Lessons - Jazzedge Academy

Building four-way close position rootless voicings involves utilizing specific techniques and concepts in jazz harmony. One key element is the use of Bill Evans voicings, which are recognized for their unique sound and application in jazz music. These voicings are considered essential for any jazz musician, as they provide a foundation for creating rich chord progressions. Additionally, understanding and applying ii-V-I chords is crucial, as they form the basis of many jazz standards and compositions.

Come join me for an engaging live coaching experience unlike any other. In this dynamic new format, I'll be calling on each student individually to discuss what they've been working on, share their progress, and get personalized guidance on their biggest challenges.
This isn't a passive session where you sit back and listen – it's an interactive coaching session designed to keep everyone engaged and accountable. Each participant will have the opportunity to be in the hot seat, receiving direct feedback and actionable advice tailored to their specific situation and goals.

This week we will be reviewing R7 and 3rd voicings using two hands while also applying this technique to two other songs for practice.

Learn how to use enclosures to enhance the chromatic motion in your improvisation and create more interesting musical ideas.

Chord Play will show you how to get the most music out of even the simplest chord progressions. You’ll learn how to take a basic two-chord loop and turn it into something rich, colorful, and full of movement. Step by step, we’ll explore different ways to “arrive” at a chord, how to break apart and re-build progressions, and how to combine the chords you already know with new ones borrowed from other keys for fresh, exciting sounds.
You’ll also discover how different chords create different moods—and how you can use those moods to spark your improvisation. By the end of the course, you’ll have a set of practical tools to make your playing more interesting, your arrangements more engaging, and your improvisations more expressive, all while deepening your understanding of harmony in a fun, hands-on way.

Join Willie for live Intensives Coaching sessions where everyone gets real-time feedback. Each participant is given time to share what they’re currently working on and ask any questions they have. Willie listens, responds, and gives clear, actionable direction tailored to where you are right now.

These sessions are 100% live and interactive—there is no advance submission. To receive feedback, you must attend the session and participate live.

All coaching sessions are recorded, so even after the session ends, you can review the guidance, revisit key moments, and learn from the questions and coaching given to other students.

This is focused, practical coaching designed to help you get unstuck and move forward—fast.

This week we will be adding the third of the chord under the melody.

Learn how to accompany with the left hand using a flowing eighth note line.

"It's Probably Me" is a song by Sting that features a minor-major seventh chord and a minor sixth chord. The song emphasizes the importance of active listening in music. Additionally, it involves mapping out the song's structure and understanding its harmonic progression.

This week we will be focusing on root-7th chord shells along with the melody.

Add motion to the left hand while improvising in the right.

Student submissions of free playing serve as introductory material for a song. This includes harmonic improvisation, which allows students to explore musical ideas and concepts, as well as the process of creating an introduction for the piece.

In this lesson, I break cocktail piano down into 10 clear, practical steps that show you exactly how to turn a lead sheet into a confident, musical cocktail-style piano arrangement.

How to Improvise with Chords to Set Up a Song (ie, Harmonic improvisation) using the song Georgia On My Mind

You’ll start by learning the melody and pairing it with simple root notes in the left hand. This establishes the form of My Romance and builds coordination without overcomplicating anything.

Use the major scale to improvise over jazz ballads.

Learn how to improvise over a diminished chord.

2026 Chord Play Topics include how to improvise with chords freely and merge them into a song. During this session, there was a talkback, and participants were encouraged to share their suggestions for topics to be covered throughout the semester.

Incorporate double-stops into your solo along with chordal improv.

Learn how to add the 9th of the chord for some cool-sounding chordal improvisation.

Learn how to add chromaticism into your pentatonic improvisation.

Learn how to use grace notes to add more interest to your improvised lines. We will also start learning how to improvise using blocks which makes your improvisation sound more structured and easier to create on the spot.

In this holiday lesson, you’ll learn a more advanced, rhythmic version of “Little Drummer Boy.” We begin by building a solid beginner-friendly foundation, then move step-by-step through melodic lines that shape a full performance. You’ll also learn a driving left-hand bass groove that captures the unmistakable pulse of the song. After mastering the core arrangement, improv ideas are presented in a clear progression so you can start adding your own fills, variations, and rhythmic energy. The lesson wraps up with guidance on how to put everything together into a polished, expressive performance.

In this simplified arrangement, you'll learn how to quickly play this holiday classic.

Learn how to make your solo stand out from single note lines by adding double stops. This is a great way to add excitement to your rock/pop solos!

Learn how to create a rock-piano accompaniment to jam over.

Learn how to improvise and jam.

Learn how to begin to improvise over rhythm changes.

Learn improv and jam over rhythm changes.

Gene Harris has a great mix of blues, jazz and gospel grooves. Learn this cool Gene Harris groove to improvise over.

Jam over the Gene Harris blues groove.

Learn how to create an accompaniment over Misty to use for improvisation.

Learn how to improvise over Misty.

These are the recordings from the live teacher check-ins. Even though the class is no longer live, we are keeping these check-in videos here because they are filled with a lot of gems that you can use in your playing.

Building off of my proven The Confident Improviser™ Level 1 program, this masterclass takes you deeper into the art of jazz improvisation. Instead of relying on the same licks and riffs, you’ll learn how to shape solos that flow naturally and connect emotionally with your audience. Through a mix of focused exercises and live masterclass sessions, you’ll develop the skills to create improvisation lines that sound fresh, musical, and personal.

We’ll work directly with jazz standards, exploring how to navigate chord changes, weave together motifs, and use rhythm, harmony, and phrasing to tell a musical story. Along the way, you’ll gain practical tools to expand your vocabulary, boost your confidence, and bring more expression into your playing—whether you’re practicing at home, performing for others, or creating your own unique voice at the piano.