniques for voicing chords in one and two hands, and study standard reharmonization techniques while developing a jazz repertoire.
Prerequisites: Jazz Piano I or equivalent. Telephone consultation required.
Section I
Fridays 1:30 – 3 pm
10 weeks (1/13 – 3/16)
debbie poryes $365
Section II
Saturdays 1:30 – 3 pm
10 weeks (1/14 – 3/17)
mark levine $365
Stride Piano
Stride was the dominant style of jazz piano from the 1920s through the 1940s with well-known practitioners including Fats Waller, James P. Johnson, Willie “the Lion” Smith, Duke Ellington and Count Basie. In this class, students practice the technique of stride in the left hand, study chord voicings, stride rhythm patterns, stutter step, learn tunes from the stride era, and apply the technique to jazz standards.
Prerequisites: ability to play major and minor scales, all of the major scale modes, and simple arpeggios.
Saturdays 11:45 am – 1:15 pm
10 weeks (1/14 – 3/17)
ben flint $365
Gospel Piano
A class for pianists focusing on gospel-style music. Techniques include the 12/8 “rolling” feel, bass lines, full chord voicings, standard gospel chord progressions with turnarounds, and “walk ups.” Both accompanying and solo gospel styles are covered. Students listen to gospel greats including James Cleveland, Richard Smallwood and Ricky Grundy. Instructor has 19 years of experience playing for church services on organ and piano.
Prerequisites: intermediate proficiency on piano.
Saturdays 1:30 – 3 pm
10 weeks (1/14 – 3/17)
ben flint $365
New Class!
New Orleans Piano: Professor Longhair and Dr. John
This new class explores the deeply influential piano styles of New Orleans master Professor Longhair and of Dr. John, one of his main disciples. Students learn Fess’s trademark “rhumba boogie” groove, second-line, 2-beat, and other funky New Orleans feels. The class covers several classic tunes, including Fess’s most famous song, Tipitina.
Prerequisites: intermediate ability to read and play two-handed piano.
Tuesdays 4:45 – 6:15 pm
10 weeks (9/20 – 11/29)
JENNIFER JOLLY $365
New Class!
Funky Keys 2.0
An all-new hands-on class exploring the rhythmic magic of Herbie Hancock, Stevie Wonder, Joe Sample, Art Neville, Billy Preston, Bernie Worrell, Bobby Byrd (James Brown), and other funky groove masters. Special attention is paid to two-handed funky vamps, improvisation over vamps, and the role of the keyboard in the rhythm section. This is a very interactive class; students play together, groove, and solo every week. Handouts and transcriptions provided. Featuring completely new course content, this class is suitable both for students who have taken the original Funky Keys class and are interested in further study, and for those who are signing up for Funky Keys for the first time.
Prerequisites: familiarity with major and minor 7th chords; ability to read basic keyboard notation.
Tuesdays 4:45 – 6:15 pm
10 weeks (1/10 – 3/13)
jennifer jolly $365
New Class!
Chicago Blues Piano
This new class highlights the popular and dynamic Chicago blues piano style. This is the sound that many people have in mind when they think of blues piano: emphatically two-handed, either uptempo with a driving bass line and intricate right-hand runs and high-register pounding chords, or down-tempo and unabashedly emotional. Students learn the dynamic style of Otis Spann, Pinetop Perkins, Big Maceo, and other greats who based their careers in Chicago, in addition to contemporary stylists such as David Maxwell and Carl Sonny Leyland. Handouts and transcriptions provided.
Prerequisites: Ability to play a basic 12-bar blues form, two-handed (with a bass line); ability to read basic keyboard notation.
Tuesdays 6:30 – 8 pm
10 weeks (1/10 – 3/13)
jennifer jolly $365
The Piano Trio
This hands-on performance class for intermediate to advanced pianists focuses on how to play most effectively in the traditional jazz piano trio format. Maximum class size: four pianists, one drummer. Accompaniment provided by a professional bassist. Please note: class available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Prerequisites: ability to play and improvise over a jazz tune in time.
Section I
Mondays 5:00 – 6:30 pm
Section II
Mondays 6:45 – 8:15 pm
Section III
Mondays 8:30 – 10 pm
10 weeks (1/9 – 3/19)
peter horvath $390
Section IV
Saturdays 11:45 am – 1:15 pm
10 weeks (1/14 – 3/17)
mark levine $390
Related Workshops
Michele Rosewoman Jazz Piano Master Class
Sunday January 29, 10:30 am – 12:30 pm
michele rosewoman
Jazz Piano Harmony and Rhythm
Saturday February 4, 3:15 – 5:15 pm
dan zemelman
Richie Beirach Master Class
Sunday February 12, Noon – 3 pm
richie beirach
Jazz Piano Attunement — Enhancing Listening Skills
Saturday March 10, 3:15 – 5:15 pm
dan zemelman
