Many people ask us if they can take music lessons alongside their son or daughter. Most often, these requests come for guitar or piano lessons, though sometimes for other instruments as well.
Taking lessons together can be an excellent bonding experience, especially for beginners. Children are often deeply inspired by watching their parents play music. Seeing a parent learn and make progress helps children believe that they can do it too.
While the bonding and motivation are wonderful benefits, it’s also important to recognize when it might be time to separate the lessons. Although it’s fun to start together, as students develop, it becomes clear that each person has different needs when it comes to musical training.
Group lessons work very well for beginners and can also be excellent for advanced students in the form of master classes and specialty workshops. However, beyond the early stages, private instruction becomes much more efficient. Every student — child or adult — has individual strengths and weaknesses, and people learn physical and mental concepts at different paces.
Music tends to bring out the playful, curious side of all of us, even as adults. In semi-private lessons (parent and child together), I’ve observed that sometimes the parent may unintentionally dominate the session, trying to move faster if they grasp a concept more quickly. This can leave the child feeling frustrated or discouraged if they feel they can’t keep up. In other cases, the child may actually progress faster musically, and the parent may inadvertently hold them back.
Every situation is different. Some families benefit from taking lessons together for a year, some for a few months, and others just for a few weeks. The key is to communicate openly with your music instructor from the start. Discuss your goals and plan ahead for when it might be best to transition from shared lessons to individual instruction.
Recognizing the right time to shift from group to private lessons ensures that you and your child get the most value from your music experience.
Henry Bahrou – Guitarist, Music Theorist, Music Academy Director
Grosse Pointe Music Academy
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