We hear this question a lot, and if you do some research on the Internet, you’ll find various answers. Many studios and teachers base the minimum lesson length on the student’s age: the older the student, the longer the lesson.

This isn’t always a bad idea, but lesson length should be individualized. There are various reasons for having longer lessons (beyond the obvious of an advanced student or one who is preparing for an audition), so we’ll outline a few of them:

~ Some students really love their lessons, they are working on multiple pieces or goals, they care about getting the details right, and have lots of great questions that require time to answer properly. For these students, 30 minutes is often not enough time and the whole lesson can feel rushed just trying to fit everything in.

~ Some students actually have a really hard time. They often love music, but it may not come easily to them. What may take one student only five minutes to understand may take another student of the same age 15 or 20 minutes, and that’s totally fine, but they’ll need a longer lesson to make satisfactory progress.

~ Attention span. Some students just have a harder time focusing. These students may need a longer lesson because they may need to have their attention redirected multiple times during the lesson.?

~ If you have a child with a limited attention span, but a great interest in lessons, it may may be best to have more than one lesson per week (e.g., two 30-minute lessons a few days apart).

If you’re thinking that your child might benefit from longer lessons, speak with your teacher or give us a call at the office. When it comes down to it, you know your child best!