OWN INSTRUMENT
The majority of my new students are beginners. You will need an instrument to practice on, if you don't already have one. However, I don't recommend spending large amounts of money, at least to begin with, and have suggested various options:
1. A second-hand piano will be fine at first, as long as the action is in good working order and the strings are all present. It’s always sensible to take a piano tuner with you, to check over any instrument that you’re considering buying.
2. There are digital pianos and keyboards. Both have their advantages: they require no tuning or maintenance, are easy to move from place to place and have lots of 'bells and whistles' that you can have fun with.
Where to buy: gear4music amazon.co.uk gumtree.co.uk
1. A second-hand piano will be fine at first, as long as the action is in good working order and the strings are all present. It’s always sensible to take a piano tuner with you, to check over any instrument that you’re considering buying.
2. There are digital pianos and keyboards. Both have their advantages: they require no tuning or maintenance, are easy to move from place to place and have lots of 'bells and whistles' that you can have fun with.
Where to buy: gear4music amazon.co.uk gumtree.co.uk
PIANO BOOKS
You will need to pay for your own books (usually only a few pounds). However, I supply printed and digital copies of sheet music and piano exercises.
You can get most books on Amazon eBay or Musicroom.
You can get most books on Amazon eBay or Musicroom.
METRONOME
I frequently use metronome as an aid to learning in our piano lessons. The metronome can be set to different speeds and creates a steady beat to play along with. It can be a great way to help learn a piece accurately, slowly at first then increasing the speed gradually.
There are 2 different sorts of metronomes, digital (which beeps electronically) and traditional (which winds up and ticks). You can also pick the best metronome app for your phone, download some on your computer or use online ones.
There are 2 different sorts of metronomes, digital (which beeps electronically) and traditional (which winds up and ticks). You can also pick the best metronome app for your phone, download some on your computer or use online ones.
GRADE EXAMS
Lots of pupils find it a fulfilling thing to take exams when having piano lessons. The ABRSM exams are probably the most common music exams in the UK, and recognised world-wide. Pupils can work through from Grade 1 up to Grade 8 level to mark their progress. Click here to find out more about the ABRSM exams.