How Often to Take Private Lessons

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Tubanomicon
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How Often to Take Private Lessons

Post by Tubanomicon »

Hello all,

I'm curious to hear folks weigh in on the frequency with which tuba professionals should take private lessons. I think the benefits of a weekly lesson are well-known. But I'm wondering if anyone recommends lessons multiple times a week on an ongoing basis.

Thank you in advance!
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Re: How Often to Take Private Lessons

Post by Three Valves »

Tubanomicon wrote:...I'm wondering if anyone recommends lessons multiple times a week on an ongoing basis.
My music instructor?? No.

My Analyst?? YES!!
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Re: How Often to Take Private Lessons

Post by Douglas »

the elephant wrote: pros - depends on the player (I take a lesson once a year just to have someone to keep me honest with myself.)
What's on your agenda when you take a lesson? What are you playing in the lesson?
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Re: How Often to Take Private Lessons

Post by royjohn »

I'm not much of a tuba player, but I was a psychologist in a former life. I think it depends on the student and what the student is working on. I think the weekly lesson evolved as a means of steady income for the teacher, and perhaps it is justified in teaching kids who may need frequent correction and also have so much to learn about musical notation, interpretation and about embouchure and technique. This interval also tends to be a spur to daily practice, since if you take too many days off in a week or short your practice sessions on time, the teacher is likely to notice.

If an adult is working on specific music, the frequency might be weekly or even more frequent, depending on how much music there is and how much correction or detail there is in the teaching. An adult is probably pretty capable of learning notation and fingering for the tuba from books without much input from a teacher. If an adult is looking for help with technique, a few lessons widely spaced may work fine. In my case, when I was playing trumpet, I took three extended lessons with Dave Wilken, who is an embouchure specialist in the Reinhardt tradition. The lessons lasted about three hours each and at each Dave gave me advice about my embouchure placement and my embouchure motion. At the end of the three consultations, I was pretty much able to crack the high register and play above high C. I think if I had continued with daily practice to strengthen muscles and habits for several months, I would have improved quite a bit on my own. However, I didn't practice a lot and then medical problems intervened and made playing a high pressure instrument like the trumpet uncomfortable and unwise.

When I learn my way around the tuba a bit better, I'll probably go back and see Dave for some instruction on how my embouchure and embouchure motion work on tuba, as I can't quite figure this out on my own. I also have questions about breath control and how one phrases on tuba, so I think some more regular lessons with someone closer than Dave may help for a while. I'm thinking one a month will do for me, but I'm someone who doesn't like much direction and likes to work things out for himself.

I guess the summary of my remarks is that embouchure technique can be taught with widely spaced lessons by a master technician and that adults can use more widely spaced lesson, maybe monthly, if they grasp what's imparted and how to practice it between lessons. I think several books have been written recently on practice techniques for specific music, based on learning theory, but I can't remember their names at the moment.
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Re: How Often to Take Private Lessons

Post by Ace »

Private lessons from top pros in the San Francisco Bay area run about $120 per hour, and up. How often to take private lessons? Speaking only for myself, the answer is NEVER.

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Re: How Often to Take Private Lessons

Post by swillafew »

I was very fortunate, I had lessons from mature players that shared instructors themselves. I heard the same things about fixing my playing from four guys, and it made the message easy to remember, and it sticks with me today.

I attend a masterclass once in awhile, and the presenters tell the students the same things I recall from years ago. It's like rereading a familiar book.
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Re: How Often to Take Private Lessons

Post by Oldschooltuba »

I have not a lessons for many years but decided to take a lesson or two as I prepare for the Austin audition. It was good to have different ears and coaching on style. Many of the things I heard I heard from Ron, Sandy, Toby and Jacobs. It was good to place it back in my head. I remember clearly what Jacobs told me. The best teacher is you. He steered me in the right directions and away I went.

I am teaching 3 days a week right now and most of what I do it more than correct mistakes. Its my job is to help students them learn how to practice. Yes, I fix embouchure, breathing and technical things, but learning how to practice, listen and not accept half asses playing is paramount. In addition to that, learning how to be a musician, is part of my teaching. I don't want to create technicians, I want to teach players to be musicians.
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Re: How Often to Take Private Lessons

Post by timothy42b »

Ace wrote:Private lessons from top pros in the San Francisco Bay area run about $120 per hour, and up. How often to take private lessons? Speaking only for myself, the answer is NEVER.

Ace
Or, less than a mouthpiece costs. One or two lessons that puts you back on the right track when you're stuck or floundering, priceless.
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Re: How Often to Take Private Lessons

Post by julianbrass »

I think that it is very important to take up private lessons on a regular basis, just to keep up and know the direction you are heading to. Although I do think that if you’re a pro, you don’t need the private lessons as much as a person who isn’t a pro. I do still think that if you have the means, you should still take private lessons even as a pro every once in a while.
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Re: How Often to Take Private Lessons

Post by Three Valves »

What would "public lessons" be??
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