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5 Ways to Get the Most Out of Music
Lessons
These
guidelines will help you have a successful, rewarding experience
learning an instrument. These are practical tips that we have
developed from interviewing Music Teachers with years of experience.
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 will teach
beginner students at any Adult age.
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 philosophy can actually backfire and be 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 to 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/Keyboard
At NYCA 6 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.
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 or older.
Voice lessons
9 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.
Drums
The average starting age of a drummer is 8. This varies greatly
depending on the size of the child. They have to be able to reach
the pedals and the cymbals.
Flute, Clarinet & Saxophone
Due to the lung capacity (and in the case of the saxophone the size
of the instrument), we recommend that most woodwind beginners are 9
and older.
Oboe
Students
are accepted for oboe lessons from the age of 8, and from beginning
to advanced levels are taught. The recommended 1 hour oboe lesson
will cover topics appropriate to each student and can include
preparation for NYSSMA, scales, etudes, solo repertoire and
orchestral excerpts.
Violin
and Viola
We accept students from the age of 7. Some teachers will start
children much younger than that, but experience has shown us that
the most productive learning occurs when the beginner is 7 or older.
Trumpet, Trombone and French Horn
Brass instruments require physical exertion and lung power. 9 years
and older is a good time to start these instruments.
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 each student can learn at
their own pace. This means the teacher does not have to teach a
class at a middle of the road 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 of the teacher and
their attention is not divided between 5-10 students at a time.
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 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 is the drudgery of practicing and the fight
between parents and student 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 the 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 everyday 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 by
granting them occasional rewards for successful practicing. At NYCA
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
books for adults 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.
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.
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New York Conservatory for the Arts
845-339-4340
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