Specialise in Jazz

For students and aspiring professional jazz pianists - solo or ensemble

Whether it be for VCE, as preparation for entry into a university music degree, an ensemble or for your own development, an experienced teacher can take you all the way to becoming a gigging professional and keep you developing throughout your career.

Going deep into the stylistic nuances of various jazz sub-genres, students acquire an intimate and functional knowledge of chord progressions, minor harmony, extensions and substitutions.

Students can learn the stock chord voicing styles and the principles behind them. This equips players with the skill to create and adapt chord voicings to match aesthetic design.

For pianists playing in or aspiring to play in an ensemble, ‘comping, jamming, band leading, arranging and rhythm section integration are studied.

For the soloist, we look at the many ways pianists can arrange standard, contemporary and original repertoire. This includes stride piano and walking bass lines.

The advanced jazz student is encouraged to work on transcriptions and analysis of great players. As one becomes experienced across the spectrum of jazz styles, the breadth of composition also expands.

For the established jazz pianist, a sustainable piano technique is important. Performance confidence is another area for professional development which can lead to greater joy in performing and practising.