Fundamental Guide to Piano Improvisation from Udemy

JazzEdge Academy offers lessons to all skill levels of piano players.

Willie uses the Foundational / Fundational approach when creating his lessons. Build upon your technique and polish up your skills with our piano lessons. He has been teaching online for over 24 years, which is why so many students put their trust in JazzEdge.

This lesson will teach you improvisation techniques over Satin Doll and Canon in D.

You’ll learn both Jazz and Pop/Rock improvisation styles and approaches into chord tones.

You will learn all the basics of getting started with improvising on the piano.

If your piano technique is not practiced, it will absolutely affect your performance. Learning proper technique at the piano is more than just learning scales and chord patterns. It's also learning how to shape notes via dynamics, articulation and proper form.

Rhythm, style, chords will be learned with both hands separately and then together.

Get ready to practice:

Chords & Inversions
Right Hand Improvisation
What do I do with the left hand?
Left Hand Rythms
Psuedo Bass Line
Putting Both Hands Together
Chord Tones
Licks With Approaches
1-6-2-5 Exercises
More.

You will be able to practice what you learn here with provided play along tracks.

I'll see you inside the course.

~Willie

What's inside

Learning objectives

Learn how to practically apply these techniques to quickly use them in your playing
Gain a deeper understanding of chords and their usage
Learn techniques that the pro’s use to make their playing sound professional
Learn music theory and how to use it in your playing

Learn how to visualize the keyboard making you a more accurate player
Improve your technique, speed and dexterity at your instrument
Apply these techniques to piano, keyboard or organ
Analyze and solve music theory and chord progressions

Learn how to practically apply these techniques to quickly use them in your playing
Gain a deeper understanding of chords and their usage
Learn techniques that the pro’s use to make their playing sound professional
Learn music theory and how to use it in your playing
Learn how to visualize the keyboard making you a more accurate player
Improve your technique, speed and dexterity at your instrument
Apply these techniques to piano, keyboard or organ
Analyze and solve music theory and chord progressions

Syllabus

Introduction

Welcome to Piano With Willie's Basics of Improvisation

Introduction to what you will learn in this piano improvisation lesson.

Download the sheet music in pdf format here.

Getting Started

You will need good rhythm in order to improvise. Practice these techniques before moving on.

Learn how to improvise in different styles.

Learn the basic chords you will need and their inversions.

Learn your comping chords on the piano.

Right Hand

Start off improvising with the right hand. Part 1

Start off improvising with the right hand. Part 2

Left Hand

Learn how to add in the left hand to your piano playing.

Learn the rhythms you will need for your left hand.

Practice using this bassline.

Hands Together

Putting both hands together at the piano.

Going beyond chord tones. Part 1.

Going beyond chord tones. Part 2.

Learn on how to approach your improvisation.

Adding licks to your approaches.

Exercises

Learn these lick exercises.

Learn to play a 1-6-2-5 progression.

Use your improvisation to jam with the band.

Download this lesson to play along with the band.

Bonus

Get support and additional resources here.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Uses a foundational approach, which allows beginners to build technique and more experienced players to polish their skills, making it accessible to a wide range of learners

Teaches improvisation techniques over specific songs like Satin Doll and Canon in D, providing practical application and immediate results for learners

Covers both Jazz and Pop/Rock improvisation styles, broadening the learner's musical vocabulary and adaptability to different genres and performance contexts

Emphasizes the importance of rhythm and technique, which are crucial for effective improvisation and overall musical proficiency, ensuring a well-rounded learning experience

Includes play-along tracks, which allows learners to practice and apply the techniques they learn in a realistic musical setting, enhancing their learning and performance skills

Requires learners to have good rhythm, which may pose a challenge for absolute beginners who have not yet developed a strong sense of timing and pulse

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Fundamental Guide to Piano Improvisation with these activities:

Alfred's Basic Adult Piano Course

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Review fundamental piano skills and music reading to build a solid foundation for improvisation.

View Melania on Amazon

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Review basic music notation and rhythm exercises.
Practice playing scales and chords in all keys.

Review Basic Music Theory

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Solidify your understanding of fundamental music theory concepts like scales, chords, and key signatures to prepare for improvisation.

Browse courses on Music Theory

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Review major and minor scales and their construction.
Practice identifying intervals and chord qualities.
Study key signatures and their corresponding scales.

The Jazz Piano Book

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Supplement your learning with a comprehensive guide to jazz piano techniques and theory.

View For all musicians, jazz piano voicings on Amazon

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Read chapters on chord voicings and improvisation strategies.
Practice the exercises and examples provided in the book.

Four other activities

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Show all seven activities

Chord Inversion Exercises

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Practice chord inversions to improve finger dexterity and keyboard visualization, essential for smooth improvisation.

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Practice playing major and minor chord inversions in all keys.
Focus on smooth transitions between inversions.
Use a metronome to maintain consistent timing.

Explore Online Jazz Piano Tutorials

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Seek out online tutorials focusing on jazz piano improvisation to learn new techniques and approaches.

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Search for tutorials on specific improvisation techniques.
Follow along with the tutorials and practice the exercises.
Experiment with incorporating new techniques into your playing.

Improvise Over Simple Chord Progressions

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Start improvising over simple chord progressions like I-IV-V-I to apply learned techniques and develop your own style.

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Choose a simple chord progression in a comfortable key.
Experiment with different melodic ideas and rhythms.
Record your improvisations and analyze your playing.

Compose a Short Improvisation Piece

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Compose a short piece incorporating improvisation techniques learned in the course to solidify your understanding and creativity.

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Select a chord progression and tempo.
Improvise over the progression and record your ideas.
Transcribe and refine your improvisation into a composed piece.
Share your piece with others for feedback.

Career center

Learners who complete Fundamental Guide to Piano Improvisation will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Pianist

A pianist performs with piano as their primary instrument; this course directly addresses the skills necessary for a professional pianist, with a focus on improvisation, a crucial skill for many styles of piano performance. The course's emphasis on using different improvisation techniques, exploring chord tones, working on both left and right hand techniques, and learning how to play with both hands together will help a pianist become more versatile and skilled. The structure of the course, with clear instructions and resources such as play-along tracks, helps pianists hone their improvisational skills. This course particularly helps a pianist learn how to shape notes via dynamics, articulation and proper form, as well as improve their technique, speed and dexterity.

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Accompanist

An accompanist plays music alongside another musician, such as a vocalist or instrumentalist. This course on piano improvisation is highly relevant because a strong improvisational skillset helps an accompanist react in real-time to the subtle nuances of the lead musician. The course's practical approach, which includes learning different styles and using play along tracks, would help an accompanist develop the ability to improvise chord voicings and rhythms, as well as to create tasteful musical support. The course teaches improvisation techniques over Satin Doll and Canon in D, which can allow an accompanist to take on a more diverse song catalog. The course’s instruction on chords, inversions, and left hand rhythms are relevant to the role of an accompanist, providing a strong base for their work.

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Music Teacher

A music teacher imparts musical knowledge and skills, often specializing in a particular instrument or genre. This course, focusing on piano improvisation, provides a hands-on approach to teaching technique and theory, directly applicable to a music teacher's toolkit. The course’s lessons on chords, inversions, and rhythm, as well as its practical exercises using play-along tracks, help build a strong foundation for a music teacher to share with students. Furthermore, the course includes specific instruction on improvisation in jazz and pop/rock styles, making it valuable for teachers that cover these genres. The course teaches how to analyze and solve chord progressions. A teacher would use this to better understand songs and be able to guide students in their own musical journeys.

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Session Musician

A session musician is a musician hired to play on recordings or in live performances, often across different genres. This course, focused on piano improvisation, builds the foundation for a session musician to develop real-time musical ideas, adapt to different styles, and work with other musicians in a band setting. The course teaches practical skills, such as working with chord tones, and using different styles of improvisation, that are essential for session work, where a musician has to be versatile and adept. The play-along tracks offered by this course will also give a session musician experience with improvising in a band setting. Specifically, the lesson on putting both hands together, and techniques for the left hand, will help one become a more versatile session musician.

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Church Musician

A church musician typically plays music during religious services. This course's focus on improvisation skills, combined with music theory, rhythm, and chord progressions, provides a solid foundation for a church musician. The course emphasizes chords and chord inversions, which can help a church musician adapt in real-time to changing service structures. The course’s teachings about using both hands when improvising could specifically help a church musician play in a more dynamic way. The practice exercises and play along tracks can also help a church musician to develop a better sense of playing with an ensemble. The course helps a church musician learn techniques that professionals use, which raises the quality of musicianship.

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Band Leader

A band leader directs and organizes a musical group. A band leader often plays an instrument while also leading rehearsals and performances. This course on piano improvisation helps a band leader better understand how to direct other musicians while also being an effective instrumentalist. The techniques learned here, such as understanding chord tones, chord progressions, and improvisation using both hands, help a band leader instruct and guide other musicians in improvisation and arrangement. The course's play-along tracks also help a band leader understand how to play with other musicians, which is a critical skill for a band leader. A band leader may find particular value in the lessons that show how to use licks in an improvisational setting.

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Music Director

A music director leads the music for a performance or a production. This role requires a deep understanding of music theory and performance. This course helps a music director by providing an understanding of piano improvisation, musical styles and techniques, as well as knowledge in chords and rhythms. The course’s focus on improvisation techniques helps a music director have a versatile understanding of how to create music on the spot, which can be useful in directing rehearsals or changes on the fly. Additionally, the course material covers many different styles, which is valuable for a music director working with diverse groups and musical forms. The course's use of play-along tracks enables a music director to better understand band dynamics and how to lead a band from a piano.

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Composer

A composer creates original musical works; the skills of improvisation taught in this course help a composer explore various musical ideas in real time on the piano. The course's emphasis on understanding chords, chord progressions, and improvisation techniques for both hands, can help the composer find inspiration and generate musical ideas. This course is particularly valuable for exploration of different styles of music, which a composer can synthesize together. This course may help a composer better understand how to analyze and solve music theory and chord progressions, which can lead to more original musical ideas.

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Arranger

An arranger adapts existing musical pieces for different instruments or styles; this course may be useful for an arranger who desires to gain greater familiarity with the piano as a compositional tool. The course's lessons on improvisation, chords, and rhythm can help an arranger create piano arrangements or arrangements that incorporate piano into the larger orchestration. Improvisation allows the arranger to explore new variations of a musical idea in real time. By teaching different styles, this course could help an arranger understand how to reinterpret a song for a different style, using the piano as the primary instrument for exploration. The course includes lessons on chord progressions, which directly relates to the role of an arranger.

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Music Therapist

A music therapist uses musical techniques to address patients' emotional, cognitive, and physical needs. This course, although focused on piano improvisation, can help a music therapist broaden their musical skills and bring a more therapeutic approach to their patients by using piano. The course’s lessons on chords, rhythm, and musical styles can help a music therapist create a range of musical experiences. The course’s particular focus on improvisation could help a music therapist be more responsive to patients' unique needs. This course may allow a music therapist to better understand how to use piano to connect with and bring therapeutic experiences to patients.

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Audio Engineer

An audio engineer records, mixes, and edits sound. This course may be helpful to an audio engineer because it helps them understand the intricacies of music, particularly piano performance. While the course primarily focuses on piano improvisation, an audio engineer could benefit from a more thorough understanding of music theory, rhythm, and chord progressions. The exercises in the course, as well as the play-along tracks, could help an audio engineer understand how to capture a high quality live performance. Additionally, the course emphasizes professional techniques, which an audio engineer needs to be able to understand and capture. An audio engineer also needs to understand different styles of music, which is something this course provides.

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Musical Theater Performer

A musical theater performer acts, sings, and dances in musical productions. While this course focuses on piano improvisation, it can help a musical theater performer develop a deeper understanding of music and rhythm, which are crucial for stage performances. The course’s lessons on chords, inversions, and music theory provide a foundation for one to engage with a musical script. Also, although a musical theater performer may not primarily play piano, the lessons on improvisation could help them vary their performance each night. Learning to play with play-along tracks gives valuable background for those who perform in musical theater settings, which often involves live accompaniment.

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Music Journalist

A music journalist writes about music, including reviews, articles, and interviews. This course, while not directly related to writing, can help a music journalist develop a deeper understanding of music theory, improvisation, and different styles of music, which can inform their writing. The course’s focus on chords, rhythm, and chord progressions helps a journalist better understand the technical aspects of music and musical performances. This may enable the journalist to write more informed and insightful pieces. The course’s exploration of jazz and pop/rock styles may specifically help a music journalist who is interested in those genres. This course may enable a music journalist to write more expert opinions.

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Software Engineer

A software engineer develops and maintains software. This career role may seem unrelated to piano improvisation, however, a software engineer can benefit from understanding the principles of music theory and patterns, as the same principles are often found in coding. The exercises and problem-solving techniques within this course may help a software engineer think outside of the box more often when approaching coding problems. This course may also help one to view problems from a different pattern, or find rhythm in coding where it was not previously present. While not a direct fit, the course's structure may help in the problem-solving process that is required of an engineer.

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Arts Administrator

An arts administrator manages the business aspects of arts organizations. This course, though centered on piano improvisation, can be helpful for an arts administrator who works with musicians or music education programs. The course's emphasis on music theory, different genres, and teaching techniques can help an arts administrator have greater insight into the musical activities and needs of their organization. While this is not a direct fit, an arts administrator who better understands the musical techniques and approaches of their musicians can be a better advocate for their needs. The course may help an arts administrator make more informed decisions about resource allocation, program development, and partnerships.

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Fundamental Guide to Piano Improvisation

What's inside

Learning objectives

Syllabus

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Activities

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