Christian Piano Music by Greg Howlett | Inspirational Improvisation

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Are you a church pianist who wants to learn how to play better?

Do you want to learn such skills as arranging beautiful solos for offertories, accompanying your congregation or perhaps a soloist, and playing quiet background music during reflective points during a service?

You may have already had some lessons to learn these important skiills. And you probably ended up frustrated. Don't feel too bad because the traditional way that church music improvisation is taught is ineffective.

A New Approach to Teaching Church Music Improvisation

Greg Howlett is a pianist who knows how frustrating learning improvisation can be. A student of church music for almost thirty years, he understands the weaknesses in how this skill is almost always taught.

Here is the way it usually works. The teacher (a competent church pianist) plays a song on the piano while you watch over their shoulder. As they play, they point out technical things that they are doing—chord substitutions, patterns, etc. At the end on the song, they tell you to go off and do it yourself. Later, you sit down at the piano but realize that you don't remember what they did. And you certainly don't understand why they did it!

Sound familiar?

Greg uses a totally different approach in Inspirational Improvisation. Rather than working through songs, he works through nine important concepts. Each lesson thoroughly discusses why and how a specific concept works. After the concept is applied to a song, a homework assignment is given to help students apply that concept to songs they pick out for themselves.

The goal of this course is not to get you to a point where you can play a few songs well. The goal is to give you nine concrete concepts that you will learn well enough to apply to any song you wish without even stopping to think.

Customer Testimonials

I recently purchased your DVD set on Improvisation, and I can't tell you how much I have gotten out of it already. I have been playing the piano for years and like yourself have a classical background. I have read several books on theory and jazz and only with the help of your instruction have been able to start putting two and two together.
-- Gregg Plese, Tyrone, GA

I recently bought and watched your course. I am doing what you suggested and going over the 5 chords in Lesson 1. Overall the course is excellent. A lot of courses like this hold back hoping for a part 2 and 3 just to make more money. You gave a lot of information that would take awhile to get through.
-- Bob D., Chicago, IL

What Inspirational Improvisation includes:

A 4 DVD set containing six hours of instruction.
A 32 page study guide containing the important takeaways from each lesson as well as examples and work assignments.

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Here are the nine concepts:

Understanding foundational chords and function (Recognizing the six common chords used in all church music) Video explanation
Adding 7ths (Changing boring three note triads into four note chords) Video explanation
Minor chord substitutions (Easy chord substitutions that will dramatically improve your sound) Video explanation
Adding color notes (Implementing 9ths, 11ths, 13ths) Video explanation
Voicing (How to play the notes in a chord on the piano in a way that sounds sophisticated) Video explanation
Step progressions (How to replace entire chord progressions in a song with your own harmony) Video explanation
Technical treatments (Easy things you can do to make your music more interesting) Video explanation
Hooks (Developing themes that can be incorporated through your music to tie it together and make it unforgettable) Video explanation
Feeling (How to add emotional content to your music) Video explanation

This course is designed to keep you busy for at least a year. You will not learn unless you study, do the homework assignments, and apply the concepts. But if you are willing to put in the time, this Christian piano curriculum will dramatically improve your improvisation skills.

Frequently Asked Questions

What ability level is this course designed for?

This course is designed for intermediate and advanced pianists. At a minimum, students should be able to read music fairly well and know the basics of theory such as how to build a major or minor triad. On the other hand, you do not have to understand complex chords. The entire first lesson is devoted to helping you know how to recognize and play the foundational chords in church music.

What is your return policy?

If you purchase and want to return this product, you are welcome to do so within 90 days of the purchase date. We have yet to see our first return!

How is this course different from all the rest on the market?

The courses we are aware of that teach church improvisation have the weakness that we discussed above. They feature instructors who play songs while you watch over their shoulder. In a nutshell, those courses focus on individual songs while Inspirational Inspiration focuses on the building blocks of songs.

How long will it take me to learn these concepts well enough to use them?

This course represents at least a year’s worth of work. By the end of that time, you should be using much of what you have learned instinctively in your music. However, you will continue to refine and improve on what you have learned for the rest of your life.

How much would I need to practice?

If possible, you should plan on practicing 20-30 minutes a day. You will not learn these concepts by just watching the video. Specific homework assignments that you practice over and over are the key to actually learning the concepts. You should spend about half your time practicing the concepts and half your time applying them to your music.

What kind of church music will the concepts work with?

You can use these concepts with any music. In the DVDs, the concepts are demonstrated with simple hymns, but you can use them with practically any modern music.

Why does this course cost so much?

Upfront production costs for a course like this are quite high. For Greg, music is a ministry and a passion rather than a way to make money. That being said, we feel that six hours of lessons for the price of this course is a bargain.

Did Greg develop this approach to teaching church improvisation by himself?

No. Greg does not claim to have invented anything new. The concepts and approach are widely used to teach improvisation in other genres. He has just been fortunate enough to be exposed to some great teachers.

Do I have to wait for this course to arrive by mail or can I view it online?

The course is too large to download and we do not currently stream it online. However, if you are anxious to get started, as soon as you purchase the course, we will be glad to email you the study guide and allow you to download the first lesson. That will keep you plenty busy until the course arrives by mail. Just let us know if you are interested.