Piano Improvisation Activity For Intermediate to Advanced Pianists

What if students could play with the harmony of a piece before reading a single note?

Make a Pretty Prelude invites pianists to step inside Bach’s beloved “Prelude in C” and explore the chord progression through improvisation, patterns, harmonic discovery, and creative play.

Originally inspired by my MTNA presentation, From Noodle to Masterpiece: Your Go-To Toolbox for Composing, this Jumpstart became a favorite “lightbulb moment” for teachers looking for practical ways to connect creativity with traditional repertoire.

Instead of assigning Bach first and hoping students understand the harmony later, this resource flips the process:
Students improvise with the progression first, then approach the score with a deeper understanding that boosts sight-reading skills.

Inside this Senior Jumpstart, you’ll explore:

• Chord progressions inspired by Bach’s Prelude in C

• Guided improvisation patterns and prompts

• Root position and inversion work

• Secondary dominants and pedal points

• Harmonic analysis made practical

• Creative pathways that support sight-reading and musical understanding

• Video tutorials and backing tracks

This resource is especially effective for:

• Intermediate to advanced pianists

• Students beginning “Prelude in C”

• Teens and adults who enjoy creative exploration

• Teachers wanting to integrate theory, harmony, improvisation, and repertoire study naturally

Students don’t just learn a piece.
They begin to understand how music works from the inside out.

Included:

• Printable Jumpstart PDF

• Tutorial videos

• Demo videos

• Backing tracks

• Studio license

Because creativity isn’t an add-on.
It’s often the bridge to stronger musicianship, deeper understanding, and students who stay inspired longer.

Want to keep the creativity going?

Check out a Space to Create Membership

• This Jumpstart + a growing library of creative resources

• Monthly Jumpstarts + live trainings

• Online labs and courses

• Starting at $20/month

If you’re excited about this resource…you’ll love what’s inside Space to Create.

This is a STUDIO LICENSE.  You may share this with your students, but not anyone outside your studio.

After your purchase, you will receive an email from Leila Viss via Squarespace.

This will include your exclusive link to the digital resource. 

Click on the link to download.

This link will expire 24 hours after the product is ordered.

If you have any questions, please get in touch with me at hello@leilaviss.com