GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR
MUSIC LESSONS
These guidelines will help
you to have a successful, rewarding experience in your
musical study. These are practical tips that we have
discovered from experiences with teaching hundreds of
students over many years.
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 have
given many adults—even into their 80’s--the opportunity
to develop their musical ability to a level allowing
them the rewards of participation in community and
church instrumental and vocal ensembles.
For children, starting the
right program at the right age is a key element to the
success of their lessons. Some people will tell you “the
sooner the better” for private lessons 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 music just because they
had one unpleasant experience that 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 determining how young a
child can start taking music lessons.
Birth to Age 5
A group music class will give young children early
exposure to the joys of music making and provide a good
foundation in music basics which will be helpful in
later private lessons. At this age, private lessons
generally do not work as the child has not yet
experienced the formal learning environment of
kindergarten or school and learns more effectively
through the game-oriented preschool environment. Our
school offers the nationally recognized and licensed
Kindermusik curriculum program to maximize a child’s
potential in musical development from birth to age 5.
Age 4 to 7
Very young children learn differently than older
children. Starting a very young child successfully on a
musical instrument hinges on factors involving the
readiness and learning style of the child, the amount of
time the parent has available to receive training to
effectively assist the child at home, teachers trained
and qualified to work with the age and learning style of
the child, and an educational environment that provides
older children to serve as models for the child in group
activities and school performances. Our school provides
parent training, carefully selected faculty qualified to
work with young children successfully, and group
experiences several times a month.
Violin/Piano/Cello: At our
school 4-5 years old is the youngest age that we start
children in private lessons, supplemented with group
experiences. At this age they have begun to develop
longer attention spans and can retain material with
ease. Some teachers will start children as young as 3,
but experience has shown us for most children the most
productive learning occurs when the beginner is 5 or
older. A child may show a preference for the low tones
of the cello or the treble (higher-pitched) tones of a
violin. To avoid injury to the developing body of the
child, both instruments come in small sizes. Young
pianists play on a full-sized piano, with an adjustable
bench and foot stool. We guide you in obtaining
proper-sized equipment for your child.
Guitar - Acoustic, Electric
and Bass
8 years old is the earliest we recommend for guitar
lessons. Guitar playing requires a fair amount of
pressure on the fingertips from pressing on the strings.
Children under 8 generally have small hands and may find
playing uncomfortable. Bass guitar students generally
are 10 years old and older.
Voice Lessons
Depending on the specialty of the teacher, 6-10 years
old is recommended as the youngest age for private vocal
lessons. Due to the physical nature of voice lessons
(proper breathing techniques, development of the vocal
chords and lung capacity), the younger body is generally
not yet ready for the rigors of vocal technique. For
children younger than 10, we have a children’s choir
(ages 6-9) that teaches them how to use their voices
properly, in a fun, relaxed environment, a Kindermusik
program (Birth to Age 5).
Drums
The average age of our youngest drum student is 8,
depending on the size of the child. They have to be able
to reach both the pedals and the cymbals.
Wind Instruments
Depending on the student’s lung capacity (and in the
case of the saxophone the size of the instrument), we
recommend that most beginners are 9 and older.
2. PRIVATE LESSONS OR GROUP
LESSONS?
Look for a program that
provides both. Group classes work well for preschool
music programs, theory lessons, and as important
supplement to private lessons where students learn to
play as a group and enjoy the peer motivation and
camaraderie of others pursuing similar goals. When
actually learning how to play an instrument, private
lessons are far superior to starting in a group only,
since in private lessons it is hard to miss anything,
and each student can learn at his/her 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 lesson period, the student is the
primary focus of the teacher. The student learns at a
pace that is most enjoyable and effective for him or her
and progresses at an optimum rate.
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 is not
distracted by TV, pets, ringing phones, siblings or any
other household activities. With only 1/2 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 at different
levels and by being exposed to a variety of musical
instruments. In a music school, the lessons are not just
a hobby or sideline for the teacher but a responsibility
that 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 every
day. Here are some ways to make practicing easier:
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 student is fresher and less
reminding is required by parents to get the child to
practice.
Creative Repetition of Small
Segments
Games are especially effective with young beginners in
taking the tedium out of the repetition. For a very
young student 20 or 30 minutes seems like an eternity.
Instead of setting a time frame, we use creative
repetition. For example, practice certain small segments
(“hard-work spots”) 4 times every day followed by the
entire piece 2 times, and this scale 5 different ways:
like a frog, like an elephant, etc. (according to
whatever imagery speaks to the student.) Sometimes the
number of reps can be determined for each day by picking
a domino, a card, or rolling a dice. Rather than
watching the clock, the students know if they are on
repetition number 3 they are almost finished.
Incentives and 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 we reward young children for a successful
week of practicing with stars and stickers on their
work. Praise tends to be the most coveted award - there
just is no substitute for a pat on the back for a job
well done. School-wide Practice-thons are periodically
held with medals to celebrate several weeks of
consistent practice. Sometimes we all have a week with
little practicing, in that case there is always next
week.
Performance Options
Look for a variety of performance options to fit the
needs of each student. We offer 4 low-keyed in-house
solo/ensemble recitals per year, 1 or more group
performance opportunities in the community, and periodic
tour groups. We have helped our students receive top
honors in festivals and competitions, receive placement
on honor’s recitals, in masterclasses with visiting
nationally recognized guest clinicians, and successfully
audition for youth symphonies and All-Region and
All-State orchestras. All performance opportunities are
optional according to the desires of each student.
5. USE RECOGNIZED TEACHING
MATERIALS
There are some excellent
materials developed by professional music 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
researched materials ensure that no important part of
learning the instrument can inadvertently be left out.
If you ever have to move to a different part of the
country, qualified teachers and institutions will
recognize the materials and be able to smoothly continue
from where the previous teacher left off.
Most Importantly . . .
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
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