Group Piano Lessons: Blues Improvisation (Ages 8-12)

Growing up, I would have given anything for blues piano lessons. I am grateful for the years of traditional piano instruction I personally received, but I would have given anything to jam like the greats. Receiving my first boogie piano instruction book was one of the great turning points in my life. 

In this course, I try to pass on exactly that: an introduction to the creative side of blues piano. Students will receive a brief introduction to improvising with the minor and major blues scales in the right hand over a basic pattern in their left hands. 

I believe that students learn best by doing. While I model all of the skills taught in the class, the majority of the class will be spent with the students experimenting in a safe environment and receiving instant feedback. Students will learn to improvise by improvising. 

This is a learner-directed class. There are no prerequisites for the class, and no prior piano experience is required. As such, some students will come into the class and learn their first note on the piano during the first lesson! 

Other students may come in with years of traditional piano lessons under the belt, seeking improvisation instruction. Those students might learn different skills the first week. I will assess each individual student within the first lesson and provide learner-directed, differentiated lessons. 

This is a sample of topics that might be covered throughout the course: 
Week 1: Students will learn how to play the major and minor blues scale and improvise with the notes from the scales.
Week 2: Students will review how to play the major and minor blues scale and improvise with the notes from the scale. Students will learn new improvisation techniques such as three and four note groupings and new rhythmic patterns.
Week 3: Students will learn how to play chord roots in their left hands. Students who are able to will combine hands and play the major and minor blues scale over chord roots. 
Week 4: Students will learn how to combine hands and play the major and minor blues scale over chord roots. Students will improvise using the notes of the major and minor blues scales in their right hands while playing chord roots in their left hands. Students who are able to will learn to improvise with chords in their right hands.


I’ve had a really great experience learning how to improvise, and I’m excited to pass this on to you. I look forward to seeing you there!