On course: the first lesson
Planning and preparation are essential if the first lesson is to be successful. The need to establish an effective working relationship and engage in some teaching and learning means that it will be a busy time. It may be the learner’s first encounter with one-to-one or small-group teaching, or with a particular instrument. Alternatively, for the learner who has come to you from another teacher, the lesson will be a continuation and development of learning. In all cases, both teacher and pupil are likely to be a little apprehensive.
The key to success is to keep the focus on music-making. Gather the basic information about the learner’s past experience as quickly as possible and move straight into some music making at an appropriate level. This is not the time for a diatribe about the care or construction of the instrument, nor is it a good idea to begin by overtly testing ability.
If it’s the learner’s first time on an instrument he or she should, ideally, leave the lesson able to make a sound and perhaps make up or re-create a short melody using a few notes. On the piano a simple composition task, which encourages an exploration of keyboard geography, can work well. You don’t need a tutor book at this stage but you do need to establish some basic ground rules about expectation. Try to prepare material that is, as far as possible, suited to the learner’s needs; always using the same book for beginners is unlikely to work well.
When taking on an experienced pupil avoid negative comments about the work of past
teachers. Comments such as “you’ll never succeed with a technique like that, we’ll have to go right back to the beginning” are daunting and demoralizing. However, by turning that round and remarking that “with your energy/ experience/ perseverance/ commitment, I can see you have the makings of a very good player”, you can help to develop a pupil’s aspirations and take the first steps on a pathway to success.
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