What age can you start piano lessons?
Parent-and-child lessons start from age 3. One-on-one lessons are suitable as soon as the student is interested in following instructions.
You are never too old to start playing or revisit playing the piano!
Do I need my own piano?
Yes, you do need an instrument to practise on outside of your lessons. Ideally, you should have an acoustic piano. It doesn’t need to be a Steinway grand, but it must be fully functioning. If it has to be electric, it needs to have at least 88 weighted keys and a sustain pedal.
How do I enrol?
Before you can enrol yourself or your child, we schedule a free interview to discuss aims and expectations, to assess the student’s skills and to see whether we are a good fit. It is also an opportunity for you to ask any questions about my methodology and practice. This applies for beginners or students considering a change of teacher. Alternatively, you may book a one-off paid lesson to see whether you would like to learn with me.
How long do I have to enrol for?
To learn to play basic piano music takes 6 months to 3 years of regular lessons and practice. Beginner students should commit to having lessons for at least one year to get a sense of whether they want to pursue playing the piano. Ideally, students should have two lessons per week so that they develop good technique and don’t engrain errors or poor habits between lessons. This applies especially to beginners.
Do I need to practise?
Yes! Without practice you cannot make good progress. The more you practise, the better your skills get, the more music you can play and rewarding it will be.
Absolute beginners should practise for at least 10 minutes every day but soon advance to 30 minutes per day. Advanced students will dedicate 1–2 hours daily to work on their music.
Students wishing to enrol for music exams must commit to practising for at least:
30 min/day for Grades 1–3
45 min/day for Grades 4–6
60 min/day for Grades 7–8
90–120 min/day for diploma exams
How long are lessons?
Regular lessons are offered for 30, 45 or 60 minutes, once or twice per week. One-off lessons can only be booked per hour.
Students who wish to enrol for music exams need to enrol for the following minimum lesson time per week:
2 x 30 minutes for Grades 1–3
2 x 45 minutes for Grades 4–8
2 x 60 minutes for Diploma candidates
Do I have to be able to read music?
You don’t need to be able to read music to start playing the piano. You’ll begin learning this essential skill as soon as you start having lessons.
You need to learn to read music to be able to learn new songs or pieces independently.
What methodology do you use?
Beginner students will work with Tales of a Musical Journey by Irina Gorin. This approach suitable for all ages ensures the development of good technique without tension (and injury!) and of listening and note reading skills. Most importantly, students learn to create a beautiful sound and musical phrasing from the very beginning.
Can I choose the music I learn?
Students are encouraged to nominate pieces they’d like to learn. If these are not suitable, they can be set as goals to strive toward in the future.
I consider students’ preferred genre of music in suggesting suitable pieces for their level but also ensure that they develop the skills to play all styles. This still gives students plenty of choice to find something they like.
What if I’m not enjoying playing anymore?
The first thing to do if you’re not enjoying your lessons or your practice is to talk to me. To enjoy learning to play an instrument, you need to be taking regular lessons and doing regular practice. Particularly during the holidays or very busy periods, it’s easy to let good habits slip and to need help to get on track again. Sometimes just starting a new easier piece can make playing fun again.
I’ve never heard anyone say they were glad they stopped having lessons and playing an instrument, only the reverse: that they deeply regretted it. But, happiness aside, scientific evidence has shown that learning to play an instrument is the single-most important thing you can do for the development of your brain!