As well as building a fun life-long skill, piano lessons encourage creative thinking, develop math and reading skills, and improve students' overall educational progress. As a result, over six million children in the United States take piano lessons! One of the choices parents have when their children begin lessons is whether to enroll their son or daughter in private lessons or in group lessons. Below are some common questions parents ask when making this important decision.
QUESTION:
What is the difference between private and group lessons?
ANSWER:
Private lessons are usually thirty minutes in length. These individual lessons provide a high degree of one-on-one instruction. I recommend private lessons for young students ages 5 to 7. Group piano lessons are longer, generally 45-minutes to an hour in length, and consist of two to four students. During group lessons students play digital pianos or keyboards with headphones and receive both individual and group instruction. In group lessons students are introduced to new skills and given individual playing assignments. The teacher rotates among the students throughout the lesson to check on their progress and provide additional instruction.
QUESTION:
Don't children learn more in a private lesson?
ANSWER:
Not necessarily, and it depends very much on the student. Some children thrive with individual instruction and progress faster than the teacher can introduce new music. They even go on to learn other pieces and purchase additional music on their own. The challenge here is simply getting the student to incorporate the teacher's instructions on technique, etc. into their playing. Each week these independent learners come to class to show their teacher all the songs they have learned to play that week. Wouldn't it be great if all students were such independent learners? Can teachers and parents encourage students to become more independent learners? Absolutely!
Group lessons build confidence and help children in piano develop independent learning skills. Why? Because private lessons can often create a dependence on the teacher that students have a hard time overcoming, as many children grow to believe they cannot learn on their own without their piano teacher repeatedly showing them every new thing. Group lessons create a fun and supportive environment where students learn to take ownership of their progress and have confidence in their abilities. These lessons are a great way for children to learn, and many children learn much faster in a group setting than in individual lessons. Students in group lessons enjoy learning both from the teacher's instruction and from other students. It's beneficial for kids to know that all piano students have the same challenges to work through.
I encourage most beginning students who are eight years of age or older to start out in small-group lessons. However, I have found that private lessons typically work best for two groups of students. First, they can provide a solid learning foundation to very young students (ages 5 to 7) who need one-on-one instruction to get off to a great start. When children get a little older and have the basics, they can move into a group lesson. Second, private lessons are appropriate for late intermediate to advanced students who are looking to apply music theory and advanced playing techniques requiring intense instruction and dedicated home study.
QUESTION:
Can't group lessons be intimidating for students due to peer pressure and competition?
ANSWER:
While parents may understandably be concerned that group lessons create peer pressure and competition, group lessons actually help students feel more independent and more confident in piano. In group lessons students play the pieces they've just had instruction on before they leave the lesson, which helps them feel secure about playing their songs at home. As students often play their songs for each other during lessons, it also helps avoid the performance anxiety students can experience at recitals. Plus, students generally find that working together with other students increases creativity and fun. Over time, experience has shown that most children learn more in small-group lessons because they encourage independence and build confidence, which is not only a strong foundation for success in piano lessons but in many other areas of their lives as well.
Now you have all the information you need to make this important decision. For information on the benefits of piano lessons, read my earlier post, How Piano Lessons Benefit Young Children.
Best Wishes,
Cynthia Marie VanLandingham
