Making progress on a musical instrument in private lessons is often a mysterious and frustrating process, full of peaks, valleys, and plateaus. As a music student, how can you evaluate the progress you are making in your private lessons? What are the marks of a good teacher and a good private lesson experience? In this article, I share some tips on getting the most out of your private music lessons and evaluating your progress.
Keep a notebook.
Bring a small notebook to each lesson. During or after your lesson, take a handful of notes about what you learned and what you’ll be practicing that week. A good lesson should leave you with at least 3-5 short notes to take, ranging from the purely technical or physical to the mental or esoteric. Read over these notes before each practice session, and keep them in mind as you play.
As you progress with your lessons, you can flip back through this notebook. Sometimes, you will be shocked at how much progress you have made over the months. Other times, you may find notes you’d like to return to—perhaps something you’ve been forgetting to keep in mind during your playing, or a technique you’d like to review. If you find that your notes show a lack of progress over several months, it may be time to reevaluate your teacher-student relationship.
Keep it interesting.
Your private lessons should expand your understanding of the musical process in little ways each lesson. Depending on your teacher’s personality, and your personality, this could be done verbally, musically, or physically. A very good teacher will be a master of all these methods, using verbal, musical, or physical means to troubleshoot different problems. If you feel yourself thinking, “Huh, I never thought of it that way,” on a regular basis, your private lessons are likely on the right track.
Working out a long or challenging piece requires a certain amount of stamina. But if your lessons feel too easy or too monotonous, you need to find ways to reinvigorate your practice. If your teacher isn’t moving you along quickly enough, let him or her know that you are ready to try a new piece or technique. Bring a new piece to your lesson, or ask your teacher to suggest new music for you. He or she should be receptive to this, and should be able to offer you new challenges when you ask for them. (After all, music is a life-long process, and there is always more to learn!)
Be sure your questions get answered.
Your teacher should respect and attempt to answer your questions. You should feel comfortable asking about anything that confuses you.
If you are regularly asking questions to which your teacher doesn’t know the answer, or are confused by the way your teacher answers, try looking for answers elsewhere. You may have questions that fall outside your teacher’s area of expertise, or need your lessons to move more slowly or quickly. There are many different kinds of teachers, teaching styles, and areas of musical competence, and plenty of resources on the Internet and in local music stores that can help you to get your questions answered. The process of looking for answers on your own will help you to better understand your own learning style. Being aware of your own needs and curiosities as a student will help you get the most out of your lessons and evaluate if and when to switch to a new teacher.
When is it time to find a new teacher?
Each musician, and each teacher, has a unique perspective on the musical process. In lessons, we engage with music through the perspective of our teachers, and work through that perspective for ourselves in practice time. A new teacher offers us another valuable angle to musical problems, and helps us to be well-rounded musical thinkers. Adult students are advised to switch teachers every two to three years, but each teacher-student relationship is different. Decide for yourself when you are ready for a fresh perspective. Your old teacher may even have suggestions for new teachers.
