What sort of music do you teach?
All styles. You tell me what music you like, and that's what we'll learn! Once the basics have been covered, I encourage and support all styles of music and every lesson is tailored to you personally. My own tastes are many and varied, so I'm sure we'll be playing music we both enjoy!
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How long will it take me before I'm any good?
That rather depends on you. Everyone has musical ability, but learning to play an instrument well requires commitment. You won't get very far if you don't practice!
It's important to build up regular practice habits, in order to fully-develop your new skills. And it's better to do just ten minutes a day than nothing for three days and two hours at the weekend! To help you on your way,
here is a handy little practice diary you can download and keep.
If you develop a regular routine you'll make faster progress, feel more confident and enjoy what you're doing. Here are my top ten practice tips:
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Always work to a plan, and know what needs to be achieved; |
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Sometimes play straight through your pieces, noticing the trouble spots and returning to them later; |
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Sometimes begin with the 'difficult bits', instead of starting at the beginning; |
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Small sections practiced slowly and thoroughly are always more successful than longer passages; |
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If you get stuck, stop! Come back later, and try again; |
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What you can't play slowly, you can't play fast; |
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Don’t practice your mistakes! Make sure that all-important 'finger memory' is in place before moving on; |
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Enjoy what you play, and vary your work by having other, easier pieces to hand; |
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Know when to stop. Focused work for a short period is better than playing for longer; and, finally |
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Never practice every day, time away from the piano is very important too! |
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How long is each lesson, and how often?
Younger pupils generally have half an hour a week, and more advanced students a whole hour. If you're enjoying what you're doing, the time will fly by!
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Do you charge for travelling, and what areas do you cover?
No, I've never charged a fee for travelling to lessons. Most people find it more convenient for me to come to them, and with younger children I've found it can be particularly helpful to work in a familiar environment. Likewise, it is sometimes easier for people to come to me and escape the 'distractions' of their usual environment, and that's fine too!
I am based between Cheltenham and Tewkesbury, and also teach in Gloucester, Churchdown and surrounding areas. I generally try to work within a within a 15 mile radius of home.
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How many lessons must I commit to?
Your first lesson is absolutely free. When considering a new interest, such as learning a musical instrument, I think it's important to meet face-to-face on a no-obligation basis. So you really have nothing to lose, and everything to gain!
All of my lessons are taught one-to-one, and as such each lesson will be different and individually tailored. You'll no doubt have questions that you want to ask me, and I need to take the time to understand exactly what it is you want to get out of your lessons, your experience so far (if any) and what sort of music you'd like to play. Much better to do this in person than by telephone, I'm sure you'll agree!
Beyond that, lessons are arranged in groups of four. A lot of music teachers work to terms or half terms, that is to say arranging anything from six to twelve lessons at a time. However, I've found that working on a month-by-month basis is more convenient for the majority of students.
Lessons are not always consecutive, the majority of people being away for holidays as various times during the year, not to mention Christmas, bank holidays and so on. In the event of cancellations I am always happy to rearrange lessons, but do ask for 24 hours notice wherever possible.
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What time slots do you have free?
That varies, but I'll be able to give you an up-to-date list of times when arranging your first lesson. Wherever possible, I try to teach in areas on any given day, and to arrange regular weekly slots with each student.
I'm able to be rather more flexible with daytime lessons, as children are generally at school and many of my adult students are at work. From 4pm to 9pm , things get somewhat busier!
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Do you teach complete beginners, and do I need my own piano?
Absolutely. As with most teachers, the majority of my new students are just that. When you find a teacher and build a relationship, it's unusual to change. However, circumstances sometimes dictate otherwise, most obviously when families move house.
Some of my students already have a little musical knowledge, others have none at all. This doesn't worry me in the slightest, and nor should it you ... it's my job, after all!
You will need an instrument to practice on, if you don't already have one. I don't recommend spending large amounts of money, at least to begin with, and have suggested various options here. Music is something everyone can enjoy, rich, poor and anywhere in between!
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How can I help my child to progress more quickly?
Supporting your child's musical development can seem daunting, especially if you've never played an instrument yourself and don't have a network of musical friends to go to for advice.
The best way to help your child progress is simply to take an interest! Time and again I have seen that the more interest shown by those around them, the faster a child will progress.
In the first instance, parents are always very welcome to sit on lessons. Where this isn't possible, I encourage you to take an active interest in the work that we're doing and to follow progress as closely as possible.
Children thrive on company. Practice can be a lonely occupation, but it really needn't be! Sit with your child while they practice, listen, comment and encourage: this helps to grow confidence so much. I like to think my intuition is finely honed, with over ten years teaching experience, but the more feedback you both give me the better I am able to do my job.
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Can I learn about music theory?
Of course. I always teach the rudiments of music theory, and those who progress to the Grade 6 practical exam will need to take their Grade 5 theory first.
As a general rule, theory work is incorporated into lessons as required, though pupils can study it as a separate subject if they wish (likewise aural training, in order to further develop all round musicianship). I am also able to help with GCSE and A Level music.
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I already play another instrument. Will learning the piano interfere with that?
Not at all, music is a universal language after all. As long as you have time to practise both instruments, learning the piano will almost certainly improve your playing of other instruments. I frequently accompany instrumentalists for their examinations.
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