Five 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 experience with teaching hundreds of students each year.

1. HOW YOUNG IS TOO YOUNG - starting at the right age. Adults can start any instrument at any age. Their success is based on how willing an adult is to commit to practicing. We teach many beginner students. For children, starting at the right age is a key element to the success of their lessons. The following are guidelines we have found to be successful in determining how young a child can start taking music lessons.

3-4 year olds : If a preschooler has a keen desire and wants to start music, a group pre-school dance class will give them a good foundation in music through song and dance, rhythm, timing and coordination.

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 age. Students 5+ up also possess the hand size required for the keyboard.

Guitar- Acoustic, Electric and Bass : 7 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 7 generally have small hands and may find playing uncomfortable. Bass guitar students generally are 10 years old and older.

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.

2. INSIST ON PRIVATE LESSONS WHEN LEARNING A SPECIFIC INSTRUMENT. When learning an instrument, private lessons are far superior because it is hard to miss anything and each student can learn at their own pace. The student is the primary focus of the teacher.

3. 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 school environment, a student will not be distracted by TV, pets, phones, siblings or anything else. Students in a school environment are also motivated by hearing peers who are at different levels and by being exposed to a variety of instruments.

4. MAKE PRACTICING EASIER. As with anything, improving in music takes practice. Time: set the same time every day to practice so it becomes part of a routine or habit. Repetition: 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: 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 is the most coveted award—there just is no substitute for a pat on the back for a job well done.

5. USE RECOGNIZED TEACHING MATERIALS. There are some excellent teaching materials developed by music educators that are made for students in a variety of situations. For example, there are books for very young beginners, and books for adult students that have never played before. These materials have been researched and are continually upgraded and improved to make learning easier. There are books that can start you at a level you are comfortable with. These materials ensure that no important part of learning the instrument can be left out.

HAVE FUN! Music should be something that you enjoy for a lifetime. Everyone learns at a different pace and the key is to be able to enjoy the journey!