Individual vs. Group Music Lessons – Which One would Suit Your Child Better?

As a parent, when you look for music teaching courses online, you may often find it difficult to choose between individual and group lessons. So, how do you decide which one would suit your child better? Read on as we’ll help you decide.

Two crucial factors to consider

To make a decision, you’ll need to consider two crucial factors:

· How old your child is

· What his/her music learning goal is

If your child’s age is between 1 and 4 years, you should probably opt for group lessons. Wondering why? That’s because, at this age, your child won’t be able to handle the intensity of private one-to-one classes. Such young kids haven’t developed specific characteristics like reading ability and fine motor skills. Additionally, they’re usually unable to sit still and concentrate for more than a few minutes. However, there could be some exceptions too. For instance, if you’re sure that your child can thrive under the instructions of a great teacher in private classes, you can get him/her enrolled in one. Else, online group classes are more suitable as they let young students use their natural instinct to learn by observing others.

The music learning goal of your child is an equally important factor. If your child is just learning to sing or play an instrument, group classes could be a good motivator. Seeing his/her peers sing or play and being in the company of children with different strengths can help your child become aware of his/her own talent and desire. Additionally, it has been found that some students respond to practice better when they’re attending online group classes.

Once your child has picked up the basics and practiced them adequately, you could move him/her to private lessons for specialized training. In case your child has a particular talent for a specific vocal musical genre or for playing an instrument, private lessons would be better as online group classes won’t help much in recognizing his/her abilities or honing his/her talent. If your child is at the other end of the spectrum and lagging in the class, and you feel he/she needs one-on-one training and advice regarding rhythms, notes, or certain hand positions, getting him/her enrolled in online private classes would be better. That’s because the lessons in group classes are generic and designed to benefit the group as a whole, which means they’re rarely tailored to meet the specific needs of a student.