Teaching a New Student (Part 3/4): During the Lesson

Build Rapport

Introduce yourself to the student and their family. In group settings, have all of the students introduce themselves.

Get to know the student. You can ask them about their favorite food, movies, TV shows, music, hobbies, etc. Try to find something that you have in common!

Communicate Expectations

It can be helpful to explain what will happen during a lesson, especially if the student is shy, has a short attention span, or has difficulty transitioning between tasks.

While you can do this verbally, it is usually more effective to write a numbered list of the planned activities. Incorporating pictures can be even more beneficial.

Try to start and end with easier or preferred activities to motivate the student. Cross off activities once they're completed!

Assess the Student's Skills

For beginners (and non-beginners):
What comes easily to the student? What is difficult? Some examples are below:

Academic

• Can they recognize letters?
• Can they read?
• Can they count to 10?

Cognitive

• Do they understand the concept of same/different?
• Can they match letters or colors?
• How long is their attention span?
• Do they follow directions?
• How are their short-term and long-term memory?

Musical

• ​​Can they imitate simple rhythms?
• Can they imitate complex rhythms?
• Do they have perfect pitch?

Physical

• Can they move their fingers independently?
• Can they maintain a steady internal beat?
• Can they synchronize with an external pulse?

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Sensory

• Can they see?
• Can they hear?

​Spatial Awareness​

• Can they differentiate between left/right?
• Do they understand the concepts of up/down and high/low? 

For non-beginners:
What is the student's current level? Ask them to show you previous method books and the piece that they were last working on. Ask them if they can play any pieces from memory. 

In addition, have the student sightread pieces of varying difficulty. Ask them if a particular piece or section is "easy," "medium," or "hard." Let them know that it is okay to tell you if a piece is too hard. Emphasize that you don't want to start with a piece that is too hard for them. ​

Teach!

Here are some sample lesson outlines. They can be adapted for different instruments.

For Beginners

1. ​Introduce posture/position, and how to hold the instrument if applicable
2. Warm ups, if applicable
3. Introduce basic rhythms (quarter note, half note, whole note)
4. Introduce one or two notes (or chords) from the first piece
5. Introduce the first piece
6. Have the student try playing the piece*
7. Give feedback**
8. Ask the student what was easy and what was hard
9. Model if applicable
10. Repeat Steps 6-9 as necessary, now focusing on specific concepts or sections
11. Try adaptations, if applicable
12. Introduce a new piece, if the student is ready
13. Repeat Steps 6-9
14. Discuss progress

For Non-Beginners

1. ​Review posture/position, and how to hold the instrument if applicable
2. Warm ups
3. Review a previous piece or pieces
4. Give feedback
5. Introduce a new piece, if the student is ready
6. Discuss any new concepts
7. Review note names
8. Have the student try playing the piece*
9. Give feedback**
10. Ask the student what was easy and what was hard
11. Model if applicable
12. Repeat Steps 8-11 as necessary, now focusing on specific concepts or sections
13. Introduce a new piece, if the student is ready
14. Repeat Steps 8-11
15. Discuss progress

*Focus on one thing at a time and build as you go: identifying notes, identifying rhythms, using the correct hand, using both hands, using the correct fingering, playing at the appropriate tempo, playing with appropriate dynamics, etc. 

​**Remember to balance praise and constructive criticism when giving feedback! Check out our blog post www.rubatomusictherapy.com/blog/praise-vs-constructive-criticism for more on this topic.

Set Boundaries

It is important to set boundaries from the beginning. This requires you to reflect upon your own teaching philosophy as well as your experience as a student.

Some Food for Thought

• How do you want to be addressed? By your first name? By your title and last name?
• Do you tend towards being more lenient, or strict? When you were a student, what qualities did you appreciate (or not appreciate) in your music teacher? Which approach does this particular student need?
• How much time do you spend practicing now, compared to when you were a student? What's going on in the student's personal life and schedule? What amount of time is reasonable to ask this student to practice every week? 
• At what point is this student ready to move on or "graduate" to the next piece?
• At what point will you redirect a student?
• What is your role? How can you teach the fundamentals while giving the student opportunities to be creative and make choices - to be their own musician?