What do I need to start lessons?

First and foremost, you will need a desire to learn! I am an enthusiastic teacher and am passionate about playing the piano, and my goal is for you to love it as much as I do!

Equipment-wise, you will need an acoustic piano, or a full sized digital piano (88 keys). A small keyboard will be fine for learning the notes, but will not help develop good technique. Ideally when you are purchasing a digital piano, you will need something that is touch sensitive, with weighted keys, and a sustain pedal. Yamaha and Casio are reputable brands but if you are not sure whether something is suitable, just ask me! You can often pick up decent second hand instruments on Facebook Marketplace or Gumtree, but beware of hidden costs - a free upright piano might seem perfect but it might cost you a fortune to have it moved and restored!

In addition you will need a piano stool and piano stand to ensure you are seated in the correct position whilst playing. A good rule to go by is that if you are sat at the piano with your fingers on the keys, your forearm should be roughly parallel to the floor. Playing with a keyboard on a table from a low chair could lead to poor technique and wrist pain.

A notebook to bring to lessons, and a bag/folder to carry your music books, are also a good idea.

Do I need to learn to read music or can I just learn by memory?

You can definitely learn to play the piano without reading music, but it will probably be a slower process and will initially limit the number of new pieces you can learn. Imagine trying to learn a new language without seeing it written down - it is a similar scenario. The skill of sight reading - that is, playing something straight off the page, without having heard it before - takes a long time to develop, so the sooner this is started, the better!

However, it is important to remember that reading music is not the only way to learn new pieces - in the modern age there are apps and video tutorials, and of course I can also teach you new repertoire by rote.

Is playing the piano an expensive hobby?

You should expect to spend roughly £50 per year on music books - depending on how quickly you progress through new tunes! I will warn you though - buying new piano music anthologies can quickly become addictive!

If you have an acoustic piano, you will need to have this tuned fairly regularly, and this can cost £50 to £100 depending on your location.

Examinations cost between £50 and £100 depending on the grade entered - however these are optional.

How often do I need to practise?

The general consensus is that for every grade, add ten minutes per day. So, for beginners up to grade 1, 10 minutes per day, for grade 2, 20 minutes per day, 30 minutes a day for grade 3, and so on.

With piano playing, the more you put in, the more you will get out of it. Even if you can only practice on three or four days per week, it is better than nothing. I appreciate that for a lot of adult students, life is hectic and sometimes piano practice has to take a back seat - that’s ok - we can keep chipping away at it and when life is a bit calmer, it can once again become a regular part of your life.

Children under ten will likely need an adult to supervise their practice.