6 Ways To Get The
Most Out Of Music Lessons

These guidelines will help you have a successful, rewarding experience learning an instrument. These are practical tips that we have discovered from years of teaching .

1. When is the best time to start?
Adults can start lessons at any time. Their success is based on how willing the adult is to commit to practicing. We teach many beginning adults who are in a variety of life stages.

Starting students at the right age is one key to success. If a child is put into lessons too soon, they can become frustrated and want to quit. 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 progress very well.

Piano/Keyboard: 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-Acoustic, Electric and Bass: 9 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 9 generally have small hands and may find playing uncomfortable. Bass guitar students generally are 10 years old and older.

Voice: 11 years old is recommended as the youngest age for private vocal lessons. Due to 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 techniques.

Violin/Viola: We accept violin students from the age of 5, but some children can start as young as 4 1/2. At this age, the student will progress well if the parent is willing to assist them in their practice at home. The teacher can tell you what to help them with even if you know nothing about music.

Trumpet/Trombone/Tuba/ Euphonium: Brass instruments require physical exertion and lung power. Students who are starting 5th grade can begin trombone, tuba and euphonium lessons.

2. Get the benefits of individual lessons.
Individual lessons occur weekly. Individual lessons are desirable because your student gets one-on-one attention with the instructor and lessons can be tailored to the student's unique learning style and pace of advancement. For that lesson period, the student is the teacher's focus. The teachers also enjoy this as they do not have to divide attention between multiple students at a time and can help the student do their best.

3. Take lessons in a professional 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, the teacher and the student cannot be distracted by t. v., pets, phones, siblings, or anything else. A professional school environment can produce better results since the only focus of the instructor and the student during the lesson is learning music. In a music school, the lessons are not just a hobby or extra income for the teacher but a responsibility which is taken very seriously.

4. Make practicing easier.
Improving in music takes "bench time". 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 more enjoyable:

TIME: Schedule practice time into your daily routine just as you do for homework and other activities so it becomes a habit. Try to schedule a time when the student is alert and productive such as after school or as part of their homework rather than when they are exhausted. When practicing, please maintain an environment free of distractions such as the TV, siblings, phone calls, and negative comments. This will make practicing more productive and develop their concentration skills.

REPETITION: We use repetition rather than a set amount of time for young beginners since young children often do not have a good concept of time. For example, a student is assigned to practice this piece 4 times each day and this scale 3 times each day. The child will then know they are almost finished with the piece for the day when they finish the third repetition and will have finished a specific goal rather than trying to figure out how to fill up 20 minutes sitting with their instrument. By using repetition, most students will practice for a sufficient amount of time without realizing it.

REWARDS: This works well for both children and adults. Some adults reward themselves with a cappuccino after a successful week of practicing. For children, a small reward such as a day off from chores might be appropriate if the student accomplished a small goal such as having an excellent practice week. A larger reward could be reserved for a larger accomplishment such as the completion of a lesson book. Be creative! We reward students for their work with stickers and stars. Praise tends to be the most coveted award- there is just no substitute for a pat on the back for a job well done. Sometimes we all have a week where little gets accomplished, so there is always next week to get back on track.

5. Keep your instrument regulated and tuned.
TUNING: It is best if your piano is tuned once in the fall and once in the spring. Pianos are made of wood, felt, and metal. The wood shrinks and expands from seasonal changes which changes the length of the strings and causes it to go out of tune. Why is it beneficial to be tuned? You want your piano to sound like the teacher's piano so the student's ear will be trained to hear what is right and learn faster. Imagine sending your child to a soccer game with flip-flops. Yes, they can still run in them, but the children with the proper shoes will perform better because their equipment is more appropriate and in good condition.

REGULATION: Pianos are like cars. They need maintenance and repairs. A regulation is like getting a good tune-up for your piano. After so many miles, your car needs new tires, new antifreeze, new transmission fluid, new spark plugs, new distributor cap, the belts checked, new brake pads, among other things to put your car back into optimal running condition so it will function more efficiently. After so many years of seasonal changes and use, the felt in the piano gets compressed, the wood can get distorted from the seasonal changes, and small parts occasionally get broken from use. A regulation will put your piano back into optimal playing condition and your student will be more satisfied with practicing because their piano functions properly. Imagine having your child practice soccer at home with a flat soccer ball. The ball will not function properly so the child quickly becomes discourages and no longer wants to practice at home. The child may love playing in soccer games but hates to practice at home. With properly maintained equipment, your child will succeed better and faster with less discouragement.

6. 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. There are also excellent supplemental materials developed to correspond to the lesson book materials that can be quite motivating for students.

HAVE FUN!
Music can be enjoyed for a lifetime! An instrument takes time to develop proficient skills, so try not to put unrealistic expectations on yourself or your children. Everyone learns at their own pace and should enjoy the musical journey.