39 lessons · Lifetime access
Improvisation Savvy
The Premier Ear-Driven Jazz Mastery Course
Transform the way you play and hear jazz. Stop improvising from scales and patterns — start improvising from what you actually hear.
Does This Sound Like You?
Most jazz musicians are stuck for the same reasons.
Feeling Stuck — improvising with scales and random note clusters and not genuinely hearing the music you're playing.
Unsure What to Practice — leaving you frustrated with a lack of improvement after every session.
Craving More Freedom — wanting to improvise authentically but stuck in the same familiar patterns.
Disconnected Ear and Hands — hearing something in your head but unable to get it out on your instrument.
Watch a Free Lesson
Finding the Root Cause of a Playing Problem
Too many musicians try to improve by addressing the surface of a playing problem. This lesson from the Practicing Well module shows you how to find and fix the real underlying issue.
Take a look at all the lessons and enjoy free samples.
Explore the complete collection of Improvisation Savvy lessons — and watch free samples before you enroll.
Explore Lessons
What You'll Learn
39 lessons across 6 modules
Every lesson is focused, practical, and designed for real musical growth — not abstract theory.
Hear the Music
8 lessons
- Playing Songs by Ear
- Find Your Voice
- Connecting Ear to Instrument
- Listening to Sounds Around You
- Note Discovery for Ear
- Harmonic Anticipation
- Learning a Tune
- Using Your Ears Instead of Eyes
- Playing the Music Within You
Jazz Theory
10 lessons
- Intro to Jazz Theory
- Playing Over One Key
- Basic Solo Analysis
- Playing Over the Blues
- Blues Solo Analysis
- Complex Changes (3 parts)
- Hearing the Circle of Fifths
- Advanced Circle of Fifths
Time & Rhythm
6 lessons
- Metronomic Rhythm (2 parts)
- Groove Rhythm
- Phrase Rhythm (2 parts)
- Better Swing from Beats 2 & 4
Tips, Tools & Tactics
8 lessons
- Most Important Parts of a Solo
- Anchor Notes
- The Power of Constraint
- Transcribing
- More Energy for Playing
- The Power of Self-Talk
- Playing Over Standards
- The Power of Habit
Practicing Well
6 lessons
- Making Time to Practice
- Warming Up Your Ear
- Getting More From Your Brain
- Finding the Root Cause
- Cool Rhythm Tracks
- 30-Minute Practice Routine
All Instruments Welcome
Every lesson
- Piano
- Saxophone
- Trumpet
- Trombone
- Guitar
- Bass
- Drums / Percussion
- Other instruments
What Students Say
Real results from real musicians.
"What a pleasure it is to finally have a method to follow that makes me work on my listening skills (working by ear)."
Envoye M.
"I noticed after working on your materials that I am hearing things in music that I didn't hear before. I didn't expect that!"
Charles N.
"I just want to say thanks so much for your teachings. They are crystal clear, practical, and valuable. They are like vitamins."
Marty S.
"What your teaching is doing is increasing my ear to instrument reaction time. This is really exciting for me!"
Sherilyn H.
Enroll Today
Start playing what you hear.
One payment. Lifetime access. All 39 lessons.
Improvisation Savvy Course
Complete ear-driven jazz improvisation training for all instruments
$47 One-time payment · Lifetime access- 39 immersive video lessons
- 6 comprehensive modules
- Rhythm tracks for practice
- Works for all instruments
- Beginner to advanced
- Watch on any device, anytime
- Direct support from Michael Lake
🔒 30-day money-back guarantee. No questions asked.
Try It Risk-Free for 30 Days
If Improvisation Savvy doesn't change the way you hear and play jazz within 30 days, contact me directly for a full refund. No questions asked, no hoops to jump through.
Your musical growth is guaranteed.
Questions you might be asking yourself.
Improvisation Savvy is deliberately built so that musicians at any level will find plenty to work on — but not in the vague "beginner to advanced" way you've probably heard before.
If you're newer to jazz improvisation, you can start with the foundational lessons and simply skip over the more advanced material for now. As your playing develops, those lessons will be waiting for you — and you'll find they make a lot more sense once you've built the underlying skills.
If you're more experienced, you can move past the introductory material and go straight to the lessons that challenge you at your level. There's enough depth here that advanced players consistently find concepts they haven't fully internalized.
And unlike courses where you watch a lesson and move on, many lessons in Improvisation Savvy include play-along tracks designed to be used repeatedly over time. The lesson doesn't end when the video does — it ends when the skill is genuinely part of your playing.
The lessons are concise and well-paced. You'll experience meaningful improvement even with just 20–30 minutes of daily practice. Work through the course at whatever pace fits your schedule.
Improvisation Savvy uniquely emphasizes developing your ears instead of relying on scales and theory. This approach allows you to internalize music deeply, enabling natural, authentic improvisation and lasting progress. We train you to hear and express music — not recite memorized patterns.
Yes — you'll have instant, lifetime access to all course materials. Watch and re-watch lessons anytime, from any device, at your own pace.
Absolutely. You can reach out with questions and receive direct support from me (Michael Lake). You'll also join a community of musicians on the same improvisational journey.
Stop thinking about music.
Start hearing it.
Improvisation Savvy gives you the tools, the exercises, and the mindset to play jazz the way it was meant to be played — from the inside out.
39 lessons · All instruments · Lifetime access · 30-day guarantee