Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum Weekly time commitment for those who take lessons

I'm trying to gauge what's the reasonable time commitment a teacher expects from adult students? Of course that depends on goals, desired pace and level but I'm just trying for a rough estimate for those who are in for a long ride and okay with not aggressive pacing.
[...]

As a teacher, I tell my students that I expect daily practice time equivalent to their weekly lesson time. In other words, I expect a student taking weekly 30 minuite lessons to practice at least 30 minutes a day on average. Furthermore, I tell them that a shorter amount of focused, effective practice is more beneficial than a long, rambling, unfocused practice. (And part of learning an instrument is learning effective practice methods.) Of course, life sometimes gets in the way, so I'm not too hard on my students about practice time. I simply remind them that if they practice more (and efficiently), they will progress more quickly.

I do give music theory homework, but for non-exam students that should take no more than 15 minutes or half an hour a week. (Those studying for a music theory exam will need to do more.)

I try to practise for a minimum of 1h a day, split into 2 or 3 short sessions. I find I lose concentration if I practise for more than 20-30m at a time.

As a teacher, I tell my students that I expect daily practice time equivalent to their weekly lesson time. In other words, I expect a student taking weekly 30 minuite lessons to practice at least 30 minutes a day on average. Furthermore, I tell them that a shorter amount of focused, effective practice is more beneficial than a long, rambling, unfocused practice. (And part of learning an instrument is learning effective practice methods.) Of course, life sometimes gets in the way, so I'm not too hard on my students about practice time. I simply remind them that if they practice more (and efficiently), they will progress more quickly.

I do give music theory homework, but for non-exam students that should take no more than 15 minutes or half an hour a week. (Those studying for a music theory exam will need to do more.)

I am not sure that one can give a "reasonable" one-size-fits-all answer to this question.

It depends upon:
- the demands or expectations of the teacher
- the commitment that the student has to those expectations
- the student's ability to fit practice into a schedule that may involve work, family and sometimes unforeseen commitments
- the common-sense necessity of getting one's money's worth out of lessons

The bottom line is that it's an individual situation that requires individual planning, perhaps in consultation with the teacher. Some teachers of adult students understand that adult life often interferes with the best of practice plans. Other teachers may be more adamant about practice commitments and less tolerant of "excuses".

Discuss this with your teacher, but try, if possible, to get the most value for your money by being well-prepared for your lessons. Not every student, adult or otherwise, may need to have weekly lessons. In some cases a lesson every two weeks works well.

Regards,

Thanks to everybody else who answered. You guys are a really studious bunch! Anybody who's aiming for half an hour a day? How are you progressing? I have a rather long commute and as much as I'd like to, I don't think I can manage that during weekdays.

Thanks to everybody else who answered. You guys are a really studious bunch! Anybody who's aiming for half an hour a day? How are you progressing? I have a rather long commute and as much as I'd like to, I don't think I can manage that during weekdays.

[...]
Btw, in what circumstances would you recommend biweekly lessons?

It's a personal choice. I like to have my repertoire well prepared when I go to my lesson, with all notes solidly learned and in the hand, as they say. I don't bring a piece to a lesson that I can't play all the way through at a reasonable, consistent tempo, even if it's not yet performance tempo. That way, we spend our time discussing interpretation and resolving some technical issues, but it's never a question of learning the right notes at a lesson.

I find that two weeks between lessons is not only a good time to prepare but it also allows me the opportunity - when really necessary - to miss a day of practicing when life intervenes and interrupts my otherwise well-regulated schedule.

Regards,

How long are your lessons? According to my 7:1 ratio that just has been happening, if you have 30 min lessons, 30 mins a day should just be about right.

I don't have a teacher yet but I was thinking somewhere along an hour lesson. I'd imagine 30 min lesson would whiz by so fast that only a fraction would get covered. But I can be easily persuaded for whatever appropriate lesson time, depending on what teacher thinks I'll need, and what I can afford time and money wise.