Using Stickers as a tool to help younger students practice their music lessons is a great way to keep a child’s motivations high! Fast Music Lesson Progress What is the fastest way to progress in music lessons? I hear this question all the time as a music teacher in South Florida. The answer, as you
Music Lessons
Playing By Ear – The Intervals That Make Ear Training Possible
Playing by ear is something that many people want to learn how to do. Some of the songs that we want to learn aren’t written on sheet music. Learning this way requires some time and building blocks. So for the beginners who have been taking lessons for a little while, this one is for you.
Classical, Jazz, and Modern/Pop Trumpet Teachers: What To Expect
A standout member of the brass family, the trumpet is a unique and powerful instrument that attracts a wide range of players, teachers, and enthusiasts. Not surprisingly, the trumpet is used in many different types of music, making it an extremely versatile instrument. In this article, I’ll describe what kinds of things you can expect
Tips and Techniques for Improving Sight Reading
Sight reading is the act of picking up a piece of music you’ve never seen before and playing it through to the best of your ability. Proficiency in sight reading is one of the goals of any music instruction. Of course, your ability to sight read will naturally improve as you develop your note-reading skills
How Private Guitar Lessons can Help you Become a Rock Star
Most guitar students I’ve ever taught or met want to be in a band. They want to play in rock bands. They want to play in church bands. Some admit, with only a little bit of coaxing, that they want to become rock stars some day. When I interview potential students about guitar lessons, the
Why Pianists Teach
The desire to share things is universal. As musicians, teaching others — sharing what we have learned musically — is a fundamental part of who we are. Someone asked me recently why so many excellent pianists have chosen to teach piano. Why don’t we just stick to performing? Why subject ourselves to legions of piano
How Advanced Drummers Can Get Past the Plateaus
For most people, the word plateau conjures up an image of a flat, elevated area, one with inclines above and below. A plateau can be a welcome resting place when climbing a mountain. On a plateau, we are not climbing, not making any real progress up the mountain. Instead, we are walking forward. Now think
How Environment Affects Music Lessons
When it comes to music lessons, I think the environment is extremely important. Most of my music teacher friends and colleagues teach in a school or music studio setting. As a teacher with Lessons In Your Home, I teach in students’ homes. Although private in-home music lessons are far more convenient for the student than
Beginner Piano Lessons for Kids Should Be Fun
Piano is the perfect instrument to start youngsters on! Piano is the gateway instrument, exposing students to the fundamentals of music and preparing them to explore other instruments over time. The best thing a teacher can do in beginner piano lessons is to make them fun. In this article, I suggest a number of piano
Do I Really Need to Practice Guitar With a Metronome?
As a practicing and performing musician, and especially as a teacher, I sometimes think about the mistakes I made when first learning my instrument — mistakes that still haunt me to this day! I often discuss these regrets with fellow musicians, and the biggest complaint I hear is “I wish my teacher made me practice