Saxophone lessons in Kingston, Surbiton and New Malden
One to one lessons in my New Malden studio, or online. Teenagers and adults, from first notes to advanced.
- UK Music Teacher of the Year, 2020 and 2021
- First-study tutor, University of Cambridge, 2012 to 2025
- Enhanced DBS checked
Send up to a minute of your playing on WhatsApp. I’ll reply with a voice note: one thing that’s working, and one thing to fix.
Close to Kingston and Surbiton
My studio is in New Malden, KT3, in the Royal Borough of Kingston. It’s a short drive from Kingston and Surbiton, and New Malden station is two stops from each by train.
Lessons run Wednesday to Friday. A term keeps the same slot every week, so it fits around school and work.
I don’t travel to students. The studio is set up so I can play alongside you, and that’s where a lot of the learning happens.
From Kingston
Two stops by train
From Surbiton
Two stops by train
Lesson days
Wednesday to Friday
About me
I’m Dan Forshaw. I’ve taught the saxophone for more than twenty years, thirteen of them as a first-study tutor at the University of Cambridge. I was UK Music Teacher of the Year in 2020 and 2021.
I still perform. I lead my own quartet, I’ve played Ronnie Scott’s and Pizza Express Dean Street, and I studied privately in New York with Branford Marsalis, Ravi Coltrane, Dave Liebman and Chris Potter.
I play Yanagisawa saxophones and D’Addario reeds. You can learn more about my SYOS mouthpieces here.
I hold an Enhanced DBS certificate and full safeguarding training.
Who I teach
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Teenagers
From age 12. Grade exams, school band and orchestra parts, or simply getting properly good.
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Adults
Complete beginners, and players picking the saxophone up again after years in the loft.
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Jazz players
Sound, time and phrasing first. Then improvising in the language of the players you love.
How to start
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Send me a clip
Record up to a minute on your phone and send it on WhatsApp. I’ll reply with honest feedback, free.
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Book a consultation
Thirty minutes, £35. You play, I listen, and you go home with a clear diagnosis and a plan. No commitment after it.
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Book a term
Ten weekly lessons on a Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, in the same slot each week. Paid in advance.
What happens in a lesson
We start with sound, every time. Tone, time and phrasing, then the music you want to play.
I play alongside you, so you hear the difference straight away. You leave with a short, specific plan for the week.
Can’t make it to New Malden?
Lessons work well online. Same days, same approach. You’ll need a decent microphone and a steady internet connection.
Prices
Consultation
£35
Term of ten lessons
£280
Feedback on a WhatsApp clip is always free. Online lessons are the same length and price. Give seven days’ notice to move a lesson. With less notice it’s charged, because the slot was held for you. Full terms
What students say
He’s given me more confidence than I ever had before and I’m loving playing my sax again.
Lyndsay
Dan reinvigorated this middle-aged wannabe latecomer to the saxophone and made him feel like he unleashed his inner Coltrane… can’t recommend him highly enough.
Adam G
Questions
Where is the studio?
In New Malden, KT3. You’ll get the address and parking details when you book.
How do I get there from Kingston or Surbiton?
It’s a short drive from both. By train, New Malden is two stops from Kingston, via Norbiton, and two from Surbiton, via Berrylands.
Can you come to my house?
No. Lessons are in my studio or online. The studio lets me play alongside you, and that’s a big part of how you’ll improve.
Which days do you teach?
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. A term keeps the same slot each week. Message me on WhatsApp and I’ll tell you what’s free.
Do I need my own saxophone?
Yes. If you’re buying or renting your first one, ask me first. I’ll point you to something that won’t hold you back.
Do you prepare students for exams?
Yes, if you want them. Exams are a useful target. They aren’t the whole point.
What if I miss a lesson?
Give me seven days’ notice and we’ll move it. With less notice the lesson is charged, because the slot was held for you. Read the full terms.
How does the free feedback work?
Record up to a minute of yourself playing anything you like, on any phone, and send it to me on WhatsApp. Within a week I’ll reply with a short voice note: one thing that’s working, and one thing to fix first.
I’ve never played. Where do I start?
Message me on WhatsApp. For a beginner, the consultation is your first lesson: we’ll get a good sound out of the saxophone and set you up to practise.
Send me a minute of your playing
Record yourself on your phone and send it on WhatsApp. I’ll reply with honest feedback, free. When you want more, book a consultation.
Or email hello@sax.coach
Closer to Wimbledon or Raynes Park? See lessons near Wimbledon.