The private lesson curriculum that I use is designed to develop skills on an instrument slowly and steadily with the goal of developing a solid technique. Technique needs to be built slowly and carefully like the foundation of a house. All music has different levels of difficulty. It is important to work on music in order by level, so students are prepared with the skills needed to play a particular piece before they even start it.
My students are practicing and familiar with skills in scales and etudes long before they ever confront these same skills in solo pieces. Scales and etudes are how we learn new skills, and solo pieces are how we showcase and refine the skills that we have learned. The fastest way to ruin a student’s technique is to give them pieces that are too difficult.
All of my students work on scales, etudes, a solo piece and a fun piece in private lessons. I like to discuss this curriculum with my students in terms of a meal. Their scales and etudes are like vegetables. They are what truly make students better at their instrument the same way vegetables help them to be healthy. Their solo piece is like the main entrée. It is a large part of the meal, and it has great nutritional value. Most importantly, it is far more showy and fun than the vegetables portion. The fun piece is like dessert. It is indulgent and delicious. Students have input on the fun piece we select, so this is their chance to indulge in music. Private lessons need to be balanced the same way a meal is balanced. It’s a piece of cake!
