There are two main ways of obtaining music tuition, through a school or organisation or through private tuition. The information given below may help parents decide on the best source of tuition for their child and the questions to ask of their school or private teacher. The information is not exhaustive, and parents must at all times rely on their own judgements when making a decision about choice of teacher.
Any teacher, school or organisation should be able to provide information if requested about themselves and their practice with regard to:
Fees and contractual obligations
Procedures for examinations, qualifications and formal assessments (including accompanists when required) or informal equivalent approaches
Methods of communicating with parents and schools and providing feedback to pupils, including reports and opportunities for discussion
Information about instrument purchase, further music education including appropriate bands and ensembles
Content of course of study for students of different ages and experience, with regard to other musical studies
Aural and theory training opportunities
Performance opportunities
Child Protection and duty of care
Continuing Professional Development Opportunities
Mechanisms for dealing with issues or problems and complaints procedures
Qualifications and experience of teacher
What qualifications might I expect my teacher to have in instrumental teaching?
Usually a teacher will have either a music degree or teaching diploma from a university or conservatoire of music. In some cases the diploma may be a performance diploma. Teachers of instruments that are more associated with popular music forms (e.g. drums, bass and electric guitar or keyboards) or "world" music traditions (e.g. tabla, djembe, trad fiddle) may not always have these further education qualifications but should be able to demonstrate a level of experience in their field equivalent to several years of specialist study and performance. A qualification in one instrument does not necessarily equate to the ability to teach another instrument, even if related. Further study for additional instruments or experience might be expected in this situation. It is perfectly reasonable to ask your school or private teacher for information about their qualifications and experience. Local Authority Music Services will have specific recruiting policies and job descriptions that will require a level of qualification for posts and will be able to confirm experience on request.
How long should a lesson be and what should I expect a teacher to cover in my child's music lesson?
In general an individual music lesson is unlikely to result in a good level of progress if it is less than 20 minutes in duration. With time for getting an instrument ready and reviewing a lesson and practice notes at the end, anything shorter may limit the playing time available. For group lessons it might be expected that 30 minutes would provide an opportunity for good progress with a mixture of group activity and individual attention. A teacher will not necessarily cover all musical activities within a single lesson but over a period of time you might expect a mixture of technical learning, preparation of pieces, studies and exercises, development of knowledge and understanding of music and notation, improvisation and creative music-making, duet or group ensemble playing, aural studies and theory of music. A teacher should have a course of study for each group or individual which outlines what will be covered across a year and usually within each term. They will agree targets with pupils and will have specific objectives each lesson for progression that can be reviewed and reinforced through relevant practice.
What is a good price for a lesson?
This depends on what is included in the price being quoted. As usual the mantra of "you get what you pay for!" will apply.
A private teacher will normally charge a rate for every 10 sessions for a 30 minute individual lesson and this might be in the region of £130. Missed lessons are not generally refunded. An instrument will be required to learn on - these might be obtained on a hire and buy scheme from a music shop or bought outright. Teachers will usually provide advice on a suitable instrument. Other music making opportunities may be available e.g. bands, ensembles, musicianship at an extra cost. Music books will need to be bought for tuition study and formal exams will cost extra.
For schools who employ their own music teachers or contracts them via an external agency the rate will vary depending on if the school subsidises the teaching or not. Your school will be able to advise on this and how the teachers are contracted. Instruments, books and additional music-making opportunities again may cost extra.
Music Service lessons in schools or provided externally at music centres will generally have a higher charge for lessons, however these will be in excess of 30 lessons in a year, will include free access to instruments, free access to bands and ensembles and discounted rates on other courses and instrument purchase. Exams and books will as for all lessons costs extra.
It's important also to take a consideration of the advantages of learning in school or at a music centre, the accountability for teaching and standards of teaching that are expected from either registered (with representative bodies) private teachers or local authority music provision and other factors that might influence the choice of provision
How much practice should my child do at home?
There is no fixed answer of course to this question. The most important aspects are that there is interest from parents and carers in the child's learning, including listening to practice. It is usually more beneficial to pupils at the early stage to do a little practice regularly rather than a lot once a week! Your teacher should encourage your child to practice parts of pieces carefully rather than just play through the work set in order to develop their skills. As children become more experienced they will need to and hopefully want to play for longer in their practice sessions. Taking part in bands and ensembles is another way for children to develop their playing and understanding skills on top of their lesson and usually leads to a faster rate of progression.