What to expect from your first lesson

The first lesson is all about getting to know you, the pupil - what stage you are at with playing, what your musical interests are and how best you might learn. It’s also a chance for you to get to know the teacher and to ask any initial questions you might have. This might be your first one to one lesson without your mum or dad being there so it’s important that you feel at ease.

Lessons always begin with a warm-up while listening to some piano music, and then the playing starts. For a beginner, this might be exploring the piano keys, trying out the different sounds the piano makes, learning how to place the hands and perhaps some basic tunes. We might do some listening games or improvisation. For a transfer student, we’d look at recent pieces, pieces you enjoy playing and maybe a bit of sight-reading (don’t panic!).

Don’t worry if you feel like you haven’t achieved much in the first few lessons. Learning to play the piano well takes time, dedication and hard work. But it’s also lots of fun. There’s no other instrument like the piano and by playing you are opening up an entire musical world of melody, harmony and with the entire range of an orchestra in just one instrument!