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5 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 experiences with teaching hundreds of students year after year.
1. How young is too young? Start 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 40s and 50s.
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. 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.
3 - 4 Years Old
If a preschooler has a keen desire and wants to start music, a group preschool music
class 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.
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.
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 experiences with teaching hundreds of students year after year.
1. How young is too young? Start 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 40s and 50s.
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. 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.
3 - 4 Years Old
If a preschooler has a keen desire and wants to start music, a group preschool music
class 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.
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.
Brand new to music lessons?
Find out what you need to know!
Find out what you need to know!
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Guitar - Acoustic, Electric and Bass
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. For children younger than 10, we have a children’s choir (ages 6-9) and a preschool singing program (ages 3-5) that
teaches them how to use their voices properly, in a fun, relaxed environment.
2. Choose a school which offers a choice of group or individual lessons for beginners.
Different students require different teaching approaches. Some students progress best with the peer interaction and class motivation of
a group session. Other students prefer the focused concentration of an individual one on one lesson. Once a student is more advanced
it will be necessary to take private lessons to master the advanced techniques of an instrument or voice with individual attention. Make
sure that your student has the option to select the learning style that is best suited for them.
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 professional school environment a student cannot be distracted by TV, pets, ringing phones, siblings or anything else. 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 sideline 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 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 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 made for students in a variety of situations.
For example in piano, there are books for very young beginners, and different 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.
Most Importantly . . .
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.
If you’re in the Rogers area looking for the one school that will give you the best music education, you need try Signature
School of Music.
We are the only school in the Rogers area to offer private piano, guitar, voice, violin, bass and drum lessons, as well as
popular band instruments.
We are the largest school in the North Twin Cities, offering all of these great options, that make it easy and convenient for
busy families to give their children a variety of music options that will fit your child’s unique personality. We want to help
you on your musical journey, so...
Call us today at 763-670-8882!
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