Jazz piano lessons for kids and teenagers

Note to parents of prospective students:
The studio is currently not enrolling new primary-aged students. Sorry! Limited places are available for teenagers in 2021. Please contact the studio to discuss before making bookings.

Kids love making things up.

Jazz is a musical framework for making things up. It channels the player’s creative energies into a constructive force for musical and personal development.

Youngsters respond to the playfulness, humour and spontaneity of jazz. Jazz practice prioritises imagination and deviation over repetition and conformity.

Because jazz requires a different kind of pedagogy, it is an attractive alternative to mainstream piano lessons.


There is such a thing as jazz piano exams, but these are not proposed unless the student has some need, such as VCE study. The student often best served to generate some internal motivation, receiving inspiration from lessons and finding joy in the exploration and experience in practice.

Got the teenager blues?

Jazz is a form where self-expression is fostered. Jazz can cater to the needs of the individual; from those who seek structure to those who like to rebel. It is a vehicle for emotional expression - from the effervescent to the moody.

The improvisatory nature of jazz means players have to both commit to an idea and let go of trying to control it. Engaging in performing one’s own creations lays a foundation for independence and self-confidence. Composition is another area which is both a personal and an artistic development.

Jazz is a discipline and its infinite scope for invention and interpretation poses challenges for those who need it. Teenagers especially are driven to explore the boundaries of jazz and develop their own voice within the idiom.

Not only do jazz students practice reading fully notated music, they learn to play from chord charts and create music with no written score.

Rather than studying abstracted concepts, piano technique and the theory of jazz are integrated into the practise of playing. With the recognition that skills and knowledge lead immediately to improvements in playing, the practice of these essentials is relevant and becomes self-motivated.

It also helps to approach technical and theoretical work with a few games and a bit of technology!

The most important thing for kids and teenagers is that their overall experience of music is a positive one. Some students like to have jazz as part of a broader musical education, whilst others choose to take the next step and specialise in jazz.

Note for absolute beginners

While it is possible to work on jazz right from the first ever piano lesson, the first few years of piano education require general instruction in fundamentals of piano and have less scope for focused jazz study. A year or two of general piano background helps to make the most out of specialist lessons..

Working With Children Card 01955074-03 exp: 26-06-24