Personalised Mbira Lessons for All Abilities.
Whether you want reassurance, challenge, or maybe you just know that you learn better in relationship, I’m here to support you on your Mbira learning journey.
I’m Andy, a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rated mbira author & ‘inclusive education’ consultant with 1000’s of hours teaching experience. Here’s what I offer:
Fun and fascinating lessons for all abilities
New songs, empowering exercises, and ideas
Develop your mbira playing skills
Deepen your understanding of traditional mbira music
Start from scratch, or build on your prior learning
Personalised printable resources
Your pace and Your goals
“Hi Andy,
I want to thank you. I have always wanted to understand improvisation better and now I feel more confident about my instrument.”
Not everyone learns best alone.
Some people need a clearer route. Some need a second pair of eyes and ears. Some want direct feedback. Some want a collaborator, a guide, or a steady hand beside them as they enter deeper into the music.
If that is you, this page is for you.
The guided learner
There are at least two very different reasons someone might want to work directly with a teacher.
The learner held back by self-doubt
You try to learn alone, and you get stuck. Small mistakes go unnoticed because you cannot observe your own playing objectively. Those mistakes reinforce a quiet voice that says perhaps this is not for you, perhaps you are not the kind of person who can do this.
And that voice makes asking for help feel dangerous, because what if the help confirms what you already fear?
It won't.
What it will do is show you that the mistakes keeping you stuck are small, fixable, and completely normal. Every player I have worked with has had them. The ones who asked for help moved past them. The ones who didn't stayed stuck, alone with a story about themselves that wasn't true.
The learner who knows they want a guide
You know how you learn best.
You want something personalised, something that responds to you specifically rather than offering a generic path. You want accountability, a relationship, someone who will challenge you as well as guide you. You are not looking for more content. You are looking for a collaborator.
Both of these people are welcome here.
What working together can offer
Working directly together can help with:
getting unstuck
correcting small problems before they become ingrained
understanding timing, feel, and rhythmic confidence
learning through slow-motion, live demonstration, or call and response
choosing the right next step
navigating the archive and your wider learning path more intelligently
building confidence in real playing situations
integrating songs, structure, improvisation, and personal goals more effectively
For many people, direct teaching moves them faster and further than solo learning alone.
Who this is for
This path may be especially right for:
complete beginners who want a strong start
existing players who feel stuck
players overwhelmed by too many options
learners wanting help with rhythm, singing, interlocking, or improvisation
people preparing for deeper study, trips, workshops, or archive work
anyone who simply knows they learn better through real human contact
What working together can look like
This can include:
one-off sessions
recurring lessons
monthly check-ins
deeper explanation around the material you are already learning
tailored support depending on your goals and current stage
You do not need to know exactly what format you need before getting in touch. We can work that out together.
How this fits with the rest of Mbira Magic
Working with me directly is not separate from the rest of the ecosystem.
For some people, it becomes the main route. For others, it works alongside:
videos
books
archive resources
structural learning
song/variation study
This is not a replacement for the wider world of learning here. It is one of the ways into it.
Closing invitation
If you want to work with me directly, that option exists.
And whatever brings you to it, you are exactly the right kind of person to ask.
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Already Play?
Traditional Songs and Variations
For learners drawn to Zimbabwean players, repertoire, style, and variations from the source.
This path is for people who want to go deeper into the music by learning songs, parts, and player-specific approaches that have lived in the tradition. It is a route into the beauty, depth, and character of the music as it is carried in real hands.
For many players, this material feels precious - and it is.
Song Structure and Improvisation
For learners drawn to creative freedom and deeper insight into the structures that connect traditional parts.
This path is for people who want to understand how songs fit together, how valid improvisation works, how one pattern can unlock many others, and how to move from collecting fragments to feeling the deeper coherence of the music.
This is not about replacing tradition with theory. It is about understanding the music well enough that your choices become freer, stronger, and more musical.
Choose your path
Start Learning
If you're new to mbira and want a clear, rewarding first step.
Already Play?
If you already play mbira but don't know what your best next step is.
Traditional Songs and Variations
If you're most drawn to Zimbabwean players, archive material, and deeper repertoire.
Song Structure and Improvisation
If you want to understand how this music fits together and learn to make valid improvisational choices.
Position Notation Path
If you learned through position notation and want a route that respects your journey.
Work With Me
If you'd like direct guidance, live lessons, or a more personalised route.
Whatever stage you're at, you do not have to figure this out alone. Start with the path that feels closest, and the others will be waiting for you when you're ready.