Piano and Keyboard lessons for all ages and levels.
Spanish, French and English for conversation or exams.
It's Never Too Late to learn
Firstly, it’s NEVER too late to start!
If learning an instrument is something you’ve always wanted to do then go for it!. You’ll be amazed by what you will pick up quickly and the more time you can spend practising the better you’ll get. So the simple answer is that a good time to start is any time that suits you! We teach students from aged 6 years old to 80 years old.
Even on the very first lesson every student will go away having learnt at least one simple tune. The whole learning process is really flexible and goes entirely at your pace. All you have to do is go away and run through what you have been shown - that’s called practising by the way!
The main aim for all our students is to find out what you really want to be able to do and to make it really enjoyable. For most younger students this will include exams, something which you can read about elsewhere.
However, most students say they want to be able to sit & play “nice tunes”! Now that means different things to different people, but it’s useful to know what sort of music you really love. Jazz, classical, country, shows, pop etc. The list is long and often can be varied.
The wonderful thing about learning music is that you can eventually play whatever you fancy.
Piano or Keyboard
There are certain similarities between keyboards & pianos which ends with the line of black & white keys.It’s certainly possible to learn piano & practice on a keyboard initially but not the other way around, there are very distinctive differences in the feel of each instrument.
Pianos have a much heavier key action & are much bigger & less portable. Electric pianos are brilliant as they give the same feel, don’t need tuning & tend to be easier to move around.
The teaching methods for each is also slightly different. Piano music is written for right hand & left hand and the skill is to build on co-ordination between the two parts. Keyboard music usually has a less busy right hand to create the melody line and the left hand plays chord shapes that are indicated by letter names above the right hand part.
From the very first lesson, it’s important to know which style you would prefer to learn.
The fantastic advantage of keyboards is their programmed ability to give you the sound of a full band or orchestra in the background so that you literally become a one man band. Experience shows that often the programmed styles can become a little predictable and gradually less satisfying as you develop your playing skills.
Tremendous fun though!
Examinations ?
The great thing about exams is that they offer you a chance for independent assessment of your progress. They can be a tremendous motivation and the sense of achievement is enormous.Better still, at higher levels they are accredited for UCAS points to add to other A levels for University entrance and even grade 3 is the equivalent of a low grade GCSE pass. They are worth thinking about if your love of music is likely to lead to a higher education course or a career in music.
The teaching team have all taken many exams themselves over their years of study and well understand the experience. If at any time you want to discuss the possibility of taking an exam, any of the teachers will happily explain more and discuss with you a likely time-scale for taking an exam at an appropriate level for you.
The examination results achieved by the team over the last 15 years have been excellent.
The majority of our students regularly achieve distinctions or merits - perhaps the result of enjoying our teaching style and methodology.
The ABRSM
We use the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music as our examining body. This is highly respected the world over. The exams are graded from 1 to 8 increasing in difficulty.
Here in Tenerife, a representative from the Associated Board comes to the island once a year to examine candidates. The examinations are taken in English and under the same criterea as in the UK.
Entry can be made at any level up to grade 5 at which point a theory exam must be passed before further exams can be taken. However, because of the hard work involved in getting this far, it’s interesting to note that a reasonable pass at grade 6 is accredited with the equivalent of an A level and can be worth 40 UCAS points for University entrance. This is well worth bearing in mind for younger students who may wonder about the real need for examinations.
To study a for a music degree either at University or one of the Music Academies, you will need to have passed Grade 8.
The theory exams are identical for any instrument, and again can be taken at any level. If you are progressing through the grades for your instrument, we would normally be studying some theory alongside the practical work in your lessons.
Then, when it is time for you to actually take a theory exam, you should be well prepared. Any of the teachers will always be happy to discuss with you the possibility of an exam entry and explain in more detail how the system works, or you can visit the Associated Board website for some more information HERE