These guidelines will help you to have a successful, rewarding experience learning an instrument. These are practical tips that we hope you will find useful.

Private Lessons Work Best

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. In private lessons it is hard to miss anything, and each student can learn at their own pace. This means the teacher has the time and focus to work on the individual student’s strengths and weaknesses.

Take Lessons in a Professional 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 easily distracted.

Make Practicing Easier

As with anything, improving in music takes practice. 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.

Repetition

Instead of setting a time frame for beginners, we use repetition. For example, we would recommend that the child practice this piece four times every day, and this scale five times a day.

Rewards

Small rewards for a successful week of practicing work very well for both children and adult students. Young children are rewarded 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.

Use Recognized Teaching Materials

There are some excellent materials developed by professional music educators that are made for students in a variety of situations to make learning easier. For example in piano, there are books for very young beginners, and books for adult students that have never played before.

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.