A complete course of study from first key to confident performer. Foundation through Music Method Pro, built on rhythm, harmony, and the ear.
Contents
I. A note from the school
Most piano teaching begins at the wrong end. A student is given a piece, taught the notes, and asked to repeat them until they sound right. The piano improves; the musician inside the student does not. We have found this to be a poor trade.
At Nathaniel, the order is reversed. We start with rhythm, with chords, with the ear. We teach you to hear the sixth of B-flat major and recognise it as a major sixth before you ever read it on a page. We teach harmony before melody, and we teach you to play a song in any of twelve keys before we teach you to play it in C.
The instrument, treated this way, becomes a byproduct. You stop being someone who plays the piano and start being a musician who happens to play the piano. It is the difference between performing a piece and understanding why it works; between learning a song and being able to learn any song.
This brochure is the map of how we do it. Six months. Thirty-two hours of class. Two paths, four classrooms, one ambition: that you graduate able to sit at any keyboard, in any room, and make music.
— Jason Zac, Faculty
The school, in numbers
Since 2007 · Bangalore
6,000+ students across 30+ countries. Two campuses, Langford Town and Sahakar Nagar, plus live online classes, private and group, from Singapore to the United States.
II. The method, in brief
01
Bars, sub-beats, swing, claves, Konnakol: rhythm is taught as a discipline of its own, with the rigour usually reserved for harmony. Most schools skip this. We do not.
02
Confidence in C major is not confidence. By the time you finish Foundation you will be able to play a 12-bar blues, an Oom-Pah, and a ii–V–I in every key on the keyboard.
03
Intervals, scales, chord qualities, melodic transcription, computing the key of a song by listening; taught not as a sidebar but as the spine of the curriculum.
04
You will learn to play melody and harmony at once, and to support a singer, a band, or a soloist. Two complementary roles. Two complete skill sets.
05
Bring what you love: Bollywood, gospel, jazz, pop, classical. We build the analysis around it. The work feels personal because it is.
06
Every semester ends with a live concert. Recordings, jam sessions, structured feedback, graded exams. Music made for an audience, not a metronome.
III. The seven classrooms
Music Method does not hand you a fixed curriculum. We build a custom package across seven classrooms, weighted to your goals, your level, your time. Four are featured below. Three more sit alongside, drawn into your package as needed.
Classroom 01
Pick the modules that matter to you. Sing & play. Chord voicings & inversions. Hand independence. Keyboard styles: EP, organ, clav, synth. Ornaments, fills, dynamics. Bass-line creation. Customised piano education, module by module.
Classroom 02
Your fitness training for piano. 3D Training across technique, speed, endurance. JZ Etudes & Motifs for improvisational vocabulary. Riff Dive into licks across genres. Structured workouts, measurable progress, finger strength without injury.
Classroom 03
Sight singing, harmony & chord application, scales, intervals & modes, jazz chord charts & analysis, rhythm practice. Theory that changes how you hear, not textbook drills. The language of music, taught so you can speak it.
Classroom 04 · Signature
Where music gets made. Transcription, lick library, improvisation, production & arrangement, church hymns & orchestration, study of great pianists, real-time responsive playing. Bring a song; we take it apart and put it back together.
Classroom 05
Christmas, Bollywood, Coke Studio, blues, gospel, Latin/salsa, regional Indian, trending hits. The music people request from you, taught authentically.
Classroom 06
Educative jam sessions, performance workshops, working-musician skills, Riff with Jason Zac, harmony singing. The closest thing to a band while you're still learning.
Classroom 07
Basics done right. Proper technique from day one, reading, fundamental theory, rhythm. Where every beginner starts, and where many returning players reset.
IV. One Method, four packages
Music Method runs in four hour-packages per semester. After your call with our team, we tailor a package across the seven classrooms, weighted to your goals. Private lessons or small groups. Same syllabus, different depth.
32h
Foundation · default
The standard entry. 20 practical · 12 musicianship. Where most beginners begin.
40h
Standard
Eight extra hours of one-on-one. Two Music Factory projects. For working musicians.
50h
Intensive
Adds rhythm theory deep-dive & composition coaching. Three Music Factory projects.
65h
Music Method Pro
16 weeks, 3×/week. Full-band rehearsal. Solo recital. For aspiring professionals.
Entry path · Beginning to Confident
For absolute beginners and self-taught players who want a real foundation. From sitting at the keyboard for the first time to playing a 12-bar blues in any key, accompanying a singer, and reading basic notation by ear.
You will leave able to:
Continuing path · Confident to Complete
For Foundation graduates and intermediate players ready to grow as musicians, not just pianists. Modes, advanced harmony, rhythm theory, transcription. The piano becomes the byproduct of musical understanding.
You will leave able to:
V. What you will learn
Column I
Column II
Column III
Column IV
VI. A semester in pictures
Above · Studio & live work, 2024 / 25 cohorts
Below · Foundation classes, all ages, both campuses
VII. What students say
“
Having experienced different music classes in the past, I can say I have never seen this level of passion for music, professionalism and well-structured course in any music institute. From practical to theory to ear training to regular jamming sessions and finally getting to perform a concert as a band, you get to experience it all.
The Music Method course for piano is an absolute must-have for anyone serious about learning music. It gives a very solid foundation on theory while making it interesting to learn. The approach is not traditional, and that's the plus point: practical and contemporary.
It is helping me explore a variety of genres, expanding my potential, enhancing my ability to appreciate and reproduce far more music with keys than I ever thought I could.
There is no music school in Bangalore that comes up with performance-based learning, that too in just four months. I love the jam sessions and the reviews given before the gig.
My experience has been life-changing. Every single day here has helped me grow as a musician and as a person. The gigs have allowed us to exhibit all we learnt during the course.
VIII. Frequently asked
Do I need my own keyboard?
Yes. A full-size, touch-sensitive keyboard (61–88 keys) is essential for practising between lessons. We can recommend specific models if you're shopping.
Is this only for beginners?
No. Foundation is for beginners; the deeper packages (40/50/65 hours, and Music Method Pro) are built for intermediate and advanced players, including self-taught players who want to fill in gaps and exam-track students who want the practical, ear-led side they're missing.
What if I miss a class?
Every live session is recorded in HD and shared privately with you. You'll also receive Jason's notes, notation, and supplementary practice tracks.
What's the age range?
We teach from young children through to adults in their seventies. The course adapts to each learner's pace. There's no upper age cap, only a cap on willingness to do the work.
Can I learn from outside India?
Yes. We have students from Singapore, the UK, and the US. Time zones are accommodated through weekday-morning, evening, and weekend slots.
Do I get a certificate?
Yes: a graded performance-based certificate from Nathaniel School of Music, reflecting your progress in technique, theory, rhythm, and performance.
How much should I practise?
Thirty minutes a day, or three to four hours a week, is enough to see steady progress. The classes are practical, so you'll spend most of your time playing.
Can I move from Foundation to Method?
Yes. Most do. The Foundation is designed as a launchpad into the four-classroom intermediate / advanced programme.
What styles will I play?
Blues, gospel, pop, rock, Bollywood, jazz, and Indian ragas, linked to real songs and rhythm patterns for practical use.
Will I perform somewhere?
Yes. Every semester ends with jam sessions, bootcamps, and a live concert. Performances are featured on our Instagram and recorded for your portfolio.
Are there demo classes?
We don't run individual trial classes. To preview the teaching style first, browse the 2,395+ free tutorials or YouTube.
Online, offline, or hybrid?
All three. Live online classes, in-person at Langford Town or Sahakar Nagar (Bangalore), or a hybrid of the two with HD recordings.
IX. How to enrol
Twelve months from now you can be the person who plays piano at your friend's wedding, accompanies a singer at an open mic, and sits down at a strange keyboard and finds the chords by ear.
Talk to us
Apply online
WhatsApp: +91 77604 56847
Auditions: +91 98454 65411
music@nathanielschool.com
Listen & visit
YouTube: @nathanielmusicschool (115k+)
Instagram: @nathanielschool
nathanielschool.com
Visit us · Langford Town & Sahakar Nagar, Bangalore 560025 · or anywhere online
