5 WAYS TO GET THE MOST OUT OF MUSIC LESSONS
These guidelines
will help you to have a successful experience learning an instrument.
These are practical ways that we have discovered from years of teaching
and our experiences with teaching many students over the years.
1.
Starting at the right age: How Young is too Young?
For children,
starting at the right age is a key to the success of their lessons.
Some people will tell you the sooner the better but this belief 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.
Piano
At
our school, 4-5 years old is usually the youngest age that we encourage
private lessons. At this age they have begun to develop longer attention
spans and can retain material with ease. Every child is unique in
that they may develop concentration skills later or earlier than this
age. Our young students that want to progress quickly can enroll in
two separate 30 minute lessons per week instead of a one hour lesson
which can be overwhelming for the child. Studies have shown that shorter
more frequent lessons can benefit the child in his/her progress.
Violin
We accept
violin students from the age of 5. Some of our 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.
Guitar
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
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. The
child may consider piano or another instrument prior to this age to
give them a head start in note reading and ear training.
Flute
and Clarinet
Due
to lung capacity, we recommend that most woodwind beginners are 9
and older.
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
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 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.
Taking Lessons in a Professional Teaching Environment versus in your
Home
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 only = hour to one hour of
lesson time per week, a professional school environment can produce
better results since the only focus at the 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
side-line for the teacher but a responsibility which is taken very
seriously.
4.
Make Practicing at Home More Effective
As with anything,
improving in music takes practice. One of the main problems with music
lessons is the drudgery of practicing and the conflict between parents
and students to practice every day. 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
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.
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 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 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 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 insure 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.
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.
About Us
We offer piano, violin, guitar, flute, cello, voice, clarinet, saxaphone, oboe, and English horn lessons to students of all ages. We serve the La Crescenta, La Canada, Glendale, Pasadena, Tujunga, Montrose, and Sunland areas. We have about a 100 students and 12 teachers. All of our music teachers are university trained in music with many holding masters' degrees. Our teachers are chosen not only for their qualifications, but for their ability to relate to the students. We teach everyone from beginners to very advanced level students.
Location & Contact Information
2512 Foothill Blvd
La Crescenta, CA 91214
(818) 957-7438
© 2008 - La Canada Music
Studio
