Jazzedge Academy

Academy Premier

When you get stuck, you can just ask me.

Premier is everything in the Academy, plus me. Ask a question and I write back myself. Ask what to work on next and I will pick the lessons. Send a video if you want my eyes on your playing — but you never have to. And you get the multi-week Intensives and the live classes on the calendar below.

Join Premier — $590/yr See what is included

or $59/month. Cancel any time. 30-day refund for first-time members.

Everything in Focus, included

Premier starts with the whole Academy.

Before Premier adds anything: 117 lessons across 9 practice paths, 108 practice actions, the 41-level Practice Curriculum in all twelve keys, about 115 hours of video. Every bit of it, from day one, with nothing held back for a higher tier — because there is no higher tier.

Pick any path to see its full lesson list and play a free practice action — no sign-up.

Plus J.ai on every lesson, practice logging and streaks, your repertoire tracked, the community, and the free live sessions through the year.

What Premier adds

And then three things on top of it.

You can use all three in your first week, and none of them asks you to perform for anybody. The first one is a text box.

  • 1 — Ask Willie

    A real answer, from a person

    Write what you are stuck on and send it. I read it and answer it myself — not a forum thread, not a chatbot. Send a video too if you want feedback on your playing, though most questions never need one.

    How it works ↓

  • 2 — Intensives

    Multi-week programs, one outcome each

    A week at a time, in order, with your progress saved as you go. One subject taken all the way rather than a library to browse.

    4 programs · 24 weeks

  • 3 — Live classes

    Real classes on a real calendar

    PianoLab with Paul every week, The Confident Improviser with me every other week, and community hours alongside. Every one is recorded if you cannot make it.

    23 already scheduled

Ask Willie

Type your question. I answer it myself.

This is the part no library can do for you. You can practice for a year and still not know whether the thing you are doing is right — and the fix is usually one sentence from someone who has taught it a thousand times.

Ask Willie sits in your account menu. Open it, write what you are stuck on, and send it. No recording, no setup, nothing to arrange. I have been teaching since 1988 and online since 2000, and I read and answer every one myself.

You send one at a time: I answer it, then you send the next. That is on purpose — the answer is meant to change what you practice before you ask again.

  • Ask a question

    No video needed

    A voicing you cannot get under your hands, a tune you are stuck halfway through, what to practice this week. Write it and send it on its own — most questions never involve a recording at all.

  • Ask what to work on

    Lessons picked for you

    Ask for lesson suggestions and I pick up to three for where your playing actually is — waiting on the page, ready to open. Or say no thanks and stay on what you are working on.

  • Send a video, if you want to

    Feedback on your playing

    When you do want my eyes on it: a phone on the music stand, uploaded to YouTube as Unlisted, link pasted in. I watch it and write back — what is working, what to fix, and one of three verdicts: Performance ready, Nearly there, or Keep working.

Premier Intensives

4 Intensives. 24 weeks, in order, with assignments.

An Intensive is one subject taken all the way — a week at a time, in the order I would teach it, with something to go and do between each one. There is 15h 29m of video across them, and they are yours for as long as you are a member. Open any week below to see exactly what is in it.

  • Blues Piano

    6 weeks · 3h 06m

    1. Week 1 39m 33s

      In this first lesson we will learn the song C-Jam Blues with a left-hand accompaniment.

      1. Week 1 - The Song 28m 13s
      2. Week 1 - Practice Action #1 3m 42s
      3. Week 1 - Practice Action #2 4m 37s
      4. Week 1 - Practice Action #3 3m 01s
    2. Week 2 39m 16s

      In this lesson we will learn 3 scales for improvisation.

      1. Week 2 - 3 Scales for Improvisation 29m 24s
      2. Week 2 - Practice Action #1 4m 07s
      3. Week 2 - Practice Action #2 2m 42s
      4. Week 2 - Practice Action #3 3m 03s
    3. Week 3 24m 45s

      In this lesson we will learn improvisation springboards.

      1. Week 3 - Improvisation Springboards 17m 57s
      2. Week 3 - Practice Action #1 2m 40s
      3. Week 3 - Practice Action #2 1m 57s
      4. Week 3 - Practice Action #3 2m 11s
    4. Week 4 24m 56s

      In this lesson we will learn blues turns.

      1. Week 4 - Blues Turns 16m 07s
      2. Week 4 - Practice Action #1 3m 23s
      3. Week 4 - Practice Action #2 2m 33s
      4. Week 4 - Practice Action #3 2m 53s
    5. Week 5 28m 47s

      In this lesson we will learn the coupling exercise.

      1. Week 5 - Coupling Exercise 21m 30s
      2. Week 5 - Practice Action #1 2m 30s
      3. Week 5 - Practice Action #2 1m 58s
      4. Week 5 - Practice Action #3 2m 49s
    6. Week 6 29m 16s

      In this lesson we will learn play/rest and space.

      1. Week 6 - Play/Rest & Space 17m 11s
      2. Week 6 - Practice Action #1 4m 47s
      3. Week 6 - Practice Action #2 3m 00s
      4. Week 6 - Practice Action #3 4m 18s

  • Cocktail Piano

    6 weeks · 4h 01m

    1. Week 1 50m 43s

      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.

      1. Cocktail Piano Course Introduction 5m 34s
      2. Week 1 – Melody & Roots 25m 06s
      3. Week 1 - Practice Action #1 5m 17s
      4. Week 1 - Practice Action #2 4m 58s
      5. Week 1 - Practice Action #3 9m 48s
    2. Week 2 30m 11s

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

      1. Week 2 – Melody & R7 Chords 18m 40s
      2. Week 2 - Practice Action #1 4m 40s
      3. Week 2 - Practice Action #2 3m 21s
      4. Week 2 - Practice Action #3 3m 30s
    3. Week 3 40m 22s

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

      1. Week 3 – Adding the 3rd 25m 19s
      2. Week 3 - Practice Action #1 5m 29s
      3. Week 3 - Practice Action #2 4m 43s
      4. Week 3 - Practice Action #3 4m 51s
      5. Coaching Session #1 1h 00m
    4. Week 4 32m 51s

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

      1. Week 4 – Reviewing R7/3 Chords 21m 35s
      2. Week 4 - Practice Action #1 3m 28s
      3. Week 4 - Practice Action #2 3m 49s
      4. Week 4 - Practice Action #3 3m 59s
    5. Week 5 32m 50s

      This week we will be learning how to use the end of the song to create an introduction to the song.

      1. Week 5 - Creating Song Intros 17m 15s
      2. Week 5 - Practice Action #1 4m 11s
      3. Week 5 - Practice Action #2 6m 17s
      4. Week 5 - Practice Action #3 5m 07s
    6. Week 6 54m 25s

      This week we will be learning a complete arrangement along with an ending and fills.

      1. Week 6 - Fills and Ending 37m 59s
      2. Week 6 - Practice Action #1 5m 23s
      3. Week 6 - Practice Action #2 4m 07s
      4. Week 6 - Practice Action #3 6m 56s
      5. Intensive Coaching #2 42m 39s

  • Latin Piano

    6 weeks · 3h 45m

    1. Week 1 28m 18s

      In this lesson we will learn the first half of the song.

      1. Week 1 - First part of song 14m 26s
      2. Week 1 - Practice Action #1 5m 00s
      3. Week 1 - Practice Action #2 5m 18s
      4. Week 1 - Practice Action #3 3m 34s
    2. Week 2 31m 40s

      In this lesson we will learn the second half of the song.

      1. Week 2 - Second part of song 18m 13s
      2. Week 2 - Practice Action #1 5m 48s
      3. Week 2 - Practice Action #2 3m 30s
      4. Week 2 - Practice Action #3 4m 09s
    3. Week 3 52m 48s

      In this lesson we will learn three scales for improvisation.

      1. Week 3 - Three scales 31m 08s
      2. Week 3 - Practice Action #1 8m 10s
      3. Week 3 - Practice Action #2 6m 59s
      4. Week 3 - Practice Action #3 6m 31s
    4. Week 4 41m 30s

      In this lesson we will learn how to create improvisation lines.

      1. Week 4 - Improv Lines 27m 02s
      2. Week 4 - Practice Action #1 4m 33s
      3. Week 4 - Practice Action #2 5m 14s
      4. Week 4 - Practice Action #3 4m 41s
    5. Week 5 37m 33s

      In this lesson we will learn how to create improvisation lines.

      1. Week 5 - Montunos 24m 00s
      2. Week 5 - Practice Action #1 3m 39s
      3. Week 5 - Practice Action #2 5m 24s
      4. Week 5 - Practice Action #3 4m 30s
    6. Week 6 33m 58s

      In this lesson we will learn how to create improvisation lines.

      1. Week 6 - Intro/Ending 21m 05s
      2. Week 6 - Practice Action #1 2m 36s
      3. Week 6 - Practice Action #2 4m 11s
      4. Week 6 - Practice Action #3 6m 06s

  • Rock Piano

    6 weeks · 4h 36m

    1. Week 1 57m 08s

      In this lesson we will cover three different exercises to help you gain confidence playing in 12/8 time.

      1. Week 1 - 12/8 Exercises 35m 11s
      2. Week 1 - Practice Action #1 5m 20s
      3. Week 1 - Practice Action #2 9m 21s
      4. Week 1 - Practice Action #3 7m 16s
    2. Week 2 44m 42s

      Now we begin the first part of the song, step-by-step.

      1. Week 2 - Part 1 of the song 20m 50s
      2. Week 2 - Practice Action #1 6m 42s
      3. Week 2 - Practice Action #2 7m 36s
      4. Week 2 - Practice Action #3 9m 34s
    3. Week 3 45m 30s

      We are moving on to the next part of the song, step-by-step.

      1. Week 3 - Part 2 of the song 16m 30s
      2. Week 3 - Practice Action #1 11m 26s
      3. Week 3 - Practice Action #2 8m 00s
      4. Week 3 - Practice Action #3 9m 34s
    4. Week 4 50m 13s

      We are moving on to the next part of the song, step-by-step.

      1. Week 4 - Part 3 of the song 19m 53s
      2. Week 4 - Practice Action #1 18m 25s
      3. Week 4 - Practice Action #2 6m 03s
      4. Week 4 - Practice Action #3 5m 52s
    5. Week 5 34m 12s

      We will finish the entire song in this lesson.

      1. Week 5 - Finishing the Song 21m 05s
      2. Week 5 - Practice Action #1 4m 24s
      3. Week 5 - Practice Action #2 3m 55s
      4. Week 5 - Practice Action #3 4m 48s
    6. Week 6 44m 26s

      Improvisation ideas.

      1. Week 6 - Improvisation 28m 37s
      2. Week 6 - Practice Action #1 5m 01s
      3. Week 6 - Practice Action #2 5m 57s
      4. Week 6 - Practice Action #3 4m 51s

Live classes

Come to class. Bring the thing you are stuck on.

PianoLab runs live every week with Paul. The Confident Improviser runs live every other week with me. Community hours sit alongside them, and every class is recorded — so a Tuesday you cannot make is a replay you watch on Saturday.

23 classes are already on the calendar. This is the real schedule, not a sample of one — scroll it.

  • October 2026
  • Willie Friday Game Plan: Already Know What You're Working On? Start Here A session to help you get focused with your practice.
  • Willie The Confident Improviser (TCI) Live! A live, guided-practice class focused on helping you improvise with greater confidence. Willie leads you through practical exercises that develop your musical vocabulary, creativity, and ability to create…
  • Paul Piano Lab Strasbourg/St. Denis (Roy Hargrove) – Part 2 · Groove JazzPart two on Strasbourg/St. Denis. Paul locks in the groove and the cyclical chords, then works on comping, feel…
  • Willie Friday Game Plan: TBA A session to help you get focused with your practice.
  • Paul Piano Lab The (Lost) Art of the Bridge – Part 1 · Greatest Bridges of All TimeThe bridge is where great songwriters take a tune somewhere new, and it's a…
  • Willie Friday Game Plan: TBA A session to help you get focused with your practice.
  • Willie The Confident Improviser (TCI) Live! A live, guided-practice class focused on helping you improvise with greater confidence. Willie leads you through practical exercises that develop your musical vocabulary, creativity, and ability to create…
  • Willie Friday Game Plan: TBA A session to help you get focused with your practice.
  • Paul Piano Lab The (Lost) Art of the Bridge – Part 2 · Greatest Bridges of All TimePart two on the art of the bridge. Paul continues through the greatest bridges…
  • Willie Friday Game Plan: TBA A session to help you get focused with your practice.
  • November 2026
  • Willie The Confident Improviser (TCI) Live! A live, guided-practice class focused on helping you improvise with greater confidence. Willie leads you through practical exercises that develop your musical vocabulary, creativity, and ability to create…
  • Paul Piano Lab Knocks Me Off My Feet (Stevie Wonder) – Part 1 · Legendary Stevie Wonder R&BOne of Stevie's most-loved ballads. Paul shows how simple jazz harmony, a well-placed modulation…
  • Paul Piano Lab Knocks Me Off My Feet (Stevie Wonder) – Part 2 · Legendary Stevie Wonder R&BPart two on Knocks Me Off My Feet. Paul completes the tune, working through…
  • Willie The Confident Improviser (TCI) Live! A live, guided-practice class focused on helping you improvise with greater confidence. Willie leads you through practical exercises that develop your musical vocabulary, creativity, and ability to create…
  • Paul Piano Lab Overjoyed (Stevie Wonder) – Part 1One of the most beautiful piano-built ballads ever written. Paul explores Overjoyed's gorgeous chord structures, seamless transitions and modulations, and shows how Stevie…
  • Paul Piano Lab Overjoyed (Stevie Wonder) – Part 2Special day: Tuesday, November 24 (Thanksgiving week). Part two on Overjoyed. Paul completes the arrangement, connecting the chord structures, transitions and modulations into…
  • December 2026
  • Willie The Confident Improviser (TCI) Live! A live, guided-practice class focused on helping you improvise with greater confidence. Willie leads you through practical exercises that develop your musical vocabulary, creativity, and ability to create…
  • Paul Piano Lab This Christmas (Donny Hathaway) – Part 1 · The Ultimate R&B Christmas SongDonny Hathaway's holiday classic. Paul digs into the odd-meter intro, the electric piano sound, the R&B…
  • Paul Piano Lab This Christmas (Donny Hathaway) – Part 2 · The Ultimate R&B Christmas SongPart two on This Christmas. Paul finishes the arrangement, nailing the odd-meter passage, the R&B chords…
  • Willie The Confident Improviser (TCI) Live! A live, guided-practice class focused on helping you improvise with greater confidence. Willie leads you through practical exercises that develop your musical vocabulary, creativity, and ability to create…
  • Paul Piano Lab Can't Take My Eyes Off You – Part 1 · The "Everyone Loves This Song" Must-HaveThe crowd-pleaser every pianist should have ready. Paul treats it as great solo…
  • Paul Piano Lab Can't Take My Eyes Off You – Part 2 · The "Everyone Loves This Song" Must-HaveSpecial day: Monday, December 28 (no class Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve).…
  • Willie The Confident Improviser (TCI) Live! A live, guided-practice class focused on helping you improvise with greater confidence. Willie leads you through practical exercises that develop your musical vocabulary, creativity, and ability to create…

From Premier members

In their words, not mine.

Three Premier members on what actually changed for them. Unscripted, and a couple of years old now — which is rather the point.

play-sharp-fill

Not showing me what to practice, but how to practice.

Bruce W. · South Carolina · Premier

play-sharp-fill

Exactly what and how to practice to learn the new song.

Gayle · California · Premier

play-sharp-fill

He records short videos of the tricky parts.

Shari · Premier

Questions

Before you join.

Do I have to send a video?

No. Plenty of members never do. Ask Willie takes a question on its own — no recording, no setup — and most of what comes through is exactly that. The video is there for when you want a straight answer about where your playing stands, and it is the reason a lot of people join, but nothing on Premier requires one.

What can I actually ask?

Anything you are stuck on at the piano. A voicing that will not sit under your hands, a tune that falls apart in the middle, whether you are practicing something the right way, what to do next now that you have finished a path. Willie reads it and writes back himself — and if you want, he picks up to three lessons for where you are.

How often can I ask?

One at a time. You send a question or a video, Willie answers it, and then you send the next. That is deliberate rather than a limit to work around — the answer is meant to change what you practice before you ask again.

I want somebody watching me play every week.

That is a private lesson, and Willie sells those separately. Premier is written feedback on your own schedule plus the live group classes — PianoLab with Paul every week and The Confident Improviser with Willie every other week — which is a different thing and suits most adults better.

Do I have to show up to the live classes?

No. Every class is recorded and the replay is there afterwards, so a Tuesday you cannot make is a Saturday you can. Come when you can, bring the thing you are stuck on, and watch the rest back.

What is an Intensive?

One subject taken all the way, a week at a time, in the order Willie would teach it, with something to go and do between each week. You work through it at your own pace and your progress is saved as you go — nothing starts or closes on a date. There are 4 of them right now, 24 weeks in total.

Is everything included, or are there add-ons?

Included. The full lesson library, the practice paths, the Practice Curriculum, the Intensives, the live classes and their replays, and Ask Willie — all of it, from day one. There is no second tier above this one and nothing else to buy.

What if I just want the lessons, for less?

Then Academy Focus is the one to look at. Same library, same practice paths, same Practice Curriculum, at the lower monthly price — what it does not include is Ask Willie, the Intensives and the live classes. Plenty of people start there and move up when they want somebody looking at their playing. See Academy Focus →

Is there a payment plan?

No. If annual is not right, go monthly — same access to everything, billed month to month, cancel any time.

What is the refund policy?

Thirty days from your first payment, for first-time members. One refund per customer, on your first membership only — if you have been a member before, even years ago, a new membership is not eligible. Renewals are not refundable; canceling stops the next one. Email support@jazzedge.com and we handle it. Read the full terms →

Can I cancel?

Yes, from your own account, whenever you like — no phone call and no retention script. Canceling stops the next payment and you keep access until the period you have paid for runs out.

How long have you been doing this?

Willie started teaching piano in 1988, at fifteen, and has been teaching online since 2000. Jazzedge has been running the whole time.

Join Premier.

$590 a year, or $59 a month. You get everything in Focus — the whole lesson library, the nine practice paths, the practice actions and the Practice Curriculum — and then the three things above on top of it. There is no tier above this one and nothing else to buy. Cancel in two clicks, any time, and there is a 30-day refund for first-time members.

Join Premier — $590/yr

Or join monthly at $59 →

Don't need the feedback and the classes? Academy Focus is $24/mo →

Membership

Two ways to be a member.

Both give you a path to follow and a way to track the work. Premier adds the part almost nobody else offers — a teacher who listens to your playing and tells you what to fix.

Focus

Clear direction, without the overwhelm of the full Academy.

$24 per month

Choose Focus

  • Focus Practice Actions
  • 108 practice actions, on 18 curated paths
  • Plus access to 117 lessons in the library
  • A structured path that tells you what to work on next
  • Jazzedge Practice Curriculum progress tracking
  • Community access with other Academy members

Premier

Recommended

Deeper instruction, guided practice, and personal feedback.

$59 per month

Choose Premier

See everything Premier includes →

  • Everything in Focus
  • Full access to the Jazzedge lesson library
  • Submit a video and get it reviewed by Willie, with written feedback
  • PianoLab with Paul, live every week
  • The Confident Improviser with Willie, live every other week
  • Community hours and intensives with weekly assignments

Not ready to pay? Start free with the 30-Day Playbook — a complete 30-day program, no card required.

30-day money-back guarantee. On your first membership with us, email support@jazzedge.com within 30 days and we will refund it. One refund per customer; renewals and downloads are not refundable. Full terms

Not ready yet? Get the free Piano Success Playbook, chord charts and circle of 5ths.

Sample lesson

Loading the sample…

A sample from one week of this Intensive. The whole program — every week, its assignments and its sheet music — comes with Premier.

Join Premier — $590/yr Or see what else is included →
Hide picture