| Session | Topic |
| Session 1 |
Music is created with three main ingredients - tune, harmony & rhythm. Each of these may be used in isolation - an unaccompanied tune, a harmonic pattern without melody or rhythm, or a rhythmic pattern played as a solo.
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| Session 2 |
Every chord has a related scale with which it 'fits' harmonically. This is an important principle for all musicians who wish to develop the art of improvisation.
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| Session 3 |
Chord Sequences. Referring to Session 1, it is possible to play four of the modal scales simultaneously in the following chord sequence. (Ionian, Phrygian, Mixolydian, Locrian )
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| Session 4 |
Transposition. The Roman Numeral system of chords which was described in Session three can be extended to include 'altered' chords.
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| Session 5 |
The Blues. Because of its short repetitive form, the blues has always been regarded as a test of the jazz improvisor's creativity and authenticity.
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| Session 6 |
The Box of Tricks. Dave Brubeck was asked on one occasion to describe the art of improvisation. He said that there were three methods.
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| Session7 |
Building a repertoire. In this Session we prepare the ground for performance of some Jazz standards including 'What's New?', 'Body and Soul', and 'A Night in Tunisia'.
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| Session 8 |
Embellishments and Substitutions. Jazz harmony is considerably enriched by the deployment of 'embellishments' and 'substitutions'.
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| Session 9 |
Altered Chords, licks, turnarounds and bits and
pieces.
Sus chords and Slash chords.
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| Session 10 |
Performance. The approach to performance will depend to a great extent on the given circumstances; whether the gig is for a solo piano or a trio or a larger group; whether the venue requires an amplification system; whether the situation is a jazz club or a bar or a concert hall.
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