Kiefer has been called the best kept secret in jazz and alt-rap. Both a skilled pianist and a dynamic producer, Kiefer draws on the rich traditions of Black American music for a sound that’s not quite jazz, not quite hip-hop — something entirely his own. Picture Dilla-inspired beats with rich, complex harmonies and flashy solos on top.
In this course, Kiefer showcases his approach to the piano and keys, making modern piano-based music by tackling five creative challenges and breaking down how he navigates each one. We’ll be exploring how to write sophisticated and soulful chord changes, how to harmonize with a melody, how to come up with exciting solos, how to fashion short loops into interesting beats, and so much more.
If you’re a pianist, or a producer with some background in piano, dive in to take your skills to the next level.
MAKE BETTER PIANO-BASED MUSIC
Learn from Kiefer’s approach to playing the piano and writing songs on keys to improve your own skills on the keyboard.
Expand Your Harmonic Palette
Learn how to create more interesting chord progressions and voicings.
Write & Harmonize Melodies
Explore techniques for writing melodies and coming up with chord changes to match them.
Grow Your Improvisation Skills
Improve your soloing and craft more intentional improvisations.
Make Better Beats on Keys
Create infectious piano and keys parts for electronic and beat-based music.
MORE INFORMATION
Who is this course for?
This course is for intermediate and advanced pianists or pianist-producers. You should already have some level of comfort playing with two hands on the piano and some familiarity with music theory, including scales and chords.
What will I learn in this course?
You’ll learn how Kiefer approaches playing piano, including how he comes up with chord changes, how he writes and harmonizes melodies, how he improvises and improves his improvisation skills, and how he comes up with keyboard parts for beats.
Are there any pre-reqs?
You should have some prior knowlege of major and minor scales and how to construct chords built on scales. You should also be able to comfortably play chords and melodies on the piano.
You will definitely need a piano, keyboard, or a keyboard-based MIDI instrument to get the most out of this course.
How long does this course take?
This course was designed for you to go through at your own pace. If you wanted to do all the content linearly from start to finish, there are five big milestones in the course and a final challenge that could be done over the course of one to two months.
You’re also welcome to just skip around to the lessons and sections most relevant to you and your music.
