I am an experienced piano teacher who enjoys teaching both children and adults. Having been a piano student myself - firstly as a child and later as an adult, I am aware of the difficulties learners are likely to encounter and work very hard to help my pupils overcome these.

My own childhood teacher was not the most patient and often made me feel nervous and anxious about playing the piano; fortunately the teacher I went to many years later was the opposite of this and I hope I have learned from her example.

I always try to put my students at ease and am happy to discuss their individual problems and help them find a solution. Some may have difficulties with particular notes or phrases in a piece they are learning, while others may struggle with fingering, timing or articulation. I am always willing to listen to a series of notes - or a scale - being attempted over and over again until the learner is really confident of playing it correctly.

For some, it's not the 'mechanics' of the music which are the problem - they can hit all the right notes at the right time but the sound they produce lacks 'feeling'. I work with my students to help them understand the mood of the piece they are playing and to use tempo variations, pedalling and dynamic contrasts in a way that will enhance the sound and bring the piece to life.

Some of my pupils like to raise issues which don't actually relate to the music they are learning. For example, some want to tell me about their struggle to find a suitable practice time. Again, I try to help with this as best I can and generally - by talking it out - most people find they can find a time-slot most days (even if it's only 10 minutes) - which they can set aside for piano practice.

I am also sympathetic to those who ask to rearrange a lesson (maybe due to work, holidays, family commitments or school activities). I try to negotiate alternative times - rather than the student just missing the lesson altogether. However, sometimes this is not possible and in that case I do not charge for the missed lesson - as long as I have been informed of this at least 24 hours beforehand. (Although if any of my students are suddenly taken ill or suffer some unexpected emergency on the day of their piano lesson, I relax this 24-hours notice requirement).

I don't ask my students to sign a contract when they start - and I always try to be as flexible and understanding as I can. For this reason, most of my pupils offer to pay for late cancellations without being asked and I really appreciate this as - obviously, every missed lesson causes me a drop in income.

I guide my pupils - particularly the younger ones - in which pieces and scales they should be working on. However, I feel piano learners of any age should always be encouraged to voice their own opinions about the sort of music they prefer to play and I am happy to help students learn new pieces of their choice.

I believe the relationship between a piano teacher and student should be one of mutual respect and consideration. I really enjoy getting to know my pupils and helping them achieve their goals.

If you are interested in taking piano lessons in the Chester area, call me on 01244 880989 or complete my contact form. You can learn more about the service I offer on the Questions & Answers page.