per week per student
Piano Jazz - Theory and Improvisation
The musical art form Jazz is one of the most wonderful contributions from the American experience to the world's musicians. In jazz, every voice has the opportunity to express their creative nature - an authentically democratic environment that enables originality. Music is a language with a universal tongue and jazz studies train musicians to converse freely in the moment with players from all nations. This course on piano jazz will increase your skills as an improviser, accompanist, and composer.
Harrisburg, PA
United States
Educator Profile

Course Details
Instruction will include jazz theory, improvisation, composition, and ear training with an emphasis on developing your own jazz vocabulary. Following a brief Q & A session, lessons will be individually tailored for each student depending on their knowledge and experience with utmost consideration for the students’ goals and aspirations. This course of study is ongoing and lessons will be paced to the individual student's abilities. Lessons may be scheduled as the student desires - weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. This course on piano jazz will also increase your skills as an improviser, accompanist, and composer.
About the Teacher: Steve Rudolph has had an inspiring career in his 50+ years of professional music-making. With fourteen acclaimed CDs as a leader, he has acted as an arranger, performer and producer on many various recordings. His immense experience has allowed him to be part of concert performances with many jazz masters and he has toured throughout the U.S, Europe, India, Russia, Canada and throughout the Caribbean. He is co-leader of Alberta's River City Big Band and the pianist alongside Phil Haynes and Drew Gress in the acoustic trio Day Dream. In 2002, Steve was the winner of the Harrisburg Arts Award for his dedication to the arts and services to the community. He has also received two Composition Fellowships from the PA Council on the Arts and his original compositions have been performed by many jazz ensembles as well as the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra.
In Progress...
Students enrolling for this course on ipassio can be sure that they receive individual attention from the teacher, as the class strength is limited to 1 or 2 students. It also gives teachers the opportunity, to gauge their student's progress in-depth and make changes whenever and wherever required, to ensure the student gets the maximum out of this course. Since this course is detailed, students get the advantage of learning intricate details about this art form. The limited strength of the class also ensures that there is a strong bond between the students and their teacher clearing out any inhibitions that the student might have. The sustained guidance available from the teacher ensures that the student does not deviate from set goals or targets. Learning from a revered, experienced exponent of this art form, through the long duration of this course, keeps the student inspired and motivated to achieve more.
You will learn music theory and compositional skills that will better enable you to find your own voice on the instrument - how to utilize scales, intervals, modes, chord patterns, and jazz rhythms to build melodies and improvise. The course includes learning classic jazz compositions, finding great chord voicings, learning to play in all keys, and improving your ability to play by ear. You will also become more informed about the history of the music, while studying the varied styles of jazz and it's influential artists.
Steve Rudolph has had an inspiring career in his 50+ years of professional music making. Jazz Improv magazine states, “Rudolph is a savvy, swinging, glimmering heavyweight… ...simply outstanding.” With fourteen acclaimed CDs as a leader, he has served as producer, arranger and performer on many recordings with Johnny Coles, Bill Goodwin, Ali Ryerson, Matt Wilson, Drew Gress, Roger Humphries, Cal Collins, Drew Gress, Phil Haynes, and Vinny Valentino. His vast experience encompasses concert performances with jazz masters Louie Bellson, Clark Terry, Terry Gibbs, Al Grey, Buddy DeFranco, Denis DiBlasio, and the Mills Brothers. Steve has toured throughout the U.S., India, Europe, Canada, Russia and the Caribbean. He is co-leader of the River City Big Band and pianist in the acoustic trio Day Dream with Phil Haynes and Drew Gress. Currently a Yamaha Keyboard Artist, he is in demand as a clinician and performer and has taught at Elizabethtown College, Bucknell University, Susquehanna University, and Penn State University among many others.
Steve was born in Evansville and was raised in Southern Indiana near Boonville where he began paying trumpet at age eight. He studied trumpet and composition under scholarship at Butler University in Indianapolis, IN, where he discovered an inspiring jazz community in the late 60's. He switched his main instrumental focus to the piano at age 22 and was hired by Buddy Morrow to tour with the legendary Tommy Dorsey Orchestra in 1977. Since moving to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in 1978, he has been largely responsible for the growth and development of the thriving jazz scene in Central PA. His devotion to the art of jazz inspired him to found the Central PA Friends of Jazz, now in its 40th successful year of monthly concerts, youth band, jazz camp, and annual Central PA Jazz Festival. He served as the Executive Director of CPFJ from 2012 to 2019. Steve was the recipient of the 2002 Harrisburg Arts Award for dedication to the arts and community service. He received two Composition Fellowships from the PA Council on the Arts and his compositions have been performed by the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra and many jazz ensembles. Steve is well known in Central PA for his 22 year, 6 night a week job as jazz pianist at the Hilton Harrisburg. His detailed recording and touring information may be found at www.steverudolph.com.
A competent knowledge and technique of piano, major scales, basic chord structures, and a desire to learn the art of improvisation.
Weekly Schedule
These sections are for individual students.
If none of the above timings work for you, just sign up for a free session and we'll work out the timings. | Sign up for a Free Session |
SECTION | DAY & TIME | Available | |
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Section
A
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Mon 10:00am - 5:00pm America/New_York
Tue 10:00am - 7:00pm America/New_York
Thu 10:00am - 7:00pm America/New_York
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2 Seats |