To Get The Most Out Of Music Lessons
These guidelines will help you to have a successful, rewarding experience learning an instrument. These are practical tips that we have discovered from years of teaching and our experiences with teaching hundreds of students each year.>/p>
1. How Young is too Young – Starting at the Right Age
Adults can start any instrument at any time. Their success is based on how willing an adult is to commit to practicing. We teach many beginner students in their 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and above.
For children, starting at the right age is a key element to the success of their lessons. Some people will tell you “the sooner the better” but this attitude can actually backfire and be a negative. If a child is put into lessons too soon they may feel overwhelmed and frustrated and want to stop lessons. The last thing you want to do is turn a child off to music just because they had one unpleasant experience which could have been prevented. Sometimes if the child waits a year to start lessons their progress can be much faster. Children who are older than the suggested earliest starting age usually do very well. The following are guidelines we have found to be successful in detereming how young a child can start taking music lessons.
Piano
At our school 5 years old is the youngest age that we start children in private piano lessons. At this age they have begun to develop longer attention spans and can retain material with ease.
Guitar, Ukulele
5 years of age is the earliest we recommend for guitar or ukulele lessons. At this age we would recommend a ¾ or ½ size guitar and/or a standard size ukulele. Guitar and Ukulele playing requires a fair amount of pressure on the fingertips from pressing on the strings. Children under 5 generally have small hands and may find playing uncomfortable.
Bass, Mandolin, Banjo
Our Bass, Mandolin & Banjo students are generally 10 years old and older.
Drums
The average age for our youngest drum students is 8. This varies greatly depending on the size of the child. They have to be able to reach both the pedals and they cymbals.
Violin
We accept violin students from the age of 5.
Vocals
10 years old is recommended as the youngest age for private vocal l lessons. Due to the physical nature of voice lessons the younger body is generally not yet ready for the rigors of vocal technique.
2. Insist on Private Lessons when Learning a Specific Instrument
Group classes work well for preschool music programs, and theory lessons. However, when actually learning how to play an instrument, private lessons are far superior since in private lessons it is hard to miss anything, and each student can learn at their own pace. This means the teacher does not have to teach a class at a middle of the road level, but has the time and focus to work on the individual student’s strengths and weaknesses. For that lessons period, the student is the primary focus of the teacher. The teachers also enjoy this as they do not have to divide their attention between 5 – 10 students at a time and can help the student be the best they can be.
3. Take lessons in a Professional Teaching Environment
Learning music is not just a matter of having a qualified teacher, but also having an environment that is focused on music education. In a professional school environment a student cannot be distracted by t.v. pets, ringing phones, siblings or anything else. With one ½ hour to one hour of lesson time per week, a professional school environment can produce better results since the only focus at that time is learning music. Students in a school environment are also motivated by hearing peers who are a different levels and by being exposed to a variety of musical instruments and styles. In a music school, the lessons are not just a hobby or side-line for the teacher but a responsibility which is taken very seriously.
4. Make Practicing Easier
As with anything, improving in music takes practice. One of the main problems with music lessons is the drudgery of practicing and the fight between parents and students to practice everyday. Here are some ways to make practicing easier:
a) Time – Set the same time every day to practice so it becomes part of a routine or habit. This works particularly well for children. Generally the earlier in the day the practicing can occur, the less reminding is required by parents to get the child to practice.
b) Repetition – We use this method quite often when setting practice schedules for beginners. For a young child 20 or 30 minutes seems like an eternity. Instead of setting a time frame, we use repetition. For example, practice this piece 4 times every day, and this scale 5 times a day. The child does not pay attention to the amount of time they are practicing their instrument, but knows if they are on repetition number 3 they are almost finished.
c) Rewards – This works very well for both children and adult students. Some adults reward themselves with a cappuccino after a successful week of practicing. Parents can encourage children to practice by granting them occasional rewards for successful practicing. In our school each of our teachers has a different way of rewarding students including our student of the month reward for outstanding achievement. However, praise tends to be the most coveted award – there just is no substitute for a pat on the back for a job well done. Sometimes we all have a week with little practicing, in that case there is always next week.
5. Use Recognized Teaching Materials
There are some excellent materials developed by professional educators that are made for students in a variety of situations. For example in piano, there are books for very young beginners, and books for adult students that have never played before. There are books that can start you at a level you are comfortable with. These materials have been researched and are continually upgraded and improved to make learning easier. These materials ensure that no important part of learning the instrument can inadvertently be left out.
Have Fun!!
Music should be something that you enjoy for a lifetime. So, try not to put unrealistic expectations on yourself or your children to learn too quickly. Everyone learns at a different pace and the key is to be able to enjoy the journey. Here at our studio we try to custom tailor the lessons to meet each students specific needs whether that means learning their favorite rock tunes by ear or learning to read music in a more traditional approach.