When do you teach?
Please book an initial consultation or contact me and we can discuss your lesson schedule.
For a regular weekly or fortnightly lesson: I offer a range of daytime and evening appointments.
For occasional, rescheduled, or extra lessons: Once registered, you’re welcome to book flexibly from my online schedule, with availability varying week to week. Automatic reminders can be sent ahead of each lesson to help you stay organised.
Note that lessons take place throughout the year including school holidays and bank holidays, but you can cancel lessons without penalty when you are away. Similarly, I will give plenty of notice for my own holidays.
Where do you teach?
Lessons take place at my home in Frome (BA11) UK where I have a private teaching room equipped with a modern grand piano and a high-quality digital piano. I will send full details of location and parking spaces when you make your first appointment. I also offer online lessons if preferred, for which you will need to set up a laptop or tablet computer by your piano. I will provide full details of how to set this up when you book. I use the RockOutLoud.Live Virtual Music Lesson Platform. This is optimised for music lessons and gives a superior user experience and sound quality to the usual meeting software.
Do you do home visits?
No, but f you are unable to attend in person, you may wish to consider an online lesson.
What can I expect at my first lesson?
I strongly recommend that prospective students book an initial consultation before committing to lessons. Then we can use the first full lesson to do some playing and any initial problem-solving that may be required. We can also agree immediate priorities with the eye on some longer-term goals. For complete beginners, there will be an introduction to the instrument and basic musical concepts, and I will suggest an initial curriculum and method books to get you up and running.
Do I need my own piano?
Piano students should have daily undisturbed access to a piano to practise between lessons. This can either be an acoustic piano which should be in good condition and regularly tuned, or a full-size digital piano with weighted keys. I am happy to give advice as to the suitability of an instrument.
How much practice do I need to do between lessons?
More important than “how much?” is “how?” – in otherwords what you do with the practice time. A significant portion of your lesson time will be spent learning how to practise effectively. If you use the tricks, hints and methods I teach, you can achieve a lot in a short practice sesson. For example, a beginner who practises effectively can often make good progress in 10-15 minutes each day. More advanced players will need to commit more time to make progress.
I sometimes get asked about learning in cases where little or no practice is possible between lessons, for example where there is no access to a piano. While this can be done, a large part of the lesson will be supervised practice, so progress will be relatively slow.
Have a read of this blog post for more insights.
Do I need to take exams?
I provide a structured framework for progress which does not require exams to be taken. Some students find they are motivated by the goal of taking an exam. Other students have specific reasons to take exams, for example as part of a school music curriculum. I have plenty of experience in preparing students for success in exams, so if it is something you want to do, just let me know.
How do I pay for lessons?
Students on an annual plan pay monthly by bank standing order or direct debit. Students who pay per lesson will receive an invoice for scheduled lessons at the beginning of each month which can be paid by bank transfer or card. I will contact you to set up payment arrangements or we can sort this out at the first lesson. Further details of fees and payments can be found here.
Where can I park?
The house is on a busy road with no off-street parking so please allow a few minutes if arriving by car. There are parking bays and on-street spaces nearby – I will provide details before your first visit.
Do you have somewhere I can wait during my child’s lesson?
You are welcome to wait in the entrance hall where there is seating, heating and wifi. If weather permits there is also a small seating area in the front garden.
Do you teach jazz improvisation?
I often incorporate general improvisation into my teaching as a useful part of developing musical and pianistic skills. However I am not a specialist in jazz improvisation, so I would not feel able to take on a student for whom this is a priority.