Frequently Asked Questions


What is your cancellation policy?

At the moment you can cancel any lesson with no charge, preferably at least 24 hours before your booking. If you arrange a lesson but don't show up you will be charged in full for the missed session. 

Lessons are optional during school holiday time so there would be no charge if the student is not booked in. Of course all regular spaces will remain to be used when school hours return.

I can't read music, would this be a problem?

Please don't worry if you cannot read music. If you are a complete beginner I will use Tuition books with you, which gradually teach the reading of music alongside your instrument. You will be reading music before you know it and will wonder why you thought it would be so hard!

How early can a child begin music tuition?

This depends a lot on the child because all children are different. 

On average I would say that age 6 and over is good to begin to learn the Piano, Keyboard or Descant Recorder because small hands are not an issue. 

For Clarinet and Saxophone lessons I recommend age 8 and over because then their hands should then be large enough to seal the holes on the instrument and stretch their fingers enough to reach any keys. 

Obviously if you have a child aged 5 who has his heart set on learning an instrument he will not be turned away! My lessons for small children involve games as well as following a Tuition book so are lots of fun!

Of course preschool aged children will not be left out either! For them I teach my Finger Wiggles scheme, specially designed for this age group. On completion of this the child "Graduates" and can then begin private tuition on an instrument.

How long does it take to learn a musical instrument?

This depends on the individual.  If you have previously learned another instrument you may find your progress very quick. If you cannot read music or have a problem (e.g. small hands, arthritis...) you may find progress slower. On average I find people can complete a tuition book scheme or achieve a Grade in a year. 

Something to bear in mind if you have chosen the Piano or Keyboard for your instrument, this does in general take a lot longer to reach Grade 1 than many other instruments. This is because there is so much potential with both instruments, you can eventually play music with much more difficulty than the Saxophone for example. Therefore the ABRSM Piano and LCM Electronic Keyboard Grades start at a much higher level. On average it can take children in particular 2-3 years to reach Grade 1 standard.

Some parents get a little frustrated that their children take a long time to reach this standard on Piano. Please understand that before this your child will be learning how to read 2 different clefs of music and how to play Piano with his hands together smoothly. This is a lot to achieve in a year!


I would love to have woodwind lessons but instruments are expensive! What can I do?

Yes Clarinets and Saxophones are very expensive and this can feel daunting! 

I find that the best solution is to recommend an instrument hire service such as UK Sax Hire. You only pay a small amount towards your instrument per month rather than committing hundreds of pounds for something brand new! There is also the option to pay off the balance and keep the instrument if you find that you really take to it. Or you could be flexible and swap to hiring a different brand. This way you can discover what feels best and you can then buy with confidence.

Why is my Clarinet or Saxophone making a horrible sound?

There can be many reasons for this but please remember it does take a while to refine your tone when learning the Clarinet or Saxophone. It is quite an art to learn exactly how to position your mouth and how hard to blow! Some students expect to be able to make a perfect sound straight away and are often a bit disappointed. Please don't worry you will get there, it is normal to make lots of squeaks at first!

I work shifts! Is it still possible to have music lessons?

As long as I have free spaces available at the time this is no problem! It is worth bearing in mind that I can only do the days and times stated on my Available Spaces page. Some weeks spaces may also be free for a one off lesson if somebody has cancelled, it all depends who is booked in on that week. I usually don't find it a problem to find spaces for any student requiring flexible days and times.

I would love to join a group like Allegro Social Band but would I be good enough?

A lot of people shy away from joining bands because they worry that they will not be able to keep up or play as well as everyone else. In reality members of any band feel exactly the same when they first join! Nobody expects a new band member to be able to play perfectly straight away, it takes time to get used to the music and playing with other musicians. Members of Allegro usually find themselves hardly able to keep up during their first week, then a year on helping and mentoring new members! So don't be shy, give it a go. You will be pleasantly surprised by how much your playing will improve and how much fun it is to play with other musicians!

What is involved with taking an ABRSM music exam?

Music exams are lots of fun and a great opportunity to get professional feedback about your playing! 

You first need to pick 3 pieces of music that you like, one from each list: A, B and C. There is a wide range of pieces to choose from so it is always easy to find ones that are enjoyable to learn.  For woodwind exams some of the pieces will need somebody to play the piano for you.

You will also learn to play some scales and arpeggios by memory.

The next part of the exam is sight reading. The examiner will give you a very short piece of music that you won't have seen before on the day. You will have 30 seconds to study this then the piece must then be played back. Don't worry, I do lots of practice for this with you in lesson times.

The final part of the exam is the Aural tests, four very short listening games that vary slightly through the grades. All aural tests will be practiced and covered in depth during lesson time.

There are 3 periods a year when you can take exams: Spring, Summer and Winter. We discuss together to decide when you feel you are ready for this. On the day you will have a warm up, then you will be asked to go into a private room where the (very nice!) examiner will be seated. Child candidates need to be escorted to the room alone but there will always be an approachable steward to put them at ease and show them where to go. For woodwind exams the piano accompanist will be in the room with you while any pieces that need live piano are played. The accompanist will then leave the room whilst you complete the rest of the exam. Early grade exams only take around 10- 15 minutes! 

A few weeks after the exam I should receive email notification to my private account with the result and will be on the phone to you as soon as possible! A few days later I will receive your helpful feedback from the examiner and hopefully a certificate to pass on to you!


Any more questions, please get in touch and I will be happy to answer them for you!