Class lessons v. One-To-One Lessons
What is the best environment for children to learn?
One of the things we hear a lot from new parents is “…but private lessons are better aren’t they?”
It does seem that this is the established opinion of many looking for music lessons for their child, but where did this belief come from?
What is most natural for children?
Scientists will tell us that it is built into our DNA to belong to a group. This is how we evolved - we are programmed to learn from each other and anyone who is cut off from their group or tribe is a rarity, often used as a method of punishment.
When it comes to children learning a musical instrument, why should that be different?
One-to-one lessons (private lessons) certainly can have their place, but there is strong evidence to support the power of learning in a group!
How do class lessons work?
The Yamaha Education System, which has been developed over many years, has a specially designed curriculum with class learning in mind and provides holistic musical training. However, to succeed, there there must be the right conditions…
- To be the same or similar age - with children this is vital as different age groups go through rapid stages of brain and body development at certain times.
- To be the same standard - in order for children to learn together at the same time and progress at the same rate. For example, beginners must start lesson one together.
- Teachers need to have obtained the right level of ear-training - to be able to distinguish everyone and hear what is going on when everyone is playing together.
- Teachers need to be confident with all the different stages of physical and psychological development that children go through
- in order to be able to deliver the most appropriate lesson content at the right time. Yamaha call this ‘Timely Education’.
Once these conditions are established, children can thrive and gain a much broader experience of music by learning in a class lesson with peers, rather than one-to-one lessons.
They will share a common goal and will support each other with their musical learning - all leading to confident musicians with a robust set of skills that can be transferred from one scenario to another.
