Exam successes!

Well done to my pupils who took their ABRSM grade exams this term. The results came through today!

Very well done to Zoe and Daniel who took their Prep Test and had such a positive experience and received lovely reports and excellent comments from the examiner.

Imogen, Sophia and Jennifer took their grade 1, 4 and 6 exams respectively. It was Sophia's first music exam ever, Imogen was taking her grade 1 and Jennifer is still only 12 so for all three to achieve very good merits made me particularly happy. I was delighted to see that all pupils received high marks for their pieces and great comments about imaginative and musical playing- that's what it's all about. Many thanks for the support from their parents- it is vital and a key factor in pupils' enjoyment and achievement. Congratulations to all 5 of them!

Care of your piano

Care of your piano

A piano is a lovely instrument to own and may have cost you a significant amount of money. Here are some guidelines on how to look after it so that it gives you pleasure for many years.

1.     Placing your piano.

Try to keep your piano out of direct sunlight as it can damage the finish of your piano. Also keep it away from radiators and hot air ducts as this will dry out the air, affect the tuning of the piano and may crack the soundboard. Aim for a low even temperature.

2.     Cleaning your piano.

Most modern acoustic pianos have a high-gloss synthetic finish and so do not need polishing with furniture polish. I clean mine with a slightly damp cloth (a micro-fibre one works best). I do the same with the keys and then dry them off thoroughly- no water should drip down the sides. In fact keep all water (glasses, vases etc) well away from your piano.

3.     Tuning your piano.

Piano strings go out of tune and so your piano will need regular tuning by a qualified and experienced tuner. A good piano tuner will also be able to do any running repairs and so help to maintain its value. How often you get it tuned will depend on the age of the piano and how much it is played, your tuner will be able to advise you. A tuning will probably cost in the region of £50. My piano tuner is the excellent Daffyd James, contact on 02084698191. Daffyd always finds a time that is convenient for me, advises me on what needs doing to my piano, kept my old piano playable even when it was fairly dilapidated and does a superb job. I cannot recommend him highly enough.