Transition from group music class to individual lessons

[Serendipity]

Hi all,


Care to share how your children’s transition from group music classes to individual lessons was like?

Does the one-to-one teacher start from scratch or customise learning based on what the child has learnt beforehand? Logically speaking, shld be the latter?

Also, how do you tell if your child is ready for one-to-one lessons?

Thanks!

[Serendipity]

Just to add... the reason i posed the above question was... my DD is already learning how to read notes from the staff from her group music class, but when i did a trial lesson for one-to-one, the teacher started teaching by finger numbers, which seems like a step backward? :?

[MummyThreeStreams]

DS2 just graduated from a baby music class to an individual class. The individual class teacher didn’t teach from scratch, but built on whatever he had already learnt.


But, I suppose in your case, the teacher might have been using a different teaching technique which she is more comfortable with? Did you ask her?

[Serendipity]

Hi MummyThreeStreams,


I did tell the teacher that DD’s already learnt more than finger numbering, but she also explained that she usually starts with the black keys for younger pupils cos it’s easier for them to press. So for the black keys, guess it’s easier to go with numbers first.

Did your child progress to individual lessons within the same school? It’s prob easier then cos they shld know what’s been covered in the group lessons right? My individual lesson is with a different school.

[phankao]

Serendipity:

Hi MummyThreeStreams,


I did tell the teacher that DD's already learnt more than finger numbering, but she also explained that she usually starts with the black keys for younger pupils cos it's easier for them to press. So for the black keys, guess it's easier to go with numbers first.

Did your child progress to individual lessons within the same school? It's prob easier then cos they shld know what's been covered in the group lessons right? My individual lesson is with a different school.

So interesting to start with Black Keys - yes, I've seen young children starting with black keys on Youtube videos. Guess it follows some piano teaching methodology. My 3yo is doing suzuki piano and they start with white keys.

[MummyThreeStreams]

Serendipity:

Hi MummyThreeStreams,


I did tell the teacher that DD's already learnt more than finger numbering, but she also explained that she usually starts with the black keys for younger pupils cos it's easier for them to press. So for the black keys, guess it's easier to go with numbers first.

Did your child progress to individual lessons within the same school? It's prob easier then cos they shld know what's been covered in the group lessons right? My individual lesson is with a different school.

Yes, it was the same school, so the transition was smooth.

It's interesting that she's using the black keys first. I guess it's a different teaching/learning technique!

[Serendipity]

Thanks for your input, phankao and MummyThreeStreams!


So it’s not quite the norm to start with black keys first huh…

Btw, what age did your kids go on to one-to-one? I’m wondering if my DD is ready for individual lessons yet. She was fine the first lesson, but got restless in the second. Hmm…

[phankao]

Mine was just before 3yo (he was 2yrs 11mths old). But then he’d never had group piano classes before that.

[jedamum]

Serendipity:

Thanks for your input, phankao and MummyThreeStreams!


So it's not quite the norm to start with black keys first huh...

Btw, what age did your kids go on to one-to-one? I'm wondering if my DD is ready for individual lessons yet. She was fine the first lesson, but got restless in the second. Hmm...

mine just started last month. he is K1 this year.
30min only (20min pract and 10min theory), so can still sustain his interest.
he started with white keys too.

[MummyThreeStreams]

DS1 started at 4, DS2 started at 3.5. Both started with 30mins.


I notice DS2 gets distracted and fidgety, unlike DS1. He got fidgety in a group class too, but in that class, they would move around a lot (e.g. from the key board to the white board to the teacher’s piano) so it was less of an issue. Dunno if it’s his personality or his age. But his new teacher is quite good at bringing his attention back by using little rewards, and moving between teaching different types of things and not always just playing (e.g. sometimes playing with the CD, sometimes singing, sometimes colouring/writing), so it doesn’t become boring.