How_To_Get_The_Most_out_of_Music_Lessons

HOW 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 experience with teaching hundreds of students each year.

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 60s and 70s and beyond. It’s never too late to start playing music.

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. Certain cognitive and physical abilities tend to develop at certain ages. A child’s music instruction needs to take this into consideration. If a child is put into lessons too young, 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.

Kindermusik
Children in the 0 - 5 year old age range tend to do well in a preschool music class, which will give them a good foundation in music basics and will be helpful in later applied lessons. Occasionally, if the child has a strong desire and the parent is very patient instrument, instruction can begin on a child sized instrument or piano. Shorter lesson times may be arranged due to attention span. Visit the Kindermusik website to learn more.

Piano/Keyboard
At our school, five years old is the youngest age that we start children in group method and private piano lessons. At this age, they have begun to develop longer attention spans and can retain material with ease.

Guitar - Acoustic, Bass, Childbloom, Classical, and Electric
Five years old is the earliest we recommend for our Childbloom Guitar Program, a program geared specifically for children between five and 12 using child-sized student guitars. Guitar playing requires a fair amount of pressure on the fingertips from pressing on strings, so we ask that the guitars be nylon stringed (i.e. “Spanish” style). Students in our Acoustic, Bass, Classical, and Electric lessons generally are 13 years old and older.

Voice Lessons
Eight to 10 years old is recommended as the youngest ages for 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. Lessons are available in Broadway/Classical and Pop styles.

Drums
The age varies greatly depending on the size of the child. They have to be able to reach both the pedals and the cymbals. Generally, students as early as 8 years old can begin drums.

Violin
We accept violin students from the age of 5. Some teachers will start children as young as 3, but experience has shown us the most productive learning occurs when the beginner is 5 or older. A blending of traditional and Suzuki methods is found to be very effective.

Consider Group Lessons
Group classes work well for music programs and theory lessons. At our schools, group lessons are no larger than four to a class. This allows for the student to receive individual attention as needed but also teaches them how to play with other musicians. The curriculum is geared toward the small group format. It strengthens their rhythm and awareness of dynamics. Students learn not only from the instructor, but also from each other. All celebrate success. Students feel a sense of accomplishment from the start.

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, TV, pets, ringing phones, siblings, or anything else cannot distract a student. With only a half hour lesson time a 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.

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:

Play - Try referring to “Practicing” as “Playing.” If parents say “It’s time to play your instrument,” children will be “practicing” without knowing it.

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, 20-30 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 cappuccino after a successful week of practicing. Parents can encourage children to practice by granting them occasional rewards for successful practicing. Praise tends to be the most coveted award - there just is no substitute for a pat on the back for a job well done. Don’t give up! Sometimes we all have a week with little practicing, in that case, there is always next week.

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. Our teachers are certified or licensed to teach the methods available.

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 enjoy the journey.

Allied Music Instructors

Knoxville’s Preeminent Music School

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