Piano: ABRSM
I prepare piano students for ABRSM exams. The pieces are classical, and I teach them alongside the songs a student wants to play.
Exams and theory · Long Bay, Auckland
Exams and Grade 5 theory,
if you want them.
I am Adam Whybro. At my studio in Long Bay, on Auckland’s North Shore, I prepare students for ABRSM piano grades and RSL Rockschool guitar grades, and I teach ABRSM Grade 5 Theory of Music and below. Lessons are one to one, $35 per half hour. Grades are optional.
Book a lesson
or text 021 162 3447
- Exams
- Optional. ABRSM on piano, RSL Rockschool on guitar.
- Teacher
- Adam Whybro teaches every lesson, one to one.
- Price
- $35 per half hour, $70 per hour. Invoiced a month at a time.
- Lesson times
- Weekdays from 3:15pm. The last lesson finishes at 7pm on Monday, 7:30pm Tuesday to Thursday, and 6:30pm on Friday.
- Theory
- ABRSM Grade 5 Theory of Music and below.
The boards
Which exams I prepare students for
Guitar: RSL Rockschool
I prepare guitar students for RSL Rockschool exams, on acoustic or electric guitar.
Theory: ABRSM Grade 5
I teach ABRSM Grade 5 Theory of Music and the theory grades below it. Grade 5 usually comes before the higher practical grades.
I teach beginners through to intermediate players, children and adults. Singing is beginner level only, and I do not offer singing grades or exam preparation for singing. Beginner singing lessons
Does my child have to?
Grades are optional
A grade is a deadline.
Deadlines suit some players and flatten others.
I never push grades, and plenty of students here never sit one.
Either way, lessons mix songs a student wants to play with the technique that makes them possible.
If you do want a grade, the one thing I will not do is promise it by a date.
ABRSM Grade 5 Theory of Music
What Grade 5 theory is for
Passing ABRSM Grade 5 Theory of Music is the usual way to meet ABRSM’s requirement before a Grade 6, 7 or 8 practical exam.
So a student heading past Grade 5 usually sits the theory exam first. I teach it, and the theory grades below it.
It is worth having for its own sake as well. Theory explains what you are playing and why a song works.
My own qualification
ABRSM Grade 8 in piano, Grade 5 Theory of Music passed with distinction, and studied toward a performance Diploma.
In a parent’s words
What a parent says about the practical and the theory
My son has been having lessons with Adam for a while now and his progression is amazing. I can’t thank Adam enough for his patience and guidance with both the practical and theoretical aspects of music.
Entering an exam
How an exam entry works
I do the entry, and I check with you before I do.
- I check with you first. I enter a student once you have agreed and I have checked they are ready.
- You get an honest answer. I tell you how it is going, whether that is good news or not.
- The fee goes on your invoice at cost. It is what the board charges me, nothing added, and I show you the receipt.
Once a student is entered, the board keeps the fee whether they sit the exam or not. That is why I ask first.
Short answers
Questions about exams
Which exam boards do you prepare students for?
ABRSM for piano and RSL Rockschool for guitar. I also teach ABRSM Grade 5 Theory of Music and the theory grades below it. I do not offer singing grades.
Does my child have to sit exams?
No. Grades are optional and I never push them. Plenty of my students never sit one and play beautifully.
What is Grade 5 theory for?
Passing ABRSM Grade 5 Theory of Music is the usual way to meet ABRSM’s requirement before a Grade 6, 7 or 8 practical exam. I teach it, and the theory grades below it, at my studio in Long Bay, Auckland.
Can an adult sit a grade?
Yes, if you want one. I teach adults, and the boards are the same: ABRSM for piano and RSL Rockschool for guitar. Nobody has to. In lessons for adults there is no exam at the end unless you want one.
How long does a grade take?
It depends, and I will not promise a grade by a date. How far someone gets depends on what happens between lessons at least as much as what happens in them. What I will do is tell you honestly how it is going.
Fees, parking, sitting in and the studio cat are on the common questions page.
The practical part
$35 per half hour, $70 per hour
Fees
Every instrument, every level. Invoiced a month at a time, so there is no term to pay up front. No enrolment fee, no booking fee and no deposit.
Times
Lessons run Monday to Friday from 3:15pm. The last lesson finishes at 7pm on Monday, 7:30pm Tuesday to Thursday, and 6:30pm on Friday. There are no weekend lessons.
First lesson
There is no free trial. The first lesson is a real lesson at the normal price, with no obligation to continue.
Where
24 Westerley Place, Long Bay, Auckland 0630. Street parking is about 20 metres from the door.
Exam entry fees are separate. If you ask me to enter a student, the board’s fee goes on your invoice at what the board charges me. More about fees
Book a lesson or text 021 162 3447