Piano Lessons for Beginner & Intermediate Level Students
This lesson plan is for you if
…you are passionate about music and motivated to learn to play the piano or improve your playing;
…you want to lay a good foundation for your piano technique, learn how to play with ease and reach a high level of playing;
…you are eager to understand music more deeply and explore the expressive and creative aspects of playing classical music;
…you want to feel supported as well as challenged in your learning journey.
Teaching focus
With students at earlier and intermediate levels, lessons are most commonly focused on:
Piano playing technique
Expressive aspects of playing
Basic skills: reading music, music theory, harmony, memorising, sight-reading…
Practicing strategies
Here is what I mean by this:
Piano playing technique
One of my top priorities is to help students learn to use their bodies in the most optimal way, so that they can play with ease and without physical discomfort. I devote a lot of attention to this and there is no problem that is too small to be addressed, as fundamental movements are the most important and tend to come back at any level of difficulty.
The goal of this work is to reach a point where students can play without struggle, discomfort or spending too much energy on the physical side of playing. This opens up the possibility to devote more attention to listening and expressive qualities of music, and makes playing piano a more enjoyable and richer experience.
Performance expression
With ease of playing comes the possibility to develop expression and one’s control over it.
One of my main aims here is to develop the student’s use of expressive tools such as dynamics, articulation, steadiness and flexibility of tempo and rhythm. Furthermore, we focus on learning how these relate to the score and how various expressive qualities are created in practice.
Understanding music and acquiring essential skills
This element would generally include discussing the basics of music theory, harmony and musical form, as well as working on sight-reading or any other skill that might need attention.
Practicing strategies and an overall supportive environment
I strive to cultivate a supportive learning environment in which the students can develop trust in their own abilities and persist in overcoming challenges, which are unavoidable when one wants to master a complex activity such as playing a musical instrument.
Developing various practicing strategies could mean for example, breaking things down in manageable chunks, so that the material can be integrated without the student being overwhelmed.
Below you can find more information about practicalities and activities that are included in this plan.
Lesson Plans
Students enrol for weekly one-hour lessons during the whole academic year.
Adult students can also enrol through lesson packages of 12 lessons.
Activities
Student concerts
Students have the possibility to perform during student concerts at locations in The Hague.
Group lessons
Occasionally I organise group lessons where students can play for and hear each other. In this way students can experience playing for others in a more informal setting and get additional instruction.
Exams and competitions
Students are encouraged to take part in exams (for example, Trinity or ABRSM) and competitions, especially as this often motivates them to practice more and thus go further in their development.
Frequently Asked Questions
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1. At your location: if you are living in The Hague and surrounding areas like Leidschendam, Voorburg, Rijswijk, Wassenaar, Voorschoten…
2. At studios in the centre of The Hague: for example in Het Koorenhuis
3. Online
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Regular lessons (60 minutes):
Weekly lessons (at home or online) for the duration of the whole academic year: €47 per lesson
Regular lessons (45 minutes):
Weekly lessons (at home or online) for the duration of the whole academic year: €38 per lesson
Regular lessons (30 minutes): (Possible only when teaching more than one student at a single location)
Weekly lessons (at home or online) for the duration of the whole academic year: €30 per lesson
Lesson package (60-minutes):
Package of 12 lessons (only for adult students): 52€ per lesson
NOTE: No Value Added Tax (BTW) is added to the price for all students (including students who are above 21 years of age).
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Yes, we can begin with the lessons at any point during the year.
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Yes.
In-home fee: When lessons are held at your location, an in-home fee is added to the lesson price. The fee varies depending on your location, and is calculated based on the distance and time needed to arrive. (A rough guideline for calculating the in-home fee is: within 3-kilometre radius from the city centre: 5€; between 3-6 kilometres: 5-10€; more than 6 kilometres: calculated depending on the situation.)
Studio fee: when lessons are held in a studio in the centre of the Hague, a fee is added. Depending on the location it is either 5 or 10 euros.
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Billing:
Lessons are billed at the end of each month. Other options such as fixed monthly payments or larger one-time payments are also possible.
Cancellations:
Scheduled lessons need to be cancelled at least 24 hours in advance. Late cancellations will be billed.
You can find more information on both of these subjects in the studio policy.
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I teach in English, Dutch and Serbian.
For full information on all relevant topics, see the studio policy. If you have any questions please feel free to send me a message.
If you are interested, send me a message and we will arrange a free lesson to find out whether my expertise and attention can be of help to you. No strings attached.
If I am not the right teacher for you, I will gladly suggest some of my colleagues or advise you.
Your email will be used ONLY for directly corresponding with you and not for any other purpose.