I love working with young music beginners. It is fascinating to watch them develop into able young adults. When my own children were Suzuki students, I found out how tricky it can be, to help music beginners.
• I’m a big girl. I can do it myself.
We program our children to be independent from an early age. “Be a big boy and do up your own shoes,” or “Oh look, she’s feeding herself, just like a grownup!” A child can see it as a big step backwards to accept help. Of course it’s all part of growing up, but it certainly gets in the way when you are trying to help music beginners with the truly complicated task of learning to play an instrument.
• How can an inexperienced child know what’s best.
In everyday life, there are many things which a parent decides and does for a small child. It gives their lives structure and happy security. Allowing children to take on too much responsibility is very stressful for them. With age, the child will learn to take on responsibility, but this is a long term process. Help music beginners by taking charge.
• As in everyday life, many tasks are the foundation for future playing technique and just have to be done correctly.
A small child will not have the experience to get it right, leading to frustration and tears and must therefore be helped. Help beginners by giving a small child special things to do by themselves. It is a very good idea to set a DIY Practice Task at every lesson. A lucky dip will help music beginners feel in charge of what Task to to do.
• Twice with the helper and once alone.
In my studio we have a rule to help music beginners. The parent helps to pattern a skill twice, then the child does it alone. I make a big point of praising the child’s focus and the work that went into the performance before praising the result. See my blog on The right kind of Praise. You have to be careful here as a child will probably know deep inside if you’ve got it right. I ask questions like, “How did your elbow do that?” or, “What are we going to remind your eyes to do?” or perhaps, “Is violin thumb finding it easier to stay soft?” These are non judgemental and safer than growling, “More focus. Eyes on the bow spot!”
• Keep it simple.
Some kids have trouble staying switched on during patterning. Keep it simple, help music beginners by giving them one little tiny thing to notice and reproduce. Reducing the patterning ratio to once together and once alone also works for some. Again, ask questions to engage them in the process, not so much on their success, though that too is important.
• Mummy’s job.
It is much easier for me to help music beginners in a lesson than it is for the parent at home. Firstly, I don’t have an emotional relationship with the child, as I only see them once or twice a week. Secondly, after a period of observation, most children have realised that my job in the lesson is to help them.
If practice is stressful at home, we have a little conversation about Mummy’s job. I tell the child that it is Mummy’s job to give them specific help during the practice. We talk about how a good boss treats his workers. Generally, we come to an agreement that the child will thank Mum for doing a good job. If however, she doesn’t do her job, I ask the child to phone me. I have yet to receive a phone call.
• Teamwork
This is the big one! In order to demonstrate their “Good Teamwork,” I get children to work together with parents in the lesson. It helps if a family knows that they can be called on to demonstrate their teamwork at every lesson. Sometimes I will call for a wordless demonstration. The only thing that the parent is allowed to say is a rhythmic, “Wait, wait, ready, play!” This often calms things down further. We always end the session with “Congratulations, you make a good team!”
I hope that these suggestions will help your music beginners to practice more happily and keep you sane at the same time.
