Donald Fagen Concepts for Jazz/Rock Piano

Donald Fagen: Concepts for Jazz/Rock Piano

Digital Download (MP4 Video + PDF)

Explore the musical mind of Donald Fagen, one of the most influential songwriters, keyboardists, and arrangers in modern American music, in this rare vintage instructional series from Homespun—now available as a digital download.

This program includes 6 in-depth video lessons (MP4 format) with a total runtime of 1 hour and 11 minutes, plus a downloadable PDF to support your study and practice.

In these sessions, Fagen reveals how traditional twelve-bar blues and classic R&B structures can be transformed into harmonically rich, rhythmically sophisticated compositions. Drawing from his work with Steely Dan, he demonstrates how simple ideas evolve into iconic songs.

Joined by acclaimed jazz pianist Warren Bernhardt, Donald breaks down the keyboard arrangements behind classic Steely Dan tracks written with longtime partner Walter Becker, including:

• Chain Lightning
• Josie
• Peg

He also explores selections from his solo catalog:

• On the Dunes
• Tea House on the Tracks

Play along as Donald and Warren guide you through the grooves, chord changes, riffs, bass movement, and voicings that define these songs. Starting from straight-ahead blues concepts, they trace how each piece develops through altered bass lines, reharmonization, and rhythmic refinement—revealing the musical decisions that give each tune its distinctive character.

Packed with practical insights and musical philosophy, this series provides powerful tools for pianists, composers, and arrangers, while offering rare insight into the creative process behind some of the most influential jazz-rock recordings ever made.

What’s Included

• 6 MP4 video lessons
• Total runtime: 1 hour 11 minutes
• Downloadable PDF
• Instant digital download (no physical product)

Essential for Steely Dan fans, jazz-rock keyboardists, and songwriters looking to deepen their harmonic and rhythmic vocabulary.