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Music House, Academy of Music and Dance
A Chicago Performing Arts School since 1951 2925 - 2927 W. Devon Ave. Chicago, Il 60659
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Download Free helpful reports, Word format 5 Ways To Get The Most Out Of Music 4 Things Every Parent Should Know Before Choosing a Dance Studio How to help your child in the lesson and at home The Benefits of Learning to Play the Violin Making Music Raises Test Scores! or Read! 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 each year. 1.
How Young is too Young – Starting at the Right Age Adults
can start any instrument any time. Their success is based on how willing they are to commit to
practicing. 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 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 a 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 pre-schooler has a keen desire and wants to start music, a group preschool
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. 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 preschool singing program (ages 3-5) that
teaches them how to use their voices properly, in a fun, relaxed environment. Drums The
average age of our youngest drum student is 8. This varies greatly depending on the size of the child. They
have to be able to reach both the pedals and the cymbals. Flute,
Clarinet & Saxophone Due
to the lung capacity and the size of the instruments, we recommend that most
woodwind beginners are 9 and older. Violin We
accept violin students from the age of 5. Some teachers will start children as young as 3, but
experience has shown us the most productive learning occurs when the beginner is
5 or older. Trumpet
/ Trombone The
trumpet requires physical exertion and lung power. 9 years older is a good time to start the trumpet or
trombone. 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 in private lessons you receive all the attention and each student
can learn at his or her 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. The
teachers also enjoy this as they do not have to divide their attention between 5
– 10 students at a time and can help the students be the best they can be. 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 ˝ 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 lessons is the drudgery of
practicing and the fight between parents and students to practice everyday. 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 easier it is 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 a 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. 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 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
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 never 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. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Music
House, Inc
Sheet Music Direct-Listen first before downloading sheet music for your instrument, in your key! or Print at Music House! Click below!
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60 Year
Anniversary! 1951-2011
