Getting Started

There are a number of prerequisites to be considered before commencing any course of music tuition:

Obtain An Instrument

By whatever means possible - for students new to the world of music (and to their parents if they are the ones in charge of budgeting) I highly recommend renting or leasing an instrument. This is not as important for keyboards as it is for saxophones. Saxes are fragile instruments and repair/restoration can be prohibitively costly - also, it can take a few weeks for the student to decide if he really wants to play the sax, or even which sax of the main four.

Electronic/Digital keyboards are relatively cheap, and used models can be found quite easily. However, if you can borrow or lease one for a short period of time, it would be preferable to paying for a top of the range Clavinova only to find that an acoustic piano would have been preferable.

Obtain Accessories

For saxophones this means a good quality mouthpiece and ligature - even if the instrument is rented I feel it is crucial to have one's own mouthpiece right from the start. A good mouthpiece is critical to embouchure development and also to producing the desired sound/tone quality of the instrument. A student may progress through several mouthpieces before he finds one that is acceptable for himself. Also, as the student matures, he will want to try more advanced mouthpieces. The same is true of reeds - the student will advance to the reed strength he is comfortable with.

For keyboards - acoustic pianos come with everything you need (though not always with a stool). Electronic keyboards do not. You will also need the following:

• sustain pedal (full size)  
• adjustable height stool/seat (no backrest)
• adjustable keyboard stand (except in the case of console-type keyboards)
• music stand (if not built into the instrument)
• amplifier (if no built-in speakers or no sound system to feed into) and cable
• headphones
• digital metronome (or metronome/tuner combo)

Saxophone students will require the following:

• adjustable seat (with backrest)
• music stand
• digital metronome AND digital tuner
• saxophone stand
• silk swab for drying and cleaning the instrument inside
• neckstrap/shoulder strap (or harness)
• miscellaneous items like good quality reeds, mouthpiece patches, palm key risers/extensions, cork grease, small screwdriver kit.....the list expands with time!

Practice Area and Time

A relatively quiet and low-traffic area is required for anyone learning an instrument in order to aid concentration. Also, in the early days, many students do not appreciate having an audience - this is especially true for acoustic pianos and saxophones (saxes cannot be muted in the same way that brass instruments can as the sound does not come out of the bell alone, it exits from all of the tone holes).

Practice time is generally down to the student - I don't enforce rigid practice schedules, but the student has a responsibility to complete the minimum requirements after each lesson - however, I do encourage the student to practice on a daily basis. Lessons and study are individualised according to each student's progress. Much like learning to drive, learning an instrument is down to the dedication, commitment, and enthusiasm of the student - all that the teacher can do is inspire the process.

PC/Mac and Internet Access

I often send students assignments by email, so access to the internet is advisable. I also like to refer students to educational and other sites in order to increase their knowledge base and to supplement tuition inbetween lessons (this is particularly important where a lesson has to be cancelled or rescheduled. Further, it enables students to contact me with any questions or problems that can't wait until the next lesson.

I recommend anyone who is considering buying or renting an instrument to visit my ASSISTANCE page.