Contemporary Piano Improvisation 101

From Chords to Rhythm: Master Contemporary Piano Improvisation

What you'll learn

Mastery of open-voiced chords and modern harmonic colors.

Ability to improvise with syncopation, polyrhythms, and rhythmic independence.

Confidence creating cinematic chord progressions and expressive moods.

Skill in building two-handed textures like arpeggios and ostinatos.

A personal toolkit for improvisation that can be applied to any style of music.

Requirements

Basic understanding of major and minor chords

Ability to quickly recognize all notes on the piano

Basic understanding of scales

Some experience at the piano (recommended 1-2 years)

Description

Contemporary Piano Improvisation 101 is designed for pianists who want to unlock creativity at the keyboard and learn how to make music in the moment. Instead of being tied to sheet music, you’ll gain the skills and confidence to craft your own sound through modern improvisational techniques.This course begins with the foundations of open-voiced chords in the left hand, giving you a professional, full sound to build from. You’ll then explore borrowed harmony to add unexpected colors, as well as cinematic progressions that can transform simple ideas into music with drama and depth. Rhythm is another key focus — you’ll practice syncopation, polyrhythms, and two-handed ostinatos to bring energy and movement into your improvisations. Along the way, we’ll cover line clichés, two-handed arpeggios, chord “colors,” and clapping exercises to help strengthen your rhythmic independence and prepare you to play with other musicians.Every concept is taught step by step, with practical examples that you can immediately apply to your own playing. The goal is not to overwhelm you with theory, but to give you tools you can actually use — whether you’re writing songs, jamming with friends, or just sitting at the piano to express yourself.By the end of this class, you’ll have a toolkit of harmonic, rhythmic, and creative strategies to make your improvisation sound more modern, expressive, and uniquely yours.

Overview

Section 1: The Classes

Lecture 1 Introduction

Lecture 2 Borrowed Harmony

Lecture 3 Two-Handed Arpeggios

Lecture 4 Cinematic Chord Progressions

Lecture 5 Syncopation

Lecture 6 Colors

Lecture 7 Line Clichés (and Variations)

Lecture 8 Two Person Clapping Exercise

Lecture 9 Two-Handed Ostinatos

Lecture 10 Polyrhythms

Section 2: Bonus Video

Lecture 11 Bonus Video

Pianists who want to move beyond sheet music and develop creative freedom.,Classical players looking to explore contemporary sounds and techniques.,Songwriters and composers seeking fresh tools for harmonic and rhythmic variety.,Jazz or pop players who want to expand their improvisation vocabulary.,Musicians who want to build confidence playing with others and improvising live.