HOW TO ORGANIZE YOUR FIRST MUSIC LESSON

Do you love the music so much to make it your profession? Do you decided to teach it because you like children? Are you not sure how to organize it because you’ve never done before?

In this post I will show you some tips for your first music lesson.

Whatever is your instrument!

Now, say that you are a pianist conservatory graduated or a lover who has studied by himself, for sure you will need some specific tools for your lessons,so we start with the basic ones:

• Make full your box of pens, erasers, pencils, ruler and color (you’ll  lose them all at the end…sorry!)
  
• Pentagram notebooks, white sheets, normal notebook (the student will forget his personal notebook almost always)
  
• Scores of all types and for all ages always at hand (for example, I leave them in my car directly)
• Buy a ‘Agenda where you will score what you will need in the next lesson (such as new music, different techniques for the student etc …)

But the only real tool that will help you in all is only one:

PASSION

If you do it just for money, please, don’t even try, especially because music is always considered less to other materials and you will be sometimes face to face in awkward situations with parents, children, adults and without passion you will feel to lose time for sure. 

If you feel a good musician you have to say “thank you” to one of your teacher at least !

ok …back to us!

When I did my first lessons I felt so clumsy, I was scared I couldn’t measure up and destroy a possible musical future of a poor child. Then I learned how to “manage” the situation, getting more familiar lesson by lesson and more security in what I was doing. It is important to understand first of all

WHO IS STAND ON YOU

Every child and adult are different, some of those easy to manage, some are difficult and some are impossible. Yes … impossible!

Many parents (I still have to understand why) force their children to study a musical instrument. I agree with “try it!” … but not force it! I was in hysterical situations (between mother and son) of  fights and tears! Can you magine it ?!

The other important thing to remember is: I know? / Can I do ?

This doesn’ t mean being perfect, it means “Can I teach something to this person or not?” so at this point make an examination of conscience and answer to yourself .

You know your level. If you teach a child who has never touched an instrument, surely you will be able to help him, if one of your friend sounds less good of you, you will be able to help him …

[themify_box style=”red comment” ]One Day I decided to continue my studies at the Conservatory, so I asked my teacher to prepare me for the admission … she replied: “I can not! Tom is used to prepare boys for admissions than me, so …call him!” [/themify_box]

Now you have the necessary, the passion, you know who you’ re teaching, you know if you can or not … Let’s go to organize the lesson ! Take a look at these points:

1. Establish a relationship of trust with the student
2. Create music games
3. read the music and memory of music
4. Follow the student’s musical style by imposing the bases
5. Break up the study with seriousness moments and leisure moments 

N. 1 ESTABLISH A RELATIONSHIP OF TRUST

The first thing you need to do is put yourself in the student skin because you are his “anxiety factor” so you have to calm him. Of course this changes depending on the age and character of the subject. But after few lessons the situation became better.

How can you do that? With sympathy! Try to make clear to the student that the lesson is a relaxing moment where he learns new things, without pressure and without
destroy him at the first mistake.  

With young children (4-7 years) I use everything that can increase their self-esteem such as STICKERS! Every good lesson on staff quadernino put 1 to 3 stickers that indicate the skill during that lesson and achievements that day!

Small gestures like these can increase your child’s self-esteem and overall make closer the Teacher-student relationship. I did my teacher with me and I was so happy when I came home with as many as 3 starlets at home!

For the biggest compliments are made relaxed over time, such as after 3-4 lessons if you see a net improvement then say it! Make him understand that every improvement is the result of their effort, the hardest part (as we all know) is the beginning and are therefore deserved congratulations!

N.2 CREATING MUSIC GAMES

All we get bored doing Technique … except some masochistic (joke)!

So, you need to find Musical-Games, especially for children!

These are some sites on internet that have a several coloring games, play and listen games etc…usually I find my inspiration from these websites to create some of my own invention:

●DSO kids.com ●Perfect Pitch Orchestra ●wemakethemusic.org ●letsplaykidsmusic.com●midnightmusic.com ●makingmusicfun.net ●tothemoonandbackblog.net ●mamma.pourfemme.it●musicalfabeto.it 

If you like to know 5 musical education apps CLICK HERE

N.3 READING AND MEMORY OF MUSIC

I have friends who have done years of piano lessons without learning how to read a note, after few years they didn’t remember anything!

I believe that being able to read notes is NECESSARY  ! 

So, fill yourself of patience and teach to ALL your students (of any age) music notation . For each song/music you have to ask to your student to read the notes alone firstly (Yep, they will take time) then you can help them to remember these in the performance, and in their individual study will come their memory. Put them to the test always, where there is the mistake, stop them, let them read the notes and after they will repeat it (also by memory) but FROM THAT POINT (or shortly before) but not from the “easy” point for them!

Do not fall into the trap of the question “CAN I START AGAIN FROM HERE?“

After a careful study of the notes you will ask the song/music by memory, because also the memory is really important for the musical growth of the student.

[themify_box style=”red warning” ]If you’re enjoying this post you can help me “spreading the word” about MusiView just with one CLICK to one of these link (unless you did already) for repay me for the days which I spent for complete this post. I will be really GRATEFUL and happy for your help ![/themify_box]

 N.4 FOLLOW THE STUDENT’S MUSICAL STYLE BY IMPOSING THE BASES

X = basic songs/music/tracks
Y = tracks/music/songs too easy – too difficult – not of your style

All students will say : “I want to learn Y … I want to know Y … I would like to sing Y ….”

Your answers will be:

-Ok … But first you have to know how to do X.

-When you will arrive at this point of X we begin to read Y.

– If you can’t do X you can never do Y.

–  we will do Y next lesson , today we do X.

-Ok … We can study  Y together with X because you need it. (If you are kind)

The desire to learn to play an instrument always comes from a particular song or from a musician, we’d like to start from this level and see immediate results, but unfortunately it’s not like that. Follow their interest, find easier versions, but never forget what is necessary for his technique, so even scales, arpeggios, chords, detached, legato etc…

N.5 BREAK UP THE STUDY WITH SERIOUSNESS MOMENTS AND LEISURE MOMENTS

The music is also fun.

If someone wants to learn music is because he LIKES it and it is how should be always (ok…almost always). You will be always in trouble : “I don’t like it … I don’t want to do it … it’s not my style … I just can’t …” All sentences you said once (even
just in your head), but like a “Teacher” you need to encourage, entertain,  and make music easy!

Make him understand that if someone could do almost surely he can do it … almost surely? Yes almost, because it depends on their determination, that you will be able to develop but not forever.

In my life I felt what I call “the spark” with some teachers. No … I didn’t fall in love with them … but in a way ! The spark born when the relation teacher-student  is direct and the student could take almost all in a positive and easy way.

It’s hard to find a teacher like this… also between the most talented musicians in the world.

 

This is how you can organize your first music lesso, but with this small guide I didn’t made you a TEACHER, but today we need the music, we need to spread it mostly to children and 

if you feel that you can do it … why not?

For sure someone knows less than you about music and if you are honest with yourself and with students, it would be a little big help for spread the Music word.

HAVE NICE NOTES