Lessons, Practice And Band Are Different

When a young student begins private instrumental lessons, there often is some confusion about the difference between practice time and lesson time.

Some students and parents even refer to the lesson time as "practice."

However, there is a big difference between the two.

The private lesson is the time that the student spends with the teacher in a very focused one-on-one session reviewing the previously assigned music, making corrections when needed and hopefully engaging in a deeper understanding of the musical expression. There are many things covered in a private music lesson - too numerous for the scope of this article - and the lesson encompasses much more than "how to play the instrument" and "how to play the music." I'll save that topic for a later article.

Many teachers are very specific about methods for effective practicing and spend time during the lesson teaching the student "how to practice". (see my article entitled "how to practice", which begins a discussion of some of the ideas I present to students)

Practice time is the time that the student devotes to self-study of his or her music. 

Ideally, this time is filled with the pleasure of music making and satisfaction of self expression. However in the real world, practice time often takes discipline and patience from the student and encouragement and motivation from parents.

The more the student does on their own during practice time, the further they will progress in each lesson with the teacher. Students who let themselves be available to self discovery and learning during practice time find great enjoyment in bringing those discoveries with them to their lessons. Teachers who truly enjoy teaching often say how much they learn from their students.

Now  - on to Band, or any school ensemble - orchestra, jazz band, chorus, etc.

Ensemble time is not practice time, nor is it lesson time. Ensemble time is most enjoyable and effective when the students have had their lessons, practiced their music and are prepared to play their parts well during the ensemble rehearsal. The more the individual students have practiced their music on their own, the further the ensemble can grow and the more enjoyable it will be for everyone.

Happy music making!