Music Courses & Classes in London and Online
We offer a wide range of piano, singing and instrumental workshops from complete beginners to advanced standard, daytime, evening or weekend. We also offer music production, music theory, history, singing and choirs, orchestra and jazz ensembles.
Choosing your course
Based in the heart of Covent Garden, we have a Yamaha CFIIIS and Steinway D concert grand pianos, Yamaha acoustic pianos and two suites of digital pianos. Music students have access to practice rooms for the duration of their course and we use the latest versions of Sibelius, Logic and Max/MSP for our music technology courses.
Some of our courses are delivered online. For more information about our live online courses, please see our guide to online learning.
Expert tutors
Our classes are taught by professional performers and practitioners, many of whom also teach at leading London universities and music conservatoires. We also offer advanced piano masterclasses with visiting performers and professors each year. Please refer to individual course outlines for individual staff biographies.
Studying at City Lit
City Lit students have a proud history of learning an instrument or singing from scratch as well as studying more advanced courses such as music theory exams, and preparing for advanced piano diplomas. Many of our jazz students form ensembles together and we frequently organise concerts and recitals in and around Central London.
Find a course
Browse our range of music courses in London and online below to choose your perfect option: both complete beginners and returning students are equally welcome at City Lit.
- Learn to read musicCourse start date: Mon 7 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Cerys HoggBegin to read music, for instrumental playing and singing. Learn how to understand the notation of pitch, metre and rhythm. For absolute beginners, enjoy these practical sessions online. - Music, sound, and the moving image
Course start date: Thu 17 Jul 2025Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Neil LuckThis course explores key ideas about music for the screen, covering a broad range of examples, techniques, and ideas.Full fee £89.00 Senior fee £89.00 Concession £62.00 - Great composers: Louise Farrenc Course start date: Thu 24 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Trish ShawDiscover the musical life and work of Louise Farrenc (1804–1875), the celebrated French pianist, composer, teacher and scholar. Learn about her delightful chamber music, her important piano etudes, and her impact on French music and culture in the 19th century.Full fee £39.00 Senior fee £39.00 Concession £39.00 - Music history bookclub: My Tango with Barbara StrozziCourse start date: Fri 1 Aug 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Edward BreenThe music history book club meets towards the end of each term to discuss novels and biographies with musical themes and references relevant to the music history programme.Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £19.00 Concession £19.00 - Piano/keyboards 1A Course start date: Mon 28 Apr 2025 (and 8 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Jonathan WilsonThis is the beginning of our piano programme, designed for absolute beginners to both piano and music-reading. This classic course is the perfect way to start your piano playing.Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £199.00 Concession £139.00 - Music theory: grades 1 and 2Course start date: Thu 1 May 2025 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Selena KayLearn the basic principles of musical language and notation: rhythmic values, time signatures, pitch on treble and bass clefs, simple major scales, intervals and key signatures, and the most common musical terms and signs. break week: 29 May 2025.Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £160.00 - Exploring classical music 1Course start date: Mon 15 Sep 2025 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Edward BreenDo you want to know more about Western classical music? Explore selected topics and key works in Medieval to (early) Baroque music on this informative 10-week course. Ideal for people with no specialist knowledge. NB: Break week: 27 Oct 2025.Full fee £219.00 Senior fee £175.00 Concession £153.00 - Lieder: music and poetryCourse start date: Wed 17 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Katy HamiltonFrom the late-eighteenth to the mid-twentieth centuries, the German Lied developed and blossomed as a musical genre for amateurs, professionals, homes and concert halls. We trace its history through some of its most important composers.
This course has a scheduled break week on 29 Oct 2025. - Singing 1 (contemporary)Course start date: Thu 18 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Colette MeuryStart singing and explore your voice in this confidence-building course. These live group sessions online will teach you about healthy use of your singing voice and musicianship through a selection of songs in pop, rock and jazz styles. Attention is given to vocal technique and breathing technique. - Exploring classical music 2Course start date: Thu 25 Sep 2025 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Neil LuckDo you want to know more about classical music history? Explore selected topics and key works in Baroque, Classical and early Romantic music on this highly informative 10-week course. Ideal for people with no specialist knowledge. Break week: 30 Oct 2025.Full fee £219.00 Senior fee £175.00 Concession £153.00 - Exploring classical music 4Course start date: Thu 25 Sep 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Neil LuckThis course explores key ideas in art music during the twentieth century. Each week’s topic is introduced through study of a seminal musical work. **Break week: 30th Oct 2025.Full fee £219.00 Senior fee £219.00 Concession £153.00 - Introduction to chamber musicCourse start date: Fri 26 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Pauline GreeneWhat is chamber music, and how is it different from a Symphony or an opera? What sort of musicians would play chamber music and which periods of music history does it come? - Introduction to string quartetsCourse start date: Fri 7 Nov 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Pauline GreeneString quartets developed new musical forms and ensured success for many composers, whilst allowing an intimate conversation with their audiences. We trace the quartets of the masters from Haydn and Mozart to Shostakovich and beyond.Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £104.00 - Music history bookclub: The Great PassionCourse start date: Fri 12 Dec 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Edward BreenThe music history book club meets towards the end of each term to discuss novels and biographies with musical themes and references relevant to the music history programme.
Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £19.00 Concession £19.00 - Beethoven's ViennaCourse start date: Wed 14 Jan 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Katy HamiltonLudwig van Beethoven’s music has come to stand for the greatest and best-known aspects of the Western classical tradition. But who was he? And what exactly did he do? Come and discover more about this most famous Viennese composer.
Full fee £269.00 Senior fee £215.00 Concession £188.00
Can't see a course you want?
Add this category to your waiting list to set up alerts and we will update you when new courses are released online.
Add me to waiting list