8 Truths about Learning An Instrument That All Parents Should Know

Learning an instrument is such a rewarding activity. But, it takes lots of work too. Here are eight truths I think all parents should know about learning an instrument.

1. It’s Not Always Going to Be Fun

It’s fun to learn new music. It’s fun to play in a group. It’s fun to perform and get applause from an audience. It’s not necessarily fun to practice every day. Its hard work( with fun as a reward as skills grow).

Fun should be the outcome of doing the work, if we expect the work to be fun we are more likely to give up.

2. Learning to Practice is a Distinct Skill from Learning to Play An Instrument

Learning to practice is it’s own skill. It can look really different from one student to another depending on their age, unique learning style, and level of playing.

If your child likes their instrument and doesn’t really like to practice – you are in good company! It doesn’t mean they don’t want to play their instrument. Practice is a discipline that students learn little by little, by trial and error, and with feedback from their teacher. It’s a skill to be developed over time for sure.

3. Your Commitment Plays a Big Role

Research shows that a parents long-term commitment to their child’s music education is a huge factor in their long term success. If you know this is something your family will stick with it is more motivating to find good solutions to challenges that come up.

Your child will also settle into playing their instrument as a part of daily life when they see it’s something that you make a part of the routine vs. just something that is being tried out for a short while.

4. Instrument Quality Matters

I often hear things like “we’ll see if my child likes to play and then get them a good instrument.” The fact is many students don’t want to play because they cannot get a decent sound on their instrument.

Please get the best quality instrument you can – if our equipment doesn’t work, and the sound coming out of the instrument is bad, students can think they don’t like the instrument when really they just don’t like that particular instrument and how it sounds.

5. If You’re Struggling Your Teacher Wants to Know

When I first started teaching I would sometimes have students quit lessons out of the blue. At least it seemed that way to me. I would find out later that they were really struggling to practice at home and it was causing daily fights with their parents. Every time this happened I so wished I would have known!

Teachers have heard it all before. We know practice can be hard. We have ideas to share and resources to point you to, so please let your teacher know if you are struggling. There is often a way to turn things around.

6. Progress Happens Between Lessons (Not At Them)

If there was a magic wand I could wave when my students came to lessons to impart the skills I want them to learn, believe me I would do it. However, learning a music instrument happens during the practice at home each week.

The teacher is providing a road map of what to do, it is up to the student to follow it if progress is going to happen. This is why it’s so important to make time in your family’s daily schedule to practice at home.

Children may have a soccer game on the weekend, but they learn the skills that allows them to play during practice on the field during the week. Music is the same, with daily (or almost daily) practice required to see real significant progress.

7. It’s Important to Enjoy the Process

I find myself saying the phrase “well – that’s what practice is for!” a lot to students who are getting frustrated by little mistakes when they are learning something new. If playing an instrument came easy we wouldn’t need years of lessons and daily practice to learn how to play it well.

Learning to enjoy the process is really important. It’s part of the process for things to start off feeling hard when they are new. It’s also part of the process for it to get a little easier every day with practice.

Celebrate the small wins. Point out the little increments of improvement you see in your child’s playing and their ability to concentrate and focus.

Read about musician’s and how they learned their instrument, and learn new music today. Music is an art – there is a process involved that is a huge part of what builds skills in our children that they will use in all areas of life beyond just the instrument.

8. It’s worth it

Practice can be a struggle. Making time for attending lessons and recitals can be a challenge. But, what our children learn through studying music is huge.

Adults who were music students report that they developed things like: perseverance, focus, sensitivity, a love of music, and the ability to break complex problems into small pieces to name a few.

Once our children get through the beginning stages of learning an instrument and start to be able to play in a group, or learn a song they heard and are excited to play. Confidence starts to grow. Our children start to see themselves as musicians. They learn skills that transfer to many other areas of life. They start to really love and appreciate music.

Thank you for investing in your child’s development as a person & as a musician!