Music lessons in your own home.Piano, guitar and singing lessons in your own home.

Most beginners can play a simple recognisable melody (think 'Ode to Joy' or a film theme) within their first three or four lessons. Within three to six months of weekly lessons and regular practice, you'll typically be playing two-handed pieces with chords. ABRSM Grade 1 standard is achievable within a year for committed beginners. Progress depends most on consistent home practice, even just 10 minutes a day.

Yes — families with more than one child learning are at the heart of the school, and lessons can run one after another at your home. Choose a teacher with space and let us know who the lessons are for. Arun's own diary is full; if no other teacher is available for your instrument, join the waiting list once for your family. Waiting-list places are matched on instrument, area and level.

Yes — adult beginners are very welcome and make up a large part of the school. Adults often worry that they've left it too late or that piano is just for children; both are myths. Adult lessons are paced to your goals, whether that's playing pop songs for fun, exploring jazz harmony, or tackling a Chopin nocturne you've always loved. We focus on your repertoire choices, not children's exercise books.

Every teacher goes through an Enhanced DBS check — the highest level of UK criminal records check, and the standard for working with children — and you can ask to see your teacher's certificate before lessons begin. Arun, the founder, holds a current Enhanced DBS certificate, and a copy is available on request from any parent or guardian.

Lessons take place in your own home, and you are welcome to stay in the room for any lesson. If you have a safeguarding question before lessons begin, email [email protected] and we'll answer it.

Every teacher plays to at least Grade 8 standard, or equivalent, on the instrument they teach — ABRSM, Trinity or Rockschool, or equivalent training or professional experience. Arun, the founder, started the school teaching piano in homes across Sandbanks and Poole, from first notes to ABRSM Grade 8.

We teach across a broad range of styles including classical, pop, jazz, blues, film and game soundtracks, and contemporary worship music. Most students enjoy a mix — perhaps a classical piece for technique alongside a pop song they've chosen themselves. Beginners follow a structured method book to build solid foundations; intermediate and advanced students usually work on a balanced programme of pieces, technique, scales, and sight-reading.

Yes — ABRSM exam preparation is a specialist focus, and Arun has prepared students from Initial Grade up to Grade 8. Lessons cover the full syllabus: three exam pieces, scales and arpeggios, sight-reading, and aural tests. Your teacher will guide you through entry deadlines, mock exams in the run-up, and exam-day nerves. Trinity College London exams are also supported on request. Exams are completely optional — many students prefer to learn purely for enjoyment.

Yes — music theory is woven into every lesson at the level appropriate to you. We cover note reading, rhythm, key signatures, scales, intervals, chords, and harmony. For students taking ABRSM Grade 5 practical or above, a Grade 5 theory pass is required before sitting Grades 6 to 8 — your teacher can prepare you for that exam too. Adult students often appreciate going deeper into harmony and song analysis as part of regular lessons.

All lessons are in-person, taught in your own home across Sandbanks, Poole and the surrounding areas — your teacher travels to you. In-person, in-home lessons allow for hands-on guidance with hand position, posture, and pedalling on your own instrument that simply isn't possible over video. If you live outside the service area and an in-home lesson isn't practical, please email and we can recommend trusted online piano teachers in the wider UK.

Weekly lessons are the minimum for steady progress — they keep momentum and let us build new skills before old ones fade. Committed families typically do two to four hours a week across their children, which is the pace where progress genuinely compounds. Twice-weekly lessons are also the standard for students preparing for an imminent ABRSM exam, audition, or performance. Your teacher will always recommend the cadence that will serve you best.

Arun's own diary is full and he isn't taking on new students. Other teachers may have space: their cards show who can be booked now. If nobody is available for your instrument, join the waiting list. We are adding teachers across Sandbanks, Poole and parts of Bournemouth and contact waiting families when suitable places open, matched on instrument, area and level. Nothing to pay, no obligation.

Choose a teacher with space to book your first lesson. If none is available for your instrument, join the waiting list and we’ll contact you when a suitable place opens. Current students sign in and book from their dashboard, or email [email protected] for anything the calendar can't do.

The online calendar only shows slots that meet the current minimum-notice rule, so same-day or very last-minute lessons usually will not appear online. Slots fill up quickly, so weekday evenings and Saturday mornings are often booked at least a week ahead. If nothing online works for you, email [email protected] and we'll see if we can fit you in where possible.

Lessons run as normal during half-terms and most of the school holidays — and holidays are also when families book intensive blocks: an hour or two of lessons every weekday for a week or two, which is the fastest progress most students ever make. Your teacher takes two weeks off over Christmas and one week in mid-August, both announced well in advance. If you're booked into a lesson pack, these dates do not consume any credits. Please email if you need confirmed dates for the next school year.

Lesson packs (10 or 20 lessons) let you book any standard slot using a pre-paid credit — no card required at the time of booking — and credits stay valid for 12 months from purchase. The cancellation rules are the same (24-hour notice for a free credit return), so a pack gives you one simple payment and maximum booking flexibility. How long a pack lasts depends on how often you book. See the Packages page for current pricing.

You can pay by debit or credit card online (processed securely by Stripe), in cash at the lesson, or by redeeming a pre-purchased lesson-pack credit. Card payments give you the smoothest experience because your booking is confirmed instantly with no further action needed at the lesson. We accept all major UK cards including Visa, Mastercard, and American Express, plus Apple Pay and Google Pay.

Cancel or reschedule any lesson up to 24 hours before its start time and you'll get a full refund to the original payment method (or your package credit returned). Inside the 24-hour window, the lesson is non-refundable — this protects the teacher's income against last-minute slots that cannot be re-sold. If we ever cancel a lesson (e.g. teacher illness), you always get a full refund or a free reschedule, your choice.

Yes — cash payment at the lesson is welcome for individual bookings. When booking online, choose the 'Pay at lesson (cash)' option. Your slot is held on a trust basis and full payment in cash is due at the start of the lesson. Lesson packs and home-visit bookings must be paid by card in advance because they involve more committed teacher time and travel.

We keep pricing simple rather than discounted: £50 for a 1-hour lesson whether you book individually or through a pack (£30 for 30 minutes). Lesson packs — 10 × 1 hour for £500 or 20 × 1 hour for £1,000 — are about rhythm and convenience rather than price: pre-paid credits book any standard slot without a card, and they stay valid for 12 months. No hidden fees, and no price changes mid-pack.

A no-show — where you do not arrive and have not contacted us — is treated as a taken lesson. The card payment is not refunded and a package credit is consumed. This is exactly the same rule that applies to a cancellation made inside the 24-hour window. If something genuinely unexpected has happened (illness, accident, family emergency), please email as soon as possible — we can usually be flexible on a one-off basis.

Almost certainly, yes. Sandbanks is the heart of our service area — your teacher travels to homes across the Sandbanks area plus Canford Cliffs, Lilliput, Branksome, Alum Chine, Westbourne and nearby parts of Poole and Bournemouth. If you live in or around these areas and are searching for piano lessons near you, your teacher can travel to your home. Check your postcode in the Where we teach section, then choose a teacher with space or join the waiting list if nobody is available.

Yes — that is exactly how we teach. Every lesson happens in your own home. Your teacher arrives with method books and teaching materials and works on your own piano or keyboard, which is the best way to build good habits at the instrument you practise on. Home-visit lessons are available across the Sandbanks area, Canford Cliffs, Lilliput, Branksome, Alum Chine, Westbourne and nearby parts of Poole for children and adults, complete beginners through to ABRSM Grade 8.

We cover the Sandbanks area and the neighbourhoods around it — Canford Cliffs, Lilliput, Branksome, Alum Chine and Westbourne — plus nearby parts of Poole and Bournemouth, typically within about a 15-minute drive of Sandbanks. If you're just outside it, join the waiting list and choose ‘Elsewhere in Dorset’ — we'll tell you if that changes.

In your own home. Sandbanks Piano School brings the lesson to you — your teacher travels to you, so every lesson takes place in the comfort of your own home. This removes travel and waiting rooms for busy families and lets students learn on their own instrument. You just need a piano or keyboard and a quiet space; your teacher brings everything else.

Just a piano or keyboard, a stool or chair at a comfortable height, and a quiet room without distractions. If you don't yet own an instrument, we can advise on affordable options before you commit. Your teacher brings method books, teaching materials and everything else needed for the lesson — you don't need to provide sheet music, a music stand, or a metronome.