Frequently asked questions
Q: I'm not interested in exams, will you still teach me?
A: Absolutely. Whatever your goals - aspiring performer or purely learning for personal enjoyment - I'll be happy to help you achieve them.
Q: What kind of music will I study?
A: The music you'd like to study! In combination with carefully selected tuition books which will guide you through music fundamentals and technique, I'll work with you to find out what type of music you'd like to play. Whatever you're into, we'll be able to find suitable material which matches your ability.
Q: How do I know if you are the right teacher for me?
A: Come along for a trial lesson. There's no commitment to continue - the choice is entirely yours. Hopefully, of course, you'll love the lesson and want to continue learning. But you can make the decision.
Q: How long have you been teaching?
A: I taught my first students after finishing my A-Levels. So around 17 years.
Q: Do you enter pupils for examinations?
A: Yes. ABRSM for piano and Rockschool for bass.
Q: What is your pupils' examination pass rate?
A: 100% so far!
Q: How much practise do you advise?
A: Whatever you can fit into your life. As a teacher, I can help you understand and learn new techniques, new pieces and how to read and write music, but ultimately it's practise that will make you better. The more you put in, the quicker you will progress. Make it part of your daily routine, like brushing your teeth, and you can't go wrong!
Q: What ages do you teach?
A: I've taught children as young as 6, which is probably the youngest I'd advise for individual music lessons. There's no upper age limit to who I teach and, in addition to children I have students ranging from their teens to their 60s.
Q: What if I'd like lessons but don't want to buy an instrument yet?
A: In the early stages it's not a problem. During lessons you'll be able to use my equipment. And I'm happy to give a few trial lessons while you get used to the instrument. Ultimately, it's practise in-between lessons which will make you better so when you've made the decision to continue, it would be time to invest in an instrument. There are plenty of options for any budget and I'll be happy to help you make an informed purchase, getting the most for your money.
Q: Do you have any spaces available for new students at the moment?
A: Please get in touch for my current availability.
Q: Where do you teach from?
A: I teach from my home in West Totton, Hampshire. Take a look at my contact page for more details.
Q: Will you teach at my house?
A: Unfortunately I don't currently travel to teach students as it would reduce my overall capacity.
Q: How regularly would you recommend having a lesson?
A: I'm flexible to your schedule. In my experience children obtain the best results from a half-hour lesson every week, whereas teenagers with a busy school timetable and adults with a day job prefer a longer, hour lesson, every fortnight. That said, I'm happy to teach more frequently and have done so where students have an agenda to improve rapidly and can commit to plenty of practise in-between lessons.
Q: What if I have to cancel, or miss a lesson?
A: I will always try to be as flexible as possible to your circumstance. With more than 24 hours' notice, I will reschedule an alternative day/time with you. With less than 24 hours' notice, or if you miss as lesson, while I'm happy to schedule in a new lesson on an alternative day/time, the full cost of the original lesson is also due.
In addition to instrumental teaching, I also have experience providing coaching for music theory exams. I am also available for instruction and consultation in professional audio recording and techniques. If this is of interest to you, please don't hesitate to contact me.