The Value of Private Lessons

New technology is great but can only take you so far!

Today, there are plenty of folks who tell you that they have some special knowledge which allows them to help you get "something for nothing." The problem has become even more intense in our lousy economic situation. For music teachers, this means that the idea that you can learn to play anything without doing any work or investing any money is a constant situation.

It's very sad, as happiness is critical to success in life. I have found that many folks are not happy unless their lives contain some music. The most happiness goes to those who actually make music rather than merely listening to it.

That being said, how do you best ("best" means cheapest and most convenient) learn to make music? Get a new app? Attend a class? Watch videos on "youtube.com?" What do you DO to learn to play?

My experience (over 25+ years of it) is that none of the above will work all the way and once the person decides they can NOT make music they won't ever bother ever trying again. The best way to ensure you are successful is to get a small keyboard and take some lessons. It doesn't have to take forever but you DO need a live teacher, a real person.

Having someone to teach you about music is good for you regardless of your primary instrument. Let's say you play flute or horn. Wouldn't it be best for you to understand the topic of music? Thus, you could focus on those things that are critical to you and your instrument. Many colleges and universities even insist on a piano class for everyone with a music major! Honestly, a keyboarded instrument is the best way to learn about music itself.

There are many reasons for this, not the least of which is that the structure of musical notes can be SEEN right in front of the student, something not possible with vocals, band and orchestra instruments, guitar, etc.

Also, anyone involved with music (such as singers) performs better when they understand things. This means that they are not simply "following orders" but are doing something they understand and agree with - in this case western music.