So, your child wants to learn the piano – wonderful! But before you sign any contracts or pay for any lesson blocks, we’ll book in a taster lesson. This is a one-off, no-strings-attached, 20-minute lesson with two main purposes.

Why have a Taster?

• Let’s meet up!
  It’s all very well looking at 2D photos of me on a website, but in our taster lesson you and your child can meet me (in 3D)! Starting something new with someone you’ve never met can be daunting, so meeting me and seeing the Studio at our taster lesson will hopefully put any anxieties to rest. This also works the other way – I can meet you and your child, and we’ll all get a sense of whether we are the right fit for each other.
  At a standard lesson parents will leave their child with me, but at the taster lesson, you are welcome to sit-in with your child and see the space for yourself.
  
  
• Are lessons right for me?
  This taster lesson is really useful for both of us because, if your child is young, we can assess whether they are definitely ready for lessons at their current stage. I’ll be able to get a clear sense of what material I might use with your child depending on their age, attentiveness, musicality and any prior knowledge they may have. Your child can also experience what a standard lesson might look like and decide if it’s for them.

So, the taster lesson is not an audition or test – it’s simply a way of soothing any anxieties, ensuring your child is at the appropriate stage to begin, and making sure we will all work well together. If we can check these things off, we’ll make sure your child’s piano journey starts smoothly and with lots of enthusiasm!

What will we cover?

In our 20-min lesson, we will usually cover the following:

1. Introductions
   We’ll all introduce ourselves and get to know each other a bit better. I like to include the piano in these introductions too! We’ll explore its full name, birthplace and date (Italy, circa 1700…) and chat lots more about the instrument itself.
   
   
2. Duets / Improvisation
   We’ll start playing the piano very soon into our lesson. It’s quite important we get to this early as, well… that’s the reason we’re there! We’ll let our creative juices flow by playing a few duets, improvising on the black keys together, and singing a song or two.
   
   
3. Basic Concepts
   As well as exploring all the different sounds the piano can make (high, low, loud, soft, long, short, smooth, spiky), we might learn finger numbers, how to sit at the piano properly and if time, move on to some different rhythmic concepts using clapping, tapping and drumming. I’ll dip into a few lesson books to gauge which one may be a good fit for your child.
   
   
4. Next Steps
   In the last few minutes of our lesson, I’ll explain what’s next in the process, and you/your child will have an opportunity to ask any questions. We’ll then wave goodbye and I’ll hopefully see you again at your child’s first official lesson!

How should I prepare?

Make sure you’ve read through the Lessons page before you come. Apart from that, the short answer is… come as you are! There’s no need to prepare any material or bring anything – just yourselves, your enthusiasm, and any questions you might have.

If you haven’t enquired yet, please do here! I’d love to chat about the possibility of lessons for your child, and book in a Taster if you’d like it.

See you soon!