Information About Steve - Barnsbury teacher -

(2 reviews)

Personal Description:

I was taught classical music as a child then went on to study jazz piano at Kingston University. I’ve been a professional musician and composer all my working life and have played in a wide variety of bands, giving me plenty of experience of the many styles of music.

Tutoring Experience:

I’ve been teaching piano here in Islington since the year 2000. I have taught nearly every aspect of playing from classical music to jazz improvisation. When it comes to exams, I teach the ABRSM syllabus up to grade 8. I've also helped students with their GCSE and A level course work as well as teaching them music theory, so that they can go beyond grade 5.

Tutoring Approach:

I recognise that the best way to teach piano is to find out what music the student likes and look for tunes that would suit them. If there is a specific tune they would like to play, I will create an arrangement of the piece that fits their ability. I will come to you and teach you in the comfort of your own home. I cycle, so I know how long it will take for me to get to you and so am rarely ever late.
I’m flexible about how long and how often lessons are. It’s usual to have one 30 or 45 minu**Contact Detail Removed**sson a week, but some of the adults I teach are too busy, and so opt for every two weeks. Sometimes, especially when exams are looming, students choose to have two lessons a week, or increase the length of their lessons. If you can’t make a lesson for whatever reason, I will always try to accommodate you with any free time I may have. I often teach siblings one after the other, and so will only charge you for the length of time I am at your house; for example two 30 minu**Contact Detail Removed**ssons will be charged as one hour, which is cheaper.
If you would like to meet me first before committing to lessons, I am happy to come along to your house so that you can get to know me a bit better and ask any questions you may have.
One of my specialities is improvising and I can help you if you want to improve your soloing skills if you play in a band. I’ve developed various exercises to help you understand chords and what scales work over them. If you decide to learn to play jazz and blues, then improvising is the obvious next step and I’ve found that the Tim Richards course books are the best to get you started.