“Can’t I just use YouTube to learn how to play any instrument I want?” The short answer: Yes. People can “learn” how to do anything now through the various video platforms the internet offers. There’s no doubt that “experts” from every field imaginable have now come up with content on how to “DIY” anything. While there is valuable information on the internet, we here at Music Lab – East Sacramento offer several things that no internet lesson could ever provide a new music student with. Here are just a few.
- ACCOUNTABILITY. Hands down the most valuable aspect of private lessons vs. trying to learn on your own is ACCOUNTABILITY. Having a private music instructor helps to make sure you are playing correctly, and giving you real-time praise or critiques, corrections, adjustments, suggestions, and overall wants YOU to achieve your musical goal by helping any way the instructor can be beneficial to that musical growth. You can absolutely take a “first lesson” offered by someone online who would like you to also “like, subscribe, and hit the notification button,” but can that person be able to watch you learn the musical concept being taught LIVE? Can they give you immediate suggestions on how you can improve WITHOUT you uploading a video somewhere and waiting to hear back via e-mail/message service? Accountability will always reign supreme with private lessons over internet video lessons.
- LESS FRUSTRATION. One thing that is extremely easy to do with internet video lessons, is being able to CLOSE THEM WHENEVER YOU WANT. Often, when we get frustrated by something we are trying to learn online, or feel like something is too difficult, the quickest thing we do is try to shut it down or turn it off. What is even worse is just giving up entirely on the idea! We DO NOT want that at Music Lab – East Sacramento! We want you to THRIVE musically! With private lessons, your instructor will help guide you through the frustration you may be encountering over a musical concept/theory. Your instructor has probably dealt with the same frustration you may be experiencing while learning something new musically and can show you ways it helped them to overcome that frustration and become a better musician!
- RELATIONSHIP. We offer a free trial music lesson at Music Lab – East Sacramento and there are a lot of reasons why, but one of them is make sure you actually LIKE your instructor! The relationship that is built between a music teacher and a music student is a special one. It is one that cannot be recreated through watching videos. One-On-One private music instruction cannot be beat by online services. As the weeks, months, and even years go by, working with a music teacher that genuinely wants you to succeed, is far superior to replaying the same concept video repeatedly. As a music instructor for over 20 years, I am still blown away when a student comes up to me after a concert, or even just out and about around town and says, “I remember taking lessons with you when I was 10! Now I’m 21 and STILL REMEMBER OUR LESSONS!” Most people cannot say that to online videos. Unless you leave them in the comment section. Face to face interaction is so important with music lessons. There is no substitute.
These are just a small handful of reasons why private lessons will always be better than internet videos. Accountability is crucial to the development of a music student. Whether you are learning drums, guitar, bass, piano, or vocals, a student really NEEDS accountability from a music teacher. Learning a new instrument can be frustrating at times and a music teacher will be there every step of the way to make sure you are developing good habits to help correct whatever musical concept you are struggling with. The relationship that develops between a music teacher and a student is priceless. I still remember lessons that were taught to me by my first music instructor. We are here to pass those lessons on to our new music students. It’s time to turn off the videos and start coming in for LIVE music lessons!