Piano • Keyboard Tuition
Waltons New School of Music
‘Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is never enough for music.’
– Sergei Rachmaninov
‘Life is like a piano. What you get out of it depends on how you play it.’
– Tom Lehrer
Taught by experts and available both in-school and online, the New School’s Piano • Keyboard Programme offers tuition for students of all ages and skill levels, from absolute beginner to performance/teaching diploma level.
Our Programme
We offer expert piano and keyboard tuition, both in-school and online, for students of all ages and skill levels (beginner to advanced) and in a range of genres (classical, jazz, pop, rock and blues). Our approach to tuition is to encourage the development of both technique and musicianship, fluency and musical communication. We welcome students learning for pleasure, and grade examinations are not a requirement at the school – although our faculty prepare numerous students for exams from preliminary to performance or teaching diploma level.
Piano and keyboard tuition can also include preparation for Junior Cert. Music and Leaving Cert. Music practicals, and it counts as the ‘personal skill’ challenge area for Gaisce – The President’s Award. (For more information, see the Gaisce – The President’s Award tab on our Tuition Options page.)
Specialised tuition is also available in jazz piano (see Jazz Piano tab).
Questions about our
piano & keyboard tuition?
or call us on (01) 478 1884.
Student Videos
Videos of some of our piano students.
In-School & Online Tuition
We offer both in-school tuition, which takes place in the New School, and online tuition, which takes place in your own home.
In-School Tuition
We have made a number of changes to the school, its equipment and our policies to make in-school tuition as safe as possible during the time of COVID-19. These include:
- Perspex screens in every classroom.
- Installation of HEPA air filtration/purification units where necessary.
- Antiseptic dispensers available throughout the school.
- Cleaning and disinfection of both classroom instruments and furniture between lessons and classes.
- Regular cleaning of public spaces.
See our COVID-19 Safety Policy page for more information on what we have done, as well as the protocols we expect all in-school students and visitors to follow.
Online Tuition
Online tuition is taught by the same expert teachers as our in-school tuition and takes place where you are, anywhere in Ireland or around the world.
For online tuition, you will need:
- An instrument for tuition and practice (except for voice, theory, songwriting and music technology tuition).
- An internet-connected laptop, computer, tablet or smartphone. (A laptop or computer with webcam and microphone is recommended, as it will have the largest picture.)
- Ideally, internet speed at least 1.5Mb per second. (You can test your speed using Measurement Lab’s Speed Test.)
- Headphones or earbuds, if possible.¹
- Free Zoom software or app.²
- Waltons Music has Zoom headphones and microphones that are ideal for online music tuition and are available at 5% discounts for enrolled New School students. If you would like to obtain a discount, please contact Waltons with your instrument choice and include a scan or photo of your course payment receipt.
- If you haven’t learned music with Zoom before, please see our printable Zoom for Students information sheet for information on how to download and set up Zoom for music tuition.
See our Online Tuition page for more information on online tuition with the New School, as well as the instruments, subjects and courses we offer online.
Tuition Options
Our options for piano • keyboard tuition, both in-school and online, include:
- Weekly private lessons, 30, 45 or 60 minutes in length.
- Weekly partner lessons, 30, 45 or 60 minutes in length and designed for students at the same level of proficiency who enrol together.
- Single 1- or 2-hour Intensive Lessons.
- Two group courses for beginners – Introducing Piano/Keyboard for Adults and Introducing Piano/Keyboard for Children. (See Group Courses for Beginners tab.)
- Jazz Piano Basics, a group course for intermediate students. (See Intermediate Course tab.)
See Tuition Options for more information on private, partner and small group lessons, and Enrolment • Fees for tuition fees and enrolment forms.
Jazz Piano
Although many students currently studying jazz piano at the New School already have some classical training, jazz improvisation has often been neglected in the teaching of classical piano. A common misconception is that improvisation is either something you have or you don’t. Jazz piano lessons at the New School prove that it can be learned, and teach a number of surprisingly effective and easy-to-apply techniques for the composition and decoration of music.
Entry into jazz piano lessons requires a basic knowledge of musical notation (treble and bass clefs, key and time signatures) and piano technique of around Grade 2 or equivalent. Improvising at the piano can be split into two main areas: improvising on a given theme (or within a given song) and free improvisation. Lessons generally concentrate on the first, providing students with a wide variety of melodic, harmonic and rhythmic techniques that they can use to make a song their own. Students learn:
- How to approach a melody, distinguish its main notes from its less important ones and improvise on those
- How to move from one chord to the next by building up their harmonic vocabulary
- How to vary a song through accent and rhythm
In addition, many people who have taken lessons in ‘classical’ piano find that while they can imagine an improvised line, they can’t actually play it. One aspect of the lessons is familiarising students with hand shapes and fingering patterns that help students to create their improvisations directly at the piano.
Jazz piano is taught at the New School by Andriy Blyznyuk, Luke Howard, Johnny Taylor and So-Young Yoon.
We also offer a Jazz Piano Basics group course for intermediate piano students new to jazz. See the Intermediate Course tab on this page for more information.
Group Courses for Beginners
We offer three acclaimed courses for absolute beginners. The in-school courses take place in our Digital Piano Lab, and the online version of our Introducing Piano/Keyboard for Adults course takes place in your home, which can be anywhere in Ireland or around the world.
- Introducing Piano/Keyboard for Adults (in-school and online) introduces students to the fundamentals of keyboard technique – as well as basic music theory, sight reading and chordal accompaniment – while progressing through a varied and interesting repertoire ranging from classical to pop.
- We also offer a summer version of the course above, taking place in July or August (in-school and online).
- Designed for children aged 6-8, Introducing Piano/Keyboard for Children (in-school) is a lively and enjoyable first experience with the piano.
‘A perfect course [Piano/Keyboard for Adults] for beginners. I’ve already recommended it to a friend and she’s starting next term. I highly recommend Waltons for anybody who always wanted to learn to play an instrument but never had a chance. It’s never too late, and once you start you won’t regret it!’
– V. de Almeida
‘I am writing just to let you know how good an experience we had with the Waltons New School of Music last year.
Our then six-year-old son did the [Piano/Keyboard for Children] course last year, and his progress throughout the year was way beyond any expectation we had.
I have recommended the school to a number of people and will continue to do so. I believe my son’s experience with the school may well have given him something that will enhance his entire life.
Thanks and well done to you all.’
– P. Woodfull
Intermediate Course
Taking place in the New School’s Digital Piano Lab and taught by a renowned jazz pianist and educator, Jazz Piano Basics is a hands-on course designed to give classical piano students of at least intermediate level (Grade V or equivalent) a solid foundation in jazz piano.
The course explores the unique rhythmic, melodic and harmonic aspects of jazz music and provides some basic approaches to playing in the genre, including:
- Formation of chords and common chord progressions
- Understanding and memorising ‘charts’ for standard jazz tunes
- Improvisation – both melodic variation and soloing
- How to accompany and play with a group
- Voicing techniques
- Aural training, intervals and chord recognition
‘A solid introduction to jazz and improvised music-making. The teacher is not only a great jazz musician but a supportive and inspiring educator.’
– E. Grennan
‘Great foundation for a jazz beginner. The teacher has a very positive, open and encouraging approach.’
– S. Malin
Other Courses
Beginning piano students should consider supplementing their tuition with Music Fundamentals, a 10-week online course introducing the essentials of reading and writing musical notation, as well as elementary musical grammar, for music-reading beginners.
Introducing Music Technology is a practical, hands-on online course designed to teach absolute beginners how a computer or laptop and free music production software can be used to produce professional-quality recordings at home.
Our Songwriting Workshop will help you to develop your creative ideas – in any musical style – and turn them into finished songs.
The Art & Craft of Songwriting is an acclaimed summer workshop that takes participants through different approaches to the songwriting process, integrating the craft’s many skills into a seamless artistic whole.
Facilitated by hit songwriter Luan Parle and designed for participants who have previously taken a songwriting course or workshop with the New School (for example, our Songwriting Workshop or The Art & Craft of Songwriting) or elsewhere, or who have already written the music and/or lyrics to one or more songs, our Collaborative Songcamp is an exciting new concept in songwriting tuition.
‘This course [Music Fundamentals] is perfect for anyone with an interest in music. It starts with the very basics of theory and the information is made easy to understand. There is a good atmosphere in the class, being with people who share your passion for music.’
– I. Colgan
‘I have wanted to do a music technology course for years, but the opportunity didn’t come up until I saw that Waltons were offering an online version of their Introducing Music Technology course. Signing up was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, and I thoroughly enjoyed the course. My zero experience in recording music was no problem because it is tailored for beginners, and looking back on how much I learned in such a short space of time is incredible! The teacher is very friendly, helpful, and explains things in a clear and concise way. I would highly recommend this course to anyone with an interest in the subject!’
– A. Hickey
‘This course [Songwriting Workshop] gave me great confidence in songwriting, and to have the guidance of a professional songwriter was so helpful. The course helped me both lyrically and musically to realise my songwriting potential, and I am now constantly writing new material.’
– A. Bradley
‘I thoroughly enjoyed The Art & Craft of Songwriting workshop with Melanie O’Reilly. I found the content very interesting and informative and I’m continuously putting it into practice in my writing. Melanie is a brilliant teacher, enjoyable and fun to listen to. She has so much knowledge and experience, and the course has helped me to get a grasp on how to go about writing a song with a structure. It was also a lovely way of meeting people with similar interests, and we still keep in touch. I would highly recommend the course.’
– C. Horan
Jazz Ensembles
Students of jazz piano may be interested in our comprehensive Jazz Ensembles programme, including Jazz Ensemble I, for those with no previous jazz experience; Jazz Ensemble II, an intermediate ensemble; and Jazz Ensemble III, an advanced ensemble.
Piano • Keyboard Faculty
- Andriy Blyznyuk • also jazz piano
- Seán Boylan
- Gabriele Braga
- Marta Burns • also Introducing Piano/Keyboard for Children
- Sarah Cunningham
- Barbara Dagg
- Lenka Dobai
- Ruth Gahan
- Vita Galla
- Liza Hingerty • also Introducing Piano/Keyboard for Adults
- Luke Howard • also jazz piano, Introducing Piano/Keyboard for Adults
- Aoife Kavanagh • also Introducing Piano/Keyboard for Adults
- Varo Khachatryan
- Mikaela McDonnell • also Introducing Piano/Keyboard for Children
- Balbina Rogala
- Maja Rumianowska
- Daniel Smith • also Introducing Piano/Keyboard for Adults
- Johnny Taylor • also jazz piano, Jazz Piano Basics
- Hannah Traynor
- Solomiya Vircikova
- So-Young Yoon • also jazz piano, Jazz Piano Basics
New School Stage System
Piano and keyboard tuition at the New School is designed to work within our Stage System, a comprehensive methodology for assessing student progress, from absolute beginner to a professional qualification (diploma).
New School Stages, ten in all, are roughly equivalent to the ‘grades’ of graded music exams offered by widely recognised exam boards (ABRSM, RIAM, Trinity Guildhall, Rockschool, etc.) and progress from beginner to performing or teaching diploma level. Stages and their grade equivalents are:
- Stage 1 (1 term of lessons or an Introducing group course for beginners, equivalent to Preliminary Grade)
- Stage 2 (1 year of lessons, equivalent to Grade 1)
- Stage 3 (equivalent to Grade 2 or an intermediate group course)
- Stage 4 (equivalent to Grade 3)
- Stage 5 (equivalent to Grade 4)
- Stage 6 (equivalent to Grade 5)
- Stage 7 (equivalent to Grade 6)
- Stage 8 (equivalent to Grade 7)
- Stage 9 (equivalent to Grade 8)
- Stage 10 (equivalent to a Performing or Teaching Diploma)
Students who successfully complete a stage can be issued with a certificate of completion. Please let the school office know if you would like this certificate.
See About Our Stage System for more information.
Tuition Fees
Tuition fees for private, partner and small group lessons are listed in the Enrolment • Fees section of our website and depend on the length of lessons as well as the duration (number of terms) of enrolment:
- First Term (September-December) • First-Second Term • First-Third Term Fees
- First Term Late Enrolment Fees
- Second Term (January-March/April) • Second-Third Term Fees
- Second Term Late Enrolment Fees
- Third Term (March/April-June) Fees
- Third Term Late Enrolment Fees
- Summer Term (July-August) Fees
- Summer Term Late Enrolment Fees
- Intensive Lesson Fees
Group course fees are listed on individual group course pages.
Tuition Assistance
The New School is dedicated to providing high quality music education for a wide range of students, whatever their financial circumstances, and our Tuition Assistance programme is designed to help defray the cost of tuition with us. Although there are a limited number of Tuition Assistance awards each year, every effort will be made to assist students (or their parents) who, because of financial circumstances, would otherwise be unable to study with us. Tuition assistance awards are in the form of discounts of between 10% and 40% off the student’s fees and depend on the both student’s and the New School’s financial circumstances, as well as the type of tuition. See our Tuition Assistance Policy for more information or follow the link below to apply for tuition assistance.
Enrolment • Booking
Enrolment for piano and keyboard tuition with Waltons New School of Music requires a completed enrolment form and, except for those students using payment plans, full payment of tuition fees. Intensive Lesson booking requires a completed booking form and deposit.
Lessons & Ensembles
First – Third Terms
Group Courses for Adults & Teens
First – Third Terms
Group Courses for Children
First – Third Terms
Lessons, Courses & Workshops
Summer Term
Intensive Lessons
Gift Certificates
Questions About
Enrolment & Booking?
Your Feedback
Have you learned – or are you learning – piano or keyboard with the New School? We would appreciate it if you could take a few moments to give us your feedback in a brief online questionnaire about your experience. Thank you!
We would also appreciate your Google review, which will help to spread the word about the quality of our tuition.
Martin A. Walton Memorial Scholarships
Running since 1995 and taking place in late May / early June each year, the New School’s annual Martin A. Walton Memorial Scholarship Competition offers the most generous scholarship opportunities of any music school in Ireland. The Competition awards full-year tuition scholarships in three categories:
- Young Student of the Year (students aged 18 and under)
- Mature Student of the Year (students aged 19 and over)
- Most Promising Beginner (students who came to the school as beginners on their instruments)
New School Ensemble Prize
This prize is awarded for the best performance in our Scholarship Competition by an instrumental, vocal or mixed ensemble/group made up of two or more students, as well as for progress over the school year.
Songwriting • Composition Prize
This prize is is awarded for the most creative original composition or song for solo instrument, voice or ensemble, performed by the composer/songwriter alone or with a group.
See Scholarships • Prizes for more information.
Grade Exam Syllabi
Links to piano and keyboard syllabi (pdf format) with different exam boards:
Friday Casual Concerts
Our Friday Casual Concerts are a great opportunity for students to perform in public, in a relaxed and supportive setting, before friends, family and other students. These brief concerts take place around once a month on Friday evenings at 7 pm in the school and allow individual students and ensembles to show off their skills and learn how to cope with nerves. They are also highly recommended for students preparing for exams.
End-of-Year Student Concert
Our End-of-Year Student Concert takes place in the National Concert Hall’s John Field Room each June and showcases some of our best students and ensembles, of all ages and in all music genres, as well as scholarship and prize winners in our Scholarship Competition. Performers are selected by their teachers and the school administration.
See School Concerts for more information.
Student Benefits
Currently-enrolled students (and parents of students) are entitled to several useful benefits, including:
- Discounts on Waltons World Masters Series events
- Discounts from Waltons Music
- Discounts on ensembles, sessions and music theory courses
- Discounts on practice facilities
- Discounts on city-centre parking
See Student Benefits for more information.
Do I need a real piano at home to take piano lessons?
Although ‘real’ (acoustic) pianos or digital pianos with weighted keys are always best, they are not necessary to start. Some of our students have started with electronic keyboards and moved on as they progressed to acoustic or digital pianos. The most important thing to know when purchasing a keyboard is that it must have full sized keys and should have at least 60+ keys, or four octaves, so that you don’t outgrow it too quickly. (A standard acoustic or digital piano has 88 keys, or a little over seven octaves).
A standard piano keyboard, with middle C highlighted:
What should I look for in choosing a digital piano?
Barbara Dagg, a senior member of our keyboard faculty, has provided these useful notes on choosing a digital piano.
There are a few elements to consider in choosing and buying a keyboard instrument to practice with at home. Among the most important will be the space you have available, the features that your teacher tells you are indispensable for effective learning and your budget. If you are having lessons with an acoustic piano (that is, a ‘real piano’, as distinct from an electronic instrument that imitates or samples one), then having an acoustic piano at home to practice on is ideal, as this will sound, feel, and respond similarly to the instrument you play on at lessons.
However, an acoustic upright piano, whether new or second-hand, currently costs somewhere between €4,000 and €9,000 – a large investment if you are or your child is at an early stage of learning piano. In comparison, you can buy a good quality digital piano for between €600 and €1,000. A digital piano won’t feel or sound exactly the same as an acoustic piano, but if carefully chosen, it will respond well and both allow you to learn the most important techniques and have a good enough sound to give you satisfaction in playing it.
Digital pianos also have five small advantages over acoustic pianos:
- They take up less space in your home.
- They never need to be tuned.
- They are indifferent to temperature and humidity.
- They can be played almost silently, with headphones.
- They often have earning features (metronome, built-in songs, etc.).
Features
The three most important features to look for in a digital piano are:
- A full-size keyboard. A digital piano should have the full range of keys that an acoustic piano has – a total of 88, counting both black and white keys. Electronic keyboards come in a wide variety of sizes and designs, and some have only 61 keys. At the start of learning, it won’t matter hugely not to have all of the very top and very bottom notes that full-size piano has, but it does mean that the notes that should be sounding in the center of the keyboard are not actually in the center on a 61-key keyboard but are situated noticeably to the left of center. This may be disorienting for you to practice on if you are taking lessons with an acoustic piano. For the lessons, you will be sitting at the middle of the piano to give you equal control over both high and low ends, whereas at home you will be sitting to the left of the center of a shorter keyboard, giving you a less equal reach and overview of both ends.
- Touch sensitivity. A digital piano should be touch sensitive, meaning that it can respond in a wide range of volumes, between very soft and very loud, and can also produce a range of different types of sound when a key is touched in different ways. (The piano’s full name is pianoforte, which means soft-loud in Italian.) If the sound produced by a digital keyboard is uniform in volume and character no matter how differently a key is touched, then as a beginner you will very soon be unable to practice at home the techniques you’re being taught in lessons, which can frustrate your sense of progress and limit your satisfaction in playing. The piano’s ability to produce a wide range of volume and character of sound in response to subtle differences in how it is played is an essential quality of the instrument.
- Weighted keys. A digital piano should also have weighted keys, meaning that the resistance felt when a key is touched should feel similar to that of an acoustic piano. This again influences how well you will be able to learn to control and modify the types of sound you make, as taught to you in lessons.
Piano Pedals
Most acoustic pianos have two and sometimes three pedals, used to vary the sounds you can make on the instrument. Some digital pianos come with one, two or three pedals, which mimic the effects of acoustic piano pedals. Digital piano pedals can also be bought as separate units. The pedals of an acoustic piano are:
- Damper or Sustain Pedal (right). When a finger is taken away from a key of an acoustic piano, a ‘damper’ pad stops the note from continuing to ring. The sustain pedal removes the dampers from the strings, allowing notes to continue ringing for longer, even when the keys are not held down anymore. This pedal is used the most often.
- Sostenuto Pedal (middle). This is similar to a sustain pedal. The key difference is that it only holds notes that are already being played at the moment when the pedal is pressed down. Any notes that begin after the pedal is down are not affected, allowing for selective sustain without blurring the sound.
- Soft or Una Corda Pedal (left). Most strings in an acoustic piano are grouped in threes, with each group tuned to the same note. When played normally, the hammer strikes all three at the same time, giving a full, bright sound. The una corda pedal shifts the entire mechanism to the right, so the hammer only hits two of the three strings.
Questions to Ask
Digital pianos come in a bewilderingly wide range, so you will need to decide what features you want your instrument to have before you begin to explore the options. Here are two questions to ask yourself:
- Do you need the instrument to be portable, allowing you to move it from room to room? If not, and if you have enough space at home, you could consider models that have their own freestanding cases. They are heavier and suit homes where they are intended to stay in one place. If you do need the instrument to be portable, then you should look for a portable digital or ‘stage’ piano. This is an instrument without legs that sits on a foldable trestle stand (called an ‘X-stand’). If you purchase a portable digital piano, you will also need to buy an X-stand – and possibly an attachable three-pedal unit. These will add a little to the cost, although some instruments will come with a sustaining pedal included, and it may be possible to buy a ‘bundle’ or ‘package’ that includes the instrument and accessories for one price.
- Will you need the pre-recorded instrument or drum tracks that come with some models? If you’re not going to use these, then why pay for them? Be sure to explore the detailed description of any model below its picture, and to avoid instruments with sounds you won’t use – the ones with drum sounds are really more band-style keyboards.
What is the best age for a child to begin lessons?
That depends on the child. Some children are ready for lessons as early as age five, and most are ready at the age of six. To start with, we offer both 30-minute private or partner lessons as well as a group course, Introducing Piano/Keyboard for Children. Children beginning piano lessons should be reading or in the process of learning to read, and be able to understand easy addition and subtraction. They should also be able to keep attention throughout a 30-minute lesson.
How can I help my child to progress more quickly?
Supporting your child’s musical development can seem daunting, especially if you haven’t played an instrument before yourself. But children have a natural desire to please, and the best way to help them progress quickly is simply to take an interest. Practice can be a lonely occupation, and children thrive on company. So sit with your child while he/she practices, and listen, comment and encourage. See also our Practice Tips page for more suggestions.
Do you teach adult beginners?
Yes. We teach students of all ages and have taught thousands of adult beginners over the years. Adults can start either with 30-minute lessons or our group course, Introducing Piano/Keyboard for Adults.
Do I / does my child need to practise every day?
Practice is an essential element of music learning, and spreading practice over the course of a week is far more effective than cramming it into the day or two before your next lesson. (When Pablo Casals, one of the greatest cellists in history, was asked, at the age of 80, why he still practised every day, he replied, ‘Because I think I am making progress.’) If it simply isn’t practical to practise every day, try to aim for five days per week. See our Practice Tips page for some suggestions on how to practice productively.
How long should I / my child practice?
Many teachers tell their beginning students to practice for 20-30 minutes a day. Some students are not able to sustain productive practice for that amount of time. If this sounds like you, start with 10-15 minute sessions and see how you do. If you can work up to thirty minutes without feeling tired, then go for it. (Of course, more advanced students will need to practice more than this.)
In any case, more important than the length of time spent practising is the quality of practice, and the practice techniques used. Your teacher will show you the best way to practise certain passages involving particular technical skills. One of the first things a student learns is how to isolate more challenging passages, and to begin practice time with those passages, rather than starting at the beginning of the piece each time. For more information and suggestions about practice, see our Practice Tips page.
What teaching method do you use?
Our piano teachers use a variety of methods and books, supplemented by outside repertoire, scales and exercises, sight reading and ear training. Every student is unique, and the course of study will not be the same for any two students, but rather tailored to individual needs and goals. Students preparing for grade exams are also encouraged to learn pieces outside those prescribed for the exams.
What genres/styles of music do you teach?
Piano students at the New School receive a well-rounded education and are encouraged to explore different musical genres/styles. Although much of the best teaching methodology is classically-based, students can explore a wide range of repertoire, from blues to pop/rock. We also offer specialised tuition in jazz piano (see the Jazz Piano tab above) and a Jazz Piano Basics group course.
Can I learn about music theory?
Theory work is generally incorporated into piano lessons as required, but we do recommend additional theory study, if possible (see Music Fundamentals). The Associated Board (ABRSM) requires that students pass a Grade 5 theory exam before they can proceed to the Grade 6 practical exam.
Can you prepare me / my child for grade or practical examinations?
Yes. Although we don’t require students to take grade examinations, we recognise that they are an excellent way to measure students’ progress, recognise their achievements and act as a very useful motivational tool. So piano tuition can certainly include preparation for grade exams. (See the Grade Exam Syllabi tab above for links to the syllabi of different exam boards.) Our teachers can also prepare students for Junior Cert. Music and Leaving Cert. Music practical exams.
Can you prepare students for diploma exams?
Yes. Our teachers have successfully prepared a number of students for both associate and licentiate performance and teaching diplomas with several different examining boards. See Tuition Options – Performance • Teaching Diploma Preparation for more information.
Do I need to cut my fingernails for playing the piano?
Piano students do need to keep fingernails relatively short to allow for the correct hand position. The proper playing technique is for the fingertips to attack the keys at all times firmly, with fingers curved. If your nails are too long, they will get in the way. They’re too long if you can see them when looking at your hand with the palm facing you.