How To Practice Music

A guide for practicing efficiently on piano and beyond.

A not-so-common approach that works for pretty much any musician and instrumentalists of all kind, curated by Gotham Music Lab.

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Advice From a World-Class Pianist Who Taught Some of the Best in the Industry

You’ll be learning directly from Gerard D'Angelo. Renowned jazz pianist and educator who has taught at some of the most acclaimed music schools in the world, such as The New School and Manhattan School of Music—right in the heart of New York City, the mecca of jazz.

New York is where legends are made. It’s the city that gave birth to bebop, where jazz giants like Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, and John Coltrane pushed the boundaries of music. And now, you have the chance to learn their craft - directly from your room.

Discover our full courses

Improvise Like a Jazz Cat

Unlock the secrets of jazz piano improvisation – even if you’ve never improvised before! This is a special package in a series of other complete courses we offer. With "Improvise Like a Jazz Cat", you'll get a taste of what Gotham Music Lab is and, hopefully, get a good start to your music journey. You’ll receive selected lessons from different courses, helping you explore and discover what you’d like to dive into next.

$47.00 USD

Jazz Theory Series 1

The Jazz Theory Series 1 is a comprehensive 5-hour course divided into five modules, meticulously designed to provide a solid foundation and advanced insights into jazz theory. This series addresses major and minor key harmonies, II-V variations, Roman numeral analyses, and chord resolutions. The course is supplemented with a detailed 67-page workbook for hands-on learning.

$99.99 USD

Improv Series 1

The 9-lesson series teaches the basics of improvisation using major modes. It covers diatonic and parallel modes of the major scale and later dives into improvisation with major, minor, and dominant 7th chords, ending with the ii-V-I progression. The episode "On the Trail" emphasizes rhythm and timing.

$99.00 USD

Gerard D'Angelo

Gerard is a faculty member of some of the biggest jazz schools in the planet, such as The New School and Manhattan School of Music. There he mentored stars such as Robert Glasper and Emmet Cohen.

Born in 1954 on Long Island, Gerard was immersed in jazz from an early age, inspired by his father’s stride piano playing. By high school, he was performing gigs and later studied at Berklee and Five Towns College, where he also began teaching. His career took off with tours, club gigs, and studies under jazz legends like Lenny Tristano, shaping his intuitive improvisational style.

Settling in Manhattan, Gerard performed at top jazz venues and festivals worldwide, collaborating with icons like Red Rodney, Nat Adderley, and Vincent Herring. His interest in composition grew, leading to recordings with leading jazz artists. In the ’90s, he transitioned to teaching at The New School and Manhattan School of Music, mentoring future stars such as Robert Glasper and Emmet Cohen.

Beyond jazz, he worked as musical director for Brian Stokes Mitchell, coached Ben Stiller for Broadway, and contributed to music production with Gary Haase. Today, Gerard continues performing, teaching, and leading Gotham Music Lab, an online platform dedicated to accessible, high-quality music education.