HGS MUSIC | GETTING THE MOST OUT OF 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 working with students.
1) How Young is too Young? - Starting 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 adults of all ages. 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 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 of music because they had one unpleasant experience that 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. 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 the strings. Children under 8 generally have small hands and may find playing uncomfortable. Bass guitar students generally are 10 years old and older. 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. Voice Lessons *For Young Children* – We recommend 5 years old as the youngest age for this program. Due to the physical nature of voice training, we offer a program of fun relaxed singing for young children that allows them to learn how to use their voices under the supervision of a teacher. *Vocal Training* – 10 years old is the youngest age recommended for these lessons. At this age, a person has developed enough physically to handle proper breathing techniques, development of the vocal chords and lung capacity. Drums The average age of our youngest drum students is 8 years old. This varies greatly depending on the size of the child. They have to be able to reach both the pedals and the cymbals. Saxophone Due to lung capacity and the size of the instrument, we recommend that saxophone beginners are 9 years old and older.
2) Insist on Private Lessons when Learning a Specific Instrument
Although we offer group lessons for local park districts and schools, we believe private music lessons are the most effective way to learn an instrument. In a private lesson, the teacher can focus solely on the need of the individual. The student gets the teacher’s undivided attention and together they can work toward making the student the best musician they can be.
3) Take Lessons in a Professional Learning 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 television, pets, ringing phones, siblings or anything else. With only 1/2 to an hour 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 that is taken very seriously.
4) Make Practice 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 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 adults. 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, some of our teachers reward young children with stars and stickers on their work. Praise tends to be the most coveted reward. There 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 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. We also develop and test our own teaching materials, especially for the guitar and bass.