Learning a musical instrument is brilliant for your child’s development and it’s an excellent hobby that they can use to express themselves. But playing an instrument is difficult, which is why you need to make sure you find them the right music tutor. There are plenty of different tutors out there but the quality of their lessons varies a lot. So, the question is, how do you separate the good from the bad? These are some of the main things you should look for when selecting a music tutor for your child.
Qualifications
Qualifications are always a good place to start when comparing music tutors. If you are paying somebody to teach your child about music, you need to know that they know what they are talking about. So, see what qualifications they have and what experience they have as a musician. There are a number of different certificates in music available, so it may be worth doing a bit of research to understand what each qualification means. Although certifications are not required for private music tutoring, they do demonstrate a certain level of capability, so it’s worth asking about. You can see the qualifications of our Music Tutors here.
A Goal-Oriented Approach
The way that music tutors approach their lessons varies a lot. Some will take a free-form approach, teaching different pieces to your child and helping them develop the different techniques needed for those pieces. Often, these lessons simply involve playing together and practicing, which is important, but it’s best to find a music tutor with a more goal-oriented approach. A good tutor will set clear goals at the end of each session so your child has direction when practicing at home and they build on what they have learned each week.
Fun Lessons
Although a goal-oriented approach is important, it’s equally important that a music tutor understands how to make lessons fun. Playing music is an incredibly rewarding and creative activity, but it can quickly become a chore if the teacher doesn’t make things fun. Repeating scales over and over or learning difficult, technical pieces that the child doesn’t enjoy can quickly suck all of the fun out of lessons. A good tutor knows how to combine the important practical teaching with some fun stuff to keep your child engaged.
Spotting Problem Areas
This is an essential skill for a music tutor because if your child plays something wrong or uses poor technique and it isn’t picked up on, it quickly becomes a habit and it’s tough to break out of. A good music teacher can pick up on those problem areas quickly and teach your child the correct way of doing things, so they get into good habits early on.
A Positive Attitude
Learning a musical instrument is tough and it can be very frustrating. It can take around 2-3 years before your child is proficient in their instrument and even then, there is a lot more to learn. Your child will only keep up with their practice if their tutor has a positive attitude and encourages them instead of putting them down when they get things wrong.
If you can find a music tutor with all of these qualities, your child will enjoy their lessons and learn a lot.
Why not book a free trial lesson with one of our fantastic music tutors today!
Simon