Oxford-based piano player
and teacher
Steve Burholt has worked professionally as a pianist and session musician, with artists including Aswad, George Michael and writing for TV and film. He currently plays piano with the latin band Mambo Panthers.
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Steve also regularly publishes online tutorials on Instagram and YouTube.
I met Steve through a recommendation and he has exceeded all expectations. Steve has the experience, patience and the creativity to help me play chords and tunes in both a challenging and understanding way to suit my ability.
(Tim, Oxford)
...more testimonials
ABOUT ME
I help adult students develop confidence in playing the piano by ear. I teach many people who have had piano lessons before, but are frustrated that they can't just sit down at the piano and improvise. Note: I only teach adults.
I start by explaining basic chords and harmony, and use this as a basis for learning how to play by ear. I demonstrate different options for accompanying yourself at the piano, that can create interest and movement.
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If that sounds like something you’d like to explore further, please read the student testimonials or get in touch.
HOW I TEACH
I offer tuition for adults of all levels and interests, in person or online. I am an experienced teacher and aim to give students a solid understanding in a relaxed and enjoyable setting.
NO NEED TO READ MUSIC
I want my students to enjoy playing the piano, and to develop confidence. I teach by ear and show you how to follow basic chord charts. It certainly helps if you already know a few major scales.
HOW IT WORKS
Lessons last one hour and are tailored to the individual student. I start by explaining basic major and minor chords and show how they can be arranged in patterns in popular songs. I then explain different ways to accompany yourself on the piano (right-hand melody and left-hand chords, arpeggios and basslines etc).
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PAYMENT
You can pay in cash or by bank transfer. For online lessons PayPal can be used too.
Please pay within 24 hours of the lesson. Some students find it useful to pay for a couple of lessons in advance.
Please give 24 hours notice of any cancellation. If not, I ask that you pay the full amount of the lesson.
WHICH STYLES
DO YOU TEACH?
I teach a range of styles including blues, boogie-woogie, jazz, reggae, cuban/latin, neo-soul and hip-hop. See a list of songs I have taught recently.
TOPICS COVERED
Chord harmony
Popular chord sequences
Left and right-hand independence
Accompaniment styles
Advanced chord harmony
Improvisation
Scales and modes
Syncopation
Technique and articulation
Using the pedal effectively
Left-hand chord style for jazz
Creating basslines in the left-hand
Ear-training
How to work out chords from a song
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VIDEOS
For more videos, including live performance, see the Videos page