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5 Ways 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.
1. HOW YOUNG IS TOO YOUNG - STARTING AT THE RIGHT AGE
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 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 determining how young a child can start taking music lessons.
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 60’s and 70’s.
2-4 Years Old
If a preschooler has a keen desire and wants to start music, a group preschool music class or piano prep class will give them 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. Check out our music based preschool program, piano prep class and parent-child movement and music classes to give your child an all around fun musical learning experience.
Piano or Keyboard
At 3 years old children can begin our piano prep class. This class is all about having fun and experimenting with the keyboard as well as some other instruments (though piano is the focus). You do not need to have a piano at home as no practicing will be required.
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. You can choose from piano teams or private lessons, though we strongly suggest starting with teams as the non-reading curriculum and variety of activities fit this age well.
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. We will start a child as young as 6 years old if the parent is willing to come and participate in every lesson to ensure the teaching is not forgotten in the week.
Voice Lessons
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 5-9) which is complimentary for any child enrolled in any class at our school.
Drums
The average age of our youngest drum student is 8. This varies greatly depending on the size of the child. They have to be able to reach both the pedals and the cymbals. If a child is willing to start with a single drum pad, and the parent is involved, we have had great success with children as young as 6.
Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone, Trumpet, Trombone & French Horn
Due to lung capacity and in some cases the size of the instrument, we recommend that most woodwind and brass beginners at 8 and older.
Violin
We accept violin students from the age of 5. Some teachers will start children as young as 3, but experience has shown the most productive learning occurs when the beginner is 5 or older.
2. 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 the television., pets, ringing phones, siblings or anything else. With only 30-60 minutes 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 which is taken very seriously.
3. 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 less reminding is required by parents to get the child to practice.
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 then 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.
Rewards
This works very well for both children and adult students. Some adults reward themselves with a delicious dessert 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 practice tokens to spend in our vending machine. Older students are rewarded with points to earn a sheet music piece of their choice from the store. We also use student of the week WOW cards, stickers, end of level medals and more. 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.
4. 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 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. 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.
5. HAVE FUN!!
Music should be something that you enjoy for a lifetime. 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.
Clearfield
801-621-6683
620 E 1700 S
Clearfield, UT 84015
Ogden
801-621-6683
120 E 4700 S
Ogden, UT 84405
