FAQ

Choosing to go the route of Royal Conservatory depends on the student’s goals and personality. Royal Conservatory provides a clear progression of levels working toward the goal of passing the examinations and receiving the reward of the designated certificate for that grade. For those who respond well to clear progressive steps, set goals and a reward based system; this is the suggested path. However, for those who are not as easily motivated by such methods a flexible student- tailored approach is recommended.

A half hour is perfect for a beginner student of any instrument. As the student advances, they can consider 45 minutes or 1 hour lesson. Longer sessions are beneficial to those preparing for Royal Conservatory Examinations (RCM), adult students, or students working on more advanced materials.

Keyboard, Guitar, Drums or Ukulele can be bought new from Long & Mcquade, London Drugs, Costco and other musical instrument stores.(Check their online locations as well)

If you want used instruments, be sure to check Kijiji and Facebook marketplace. We need to sound a warning that as much as you like to save money, be prepared for about $200 for your musical instrument if you plan to have it for a long time and still possibly sell at great price. For piano or keyboard, buy only Casio, Yamaha, Korg and Roland. 

Here are the best keyboards to buy and still have great value for a future resale:

1. Casio (Japanese)
2. Yamaha (Japanese)
3. Korg (Japanese)
4. Roland (Japanese)
5. Kuzweil ( Korean brand)

Out of all of them, Yamaha and Casio stand out and we highly recommend these brands for their durability, sturdiness and second-hand value.

WHAT SIZE OF KEYBOARD SHOULD I BUY?

The standard keyboard is 88 keys but the most common is 61 keys. For a beginner piano student, we recommend the 61 keys keyboard which is the most common and more easy to find keyboard.

HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES:

CASIO

Yamaha: 61 keys keyboard

CASIO KEYOARD: 61 keys

KORD KEYBOARD:

ROLAND KEYBOARD:

The best instrument to start on is the instrument that you are most interested in learning. However, aside from interest one must look at age, size, learning style, motor skills and mental development when choosing your first instrument. We find that Piano encompasses all the musical skills required for a well-rounded musical exploration and expression.

You can simply buy any brand of Guitar and we do not have any discrimination and preference for a particular brand. However, depending on your training requirement, here are the different types of guitars:

1. Acoustic Guitar – This is the most common type of guitar. These come in two types and two sizes.
   1. Steel Guitar
   2. Nylon Guitar:
   3. 3/4 sized guitar for Children: usually recommended for kids learning guitar:
2. The Electric Guitar: You can choose to buy the electric guitar and if you buy used, they usually come with a small monitor speaker; otherwise, you can buy those.

The drums are an interesting instrument and the type you buy is up to you and depends on your requirements. However, we do recommend the electric drums for household uses.this is particularly so because of the level of noise the acoustic drums can produce and which may cause some troubles with your neighbours.

HERE ARE THE TYPES OF DRUMS

1. ACOUSTIC DRUMS:
2. ELECTRIC DRUMS:

At our studio we find that age 5 is a good time to start music lessons. However, for instruments like piano and guitar we are willing to take students as young as 3. One must also consider the person as each individual progresses at different rate. If you are unsure, talk to reception about a trial lesson period to determine whether you should start your child on music lessons or not.

Again, one should always focus on where interest is the strongest. However, the electric guitar can be slightly easier as the strings are smaller and closer to the fret board of the guitar making it easier on the fingers. The neck of the guitar is also smaller and more convenient for small hands.

Parents are more than welcome to attend any lesson with your child but it is not required.  It is suggested however that parents stop in from time to time for updates from the teachers as well as updates regarding studio procedures, promotions, extra programs and holiday notices.

Lack of practicing can be due to a number of things: too busy of a schedule, life phase, trouble connecting with teacher or confusion as to what they should be practicing.  As a parent, even if you are not musically inclined in order to help your children to practice there are a few practical steps that you can take. Try designating a specific time every day for music practice, download a copy of our Practice Card to track time spent, communicate with your child’s teacher about expectations, goals, preferred learning styles, and progress reports or speak to reception about finding a more appropriate teacher/student fit.

Absolutely! Our lessons are available to students age 3- 70 years and range from beginner to advanced levels. We currently have many adult students enrolled. Adult students are always welcome.

It depends on the practice commitment of the student and the instrument being played. For example; a student who practices daily will be able to play songs much sooner than one who practices intermittently.

Yes. Having your own instrument to practice on at home is vital to the learning process. However, a piano student may suffice with a keyboard at a very beginner level but must obtain a weighted 88 key digital or acoustic piano as they progress. A drum student may suffice with a drum pad for approximately 3 months but will need to acquire a drum set after this period.

There is no need to bring your instrument to the lesson. All our instruments are electric with the exception of Ukulele. This rule does not apply to the Guitar students. The guitar students are encouraged to bring their instruments for each practice if they can.

Our policy states that we do not offer make-up lessons for student absences without 24-hour prior notice. However, although not guaranteed, owed or accrued, if you speak to reception we may be able to fit you into another time spot within the week. This would be limited to the teacher’s schedule and availability.

We also offer group lessons in the studio offered by multiple students. However, kindly note the following: we found that the results were less than satisfactory. We found that the 30-minute lesson is enough time to teach one student only. We also found that one student would progress faster than the other causing insecurity, hurt feelings and a slow learning curve. Bonding of a student with their teacher is an important part of the learning process and more than one student might hinder that bonding.

We calculate payments based on the number of weeks in a particular month and the day your lesson falls on. Calgary Music Tutors calculates payment based on teaching days from September to June and divides the total sum by the number of months to determine your monthly figure. To calculate your monthly charge, please speak to someone at the reception.