My Piano Class

Do you conduct lessons at home or student's place?
I do travel to student's place. Lessons are conducted at my place @ Balmoral as well.

Do you conduct lessons on weekends and Public holidays?
Lessons are available on weekends except Sundays. My schedule on weekends are heavier hence I may not be able to accomodate to your preferred time slot. I do conduct lessons on most public holidays.

Can I choose my preferred day to have the lesson conducted?
Yes, as long as it can fit into my schedule. My schedule is more flexible on weekday mornings and afternoons.

What happens if I have to miss or postpone any lessons? What if I need to be away for a period of time due to personal plans?
You would need to inform me at least 1 day in advance. No fees would be charged if so. Please inform me at least 1 week in advance if you need to be away for a period of time.

How is the payment like?
Payment is flexible. Most students pay me every 4 lessons (monthly), either on the first lesson or the last lesson. You can pay by cash or cheque.

If I take piano lessons, do I need a piano? How about an electronic keyboard?
If you intend to take exams, it would be advisable to have an acoustic piano at home to practice on. Otherwise, you would need at least a touch sensitive digital piano if you are taking the classical syllabus. An electronic keyboard would be fine for beginners or pop piano. I will be willing to help you if you need any help in buying or renting a suitable piano.

What is the average starting age to learn piano? Is my child ready for piano lessons?
The average starting age for children to learn piano is around 7 to 9years old. Of course, they can start younger, but usually at the age of 8 to 9 most children are able to understand the teacher’s instructions fully and can progress more steadily.
There are several indicators as to whether your child is ready for piano lessons:
Is your child interested in piano or music in general? Does he respond positively when to music – eg. Clapping, singing, humming, swaying to music
Does your child have a good attention span? Can your child be able to concentrate and sit by the piano for at least a 30 to 45 mins lesson?
How good is your child academically? Does he have a fast or a slow learning curve? It is better for children with a slower learning curve to start later at the age of around 9, however, you can start stimulating their interest by letting them listen music more and participate in musical activities.
Can your child practice regularly? (About half an hour a day is recommended for beginners in order to progress well)

Am I too old to learn? Or is my child too young to learn?
As long as you have the interest and the desire to learn, nobody is too old to learn. However, please take note that you would require a certain amount of discipline to learn the piano as you are required to practice regularly in order to progress.
The youngest age to learn the piano is about 3-4 years old. However, not all children are ready to learn at this age (Please refer to the answer for my previous question), but it would be beneficial to start exposing them to musical activities.

Do you register your students for exams?
Yes, but I only send my students for examinations when I think that they are ready for exams. It is not necessary to take exams every year or take every grade.

Do you allow skipping of grades for your students?
Often parents come to me asking me if I can skip grades for their child because he/she has been learning piano for quite some time and the previous teacher has not prepared them for exam yet. There are only two reasons why your child is still not yet ready for exams, firstly, because the previous teaching is not effective or suitable for your child and thus has marred his/her progress, or secondly, because your child really has a slow learning curve. I regret that I would only be able to help to improve your child’s progress if it is the former case.
And yes, I do allow skipping of grades, but with certain conditions such as:
The student has a reasonable amount of music background
The student has a fast learning curve, good memory and good motor skills and coordination.
The student is an older/adult beginner who can learn at a faster pace


*It is important to make sure that your surpporting tests (scales, sight-reading, aural) are up to the same standard as your pieces when you skip grades, because usually students will lag behind in supporting tests (especially sight reading) when they skip grades. Unfortunately, your level of sight-reading often tells you which grade you are really at because it determines how fast you can learn a new piece with the same amount of practice.