Adult Learners: Making More Time For Music Lessons

First off, being an adult means having many responsibilities (ya, you know that!), and we’re sure that music is not always at the top of them – and rightfully so. There are definitely some weeks where more important priorities will trump your practice time, but during these times it’s important to focus not on the negative aspects of your lack of practicing, but rather on cleaning up the other priorities so that you can, at some point, resume a regular practice schedule. Focusing on the fact that you haven’t had a lot of practice time just makes the problem worse, and puts an entirely negative spin on your music lessons. Many adult learners will cancel their lessons if they haven’t had time to practice; but remember that consistent lessons are important for long term success, even if you haven’t had time to practice in between, as you can both reinforce your new material, and at the very least get a good half hour of practice! Playing and singing in periods of musical drought also makes folks feel better about their lessons and musicianship in general.

Getting into a practice routine is important. Most adult learners can progress nicely with just 15 minutes of practice, twice a day! A good plan for many adult learners is to plan on getting up 15 minutes early each day, and using that time to practice before leaving for the gym or work. Set aside 15 minutes at the end of the day for some practice. Learning an instrument isn’t a major commitment, but certainly deserves some attention; a half hours practice each day is a good plan for constant progression.

Practicing shouldn’t be work; it should be fun. We teach most adult learners chords and strumming through learning real songs; songs that they like. There are usually several ways to ‘play’ a song, and we start with the easiest and work towards the more complicated (but ‘correct’) way. Even the ‘easy’ way can often sound great, it’s more fun for beginners, and it leads to playing more and steady improvements. For adult learners we stress FUN lessons with clear practice take-away’s.

Lastly, remember that adult learners that stick with their lessons through the ups and downs of hectic schedules are the ones that succeed! Things may seem dim after a few weeks of little practice time, but those who persist through these periods will be the ones who succeed with (and often surpass) their initial musical goals. So, look at the big picture, and remember the musical goals you initially set for yourself.