Piano / Music Lessons

What do I offer?

I teach people of all ages and skill levels privately from my home in Weetangera, where I have many different digital pianos and other instruments, such as electric drum kit, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass, saxophone, violin, melodica, and most importantly, an egg shaker.

I charge $50 per 30-minute lesson or $100 per 1-hour lesson
As of right now, I don’t plan to visit students houses, as I would have to
charge more than I’d like to compensate for the time investment.
Please contact lessons@haydenkinsman.com if you are interested.

During a lesson, parents/guardians are free to wait at a table I have
set up at the front porch, in their car, or visit the local shops.
Sitting in on the lesson is an option, but has a tendency to make some kids more nervous.

My lessons are given on a high-quality stage piano, with studio monitors for a pure stereo sound.
This allows me to teach not only piano, but other keyboard instruments such as
organ, electric piano, synthesizers, clavinet, and many more.

My Advice to Parents/Guardians

I have taught a lot of children since starting, and by far, I see the biggest difference in young students who are really nurtured and encouraged by their parents/guardians. Paying attention to their playing at home, asking to hear them play something and praising them for their work and especially their improvements. 

If you are using a digital piano, or are looking for help on what to buy, here is what I recommend to look for:

Velocity Sensitive Keys (Any piano where the volume is louder when you press the key harder)

Weighted keys - they will feel a lot more like the real thing, and the way a piano feels is actually quite important in how satisfying it is to play.Retention rate is definitely higher for those who have nice feeling pianos at home!

Sustain Pedal Compatibility (A sustain pedal is an essential part of the piano playing experience - very cheap keyboards often don’t support them - I do NOT recommend buying one that can’t support a sustain pedal. They can also sometimes be referred to as the “Damper Pedal”)

A piano with decent speakers and a headphone jack

A good pair of headphones

A piano stool (Cheaper, foam padded options are fine! In my opinion, you do NOT need to spend more than $100 on a seat - it’s all luxury past that point)- Piano stools aren’t essential, but the width of them does make it easier to navigate the entire keyboard.

What are my specialties? 

I like to cater to each student individually and teach students of all ages and experience.

I’m very friendly and patient with students.

I'm happy to look at student-requested songs.

I specialise in improvisation. This means making stuff up on the spot! This requires ear training, theory knowledge, or both. My biggest tip is to not worry if you play something that you think sounds bad. Keep going, you’ll start seeing patterns that lead to beautiful music.

I create many of my own resources and continue to each week.

I'm well-versed in Jazz theory, and love to teach it!

I'm a performing musician - I regularly perform in bands on stages in various parts of the country. I'm more than happy to teach anyone the ins-and-outs of gigging. This includes cable names, cable storage, input/output names and explanations, and everything you'd be expected to know about the industry.

I have learned specialist techniques on many different keyboard instruments, such as Hammond Organ, Fender Rhodes Electric Pianos, Wurlitzer Electric Pianos, Synthesizers, and much more. 

I've got a great sense of rhythm, and have developed a method of teaching people how to count, feel and understand rhythm. If you drum on your lap or table, you're off to a great start!

I know how to use musical programs such as MuseScore and Studio One.
I'm happy to teach composition and recording!

What will I need?

I recommend purchasing the following for your lessons:

A spiral-bound folder or two (Some use one for songs, and one for theory)

A small journal/notebook for note-taking in lessons or at home.

A metronome - this can be a free app on a smartphone, or a physical metronome, or the one built into a digital piano at home. These are time-keeping devices to train rhythm and are VERY important if you want to become a good musician. I recommend the smartphone app “Metronome Beats”

Time and motivation! - I know you can’t buy this, but lessons are mostly only beneficial when they’re supplemented with practice at home; and trust me, I’ve heard every excuse for not practicing.
(Some are extremely valid and I’m very understanding regardless)