Even Aristotle said that music develops the moral part of the soul, which means that it must be an integral part of the education of young people. Some children go to music school or take private music lessons because of their own free will, others through irresistible parental perseverance. Meanwhile, there is a significant difference between the collective learning of playing the guitar, piano, bandura, etc. and the individual and the difference is significant.
Advantages and Disadvantages of school music lessons
School music lessons were remembered for me by the fact that nothing can be touched. The piano and guitar are out of tune, the teacher's nerves are tensed like a string, that is about to break, there is a noise around that is clearly not compatible with something musical. The whole class, regardless of the presence or absence of hearing and voice, must sing and know the notes. Depeche Mode, Nirvana and Luciano Pavarotti knew the notes worse than the alphabet, and this did not prevent them from stirring up almost the whole world.
To dump all the blame on the teacher is also incorrect. Such is the program of secondary schools. A large amount of material + lack of time = vague knowledge about music and its creators. It threatens with the loss of many talents that were not seen in childhood. But music lessons unite the team, make them act cohesively, therefore, help to make friends within the students in the classroom.
Children who are determined to follow the paths of Vivaldi and Mozart, attend music schools or take private music lessons. Even adults sometimes remember childhood dreams and take up the development of playing the guitar or piano.
The benefits of private lessons
Even the most experienced teachers will not eliminate some of the drawbacks of learning to play instruments. From playing the guitar, your fingers will hurt and be coarse, you must practice it regularly, and the learning process will last long enough.
BUT: the music tutor will remove the rake, which we step on when we educate ourselves, teach the sweep techniques, alternating strokes, etc. (to speed up the guitar playing), finally show the right approach that you need to know while mastering the instrument, how to handle it and where press or pull. This is hard work, but while amateurs are waiting for inspiration, professionals work hard.
A private teacher looks at your game from the side, sees all the flaws and “blots”. Beware of tutors that will promise you an “individual approach”, but do not give you homework and do not give the appropriate load during private music lessons. It should be difficult for you - then the result will not keep you waiting (maybe a few years).
The experience of geniuses in the world of music
Paul McCartney, one of the founders of the Beatles band, never took bass guitar lessons. He always acted intuitively, and, it seems, he did quite well. Amateur and self-taught, Paul received 16 Grammy Awards (the most prestigious music award of the American Academy of Sound Writing).
However, the Austrian composer and pianist Franz Schubert, although he had brilliant abilities from childhood, still listened to the advice of the school choir teacher Mikael Holzer, and later was under the tutelage of the teacher Antonio Salieri.
Virtuoso Svyatoslav Richter learned the skills of playing the piano from his father, and, despite some sources, was not self-taught. Svyatoslav Teofilovich simply did not play the instrument in a normal way, and later entered the Moscow Conservatory, from where he was expelled and then reinstated.
Conclusions about music education
Music is the “I” of human feelings, a reflection of pain and sadness, joy and love ... Yes, the love of music brought the Briton Chris Black to the extreme: in 1995 he married his own guitar Fender Stratocaster. So, if you ever had a dream or idea to learn how to play any musical instrument, play in the rock band or in the orchestra, choose a reliable private teacher that will be your mentor and become part of the music world! Maybe you will be the next Paul McCartney and you will create a band better than the Beatles, as nobody knows how music will change your life! We wish you Good Luck!
