Greg Howlett has over 30 years of church music experience and is currently a recording artist and concert pianist. The system he presents throughout these courses is a result of that experience as well as his philosophy about music and his understanding of how to apply music theory to creating music.

Many musicians are good at playing music that is written out, but cannot improvise or play by ear. In a church setting, this is a problem because practically all music is improvised.

Fortunately, any pianist can learn to improvise. The goals of these courses is to teach improvisation to the point where pianists can be functional (useful) in a church.

These courses are designed for all pianists at any level who can read music. That includes the young student who has had a few years of traditional piano lessons as well as those already playing in church. Some courses have prerequisites (other courses are suggested that should be taken first).

Every course is designed from the mindset of helping students understand music from the context of theory. Many courses on the market simply have an educator walk through a song or two, demonstrating things that can be done in different places of the song. That approach does not work because students have a difficult time applying those concepts to their own songs.

Greg's approach is different. He teaches theory concepts and then teaches how to apply those concepts to any song. All of the courses come with a study guide that includes checkpoints. Checkpoints are assignments that will reinforce the concepts being taught.

Here is a general overview of each course.

Theory for church pianists

This is a foundational 5-hour course that covers theory that improvising pianists need to understand. It includes concepts such as scales, triads, diatonic chords, 7th chords, color notes (9ths, 11ths, 13ths), secondary dominants, and functional harmony.

This course does not cover beginner theory such as how to read notes, accidentals, key signatures, and time signatures. It is assumed that the student has learned those things in traditional piano lessons. It also does not cover theory that is not necessary for improvising. Greg's approach was to simplify the course down to exactly what is necessary for improvising church pianists.

Most students should take this course before moving on to other courses. However, if you feel comfortable with basic theory, this course can be skipped. Learn more and watch introductory video.

How to Chart a Song

This is a foundational course that teaches students how to look at church music such as you might see in a hymnal and identify the chords. Practically all of Greg's courses require this skill as a prerequisite.

This course is only about an hour long. After watching it a few times and practicing for a while, pianists will be able to identify chords as fast as they can play them. Learn more and watch introductory video.

Congregational Accompaniment

This 4-hour course teaches the queen of all church pianists skills--how to accompany congregational singing.

In the first two hours, a 4-step process is taught that will help beginners get to the point where they are playing the basic style.

Greg uses the last two hours to teach how to make that basic style sound better though such elements as runs, fills, arpeggios, and left hand patterns. He also covers how to play the style in 6/8 time, how to adapt the style to various types of songs, and how to work with a song leader. Learn more and watch introductory video.

Accompanying

This short course (about an hour) teaches the skill of accompanying small groups, solists and other musicians. It helps pianists move away from playing the melody by teaching them how to play patterns based on the harmony. It also covers introductions, fills, and endings. Learn more and watch introductory video.

Playing Soft Music

Church pianists are often asked to play quiet music during prayers, invitations, or Communion. This course will teach you ten tips you can use to modify your style to a more gentle sound. Such topics as voicing, arpeggios, minor chord substitions, and rubato are covered. Learn more and watch introductory video.

Play by Ear!

Many people think that playing by ear is a mystical gift that you are born with. Nothing could be further from the truth. If you don't play by ear today, you can learn. This 2-hour course teaches you exactly how in three easy steps. Learn more and watch introductory video.

Reharmonization

This 4-hour course is an intense study of how to make boring chords interesting. It covers the basics of triads and then teaches pianists how to add 7ths, 9ths, 11ths and 13ths. It also discusses chord substitutions using three different approaches. Last, it teaches how pianists can use functional harmony to completely redo the harmony in a song in a more interesting way. Learn more and watch introductory video.

Modulations

Church pianists love to modulate between keys, and this course teaches five different modulation strategies. It includes a universal formula (that allows you to move between any two keys), a formula for moving up a half step, a formula for moving down a fifth, and a strategy that does not require any theory knowledge at all. Last, it covers an advanced strategy called pivot chords. Learn more and watch introductory video.

Arranging

Church pianists that want to arrange will find this 3-hour course very helpful. It teaches a 7-step system that starts with picking a song and ends with a polished arrangement. Greg focuses on the big picture for much of the course--how a song communicates and how it should be structured. He then dives into specifics on hooks and technical treatments. Learn more and watch introductory video.

Playing Lead Sheets

A lead sheet is a piece of printed music where only the melody and chord symbols are provided. Many pianists are intimidated by lead sheets, but the reality is that lead sheets are great for church music. This course teaches you exactly how to read and play them in various styles. Learn more and watch introductory video.

Transposing

Church pianists may not like to transpose, but from time to time, it is a necessity. There are multiple ways to transpose, but there is only one that really works for pianists who do not play by ear. The system presented in this course is easy and effective. Learn more and watch introductory video.

Inspirational Improvisation

This 6-hour course is Greg's first published course, and it covers many of the topics in the other courses with less detail. It starts with foundational 7th chords and teaches pianists how to turn triads into 7th chords. It then discusses color notes and how to voice them into chords as well. It then moves to some light reharmonization, hooks and technical treatments.

This course is not for beginners. You should have a solid grasp of theory before starting this course. Also, this course is not nearly as detailed as other courses (because of time constraints). Learn more and watch introductory video.

Want to talk to Greg before purchasing? His cell phone is 404-379-8905 and he will answer any questions you want to ask to help you decide what courses you should buy. (If you get his voice mail, leave a message and he will call you back.)