Acoustic Guitar
Tues / Weds
Learn Classical or general acoustic guitar. My lessons are tailored to the individual, from beginner to advanced all styles of music are taught.
Electric Guitar
Tues / Weds
From Jazz and Blues to Rock and Pop, all styles and abilities are catered for.
Bass Guitar
Tues / Weds
From Jazz and Blues to Rock and Pop, all styles and abilities are catered for.
Ukulele
Tues / Weds
Have fun with this affordable and underrated instrument! You can get playing your favourite tunes in no time.
Music Theory
Tues / Weds
If you need help passing ABRSM grades or just would like to learn about music theory, chord/scale relationships or improvisation, I can help you to demystify these tricky subjects in a fun and practical way!
Lesson Policies
Further Information and FAQ’s
Teaching Philosophy
I teach guitar, bass and ukulele with a friendly, welcoming approach and a focus on great technique, beautiful tone and creativity. I love to discover what inspires each individual student and tailor my lessons to help them achieve their musical goals.
Initial Lesson
The first lesson is an opportunity to see if there is a good fit between the student and teacher before signing up for regular lessons. During this lesson I will be able to assess the student’s current playing level and they will discover more about my teaching style. Together we’ll set out some musical goals and make a plan for lessons going forward. If the student is a beginner they will also receive an introduction to the instrument.
Payments
Once signed up, lessons are payable in monthly blocks for adult students and half-termly for students under the age of 18. The fees are due at the beginning of each new month or half-term and are payable by bank transfer or cheque. I will send out invoices for each new block by email confirming lesson dates and fees due.
Attendance
Lessons follow the Richmond Borough state school terms, even for children at independent schools. The student is responsible for their attendance - by reserving a time, you have committed to a weekly lesson time for you and nobody else. To rearrange a lesson 48 hours notice must be given and will be dependent on whether or not another student is able to swap times for that week. Due to the difficulty in rearranging lessons within such a busy schedule, this can only be done up to twice per term. If I am unable to give a scheduled lesson, or if I have to cut a lesson short for any reason, the lesson or part of it will be rescheduled, credited or refunded.
Additional Lessons
Extra lessons may be scheduled during holiday periods or at any other time and are payable at the time of booking.
Cancellations
If the student wishes to discontinue lessons, four weeks written notice must be given. In the event that the student discontinues lessons with insufficient notice, the student will be liable to pay fees for those lessons not taken during the notice period.
Exams
If you or your child would like to take instrumental exams we can prepare for Trinity, ABRSM or Rockschool grades. I also teach the music theory graded exam syllabus.
What my pupils say
“I already had a few years of bass practice under my belt when I started having lessons with Ida, and was looking to learn some more advanced techniques such as transcription and slap bass. I thought it would be a long and painful process, but Ida had me slapping and popping along to Marcus Miller’s “Run for Cover” within a couple of months. I also picked up a lot of valuable musical theory along the way, and had great fun doing it!”
“I have really enjoyed having Ida as my guitar teacher, she has taught me so many different techniques and different kinds of music during my lessons with her. She is also always cheerful, encouraging and we always have a laugh! I think its going to be difficult to find another guitar teacher just as good as her!”
“Zoe’s lessons with Ida have been encouraging, educational, enjoyable and flexible. We thoroughly recommend Ida’s teaching skills to anyone considering leaning the guitar.”
“Ida makes things seem easier than they are, I really enjoy my lessons.”
“I always had a yearning to play the bass guitar and two years ago started looking for a teacher. I found Ida and things suddenly started to make sense. The structure of the lessons created a perfect blend between theory and the practical side of playing the bass. Ida is a true professional with great enthusiasm for music.”
“Ida was the first teacher our daughter (age 7) had and hence it was important she had a good start. We could not have wished for better. Ida is not only an inspiring teacher and a superb role model, but she is also very patient and positive. She always followed up her lessons with the next steps for learning in Kitty’s notebook. I have no reservations about recommending Ida. Kitty always enjoyed her lessons and made great progress. ”
“Ida’s enthusiasm and love of music is clearly demonstrated in her lessons. She is both encouraging and very patient, even with older beginners like myself!”
“Ida has been a great inspiration to Charlie, she has always made him feel at ease making it easy for him to have enjoyed all of his guitar lessons with her. Charlie has shown a huge improvement with his ability thanks to Ida’s knowledge, fantastic talent and lovely personality. He has thoroughly enjoyed his guitar lessons with Ida. We thank you Ida very much!”