Are Music Lessons Worth it?

If you’ve not quite decided if you want to take the plunge on music lessons – this is probably a question you’ve been asking yourself a lot.  So, are music lessons worth it?

As you’ve no doubt realised, if the answer was a simple “yes” or “no”, I wouldn’t be here, about to write a few hundred words about it, so lets’ dive in with a few pros and cons.  For clarity, I am compiling this list based on the assumption you are definitely sure about taking up a new musical hobby, but are struggling to decide between lessons or self-teaching.

Pros:

Expert guidance

What people tend to forget about music lessons is that it is a form of coaching.  A music teacher is essentially equivalent to a Personal Trainer.  You will be learning how to correctly use both your body and any necessary equipment safely and correctly.  With a good tutor, you will be far less likely to develop bad habits, which can save you a lot of pain, effort and time in the long run.

Feedback

This kind of falls under the previous point, but a huge thing I find miles better about actual lessons is that you get proper, real-time feedback about your learning, that is simply not possible through solely book- or video-based learning.  Sure, you might be able to get some visual feedback from a video or even a diagram, but nothing can replace having someone right there in front of you correcting something you may not even realise you were doing wrong.  Additionally, you can actually ask, and get an answer right there and then!

Accountability

This is a big one for me personally.  Despite repeatedly telling hundreds of students what, how and even when to practise, I need someone else holding me accountable to do it well myself!  Having somebody else holding you accountable for your progress means you’re less likely to put it off.

Potential Cons:

Cost

This one is up there, and I won’t sugar coat it.  Music lessons aren’t cheap, but then no form of individual, tailored coaching ever is.  At Prelude we try to enable as much flexibility as possible for students, and our rates are some of the most competitive on the market.  They may not be cheap, but they are not overpriced for what you get in the long run.

Stifling Creativity

This has been brought up to me by students a lot, and I agree that there is a danger of this happening.  Having the freedom to play around with your own instrument and learn what you like and can do without the external pressure for needing to do something “the correct way” can leave the whole process feeling a little less clinical.  Again, all the teachers at Prelude understand the need for enjoyment in your instrument.  Both children and adults are encouraged to work with pieces they enjoy, as well as simply just playing about with music.  Learning shouldn’t be a chore!

Compatibility

This is kind of down to individuals, but the truth remains that sometimes, having lessons with a teacher just isn’t for everyone.  More particularly, it may take some time to land on a teacher you click with.  Compatibility and rapport are so important to learning at any age.  How many times have you thought back on a subject you hated at school and realised you didn’t enjoy just because you hated the teacher?

Overview

Ultimately, even with all of these things, whether or not you decide to have lessons is entirely up to you.  However, here at Prelude, we would invite you to contact us for a chat - even if you don’t think you will end up going with lessons!  We’d much rather help people make that decision for themselves, whatever they choose by talking about your choices openly and honestly, and working out together what would work the best for you or your child.

Jess