Willie's Jazzedge® Method

A good piano player is more than the sum of their parts.

It's more than just learning exercises and spouting out music theory jargon.

Becoming a good piano player involves becoming a 'Total Musician' who knows not just theory and scales...but how to use them to express the musical talent that we all have inside.

How do we get that talent out?

Well, I've spent the last 20+ years creating a program that does just that.

Before we discuss the method, let's discover why most students fail at the piano...

Having taught for over 35 years, I can see the reason clearly now.

Most students spend their time playing songs or repertoire they already know thinking that this is what practice looks like. In reality, they are just "spinning their tires" going over the same material over and over and over again.

This leads to them feeling like they're getting nowhere and making zero progress.

Usually these students quit after a while thinking "I can't do this" , "I don't have the skill for this" , "I should be further ahead than I am" , "I stink at the piano" or any other false statements made out of frustration.

It is frustrating to learn an instrument. If you think otherwise, I suggest spending your time on something else, because I can guarantee that you'll get frustrated at some point during practice.

The key to success is having a method, a plan, a curriculum.

That's where the Jazzedge Practice Curriculum™ comes in.

The Jazzedge Practice Curriculum™ (JPC for short) helps you because it gives you all the foundational lessons you need...in the proper order, with short tutorial videos a click away.

You do not need to wade through hours of video.

The lessons are short and to the point.

With your Foundational practice being covered by the JPC, you can focus your attention on playing the fun stuff; the stuff you want to learn! This is what we call our Fun'dational practice.

I've found by dividing practice into 2 parts (Foundational & Fun'dational) it is easier for students to stay on track and make progress faster.

Why is this?

By dividing your practice into (2) parts, Foundational & Fun'dational, you will be less likely to only focus on the material you like to play.

Foundational practice teaches you all of the necessary technical, rhythm and reading skills you need to be a good pianist. Everyone needs this material to 'get good' at their instrument.

Fun'dational practice teaches you all the "fun stuff" that you want to perform for your family and friends.

However, without a combination of the two, you're going to be lost as a pianist.

Most students unwittingly spend most of their practice time on the "fun stuff" or the Fun'dational practice. They practice songs and riffs and licks but don't spend enough time on the fundamentals.

By incorporating Foundational practice into your daily routine, your fingers will get stronger, faster and you'll learn music theory all along the way.

Let's take a look at what is in each element:

Foundational

Rhythm - Rhythm is essential for all musicians. Without a good, solid rhythm, your playing will sound dull and weak. The PianoWithWillie method focuses first on rhythm to provide you with a solid rhythmic foundation to build the rest of your practicing upon.

Technique - Technique lessons help your fingers to move faster and with more dexterity. After all, you need to not only know the notes to play, but how to execute them with ease and fluidity. Our technique lessons help you build your playing skill allowing you to express yourself more freely at the piano.

Reading - Many students prefer to learn the piano 'by ear.' However, ask any pianist who knows how to read music and they'll tell you that knowing how to read music is a definite asset to your piano playing. Our reading lessons help even the absolute beginner learn how to read music with ease.

Fun'dational

Song - "The best part of learning to play the piano is playing the piano." says Willie. Our song lessons teach you songs in a variety of styles like Jazz, Blues, Rock, Funk, Latin and Gospel. Embedded with a lot of music theory, you'll learn songs while also learning how to learn other songs faster in the future.

Style - Our style lessons allow you to sink your teeth into a specific style of music. Our style lessons include lessons in Jazz, Blues, Rock, Funk, Latin and Gospel.

Concept - Concept lessons focus only on one aspect of piano playing. These lessons are especially helpful when you want to focus your practice on one specific area like chords, cocktail piano, re-harmonization, improvisation, etc.