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.
31 courses available
Music theory: grade 5Learn about irregular metre, tenor clef, major and minor keys to six flats/sharps, primary triads, cadences, and standard expression signs. Essential for anyone taking higher grade practical exams. (Break Week: 26/29th Oct 2026 or 2nd June 2027 as appropriate)
Full fee £299.00 Senior fee £239.00 Concession £209.00- Piano/keyboards 3C online
Work on grade 3 standard repertoire to improve your hand coordination, musical phrasing, reading and technique, and improve your confidence. This course is suitable for students working towards ABRSM Grade 3.
Online
Mon 14 Sep 2026Simon AtkinsFull fee £249.00 Senior fee £199.00 Concession £174.00 - Piano/keyboards: intermediate online
For pianists playing at around grade 5 standard. Improve your technique, coordination, phrasing, music reading, aural skills and playing confidence. This course is suitable for students working towards ABRSM Grade 5 and above.
Online
Mon 14 Sep 2026Simon AtkinsFull fee £249.00 Senior fee £199.00 Concession £174.00 - Guitar: fingerstyle workshopFor classical guitar players, this online class will work on technique and fingerstyle versions of Baroque, Spanish and popular music.Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £229.00 Concession £160.00
- Music theory: grade 1
Learn 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. NB: Our February courses have scheduled breaks on: 15, 18 February 2027
Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £160.00 - Piano/keyboards 1D online
This is the second year of our beginners piano programme and is suitable for students working towards ABRSM Grade 1. Improve your eye/hand coordination, your reading and technique.
Online
Thu 17 Sep 2026Elli TsampaFull fee £279.00 Senior fee £223.00 Concession £195.00 - Singing workshop (contemporary)
This lively online course teaches technique and songs in popular music styles of folk, jazz, pop, rock, and musical theatre. Develop your vocal technique and musicianship in this group class, interract with the tutor and classmates, add new songs to your repertoire. New students with experience of solo singing and some formal training are welcome to join the group.
Full fee £299.00 Senior fee £299.00 Concession £209.00 - Songwriting: form and function
Develop your ability to compose songs through practical exercises. Examine well known songs from pop, rock and jazz in order to understand their chord progressions, accompaniment, bass lines and rhythm. Ideal for players and singers with a good working knowledge of harmony.Develop your ability to compose songs through practical exercises. Examine well known songs from pop, rock and jazz in order to understand their chord progressions, accompaniment, bass lines and rhythm. Ideal for players and singers with a good working knowledge of harmony.
Online
Sat 19 Sep 2026David HarrisonFull fee £229.00 Senior fee £229.00 Concession £160.00 - Music theory: counterpoint 1
Explore the art of counterpoint, a musical technique in which two or more melodies are combined to create a highly engaging musical texture. Over the year you will learn contrapuntal technique from Renaissance to Twentieth Century styles, through score analysis and practical exercises. The course is split into three terms, focusing on Renaissance style in term 1. Break Week: 27th Oct 2026
Online
Tue 22 Sep 2026Selena KayFull fee £279.00 Senior fee £279.00 Concession £195.00 - The essential history of jazz in 20 cuts
Through a selection of 20 iconic albums, we will study the key figures, the innovators and the star soloists of 20th century jazz, as well as some important artists you might be less familiar with. Break week: 26 Oct 2026
Online
Tue 22 Sep 2026Albi GravenerFull fee £299.00 Senior fee £299.00 Concession £209.00 - Barber, Copland, Ives and Gershwin
Although they’re not exact contemporaries, these four American composers were all composing in the early decades of the twentieth century, in four fascinatingly different, highly distinctive ways. This course is a chance to meet them all, and get a sense of what American music meant to them over their idiosyncratic, and often wildly successful, careers. Break week: 28 Oct 2026
Online
Wed 23 Sep 2026Katy HamiltonFull fee £299.00 Senior fee £239.00 Concession £209.00 - Musicianship 2: rhythm
Improve your rhythmic perception, execution, writing, reading and theoretical knowledge on this practical course. On this short course you'll play your instrument, or you will use your hands and your voice.
Online
Wed 23 Sep 2026Matt FisherFull fee £179.00 Senior fee £179.00 Concession £125.00 - Exploring classical music 3
Do you want to know more about Western classical music? Explore selected topics and key works in Romantic and early 20th century music on this informative 10-week course. Ideal for people with no specialist knowledge. Break weeks: 03, 31 May 2026
Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £229.00 Concession £160.00 - Exploring classical music 4
This 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: 29th Oct 2026 or Break week: 1st Jun 2027
Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £229.00 Concession £160.00 - Exploring classical music 1
Do 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. Break week: 26th Oct 2026
Full fee £299.00 Senior fee £299.00 Concession £209.00
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