Jarvis Piano - Learn Songs, Chords & Play by Ear

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About

Most piano lessons only teach you how to read music—and nothing else. My lessons are for students who want to sit down and just play: arrange songs, jam with friends, read a chord chart, play by ear, or make something up on the spot. With practical, at-the-piano music theory, you’ll be able to: 1. Make your own covers of your favorite songs in different styles and moods. 2. Hear a song on the radio and figure it out at the piano on the spot. 3. Confidently jam with other musicians in all kinds of musical settings. 4. Play the music you want to learn: pick up new genres—jazz, rock, classical, pop, with much more ease 5. Read music better, too: ironically, you’ll read sheet music more fluently because you understand what’s going on—you understand the language of music. ABOUT ME: Pianist Harrison Batten Jarvis experienced his Carnegie Hall debut at the age of sixteen and was subsequently named to CBC Music’s “30 Hot Canadian Classical Musicians Under 30”. He has soloed with orchestras at Lincoln Center in New York City, at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and with the Etobicoke Philharmonic in Toronto. He holds degrees from the Royal Conservatory of Music (A.R.C.T.) and Bard College Conservatory (B.Mus in piano performance and B.A. in written arts). Harrison's teachers have been named to the Order of Canada (Andre Laplante), been a finalist for the National Book Award (Jenny Xie), won a Pulitzer prize (Elizabeth Frank), and had a composition played in honour of the 2020 Presidential inauguration (Joan Tower). Their pedagogical lineages trace back to John Ashbery, Franz Liszt and Beethoven. Send me a message and I’d be happy to set up a free trial lesson.

Overview

Current Top Pro

Hired 17 times

Background checked

1 employee

6 years in business

Business hours

This pro hasn't listed their business hours.

Payment methods

This pro accepts payments via Apple Pay, Credit card, Google Pay, PayPal, Samsung Pay, Stripe, and Zelle.

Services offered

Subjects of interest

Fundamentals (pitch, rhythm, chords, etc.)

Harmonization

Counterpoint

Music subjects (notation, analysis, ear training)

Level of experience

No experience

Beginner

Intermediate

Advanced

Instrument student plays

Piano

Violin

Guitar

Drum

Projects and media

Reviews

Customers rated this pro highly for work quality, professionalism, and value.

Exceptional 5.0

28 reviews

100%

Read reviews that mention:

Sean G.

Dec 26, 2025

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Hired on Thumbtack

Learning piano with Harrison’s method is helping me understand the structure of music better and move beyond my childhood classical piano training. From these early lessons I had learned to start with scales/exercises and then to learn songs, I would work on the right hand, the left hand and then try to glue them together. After quitting piano in 8th grade, detours into playing bass in bands and helping my kids with their music lessons, I finally started playing piano again. It was fun, but I quickly hit a dead end — I didn’t have the tools to get where I wanted to go harmonically. I wanted to understand music better and to feel more comfortable and creative on the keyboard. Harrison’s approach is giving me a way to understand music theory and apply it on the keyboard without requiring a strong jazz focus. Already I feel it is really working for me. I’m hearing harmony a little better, feeling more comfortable on the piano and am motivated for the challenges ahead. Harrison’s method feels less like learning individual songs and more like learning to understand music itself.

Details: 45 - 64 years old • Yes, the student can read music • 4+ yrs of formal training • Jazz • Yes, the student has a piano • 60 minutes • At the pro’s location • Remotely (phone or internet)

Piano Lessons

Samuel K.

Jan 28, 2026

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Hired on Thumbtack

My lessons with Harrison have been going really well. I came back to piano after a long break, and I’ve been enjoying the learning approach a lot. The structure works well with a busy schedule, which makes it much easier to stay consistent. I really like the focus on learning chords and the language of music instead of just memorizing sheet music. It feels like the difference between being shown one thing to play versus learning the fundamentals so you can figure things out on your own. In the past, I would focus on a single piece, repeat it until I could play it well, and then move on. Now it feels like I’m building a foundation that will let me pick things up much faster and play my own versions of songs. I’m especially looking forward to being able to sit down at the piano, hear something, and feel comfortable improvising, playing by ear, and jamming. Having that flexibility and freedom at the piano is exactly what I’m excited to develop.

Details: 18 - 25 years old • Yes, the student can read music • 4+ yrs of formal training • Jazz • Yes, the student has a keyboard • I'm flexible • At the pro’s location • My home, venue, etc. • Remotely (phone or internet)

Piano Lessons

Anna P.

Jan 27, 2026

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Hired on Thumbtack

My piano lessons with Harrison have been wonderful. I was really nervous to start because I’m a complete beginner, but he’s already made me feel so confident. The lessons feel like a very safe and encouraging place to learn. I’m especially excited that Harrison is preparing me to play the music I actually love. Learning chords and understanding how music works means I’ll be able to recognize notes and chords just by listening, and eventually make my own arrangements of songs I enjoy. I’m also really excited to learn music that already brings me so much joy and finally be able to play it physically on the piano. On top of that, I love that there’s a sense of community; I’m looking forward to playing with others and growing together!

Details: 18 - 25 years old • No, the student cannot read music • No formal training • What the teacher recommends • Yes, the student has a piano • I'm flexible • Remotely (phone or internet) • At the pro’s location • My home, venue, etc.

Piano Lessons

Mackenzie T.

Jan 21, 2026

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Hired on Thumbtack

I’ve really enjoyed my lessons. Harrison brings a certain energy that I need in a coach, and I was trying to find the right fit. The lessons are going great, and I’m practicing fundamentals, which I’m really excited about. I love Harrison’s approach. It’s vastly different from what I was initially taught over a decade ago in my piano class, and it just clicks for my brain way better. Learning with chords shows piano in a different light — it’s not so clinical. I’m learning the chords and connecting more with the music. I’m excited to be able to sit down and either look at sheet music and just start playing, or even not do that, because I’ve learned chords and I’m able to hear the music and play a song based on how I remember it sounding.

Details: 26 - 44 years old • No, the student cannot read music • 0 - 2 yrs of formal training • Classical • Yes, the student has a keyboard • 45 minutes • At the pro’s location • My home, venue, etc. • Remotely (phone or internet)

Piano Lessons

Matthew L.

Jan 20, 2026

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Hired on Thumbtack

My experience with Harrison has been enlightening. I had always approached piano with a fear that it would be incredibly complex, but Harrison made it easy to understand from the very first conversation. That was encouraging and helped me realize this is actually something I can actually do. I’ve always been a singer and a musician of sorts, and I’ve wanted to play piano for years. My wife even bought me a piano five years ago, and I’ve taken it with me through multiple homes, but I never truly learned how to play it. I have a whole lineage of songs I want to be able to play and sing, and piano was the one piece I could never figure out on my own. What really clicked for me was learning piano as a language rather than through memorization. Before this, I relied on fingering, scales, YouTube videos, and self-taught books, but I never actually understood what I was learning. Thinking about music as a language completely flipped a switch for me. Understanding that it’s the same set of keys no matter where you start, and that all scales come from the same structure, made everything feel manageable. Even though the piano looks overwhelming at first, it’s actually very simple once you understand how it works.

Details: 45 - 64 years old • No, the student cannot read music • No formal training • Jazz • Yes, the student has a piano • I'm flexible • At the pro’s location • Remotely (phone or internet)

Piano Lessons

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Harrison Jarvis

Jarvis Piano - Learn Songs, Chords & Play by Ear

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