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Covington School of Music - 985.590.4545
Mandeville School of Music - 985.674.2992
River Ridge School of Music - 504.738.3050
Five Ways to Get the
Most From Music Lessons
These guidelines will
help you or your child to have a successful, rewarding experience in
the music program of your choice. These are practical tips that we
have discovered in our experiences with teaching hundreds of students
each year for the past 30 years.
1. How Young is too
Young - Starting at the Right Age
Adults can begin any instrumental or vocal program at any time. The
success is based on how willing the adult is to commit to practicing.
We teach many adult beginner students of all ages, even in their 60’s
and 70’s.
For children, starting
at the right age is a key element to the success of their lessons at
LAAPA. Some people will tell you “the sooner the better,” but this is
not always true. If a child is placed into private lessons too soon,
they may feel overwhelmed and frustrated and want to stop lessons. It
is never beneficial to continue an unpleasant experience which could
cause the child negative feelings regarding music in general.
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 for
4 Year
Olds and Younger
If a pre-schooler has a keen desire and wants to start music, ongoing
Kindermusik classes 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. Our
school provides Kindermusik classes taught by a licensed Kindermusik
educator for group classes for children and their parents from birth
through age 4.
Piano/Keyboard
At our school age 5 is the youngest that we begin 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
Age 8 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
Age 10 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 offer a piano/singing
lesson and/or a children’s choir (ages 4-10) that teaches them how to
use their voices properly, in a fun, relaxed environment.
Drums/Percussion
The average age of our youngest drum
student is 4. This varies greatly depending on the size of the
child.
Flute, Clarinet, &
Saxophone
Due to lung capacity (and in the case of the saxophone the size of the
instrument), we recommend that most woodwind beginners are 9 and
older.
Violin
We
accept violin students from the age of 4. Some instructors
will start children as young as 3, but experience has shown us the
most productive learning occurs when the beginner is 4 or
older.
Trumpet, Trombone, &
Tuba
Instruments of the brass family require physical exertion and lung
power. 9 years and older is an optimum time to begin trumpet. Ages
10 and 11 are generally the most suitable for beginning the trombone
and tuba.
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. Each student is able to learn at
their own pace. This means the instructor does not have to teach a
class at a particular 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. Instructors also enjoy this
as they do not have to divide their attention between 2 - 6 students
at a time and can help the student exclusively.
3. Take Lessons in a
Professional Teaching Environment
Learning music is not just a matter of having an instructor, but also
having an environment that is focused on music education. In a
professional school environment a student cannot be distracted by
television, pets, ringing phones, siblings, etc. 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 side-line for the teacher, but a responsibility which 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 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 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 with stars and stickers for their work, as well
as placing their names on the flashing electronic board in our waiting
areas for 3 superior ratings earned in a month’s time. 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!
5.
Use Recognized Teaching Materials
There are some excellent materials developed by professional music
educators that are designed for students in a variety of situations.
For example in piano, there are books for very young beginners and
books for adult beginners. Teaching materials are available for all
ages and levels in any situation. These materials have been
researched and are continually upgraded and improved to make learning
easier and ensure that no important part of learning the instrument
can be inadvertently omitted. If the student should relocate to a
different part of the country, qualified teachers and institutions
will recognize the materials and be able to provide a smooth
transition in your music instruction.
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. |
