Jazz & Popular Music Courses & Classes in London
Do you want to take your first lessons on a popular instrument like Saxophone or Folk/Pop Guitar? Would you like to be a drummer?
Or are you already an experienced player now looking to develop your ensemble skills and boost your understanding of jazz harmony by playing jazz standards?
If you are a singer you might like to join our City Lit a cappella group and sing bespoke arrangements of famous songs at a variety of gigs each year.
Whatever your goals, explore our programme at City Lit and read our blog: Why learn Jazz? Embracing Transformation, Musicality & Expression
42 courses available
Fretted instruments ensembleAn ensemble class for players of any fretted instrument: guitar, banjo, ukulele, mandolin, bass guitar or any other! There will be individual parts for each player suited to their abilities; together we will play all sorts of music. This course is for experienced players, the ability to read one of the following will be necessary: chord symbols, tablature or musical notation. Challenging and fun - the music/repertoire will be tailored to your various abilities.
Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £229.00 Concession £160.00- Classic jazz guitarIf you have played jazz styles and are familiar with some standard tunes, this course will develop your technical and musical skills in 'comping', soloing, and playing with others.
Keeley Street
Mon 14 Sep 2026Martin WheatleyFull fee £229.00 Senior fee £229.00 Concession £160.00 - Jazz harmony, ear training and ensembles: intermediate
Develop your jazz musicianship, playing and improvising. Practise ear training, study jazz harmony, learn challenging repertoire. For players with established jazz education at foundation level. Assessment for entry to this course can be arranged when you apply to music@citylit.ac.uk. n.b. piano places have been filled.
Full fee £499.00 Senior fee £499.00 Concession £349.00 - Saxophone 5
Maintain and extend your playing skills and musicianship in our advanced sax class. Repertoire is jazz and popular music and you will occasionally rehearse sax ensemble arrangements.
Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £229.00 Concession £160.00 - Folk and pop guitar: advanced
For experienced and able players here is our advanced level class for contemporary guitar study.
Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £229.00 Concession £160.00 - Folk and pop guitar 1ALearn about tuning your instrument, strumming and picking, simple chords for pop songs, scales and chord symbols on this starter course. Use any acoustic guitar for this introductory course in playing pop, rock, blues and folk styles.
Keeley Street
Thu 17 Sep 2026David HarrisonFull fee £229.00 Senior fee £229.00 Concession £160.00 - City Lit a cappellaThis established ensemble sings original arrangements of jazz and popular songs. Develop your listening, timing, intonation, musical memory, and team work. New members with good music reading and aural skills are welcome. The group mixes in-person rehearsal and online sessions, working to record and perform our repertoire.Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £229.00 Concession £160.00
- Ukulele: intermediate
If you have been playing ukulele for some time, come and learn new songs and techniques, picking and split strokes, and apply these to popular and vintage tunes. Enjoy learning and playing in a group. Classes will include singing along!
Keeley Street
Fri 18 Sep 2026Jake RodriguesFull fee £229.00 Senior fee £229.00 Concession £160.00 - Ukulele 1Learn the essentials of playing the ukulele on this introductory course. You’ll learn complete songs from the first week. Strumming patterns will be taught and applied to various songs. By the end of term you should be able to accompany your own singing or play along to recordings.Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £229.00 Concession £160.00
- Jazz ear training and applications: advanced
Focus on ear training and applying your harmonic understanding to your playing and improvisation. We will study jazz standards and unusual repertoire. This is musicianship training at a high level. Assessment for entry to this course can be arranged if you apply to music@citylit.ac.uk n.b. piano and bass places have been filled.
Full fee £349.00 Senior fee £349.00 Concession £244.00 - Saxophone 4
If you're an experienced saxophone player, come and extend your technique, musicianship and performance skills. The emphasis will be on playing pop, jazz, world music, developing your musicianship, and improvising.
Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £229.00 Concession £160.00 - Folk and pop guitar 3AFor experienced players, our third year of study will develop your rhythmic playing and your interpretation of chord charts using bar chords, mobile scales, bass lines and melody work. Vast and varied repertoire. Playing techniques can apply to acoustic and electric guitar.
Keeley Street
Sat 19 Sep 2026Tony RowdenFull fee £229.00 Senior fee £229.00 Concession £160.00 - City Lit Big Band
An ensemble for proficient jazz players to improve and maintain sight reading and section work, playing music from the classic era of Big Bands plus contemporary and original arrangements. We usually play a gig at the end of every term.
Full fee £249.00 Senior fee £249.00 Concession £174.00 - Saxophone 3A
Ideal if you are at intermediate level playing your saxophone, can read and improvise, have some understanding of harmony, and experience of performing. Our repertoire will be pop and jazz. Technical work on the instrument will be combined with solo playing, learning tunes, improvisation and musicianship training.
Keeley Street
Sat 19 Sep 2026David HarrisonFull fee £229.00 Senior fee £229.00 Concession £160.00 - Jazz harmony and ear training 1AWe will study time, form, root movement and harmonic progression, chord types, intervals, scales and modes. Learn transcribed solos and participate in playing sessions. For players with a working knowledge of harmony and instrumental proficiency beyond grade 5. Please contact music@citylit.ac.uk to arrange to be assessed for entry to this course.
Keeley Street
Sat 19 Sep 2026Cerys HoggFull fee £249.00 Senior fee £249.00 Concession £174.00
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.