Baltimore in home music lesson teachers are always looking for ways to make young beginner lessons fun and engaging for a student. A young beginner can be defined as any student starting before age 7 on any instrument, and the most common instruments to be started before age 7 are piano, strings (especially violin), and drums. Though going through normal weekly exercises and pieces is a traditional way to conduct lessons, an extra spark of creativity and interaction can help a teacher pique a younger student’s interest and actually make lessons more productive. But what are some ways that teachers travelling to the homes of students make this possible? Answer: there are many portable and accessible ideas and accessories that can help you, the teacher, achieve this and put the fun in a young beginner’s lessons.
1. Hand Percussion Instruments
Whatever instrument the student studying, hand percussion instruments can come in handy during lessons. These types of instruments range from triangles and bells to rhythm sticks and tambourines. Young students love to play with these instantly gratifying and versatile instruments, and the teacher can create an infinite amount of rhythm practice exercises with them. As a Baltimore in home music lesson teacher, I have found many favorite possibilities, such as tapping out the rhythm of a song with rhythm sticks while naming the notes of a piece (thus encouraging good counting and reading skills) to simply establishing the concept of a steady beat with a tambourine. The great thing about hand percussion instruments is that they are very portable and can be found at most music stores.
2. Age Appropriate Writing/Theory Books
For many popular young beginner methods, there is an accompanying music theory or writing book that goes along with the curriculum. Students under the age of 7 often enjoy collaborative exercises where coloring or drawing is involved, and it’s a great opportunity for creative expression. For example, if a student is learning the difference between keys on the piano, there are several coloring sheets and pictures of piano keys that can be used to identify and differentiating notes by coloring them. One Baltimore in home music lesson teacher likes to bring in several copies of the keys on the keyboard and have the student identify all of the “D” keys or another note on one day, then at another lesson, color in a different key on a new worksheet. Her students love this exercise, and she finds that it is very effective in building key recognition that lasts, but in a fun way.
3. Musical Games
A teacher can really let their imagination guide them with musical games. ANY activity, from playing a song or exercise to simply locating notes or playing simple rhythms, can be turned into a game. This takes the concept of music lessons from a weekly event where a young student has to sit still and focus, to a time when they will do this naturally, because they are interested in the ‘game’ aspect. Sometimes this can be as simple as flash cards and as complex as a note-reading computer game. Personally, I like to build out some games as a Baltimore in home music lesson progresses, like finding a difficult rhythm that can have funny lyrics applied and recited 3 times, or even clapped, stomped, then sung. The possibilities are endless!
In Conclusion
Like students of any age, young beginners like to feel excited by their musical study, and teachers must therefore be creative in the way they approach this demographic. Different teaching techniques should be molded to the age and interests of particular students, and for young beginners, any lesson involving colors, drawing, games, and new experiences will be engaging. For Baltimore in home music lesson teachers, this may mean supplementing the experience in different ways than for older students, but in bringing the creativity, you are sure to make music study informative and memorable for your young students!
For fun, in home music lessons for your young student, contact us to get started with a great teacher in the Baltimore area! Our teachers will come right to your home for every lesson, plus we offer virtual music lessons, too. However, our online music lessons are being taught by local music teachers with live lessons tailored to your child! Contact us today to learn more.