A SIMPLIFIED BLUEPRINT for JAZZ PIANO
The 30-Day Jazz Musician is a new LCSP Program that will aim to bring clarity and calm, and give you the foundations you finally need to make beautiful jazz piano at your fingertips
This program captures the core of Jazz Piano in three fundamental elements which when used in combination and itself, brings powerful jazz skills to your playing , all while eliminating the clutter of unnecessary theory. Here are the three areas of study, no more and no less!
Blues Combinations
Chords and the 7th/9th/11th "eco system"
Freedom and Improvisation and the Piano
Too much theory will choke your improvisation
For so many, Jazz is just too complicated and theoretical, and most students are discouraged by the perceived rocket science of complex chords which chokes them from the ability of being able to improvise on the spot. This approach, does not work. It never works!
There are such better ways to approach jazz and overcome the theory grind and in 30 days, you will leave this course, feeling refreshed, recharged, motivated, and finally have some clarity about how to play jazz piano. Some of your might be ready to gig with these new skills.
Whiplash: The film that accidentally exposed bad music education
To make matters worse, there is a culture of complexity in jazz institutions, designed to put most students off. A cutlure that perfection involves doing more for the sake of more, being faster, more furious, more notes, more chords. No different from the famous story of the Whiplash film where the student was tortured and shamed in a world devoid of creativity and musical expression. Make no mistake, this is NOT the soul of jazz!
What most Jazz Fans don't know
Yes, some jazz is complicated, what most people are not aware of is that jazz is built on an elegant and beautiful ecosystem of 7th harmonies and the blues. By going back to the roots of blues, pentatonic scales, and the ecosystem of 7th chords, there is a simple elegance behind jazz piano that the great players have tapped into.
Did Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, and Oscar Peterson go to jazz school and study hours of musical theory about complex chords? No, these legends of the jazz world were and are connected to a deeper muse that is rooted in a variety of musical cultures that are just not taught at school!
Make years of progress in just a month
You know that there is an easier path to succeeding in jazz piano? But with too many pages of complex jazz theory, it's not surprising that you may have given up on jazz piano in the past. Too many Greek words to describe the modes, flattened tritone subsitutions chords, 13th chords, and the endless jjargon that confuses and demotivates you.
But you may have stumbled across a few simple jazz pieces in the past, be a simple blues or a piece with a great groove, and made some progress. Or you may have played more complex chords before but had no idea, how it happened. Some of these shapes can be found and trained right under your fingers and they are much easier to play, when you involve your body and fingers in the process. not just our intellect!
The Delicate Balance of Structure and Creative Expression
There is a popular myth that structure and creative expression are in conflict with each other, but nothing could be further from the truth. Just like classical music, jazz has many guiding rules and structures. If improvisation is something you can't get your head around yet, it might just be you need a few easy steps. I know many great jazz players who only improvise a very short amount of the time. Most of the time they are playing they are reusing riffs, licks, and ideas they already have learned and played, they are merely curating their favorite melodic riffs and voicing. Like playing a medley of your favorite songs, but it's all within the same song.
THE ROOTS OF JAZZ HARMONY ARE LIKE BRANCHES ON A TREE
I've often referred to this as the Holy Trinity of Jazz chords because it's three types of 7th chords that just about all jazz harmony is built upon.
If classical music is built on binary wold of major and minor, jazz is built on this three-way street of 7th chords, and even the most complex jazz sounds can be traced to these chords, like branches in a tree.
Say goodbye to the world of Major is happy, and Minor is sad. Jazz harmony is built on an irresistible ecosystem of 7th chords, and once you understand their function, doors open for you like never before.
30 DAY
JAZZ MUSICIAN
A new LCSP Program that aims to bring clarity and calm, and give you the foundations you need to finally succeed at playing jazz.
We will teach you the delicate balance to JAZZ MASTERY in 4 interactive LIVE seminars.
NOTE: all classes are recorded, providing you with a permanent reference!
Monday 27th November
8:00 pm UK Time
1 - THE MEANING OF THE BLUES
Jazz is infused with blues language, by learning the most important Blues riffs, scales, licks, and techniques you will have the critical foundations that are used over again and again in jazz piano.
If you don't know the Blues, you have missed the point!
You might be a jazz fan, rather than a Blues fan, but that doesn't change the fact that the Blues in its simplicity of pentatonic and blues scales, is one of the largest pillars of what we call "jazz". Modern jazz may be far more complex, which is appealing to those who seek complexity, but without any experience and roots in the Blues, you have no foundations to really succeed in building great solos.
CLASS LENGTH: 75 MINUTES
Watch and study anytime you like after the broadcast via the 30 Day Jazz Musician Portal where you recieve permanant lifelong access to the course content
Monday 4th December
8:00 pm UK Time
2 - CRUSH YOUR CHORDS
Jazz chords are a source of ultimate confusion to most, but this one masterclass will change that forever.
You won't just learn how to play "jazz chords". Rather than learning confusing theory that is getting you nowhere, you will learn the ecosystem behind the chords that are used in jazz piano.
The three groups of chords that are a foundation of all jazz piano, used in thousands of standards
CLASS LENGTH: 75 MINUTES
Watch and study anytime you like after the broadcast via the 30 Day Jazz Musician Portal where you recieve permanant lifelong access to the course content
Monday 11th December
8:00 pm UK Time
3 - MUSICAL LIBERATION
Feeling overwhelmed with rules, laws, and complexity will get you nowhere.
This module is NOT taught in music school, yet will enable you to free your mind and thinking, and clarify your practice to suit your method of learning.
Using improvisation tricks combined with productive mind games, you can finally work through the challenges with clarity and enjoyment, turning practice into joy, not a chore
CLASS LENGTH: 75 MINUTES
Watch and study anytime you like after the broadcast via the 30 Day Jazz Musician Portal where you recieve permanant lifelong access to the course content
Monday 18th December
8:00 pm UK Time
4 - JAZZ HANDS: IT'S TIME TO PLAY
With these three pillars, you now can bring it all together and build your own jazz piano stir fry. Using LCSP Groove Technology and a series of backing tracks, you'll have your own trio at your disposal to try out new voicings and improvisations.
Finally a simplified blueprint for playing jazz piano
The components of this program only take a month to cover in these four masterclasses, but this course will leave a long-lasting impact on your jazz piano journey. These masterclasses will be all recorded and logged into our student portal for your permanent lifelong access so you can go back to them again and again after the event. This is particularly handy if you are more of a beginner, because as you move through your piano journey you will have access to this course as you continue to improve your bottom-line piano skills.
CLASS LENGTH: 75 MINUTES
Watch and study anytime you like after the broadcast via the 30 Day Jazz Musician Portal where you recieve permanant lifelong access to the course content
WHAT OUR STUDENTS SAY
MUSIC FOR LIFE
GUARANTEE
“If after attending the first two modules, it’s not clear that this program is going to be worth at least ten years of weekly traditional exam-based piano lessons, I will personally refund your fees.
That’s how convinced I am this program will impact your piano playing beyond what you believe is possible”
Tom
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
MEET TOM DONALD
Founder & Principal - The London School of Contemporary Piano
A passionate advocate for the use of chords and improvisation in all music learning.
A champion of the struggling adult amateur and connecting them with their inner genius.
Coaching musical transformations with countless students over the last two decades.
A master teacher of “How to get into the zone”.
A project manager who always overdelivers on the brief.
Can bang heads together, and bring difficult artistic, cultural concepts to all ages and associations.
Film score and concert pianist.
Australian Roots
Born in the remote Australian town of Coonabarabran, he grew up in the North East Australian town of Tamworth, which is known as the country music capital of Australia. Tom’s country Australian roots have led him to an unlikely career as an composer and educator who speaks a rare international language.
Since age 16, Tom has led numerous touring bands. He has also sustained a prolific solo career as a pianist. Shortly after arriving in London 2004, he performed at Abbey Road studios performing improvisations on music by Lennon and McCartney. Tom is also a regular presenter and guest on numerous BBC Radio 3. Sky TV and BBC One programs.
London Contemporary School of Piano - LCSP
Tom is passionate music educator and is the author of the “Harmony Method”. This is a revolutionary approach to teaching classical, jazz and popular harmony on piano.
In 2011, he established the London Contemporary School of Piano, with the backing of many early adopters of his piano teaching methods. The school has now taught over 500 students from over 20 different countries. The LCSP has fast become an influential force in piano education worldwide.
The London Contemporary School of Piano is in partnership with Blüthner pianos, famous for its world-class handmade pianos.