Piano lessons in London
One-to-one piano and keyboard tuition in Islington: classical, jazz, pop, songwriting and grade exams. All ages, beginner to intermediate.
Piano is the instrument musicians lean on for everything else: it's how you understand chords, structure, arrangement and harmony. Whether you want to learn your favourite songs, jam with friends, write songs from a keyboard, or just check off a long-held ambition, our piano lessons in London give you a one-to-one teacher and a clear path forward. Studios are in Islington, four minutes from Highbury & Islington station.
What you'll learn
Posture, hand position and technique: efficient, injury-free playing
Sight-reading and music theory: read what's in front of you, understand why it works
Scales, arpeggios and chord shapes: the building blocks
Classical foundations: reading, technique and pieces to get you started
Pop and rock voicings: what working session pianists actually play
Jazz harmony and improvisation: chords, comping, scales, voice leading
Songwriting from the keys: using piano as your songwriting tool
Grade exams if you want them: ABRSM, Trinity, Rockschool
Your teacher will build the lesson plan around your interests: kids who only want to play their favourite anime soundtrack are equally welcome as adults finally learning to play their favourite songs by ear.
Piano lessons for all kinds of players
Adult beginners
You're not too old. We've taught people who started at 70 and play for an hour every day. One-to-one means there's no class to keep up with: your speed is the right speed.
Children
25-minute lessons keep little fingers (and shorter attention spans) engaged. We work with all the major exam syllabuses if you want grades, and equally happily without them if you don't.
Improvers and adult returners
If you took piano lessons as a kid and abandoned them, you'll be amazed how quickly it comes back. Your teacher will assess where you are and pick the right next thing instead of starting you from scratch on Twinkle Twinkle.
Singer-songwriters
We frequently teach pianists who want to use the instrument to write and accompany their own songs. Lessons will focus on chord voicings, song forms and getting useful arrangements out of two hands.
Acoustic piano or keyboard?
Most of our piano teaching rooms have weighted-key digital pianos with proper hammer action, which feel like the real thing and stay reliably in tune. This beats most second-hand uprights you'll find on Gumtree. If you want to learn on an acoustic, let us know when you book.
For practice at home, an 88-key weighted keyboard is more than enough to start. We can advise on what to buy when the time comes.
How to start
1. Book a piano taster
£27 for children, £49 for adults. One 1-to-1 session with the teacher who'd take you forward.
2. Pick a membership
Children's, adult or shared. All include a free practice room slot and free concert rehearsals each month.
3. Play
You'll get the chance to perform at our seasonal student concerts (which are completely optional, but a lot of students love them).
Who teaches piano at Planet drum
Vladimir Gilis
Our piano teaching is led by Vladimir Gilis, a multi-instrumentalist who studied classical piano first before going on to graduate at a jazz guitar conservatory. He brings both worlds into the lesson room: the discipline and depth of classical training, plus the flexibility and improvisational sense of a jazz musician.
Since moving to London, Vladimir has played at many of the UK's leading venues and festivals (such as the Royal Festival Hall, Womad, and the London Jazz Festival) and worked with artists including Cerys Matthews, John Reynolds and Paprika. He also writes and produces his own original music, which means his teaching naturally extends into songwriting, theory and composition for students who want to head in that direction.