Here are few helpful ideas that can help you or your child to have a successful, rewarding experience in the music program of your choice. These are practical tips that we have discovered in our experiences with teaching hundreds of students each year since 1973.

1. How Young is too Young - Starting at the Right Age

2. Instruments & Voice - Starting Age

3. Private Lessons VS. Shared/Group
4. Take Lessons in a Professional Teaching Environment

5. Make Practicing Easier

1. How Young is too Young - Starting at the Right Age

Adults can begin any instrumental or vocal program at any time. The success is based on how willing the adult is to commit to practicing. We teach many adult beginner students of all ages, even in their 60's and 70's.

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 is not always true. If a child is placed into private lessons too soon, they may feel overwhelmed and frustrated and want to stop lessons. It is never beneficial to continue an unpleasant experience which could cause the child negative feelings regarding music in general. 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.

If a pre-schooler has a keen desire and wants to start music, ongoing Kindermusik, Mini Maestros or similar local classes will give them a good foundation in music basics which will be helpful in later private lessons. Please contact us for the nearest class in your area. 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.

2. Instruments & Voice - Starting Age

Piano/Keyboard

5 is the youngest that we recommend to begin 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

Age 8 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

Students can learn to sing at a very young age, individually or in a choir, however it is very important to develop the correct technique or warm up and exercises. Age 10 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 and you should always consult a good vocal teacher it you think your child has potential.

Drums/Percussion

The average age of our youngest drum student is 4. This varies greatly depending on the size of the child, but percussion is great for those young moving bodies!

Flute, Clarinet, & Saxophone

Due to lung capacity (and in the case of the saxophone the size of the instrument), we recommend that most woodwind beginners are 9 and older.

Violin

We accept violin students from the age of 4. Some instructors will start children as young as 3, but experience has shown us the most productive learning occurs when the beginner is 4 or older. Often at a young age ROTE learning is popular, the Suzuki method is one form of this.

Trumpet, Trombone, & Tuba

Instruments of the brass family require physical exertion and lung power. 9 years and older is an optimum time to begin trumpet. Ages 10 and 11 are generally the most suitable for beginning the trombone and tuba.

3. Private Lessons VS. Shared/Group

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. Each student is able to learn at their own pace. This means the instructor does not have to teach a class at a particular 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. Instructors also enjoy this as they do not have to divide their attention between 2 - 6 students at a time and can help the student exclusively.

4. Take Lessons in a Professional Teaching Environment

Learning music is not just a matter of having an instructor, 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, etc. 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.

5. 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 Management- 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 & Praise - This works very well for both children and adult students, and should not only come form the teacher, but form the families and friends of the student. 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. Talking about a children's successful music study with other people in front of the child is great to. In our school we reward young children with stars and stickers for their work, as well as placing their names on the flashing electronic board in our waiting areas for 3 superior ratings earned in a month's time. 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!

6. Use Recognized Teaching Materials & Teachers

There are some excellent materials developed by professional music educators that are designed for students in a variety of situations. For example in piano, there are books for very young beginners and books for adult beginners. Teaching materials are available for all ages and levels in any situation. These materials have been researched and are continually upgraded and improved to make learning easier and ensure that no important part of learning the instrument can be inadvertently omitted. If the student should relocate to a different part of the country, qualified teachers and institutions will recognize the materials and be able to provide a smooth transition in your music instruction.

7. The Web as a learning tool

We know that the web is a huge and valuable resource, but there are a few things that you need to consider if you do not take the traditional approach of seeing a teacher face to face. Do not assume that all information available on the web is a correct or proper teaching method, just because it's published doesn't mean that it is correct or suits you as an individual. On the web instruction can be poorly written or communicated and can lead to bad habits, and in more extreme cases, though rare, permanent damage in the form of RSI, back issues and torn vocal chords. Always make sure the information that is being learnt is produced by a teacher that has firm teaching qualifications, a working with children's check and offers some measure to track a students progress with regular updates.

8. Summary - 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.

Thanks to www.laapa.com for some of the tips.