A Very Good Place to Start: The First Instrumental Lesson

I give a disclaimer every time I have a new student come to me. I start by telling them that I don’t like first lessons, because I like to have a plan and there can be no plan for a first lesson other than figuring out where to start. This usually involves a lot of questions like “tell me about your goals,” that make me feel like some sort of hokey life coach. But I persevere through these moments to be able to get to the work I actually like to do. There have been times when I have had students fill out a questionnaire beforehand or setup a fifteen minute mini lesson as a trial to get some of the more annoying things out of the way, but that is not always feasible depending on the situation I am teaching in. However I see a student for the first time, my approach is different depending on whether the student is a vocalist or an instrumentalist, so those will be split into two separate posts. Here is what I do with instrumental students.

I teach strings and piano, but violin and viola are the only instruments that I typically teach levels higher than beginners. I have taken intermediate cellists and pianists on rare occasions, but mostly I stick to beginners on those instruments before passing them on to a more specialized teacher. With beginners of any instrument I generally get to the initial steps of playing very quickly. I ask the typical “why do you want to take lessons” type questions, but get to the instrument quickly.

For the upper string students who are a bit more advanced there are typically follow up questions about how long they have played and what ensemble experience they may or may not have. These students also typically have an idea of goals or techniques they want to work, so I will ask about those. Then I will have them play something. I usually begin with scales and things that are not too complex. If they came with any pieces this can be a good time to work with these. As they play I will add to my notes, taking stock of their technique. I will pay close attention to the grip on their bows, and the position of their left hand. I watch for how their right arm drives the bow and check to see how tense their shoulders may or may not be. I will often have them do a bit of sightreading just to determine their reading skills. I will also use various excerpts from the Suzuki books I use to help me get an idea of where to start them out with literature. Regardless of where they are with literature I typically start all students from the beginning on scales and such. Because the techniques I use are not part of a standard method book I want them to familiarize themselves with the vocabulary I will be using. So I take them through my scale sequence from the beginning [link to first article there], including the introduction of Barbara Barber’s finger patterns. If the student is advanced enough this typically takes a single lesson to cover what would be months with an absolute beginner. Having the shorthand and vocabulary to refer to going forward is incredibly helpful. I find it is always easier to work such things with techniques that are “too easy” for a student’s current level, rather than trying to incorporate them into the literature they are currently working.

The first lesson is an important time to establish expectations, both of the teacher and the student. It sets up what the relationship is going to be. While it may not be my favorite thing to deal with, it is crucial. Open communication is important, perhaps not at the depth of care one needs to take with vocal students, who tend to personalize critiques more, but efforts should still be made to communicate that all the questions and notes are simply to gather information to best serve the student. I always emphasize that “I don’t know” is a perfectly acceptable answer to any question I ask in any lesson, but especially the first. The ideal first lesson should end with me having all the information I need to prepare a detailed plan for the student’s growth.