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Jazz piano, taught by someone who plays it

Jazz Piano Lessons
in Chicago.

Most “jazz piano lessons” are classical lessons with a couple of ii–V–I exercises bolted on. This isn’t that. I’m a working Chicago jazz musician, and from the first lesson we work on the things that actually let you play: voicings that sound like the record, comping that grooves, and improvising that feels like talking instead of guessing. In-person at the studio in Ukrainian Village, or online via Zoom.

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Voice student? Book your first lesson →

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Nick Olynciw, jazz pianist and teacher in Chicago
DownBeat Award ×2 · Somatic Voicework™ I–III · MM Music Performance · Real instruments: Hammond B3, Rhodes, grand
What you’ll actually be doing

You don’t learn to improvise by reading about it.

So we start by playing. Bring a tune you love, a standard, a Bill Evans ballad, a Herbie tune, something off a record you can’t stop hearing, and we reverse-engineer what makes it work: the voicings, the rhythmic feel, the harmony underneath. You leave the first lesson able to play something that sounds like music, not like an exercise.

From there we build the real toolkit, at your pace: rootless and shell voicings, how to comp behind a soloist and behind yourself, hearing and outlining chord changes, and the scales and patterns that matter in context, not as homework for its own sake. Whether you’ve never improvised a note or you can read anything but freeze when the chart says “solo,” that gap is exactly what I love working in. It’s very fixable.

What your first few weeks build

Real jazz, sooner than you’d guess.

LESSON 1

You leave with a tune under your hands and a first taste of comping, not a stack of theory to memorize.

FIRST FEW WEEKS

A standard starts to feel like yours: chord voicings, a walking feel, and the first shapes of improvising over the changes.

BY THE SEASON

A few tunes you can play, comp, and blow over, plus the ears and vocabulary to keep growing on your own.

Simple, honest pricing

Most students pay $100 per lesson.

Every lesson is 50 minutes, one-on-one, in person in Ukrainian Village (a 10-minute walk from the CTA Blue Line Division stop) or online via Zoom. No contracts you can’t exit, and if the first month isn’t working, you owe nothing more.

Start here
Try it first
$25
30-minute trial lesson
Bring a song you love and we start there. No preparation, no commitment, and you leave knowing exactly how lessons here work.
Book a $25 trial →
Semester enrollment
$100
per lesson · billed $400 every 4 weeks
Your weekly time reserved all term. First-month guarantee: if it’s not working within four lessons, you owe nothing more.
See how enrollment works →
One at a time
$125
single lesson · pay as you go
A tune-up, audition prep, or a first look before anything bigger. Book from open times, no strings attached.
Book a single lesson →
Who this is for

You already have more than you think.

Adults and serious teens. The most common student here is someone with real musical history, classical training, a few years of childhood lessons, a sharp ear from years of listening, who never got taught how jazz actually works. We just point what you have in a new direction.

Total beginners are welcome too. Jazz is a great first language when it’s taught as play rather than theory drills. Lessons are private, 50 minutes, Monday through Thursday, 3 to 9pm. Pricing runs from a single lesson ($125) up to semester enrollment ($100 per lesson, billed $400 every 4 weeks); the most common starting point is the 4-Lesson Pack at $450.

Taught by Nick Olynciw, a DownBeat Award-winning pianist and organist who gigs around Chicago. The studio is a real working musician’s room, Hammond B3, Rhodes, and an acoustic grand, not a practice closet with a keyboard.

Common questions

Quick answers about jazz piano lessons.

Do I need to read music or know theory already?

No. Plenty of jazz players read very little. We build the ear and the hands first, and bring in as much theory as actually helps you play, no more.

I trained classically. Can I really switch to jazz?

Yes, and you’ve got a head start. Your technique and reading transfer; what’s new is harmony, feel, and improvisation, which is the fun part. It’s one of the most common moves students make here.

What if I’ve never improvised before?

Perfect. We start so small it isn’t scary, two notes over one chord, and build from there. Improvising is a skill, not a talent you’re born with.

What students say

5.0 on Google · teaching adults & teens since 2012

★★★★★
“He always provides repertoire that matches your current level while still challenging you to grow technically and musically. Excellent at guiding students through improvisation in a way that feels approachable and rewarding.”
Giuliano G.
Adult pianist
★★★★★
“He’s done an amazing job at building my skills and understanding from the ground up. He paces what I am learning very well so that it can feel challenging but doable.”
Cass H.
Jazz piano student
★★★★★
“Nicholas was my daughter’s voice teacher. He’s very perceptive at quickly getting to know a student as a unique individual.”
Amee M.
Parent · voice & musical theater student

Read all reviews on Google →

Learn jazz piano with someone who plays it.
Try a $25 first lesson at the studio piano — 30 minutes, no commitment. Trial students get first access to fall slots.
Try a $25 Lesson →
Fall 2026 enrollment

Not ready to book yet? Stay on the list.

The studio holds 24 weekly lesson times, one student each. Weekday evenings fill first; afternoons from 3pm are wide open. Join the list and I’ll tell you what’s still free.

One or two emails a season. No spam, ever.

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