Music

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 two Model D Steinway 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.

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  1. The Maya Calendar: Circles Of Time
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sat 1 Jun 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Gary Retallick
    The Maya Calendar, previously little known outside the realm of academic research, rose to worldwide prominence in 2012, since the cycle of the Calendar ended on 21st December of that year and the myth arose that the world would end when that cycle of the Calendar ended. This misinterpretation of the Calendar arose out of a lack of understanding of Maya culture, an understanding which can be obtained, at least in part, through a careful analysis of the Calendar itself.
    Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £59.00 Concession £38.00
  2. Latin piano
    Evening
    Course start date:  Mon 3 Jun 2024 (and 1 other date)

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Sara Dhillon
    This practical online course for pianists (grade 4 ABRSM and above) will introduce you to the dynamic role of the piano in Afro-Cuban and Salsa music. We will focus on harmonic development, rhythm, learning common montuno patterns. Whether your background is classical, jazz or pop music, this short course will teach you classic Cuban styles including Son, Mambo, Bolero, and Cha Cha Cha.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £109.00 Senior fee £109.00 Concession £76.00
    Rating:
    100% of 100
  3. Race in American history and politics
    Course start date:  Mon 3 Jun 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Dale Mineshima-Lowe
    Join us to explore the issues of race relations and racism in the USA since the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s.
    Full fee £119.00 Senior fee £95.00 Concession £77.00
  4. Modern African history: understanding the state and economy since independence
    Evening
    Course start date:  Tue 4 Jun 2024

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Ingrid Aguiar Schlindwein
    Explore post-colonial Africa's political, economic, and social journey since independence. Gain insights into state building, governance, development, and identity, fostering a holistic understanding of Africa's historical evolution.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £99.00 Concession £64.00
  5. The Portuguese Empire; establishment, world-making, demise and legacies
    Evening
    Course start date:  Wed 5 Jun 2024

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Ingrid Aguiar Schlindwein
    A journey through the rise and fall of the Portuguese Empire. Uncover pioneering navigation, understand colonial societies in Brazil, Africa, and Asia through their economies, culture, independence struggles, and legacies.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00
  6. Musical analysis for audiences 2
    Course start date:  Fri 7 Jun 2024

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Pauline Greene
    Exploring further beneath the surface of a musical work can help us decipher programme notes, understand the work’s context and a composer’s intentions, and greatly enhance our enjoyment of a performance.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £103.00 Concession £90.00
  7. A divided dynasty: the Great Seljuks in Iran (1040-1157) and the Sejuks of Rum in Anatolia (1081-1307)
    Course start date:  Fri 7 Jun 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Roberta Marin
    After leaving behind the steppes of Central Asia, the Seljuks abandoned nomadism, converted to Islam and settled in Iran and later also in Anatolia.
    Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £38.00
  8. Ancient India: The Harappan Civilisation in the Indus Valley
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sat 8 Jun 2024

    Location on this date:  Off Site

    Tutors:  Ketan Varia
    Want to know more about the ancient Harappan Civilization thriving in the Indus Valley from 2600 BCE to 1900 BCE? Join us to learn more!
    Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £38.00
  9. The lost town of Lundenwic: mid-Saxon London 600-900 CE
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sat 8 Jun 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Stuart Brookes
    Look at the least known episodes in London's history, Lundenwic (AD 600-900) and Lundenburh (AD 900-1000).



    Includes an introductory lecture and guided walk.
    Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00
    Rating:
    95% of 100
  10. Politics and Poetics of Museums: Repatriation and decolonisation
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sat 8 Jun 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Yasmin Hales
    Routinely, the discussion on how to address the colonial and imperial past in relation to museum artifacts, collections and exhibitions appears in the media landscapes. The questions are difficult and answers are not straightforward. Join us to learn more and discuss this important challenge.
    Full fee £119.00 Senior fee £95.00 Concession £77.00
  11. Exploring Conservation Finchley
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sat 8 Jun 2024

    Location on this date:  Off Site

    Tutors:  Marilyn Greene
    Finchley Central contains three conservation areas. Starting at the oldest part of the former village of Finchley Church End , this walk stops to admire traces of the old village, Edwardian and Victorian architecture before moving on to the delightful Finchley Garden village and College Farm, the last remaining farm in Finchley.



    Meeting points: Start by the bike rack Station Road Exit of Finchley Central tube station, end Henley's Corner on the junction of Regent's Park Road by La Deliverance statue.
    Full fee £29.00 Senior fee £23.00 Concession £19.00
  12. Crime and punishment in Old London
    Course start date:  Mon 10 Jun 2024

    Location on this date:  Off Site

    Tutors:  Diane Burstein
    Take a guided walk through the old City and its borders taking in beheadings and brutality at the Tower, tales of cutpurses and con men, the rise of prisons and the ghastly punishments that were meted out to wrongdoers. We go on a journey to Newgate Gaol, the Bridewell Prison and the places of execution including the notorious Tyburn Tree to hear tales of brutality, escapes and the bloodthirsty crowds who watched executions. Our tour includes London’s atmospheric legal quarter taking in the Old Bailey, The Royal Courts of Justice and the Inns of Court to discover how London’s legal system developed .



    Meet outside St Paul’s Cathedral by the Statue of Queen Anne.
    Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £15.00 Concession £12.00
  13. Swing jazz rhythm notation
    Evening
    Course start date:  Thu 13 Jun 2024

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Angele Veltmeijer
    Would you like to improve your playing, reading and writing in swing time? This short course aims to help you hear and steer in jazz swing feel. Live practice sessions on Zoom. Students must be accustomed to playing jazz, and jazz singers are welcome to join this class.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £69.00
  14. More Free than Enslaved? An in-depth study of Old Doll’s Family, Barbados 1754-1838
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sat 15 Jun 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Join us for an in-depth study of this incredible, and possibly unique, family. What can their story tell us about the impact of race, social class and gender upon the lives of enslaved women in Barbados?
    Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £59.00 Concession £38.00
  15. Introduction to music production
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sat 15 Jun 2024 (and 2 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Max La Villa
    Come and learn the basics of recording and editing so that you can turn your musical ideas into completed songs you can share!
    Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £104.00
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