Choosing a Music Teacher
by Sam Salmon
Although it is quite possible to
teach yourself how to play an instrument, the advances that you can make with a
good music teacher and following a course of structured lessons can not be
overvalued. Don't be afraid to make that call to a teacher and discuss your
needs. As adults it can be hard to take that first step, but playing music is
undeniably good for the soul, and you shouldn't allow yourself to miss out on
the opportunity to feel happier and learn something new.
Before you make that call it helps to know what style of music you would like to
learn so you can discuss this with a prospective music teacher. Learning a style
you enjoy helps you to stay motivated and make you want to keep practicing. It
will also help your teacher to tailor the lessons to suit you.
Music teachers can be found in the local papers, Yellow Pages and Thompson Local
as well as on the internet. Go to Google and type in "music teachers in ......"
and add your town and county. Another good source is your local music shop. They
usually know the local teachers personally, or know of the good ones from word
of mouth from their customers.
There are a number of things to consider when choosing a music teacher, and
price should really NOT be one of them. Four lessons a month with an adequate
teacher who is cheap may not be as beneficial to you as twice a month with a
superior but more expensive teacher. It's true that more expensive is not always
better, but an excellent teacher will have no problem finding students prepared
to pay a higher rate.
You can expect to pay anywhere from £12 to £30 an hour, though many teachers
offer half hour lessons which may well be better for people early into their
instrument playing. Ask if there is the possibility of group lessons, if this
suits you. This can seriously help reduce the costs for those on tight budget.
Those who have family constraints or transport problems might want to consider
having a teacher come to their home.
Any good teacher will be happy to talk to you about the possibility of teaching
you and should be happy to answer your questions.
* Ask if you can sit in on a lesson. This is especially good if you're thinking
of taking group lessons.
* Avoid teachers who are not 'fun'. Playing an instrument should be fun not a
chore. If you don't find learning with a particular teacher fun, move on. It
should not be work, otherwise you'd work an instrument not play it
* Ask if you can tape record any lessons you have. A teacher who is confident in
their teaching methods will have no problem with this, and you will have a
source of reference to help you in your practice.
* Never be afraid to ask what their professional and educational experience is.
While qualifications may not be everything you should expect a music teacher to
have taken their music exams in the instrument or instruments they teach. Also
find out how long they've been teaching and the kind of people they teach. For
example - do they teach adults and children? References can be asked for, but
none come higher than personal recommendation from a happy student.
* Ask how much practice is expected of you, and find out if there will be
opportunities to perform in the future, especially if you are learning an
instrument that plays as part of large band or orchestra.
Which ever path you go down, the bottom line is practice practice practice.
Little and often is always better than spending 4 hours the day before your next
lesson trying to practice what you were shown last lesson! It never fools the
teacher and all you do is waste your own money and time. Things sink in better
if practiced a little everyday anyway. To spend 10 minutes several times a day
working on something you find particularly difficult can often achieve better
results than 2 hours in one sitting.
About the Author:
Sam Salmon runs
http://www.iwantedtobeapopstar.co.uk
helping amateur musicians find others to play with.
Source of this article:
www.goarticles.com
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