 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2005-04-07 02:38
How long are your music lessons and how often do you require them? (weekly only, weekly or every other week, hour only, 45 min option, etc, etc)
The question is for both students and teachers, as I've seen some policies which the teacher only teaches hour lessons. I know that of course for College students and possibly advanced high school students that would be expected, but how about for younger (middle school) students?
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Author: Bnatural
Date: 2005-04-07 02:47
I've had alot more teachers do weekly half hour, then anything else
I'd say 4 teachers doing half hour lessons to 1 teacher doing hour lessons
All teachers I've been to were weekly
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Author: GBK
Date: 2005-04-07 02:53
All of my middle school and high school students take weekly one-hour lessons.
The one exception is a high student who takes an hour lesson every other week because of financial reasons.
My adult students also take weekly one-hour lessons, but I am flexible due to their family and work obligations...GBK
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Author: Clarinetgirl06
Date: 2005-04-07 03:02
My lessons are an hour every other week. They can also be an half hour every week or an hour every week. I can basically choose the length that I want. My lesson last Tuesday was an hour and a half, because it was close to contest and I requested for the lesson to be that long. I could personally have lessons everyday with 7 different people to get 7 different teaching styles and views, but that's never going to happen.
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Author: bflatclarinetist
Date: 2005-04-07 03:13
Actually, I've never had a real lesson, I've always just read tons of books about chapters or read a lot of here (which has taught me a lot) and by hours of practice each day I teach myself with method books and experiment to see what is right. But I think I'm finally going to start with my teacher this saturday. The lessons are half-hour every week for a month. It's pretty reasonable actually. 4 half-hour lessons a month for 76 dollars. Yep.
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Author: bill28099
Date: 2005-04-07 03:33
As a kid I took weekly 30 minute lessons. As a retread adult I try to take 2 one hour lessons a month but sometimes my teacher and I can't be in the same spot at the same time that often. As a minimum 1 hour every three or four weeks. For me 1 hour a week would be too much and we would just end up sight reading duets for lack of well worked on new material.
A great teacher gives you answers to questions
you don't even know you should ask.
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Author: EEBaum
Date: 2005-04-07 03:36
Currently: half-hour, weekly.
Previous teacher: Hour, every other week or so. (average of half-hour weekly, but he had lots of gigs, etc., so we did hour lessons to make it up)
Before that: Hour or more, every week. Paid for hour lessons, we got along well and made good progress, so often went for an additional 15-60 minutes.
-Alex
www.mostlydifferent.com
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Author: pewd
Date: 2005-04-07 03:51
during the school day lessons, 25 minutes, we have 50 minute periods and schedule 2 lessons during that period. they actually work out to about 23 minutes each, allowing for setup/packup time. i really don't like doing this, but not much choice at several schools i teach at.
afterschool, weekends - most of my students get 30 minute lessons.
one unusual 7th grader gets 1 hour every week, and we usually go for 1:15 or more until she gets tired.
summers, i go up to 45 minutes for all students. back to 30 minutes for most during the school year.
edited-frequency- all weekly.
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
Post Edited (2005-04-07 03:51)
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Author: Merlin
Date: 2005-04-07 03:52
Most of my students take half hour lessons, but I vastly prefer 45min.
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Author: Aussiegirl
Date: 2005-04-07 04:17
I have 50 minute or so lessons with my teacher every week, and that at the moment is enough to work with. When i was teaching my students, ages 10 and 12, they either had 45 mins together or half an hour each, and that was enough for them as they got tired and they had enough to practice at home from that amount of time.
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Author: tenorchick
Date: 2005-04-07 04:25
I take 1 hour lessons every other week and have for a few years. It's worked out really nicely because my school schedule is so hectic so if I don't get a chance to practice much one week for whatever reason I still have time to prepare and we're not wasting time and money on a lesson that I wasn't ready for.
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Author: John J. Moses
Date: 2005-04-07 04:28
Because of my playing schedule, I am now able to teach only adults and younger professionals. For private lessons, I charge $2 a minute, and my lessons range from 15 minutes to 2 hours.
I also teach larger group sessions of about 25 students at Colleges and Music Schools. Those sessions are usually 2 hour, with a short break in the middle.
I have done Master Classes and lectures at Yale, Juilliard, Eastman, Manhattan School, and Curtis, but the sessions differ in length from school to school. Usually 1 hour to 3 hours.
When I taught in Taiwan a few summers ago, the lessons ran about 1 1/2 hours. At the Aspen Music Festival, the lessons were usually 1 hour.
I like the lessons, or any of the group sessions, to go as long as the students are able to absorb the material. At least 1 hour is preferable.
JJM
Légère Artist
Clark W. Fobes Artist
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2005-04-07 11:19
John, I had played with the staff pianist of a top violin teacher (juilliard) and she said to me that the "masters" lessons would last anywhere from 10 minutes (with a stern "you go practice and come back when you know what you are doing") to 2 hours for those students that she liked.
Somehow I don't think that most of use could get away with that if the students are pre-paid in an institution.
Though it sure is tempting sometimes......
For me personally, I find 1/2 hours to always be too quick even for a young student - I prefer 45 minutes if possible. I have all of my students come 5 minutes early and use that time to set up their instruments. If a student comes at 8:00 for an 8:00 lesson - they are 5 minutes late. That way there is always somebody ready to play and nobody is wasting their lesson time setting up their instrument.
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Author: Brenda
Date: 2005-04-07 11:21
Weekly lessons, 1/2 hr, although it often slides into 40 -45 minutes. At one point I had 1 hour lessons every other week but it allowed me to slack off on my practice until a few days before the lesson. The weekly schedule gave me the consistency that was conducive to real progress.
Now that I'm teaching, the lessons are weekly as well. They should be 1/2 hour but when beginning students are covering their scales, warm ups, pieces, and then learning the ear training and playbacks, the time is well over the assigned half hour.
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Author: bawa
Date: 2005-04-07 11:22
Strating students (8 and 9 year olds) 45 minutes weekly. Half an hour considered to be too little. After that an hour weekly + half an hour other week with the pianist.
But students doing it "as a hobby" or to "mantain" half an hour weekly.
Keep in mind that like GBK, middle and high-school also have lessons in orchestral playing and chamber music seperately.
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Author: Allessandra
Date: 2005-04-07 12:11
My lessons are at least 30 minutes but usually stretch into 45. I have taken hour lessons before but it's not easy to prepare an hour's worth of material consistently every week with my hectic high school schedule, nor is it financially possible.
I teach several seventh graders lessons at the local middle school. I usually teach 30 minutes. I've tried 45 minutes and it seems their attention spans (or my attention span) can't handle it.
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Author: Pappy
Date: 2005-04-07 14:14
I do weekly lessons only, either one hour or one-half hour depending upon the student. Older students do an hour. My son's private teacher offers 30 minute, 45 minute or 60 minute lessons - all weekly.
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Author: allencole
Date: 2005-04-07 16:21
My primary requirement is that lessons be held every week. Even if we can't get in depth, frequent reinforcement (and interception of bad habits) is essential for younger students. Even if they are running late or have to leave early, I always encourage parents to bring them...even for a short time. Just running a couple of scales and playing a couple of tunes is well worth the trip.
Generally, I only SELL half-hour lessons, and the reasons are primarily economic. First is that parents might be hard-pressed to pay for them at over $500 per semester. Second is that I need NUMBERS of students, if I am to offer them experiences like small ensembles. Perhaps I should say that they need each other. Third is that a large number of half-hour lessons keep my business base more secure. If my class is heavy on high school seniors, for example, than I lose twice the work when they graduate.
Having lots of openings helps keep the younger ones coming in--and keeps me from having to refer folks to other teachers who will also get their word-of-mouth business. (I don't like the idea of a waiting list, and have made it my rule to refer students elsewhere when there are no openings)
However, I am definitely a fan of the hour lesson. I get them in when I can and do so in a couple of ways.
1 - I give adults and homeschoolers full-hour lessons for the price of a half-hour on the condition that they come during morning or mid-day hours. This has the dual benefit of filling up normally unusable time slots, and in longer retention of students who do not have school bands to help with reinforcement.
2 - During the summers (when more time is available), I add time to the lessons of deserving or needy students, or have students play together during an empty slot between their respective lessons.
(I also have an organized chamber music program which I hope will bring me some economic benefit for some of this extra time put in)
Given what I have described above, half-hours work pretty well. The guiding principle is 'quantity if you can get it, but frequency at all costs.'
Allen Cole
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Author: BlockEyeDan
Date: 2005-04-07 17:28
The lessons that I take are one hour in length, although they usually go over by about 10 minutes or so. I do that once a week. In addition, I rehearse with my piano accompanist for an hour and 15 minutes per week.
My lone pupil is a girl in the 5th grade. I try to get a full hour in with her, but the fatigue factor necessitates short and frequent breaks, where I will usually go over points that need work, and I will play them myself for her. It allows her to recoup, as well as hearing the proper way to play tricky passages.
Dan
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Author: Camanda
Date: 2005-04-07 21:12
Supposed to be 30 minutes every week. I've missed more than I'd like due to medical reasons and bad weather of late. When I do get to go, I'm usually there an extra 10-15 minutes sharing stories and jokes with my teacher.
Amanda Cournoyer
URI Clarinet Ensemble, Bass Clarinet
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Author: Clarino20
Date: 2005-04-09 20:46
Some hour lessons with my beginners are the best lessons because I can get them through more repetition. It's like guided practicing. I normally give half hour lessons though.
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Author: chicagoclar
Date: 2005-04-10 09:31
My own lessons are two hours once a week, but that's because I'm getting ready for a recital.
The vast majority of my students take 45 minute lessons, mainly for time constraints- I have 30 students and only a limited amount of time to teach them in since I'm going to school myself.
I prefer one hour lessons and some go over even that. The only time I do half hours is when the students are beginners, but I try to move them up quickly.
I prefer to do lessons weekly because I like the consistancy.
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2005-04-10 09:46
When I just started learning clarinet I had one 30 minutes lesson, once a week (I was about 6.5 old when I started). After about a year it turned into two 30 minutes lessons a week, and soon after that an hour lesson a week.
John, $2 a minute! I knew private lessons were expensive in the USA but didn't know how much. $50 an hour is the most expensvie it gets here, and that is from someone who played all saxes and all clarinets in Broadway for about 12 years.
Post Edited (2005-04-10 09:51)
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2005-04-10 10:09
For NYC - John is affordable. Northern NJ is about that too for a very qualified teacher.
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2005-04-10 10:18
"a very qualified teacher" is about $25 an hour here. $50 is the best teachers. The most expensive music teacher in the country charges $70 an hour. She is an ear training teacher and truely a magician. Anyway, this is off topic... sorry...
Nothing against John's prices, I was just surprised at how expensive it is in the USA. How much do the more expensive teachers in NYC charge? Interesting how high it can get.
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2005-04-10 10:25
Where are you located?
Remember, I did the survey 
The most expensive teachers in the USA charge about $300 hr. - maybe $400 by now.
Those teachers are magicians too! They make their students money disappear 
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2005-04-10 12:16
LOL David.
This one teacher here is actually worth it and one of the best ear training teachers, I would dare say in the world.
I'm in Israel by the way.
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Author: Synonymous Botch
Date: 2005-04-10 12:42
As an adult hack, I can manage preparations for one hour, monthly.
More frequent lessons don't address much more than cash flow for the instructor - I can't adequately feel out a piece or get practice time more rapidly.
******
I stopped visiting another instructor than had a string of unprepared high school kids contstantly dragging out my start times to late hours.
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2005-04-10 13:01
--------------------
I stopped visiting another instructor than had a string of unprepared high school kids contstantly dragging out my start times to late hours.
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I feel that teachers should schedule their lessons on time. Going to a lesson shouldn't be like going to a doctors office. If the teacher likes to extend the lessons, than they should be scheduled that way. (eg. hour and 15 minutes if the student gets an hour lesson and the teacher wants to always give them more time)
That's only fair.
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Author: John J. Moses
Date: 2005-04-10 16:02
Just by way of clarification:
I have taught dozens of students over my 35+ years of teaching for free.
I have coached colleagues and woodwind groups also, for free.
I am most interested in truly dedicated young professionals who need my experience and help. They can afford my pricing for lessons. When a very talented musician comes along who can't afford me, I'll always help, for free.
JJM
Légère Artist
Clark W. Fobes Artist
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2005-04-10 16:09
Those students are lucky to have you John! I've always given out scholarships to students who's parent lost their job, divorce, etc., and can't afford to continue - it's a great feeling to help out somebody like that.
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