Can a child learn to play a song after their first instrument lesson? Yes!
We Want to Play Songs!
When a child starts playing an instrument, whether it be piano, drums, ukulele or any other instrument, they want to know how quickly they can learn to play a song. So…how long does it take? The answer is a little bit more involved that meets the eye. First off, what song are we talking about? What part of the song? The whole song? Etc.
The good news is that someone can play a simple song on an instrument the first day they start learning that instrument (or at least a major part of the song like the main melody)! What, that can’t be true? Yes, it is!! I’ve taught three-year-olds to play “Mary Had a Little Lamb” on the piano in one sitting. You and your child can do this too!
Practical Application is Important
I am all about the practical application of learning music. The practical application is playing songs, or musical pieces. That’s why I believe in playing real music right away when learning an instrument. At My Music Workshop, our online music learning program for kids (ages 4-10), we aim to get kids playing real music on their first lesson. We build in something we call “Jam Alongs,” which are musical tracks played by real musicians that kids play along with. We build these tracks to be catchy, span a variety of musical styles, and to make learning music fun! Our program is priced affordably, and you can try it totally free for a week to see if you and your child like it. Click here to try it out.
Stick With It
We want kids to stick with music and to keep learning music. Practicing an instrument can get tedious and even boring. I know, I’ve been playing music for over three decades (whew, it feels like I started yesterday), and I’ve practiced for countless hours. Sometimes practice is exhilarating and fun other times it’s a chore. But, the key is to keep doing it, to push through the tough days and keep going. That’s how progress is made. But, it can be difficult for children to understand this. That is why kids need to have tons of fun when they begin learning music or when whey begin learning to play an instrument.
At My Music Workshop we strive for this! We have been teaching music to kids for over 12 years and have always but fun at the top of the priority list. Learning music does not have to be boring, in fact it should not be. Learning music can and should be fun, lots of fun.
Learning Music Has To Be Fun
The way we aim to make learning music fun is to keep our lessons properly paced (not too long and not too short), to make them as engaging as possible and to get kids playing, not just listening to the teacher. We structure our piano and drum lessons this way (and we will very soon with our Ukulele lessons too!). First, we learn a new concept, then we practice that concept on its own, then we play that concept along with music (our “Jam Along” tracks). These lessons and “Jam Alongs” can be repeated as many times as the child wants. We’ve always used the analogy of the vitamin in the ice cream. The vitamin is the learning, and the ice cream is the fun they are having by playing along with real music!
Here's a Preview of What We Do at My Music Workshop
There is no shortcut to learning an instrument but learning music doesn’t have to be boring or tedious, especially at the beginning. It should be fun and exhilarating. I mean it is called “playing” music right! Playing is supposed to be fun, so let’s play, let’s have fun and let’s enjoy music. Try our online music learning program, My Music Workshop out for free for 7-days below. Happy music learning!
