How to Teach a Great First Lesson

Any music teacher learns pretty quickly that teaching a great first lesson is one of the keys to retaining students. Like all things in life, though, this is easier said than done. Here are some of my go-to rules for making a student's first lesson a success:

Get the student playing right away

When I first began teaching, I spent a lot of time in the first lesson explaining music theory concepts I considered important (e.g. rhythm, reading pitches from a staff, time signatures, etc.). The amount of information it takes to understand and play music is massive to say the least. As a teacher, it's easy to get lost in the weeds for that first lesson. Music theory is great, but 99% of students are more interested in creating music than they are in analyzing it. While these concepts are important and should be learned fairly early on, the first thing the student should do is make music. Otherwise, you're asking them to hold a candy bar but not eat it for 30 minutes.

Build a foundation for technique

My favorite thing about teaching absolute beginners on any instrument is that they start off with zero bad habits; we don't have to spend any time unlearning incorrect muscle memory. This clean slate is the perfect foundation to build good technique, and it should absolutely be a priority in the first lesson. Be sure to explain the importance of why we play the way we do so the student really absorbs and understands it. This will set them up for future success as they won't get frustrated with a future inability to play when their technique is lacking.

Learn the student's musical goals and interests

Once I have the student playing something basic with the proper technique, I like to pause in the lesson and find out their musical goals and interests. It helps me lay out a roadmap that is specifically catered toward their musical taste and generates excitement for their next lesson.

Create a space for questions

I try to wrap up every lesson with a variation of the same sentence, "Great work - any questions?" While some students say they're good to go pretty regularly, I'm always surprised by how many students have a burning question they've been waiting all lesson to ask. It's especially important in the first lesson to pause throughout and check in, prompting the student to ask for clarification. This establishes the expectation that you want them to think critically about the music and are a safe person to ask questions.

End with practice goals and instructions

When your new student leaves the first lesson, they should have a solid understanding of your expectations regarding how to practice, what to practice, and how much to practice. I cater each of these to the specific student based on factors like their attention span and schedule, and I always make sure the student leaves with these practice instructions written down on a sticky note. Make sure that their practice goals (especially for the first week) are realistic. Otherwise, the student is being set up for disappointment, frustration, and potentially rage-quitting.

Create a sense of magic

If you forget everything I've written here but remember this, you'll have an engaged student who wants to stick around. Playing music is an incredible, fantastical, almost magical experience; students should leave that first lesson connected to that feeling and eager to learn more.