In the past we’ve discussed whether or not thirty minute lessons are ok, today we are going to discuss whether or not two lessons a week are beneficial. There are a number of things that affect the answer to this question.
The first concern is the age of the student. Sometimes younger students might not be able to sit still for a full hour so two thirty minute lessons a week can be really beneficial. It can also help the students to refresh their memory and keep a consistent flow of learning and practice. I can’t tell you how many times students have come back to me after a week and not practiced any of their material in the proper ways.
For adult students, two lessons a week can actually be a big challenge. The biggest issue with adults is time management. Just scheduling two lessons can be challenge enough. But having the practice time necessary to be prepared after only three or four days can be impossible for many people. If you find yourself with unlimited time then maybe two lessons a week could be beneficial for you.
It really comes down the individual and the amount of time they have to devote to practicing music. There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to taking multiple lessons in a week. It’s a matter of what you can and want to achieve with your free time.
Thanks again for joining me Robert Estrin Robert@LivingPianos.com (949) 244-3729
2 thoughts on “Should You Take Two Music Lessons a Week?”
What I’d like to be able to do instead of a fixed schedule of twice a week or once a month, is take a lesson, work on the homework, and schedule another when I’ve had enough time to really work on everything.
— J.S.
John S., you sound like a highly intelligent, fiercely independent autodidact with a bit of a perfectionistic streak. You probably find that most things come easily to you and hate feeling underprepared in a lesson. As a piano student I certainly recall wanting the same kind of arrangement, but it is exceedingly, exceedingly rare for that arrangement to yield progress. I didn’t make true progress until I was in a situation that forced me to work for hours every day, accept imperfection at each lesson and show up anyway, and forge time 5-7 days each week to practice no matter what. Now that I’ve taught independently for 10 years, and make a point of trying to accommodate the best learning style of the individual rather than tailoring the individual to the lesson book, I can attest that the best predictor of who will make the least progress and skip from one teacher to the next is an arrangement of infrequent, inconsistent lessons. When we are placed in situations that challenge us, make us feel a little vulnerable, and force us to communicate more effectively and openly with our teachers, we actually learn better. The one area I’ve learned not to compromise, as a teacher of students from all kinds of backgrounds, ages, and abilities, is the frequency of lessons. I encourage you to have a conversation your instructor about how much you can realistically practice, and listen to your instructor’s input regarding what kind of practice is realistically required to achieve your particular goals from lesson to lesson. Establishing good communication and trust with your teacher are key to any progress you make. I sincerely wish you the best in your endeavors!