Music programme
Nine levels, one rising scale
Piano, violin, and saxophone. Every level is a step up the stave, earned by playing, not by waiting.
Technique, scales, reading, and ear training are shared by every student. Repertoire is where they differ, so each family picks a stream: Classical for graded classical pieces read from notation, or Contemporary & Worship for worship, gospel, and popular songs played from chord charts. Same ladder, same badges — students can switch streams at any level.
New to the instrument
Posture, instrument care, the music alphabet, and clean first notes.
Core mastery skills
- Correct posture and instrument care
- Name notes and find them on the instrument
- Produce clear, controlled notes on demand
After Sound
Warm-ups and metronome work, building the fluency to play in time.
Core mastery skills
- Keep a steady pulse with a metronome
- Even, independent fingers through warm-ups
- Clap and play rhythm patterns accurately
After Rhythm
The first major scale, basic sight reading, and a first full piece played end to end.
Core mastery skills
- Play the first major scale, one octave
- Sight-read short stepwise passages
Repertoire, by stream
Classical: Perform a short classical study or folk melody from memory.
Contemporary & Worship: Perform a simple worship chorus or contemporary melody from memory.
After Melody
Longer lines and a second set of major scales. Reading widens here: notation for all, and chord symbols alongside it.
Core mastery skills
- Play new major scales fluently
- Read lines with mixed note values
- Recognise and play basic chord symbols
Repertoire, by stream
Classical: Shape a written piece with the dynamics and articulation as notated.
Contemporary & Worship: Play a song from a simple chord chart, keeping time throughout.
After Harmony
Ear training and playing over accompaniment, in time with a partner.
Core mastery skills
- Reproduce simple intervals by ear
- Enter and end cleanly with accompaniment
- Balance against a backing part
After Ensemble
Musicality across keys, and the first minor scales — which open up most real repertoire in both streams.
Core mastery skills
- All major scales learnt, played from memory
- Play the relative minor of two learned keys
- Use phrasing to shape a piece
Repertoire, by stream
Classical: Perform a piece in a minor key with appropriate character.
Contemporary & Worship: Play a worship or contemporary song using minor chords.
After Expression
Scales at performance tempo, plus arpeggios and broken chords.
Core mastery skills
- All major scales at performance tempo
- All learned minor scales, played accurately
- Arpeggios and broken chords in familiar keys
After Technique
Pieces learnt, interpreted, and polished until they can be played from memory.
Core mastery skills
- Correct notes and rhythm in a full piece
- Perform from memory with confidence
Repertoire, by stream
Classical: Interpret a graded classical piece in the style of its period.
Contemporary & Worship: Perform a song from a lead sheet with a fitting accompaniment pattern.
After Repertoire
Playing by ear, improvising, creating original music, and a closing recital.
Core mastery skills
- Work out a tune by ear and play it back
- Improvise a melodic idea over a familiar progression
- Deliver a rounded closing recital
Repertoire, by stream
Classical: Compose and notate a short original melody.
Contemporary & Worship: Create an original song or arrangement as a lead sheet.
No child is rushed through a level
The last class of each level is the assessment. Play the three skills and the badge is earned. Not there yet simply means more practice on the one skill that needs it, then another go.
Questions parents ask
Does my child need their own instrument?+
Yes. Students practise between classes, so access to their own instrument at home is essential. We are happy to advise on suitable beginner instruments before you buy.
My child has never played before. Where do they start?+
At Level 1, Sound. It assumes no prior experience and begins with how to hold and care for the instrument.
My child already plays a little. Must they start at Level 1?+
No. A short placement assessment establishes what they can already demonstrate, and they begin at the level that fits.
What if my child is not ready to move up?+
There is no failing. A student who has not yet demonstrated a skill keeps working on that one skill with their instructor and reattempts the assessment when ready.
How long does the whole programme take?+
Nine levels, eight classes each. How quickly a student moves through them depends on their practice and readiness, not a fixed schedule.
Start their first note
A short placement assessment finds the right level, so your child begins exactly where they should.
Register your child →