James Cortright
Piano lessons for all, with a focus on accessibility and fun, but also excellence through music
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James Cortright
Bachelors degree
Enroll after the free trial
Each lesson is 55 min
50 lessons
20% off
/ lesson
30 lessons
15% off
/ lesson
20 lessons
10% off
/ lesson
10 lessons
5% off
/ lesson
5 lessons
-
/ lesson
1 lessons
-
/ lesson
James - Your piano teacher
I've dedicated my life to teaching music, while constantly improving my abilities as a teacher and musician. For over 15 years of work experience I've taught lessons and ensembles, learned from some of the best teachers, and remained a life-long student of music pedagogy. My education includes a 4 year Bachelor's degree in music, and a 2 year certificate in audio technology. I've won first place as a performing member and a teacher with ensembles in world class international competitions, and received perfect scores in competitions as a soloist. Through all of this, I've learned that each student is a unique and special musical mind that requires adaptability from a teacher who has mastered their craft, but still has the ability to make the material understandable to a complete beginner. Thank you for reading this and considering taking lessons with me!
Your piano teacher skills
Performance Skills
Piano Repertoire
Piano Technique
Pedaling Techniques
Music theory
Scales and Arpeggios
Ear training
Chord Theory
Types of learners for piano lessons
Piano for adults
Piano for advanced
Piano for kids
Piano for beginners
Piano for intermediate
Piano lessons at a glance
My teaching methodology is based on a combination of studying a variety of music education techniques such as Orff, Kodaly, and Suzuki, while also learning from first hand experience teaching thousands of students. I believe that there is no one right way to teach music, but instead it is best to have a large tool kit and extensive background of knowledge to draw from based on the needs of any individual student. From beginners to advanced, from elementary age to adults, there will always be some creativity and flexibility involved in how I go about conveying the information that will help a student learn about music and improve their abilities on their instrument. I incorporate lessons from all areas of the subject of music including music theory, history, and ear training, while drawing from a variety of styles including classical, jazz, and folk.
Trusted piano teacher for real results
88% students feel more skilled, confident, and ready to perform
Piano lessons that truly engage students
Parents report their children look forward to every class
Step-by-step piano lessons structure
Lessons break down complex pieces into manageable parts
Different types of piano lessons
Piano
Grand Piano
Digital Piano
Upright Piano
Jazz Piano
Classical Piano
Flexible Scheduling
Allows 1h early scheduling
Allows 1h early rescheduling
Can wait for 20 mins after joining
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10 day Refund
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Free Tutor Swap
Piano concepts taught by James
The Student and Tutor reviewed guitar chord progressions, the use of a metronome for tempo control, and the identification of notes on the fretboard. They practiced playing the chromatic scale and explored various voicings for chords like F major and bar chords, with plans to review song structures and simple songs in future sessions.
Chord Progressions & Roman Numerals
Chromatic Scale & Note Naming
Barre Chords & Fretboard Navigation
Muting Strings & Chord Voicing
The student and tutor reviewed major scales, progressing through the circle of fifths and fourths, and tackled more challenging black-key scales like B-flat, E-flat, and A-flat major. They also worked on refining rhythmic accuracy and hand coordination in a piano piece, "Viva La Vida," focusing on specific challenging measures and practice techniques. The next steps involve continuing to build comfort with A-flat major and further developing ensemble playing.
Circle of Fifths and Fourths
Scale Fingerings and Transitions
Rhythmic Articulation and Accuracy
Hand Independence and Coordination
Octave Shifting in Notation Software
Managing Rests and Shifting Notes
Inserting Notes into Existing Music
Using Playback and File Sharing
The Student and Tutor reviewed and practiced piano pieces "River Flows in You" and "Simple Gifts," focusing on note accuracy, rhythm, timing, and fingering. They also worked on scales and arpeggios, with the Tutor providing specific feedback and practice strategies for improvement.
Rhythmic Subdivision and Timing
Developing Consistent Musical Timing
Hand Position and Fingerings in Scales
The Psychology of Learning and Unlearning
The tutor and student worked on guitar techniques, focusing on right-hand strumming patterns and left-hand fingering for songs like "Blackbird" and "Dust in the Wind." They discussed efficient movement and chord voicings, and planned to create sheet music with fingerings for "Blackbird" and a better version of "Dust in the Wind" for future practice.
Right-Hand Fingerstyle Techniques
Left-Hand Finger Placement and Efficiency
Musical Efficiency and Practice Strategy
Chord Voicings and Variations
The Student and Tutor reviewed whole tone, pentatonic, octatonic, and chromatic scales, along with arpeggios over seventh chords. The Student practiced various scale patterns and chord voicings. For homework, the Student will work on the scale studies and the jazz standard "Autumn Leaves," focusing on solo piano arrangement techniques.
Jazz Lead Sheets and Chord Voicing
Scale Studies and Patterns
Seven Chord Arpeggios
Chromatic Scales
Octatonic Scales
Pentatonic Scales
Whole Tone Scales
Approach & tools used in piano classes
DAWs
Looping Software
Piano Tuner Apps
Ear Training Software
Virtual Piano Apps
Chord & Scale Reference Apps
Interactive piano lessons
Open Q&A
Pets are welcomed
Chat for quick help
Parent feedback
Weekend lessons
Piano teachers on Wiingy are vetted for quality
Every tutor is interviewed and selected for subject expertise and teaching skill.