A common question we get when registering new students for music lessons is how long, and how frequent, their lessons should be. While each student is unique, here are a few basic guidelines we suggest following!
We always schedule lessons on a once-a-week basis. Some parents who are new to music worry that one lesson a week isn’t enough, but it is usually just the right amount! This is because unlike other activities, such as group sports, a lot of the work that goes into learning music actually takes place at home. Students use the days in between lessons to practice skills and songs their teachers have introduced during lessons, ideally practicing a little bit each day. Your child’s instructor can give you some great tips on effective ways to practice at home to make the most of each weekly lesson!
When starting to learn a new instrument, we usually suggest beginning with 30 minute lessons. Many beginning students are on the younger side, and it can be challenging for some kids to sit still and focus for longer than half an hour. Even older students usually don’t need lessons longer than 30 minutes - again, most of the work of learning music takes place outside of lessons, especially at a beginning level.
As students grow more advanced, they may want to look at lengthening their lessons, especially if they participate in high-level musical groups or are thinking of pursuing a degree in music. By this point their instructors may be working with them on multiple challenging pieces that can’t all be covered in just 30 minutes. We offer both 45 and 60 minute lessons, both of which are great options for these more advanced students.
We love working with our families and instructors to find a lesson strategy that best fits each student’s individual needs. If you’re unsure about how long your lessons should be, don’t hesitate to reach out - we would love to help you on your musical journey!