Ready to start those lessons? Get clear about what you desire in your music-making with these 9 essential questions. Print them out. Daydream. Ponder. Fill them in. Take these to your new teacher. Discuss it. Cut to the chase. Get things rollin’ for your playing from Day 1.
1) Have you had any kind of music lessons in person or online before? If so, explain. For how long? What made you decide to stop?
2) Why do you want to (re)learn the flute specifically?
3) What are your top 3 hopes in playing the flute?
Past examples that some that my clients have given:
I want to be able to play the Mozart concerto in G Major with technical ease
To fix my intonation issues in the top register
I want to be able to play ‘Let It Go’ from memory for my school talent show
To finally be able to master all my major and minor scales
To learn tools to teach my other flute players tone production and articulation with more skill
To play Happy Birthday ‘by ear’ for my dad next month
I would like the confidence to be able to play tango music and not feel like I am doing ‘it all wrong’
To pass the ABRSM Diploma
4) What will make you feel like you have achieved these above?
Past examples that some that my clients have given:
When I can play through a piece and hit all the octave jumps and harmonics in the passage without cracking
When my dog doesn’t leave the room for high notes in the Poulenc
When someone besides my family tells me I sound nice
When I know that I’ve made someone feel touched from listening to my music
When I listen to a recording of myself and think ‘yeah that’s ME!’
5) If you’ve played before, what are you really struggling with right now? Can you name 3 very specific examples, please?
Past examples that some that my clients have given:
My Low notes seem weak
I have sightreading issues
Fingers are uneven in technical passages
High notes are squeaky with intonation issues
Feeling underconfident in understanding rhythms beyond crotchets and quavers
6) What music do you love listening to in your daily life? (And really, don’t be conservative about this list!)
7) What music do you dream about playing on your flute? (Yes, even that music you were too shy to admit before…)
Past examples that some that my clients have given:
I am not sure yet and that’s why I want to work with you
Anything by Debussy, especially Syrinx
I love jazz, Bach and anything by Peter Maxwell Davies
Want to learn how to improvise in the blues
Mostly prefer playing cover songs/ top 40
Celso Machado’s ‘Suite Populaire Bresilienne’
8) What types of lesson experiences have you not enjoyed? (After all, these lessons are about you!)
Past examples that some that my clients have given:
We only played out the ABRSM exam book and didn’t do much else
I am not good at scales so don’t like playing them
Didn’t like it when my former teacher never let me chose pieces I wanted to play
Playing long tone exercises feels like watching paint dry on the wall
Teacher didn’t understand I was a full-time mom and couldn’t always practice flute
9) What support system do you have in place for yourself to encourage your practice and give you the creative space for your music-making? (Perhaps the most important!)
Still looking for a flute teacher? I might be able to help. Click here.
You might also enjoy: 20 Fill-in-the-blank questions to help you get clear with who you really are (+ where you’ve been) as a musician
With special thanks to MysticMama for the use of the gorgeous, soulful pics above.
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