Jazz Piano Freedom

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Sullivan helps you to approach the piano with humility and honesty to develop a personal relationship with the music.

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Master the Language to Find Your Freedom

Sullivan Fortner moves beyond standard jazz exercises, teaching you how to breathe life into the “dead wood and wire” of the piano by treating it like a choir or an orchestra. From the “Shakespearean” complexity of bebop language to the trance-like grooves of the blues, you will learn how to stop just playing notes and start performing with human emotion—making the keys laugh, cough, and cry.

  • The DNA of the Melody: Learn why you must internalize the lyrics and melody—the very fabric of the song—before you even attempt to solo.
  • Orchestral Voice Leading: Stop thinking in static chords and start thinking like a choir director, using independent voice leading to texture and color your playing.
  • Rhythmic Elasticity: Master the art of tension and release in your time feel, moving seamlessly between a locked-in stride and a loose, open pulse.
  • Bebop as a Foundation for Freedom: Discover why Sullivan views the language of Charlie Parker and Bud Powell as the “Shakespeare” of jazz, and how mastering it unlocks total harmonic freedom.
  • The Art of the Ballad: Learn to treat improvisation like composition by using dynamics, repetition, and limited motifs to build a compelling narrative arc.
  • Command of Touch and Tone: Explore the mechanics of weight distribution and dynamics to ensure your melody always sings above the accompaniment.
  • ADVANCED
  • 5 VIDEOS
  • Downloadable PDFs
  • Subtitles: English

Meet Your Instructor

GRAMMY-winning pianist and composer Sullivan Fortner brings a deeply rooted yet forward-thinking approach to jazz piano. A native of New Orleans, Fortner is known for his harmonic imagination, rhythmic sophistication, and ability to blend soulful tradition with modern inventiveness. He has released acclaimed albums including Aria, Moments Preserved, and Solo Game, and will debut his trio recording Southern Nights in 2025. A frequent collaborator with artists like Cécile McLorin Salvant, Wynton Marsalis, and Ambrose Akinmusire, he also leads his own award-winning trio, which won the 2024 DownBeat Critics Poll for Rising Star Jazz Group. Fortner has taught and given masterclasses at Oberlin Conservatory, Manhattan School of Music, and NOCCA, inspiring students through mentorship and exploration. His teaching reflects the same curiosity and clarity that define his performances—bridging eras, expanding vocabulary, and deepening the language of jazz piano.

Course Contents

Course content

  • Welcome from Sullivan
  • A Common Thread
  • Bebop Forever
  • The Piano as a Choir
  • Blues and Emotion
  • Sullivan's Desert Island Tracks