How long do I have to take lessons?

A question private music teachers often have to field is, “How long do you have to take lessons?” It’s a tough question to interpret; I think those asking it might not have fully thought through what they mean by it.

The answer is that it depends on your goals and it depends on your progress. We teachers can’t guarantee certain results or a certain timeline because learning is such an individual process. You may have knowledge and experience to build on, or you may be starting from zero. Your learning style may give you an advantage for developing certain skills. Or the way your brain works might make some aspects of learning music more challenging for you. You may have a lot of time and effort to invest, or not a lot, or very little.

So, maybe what this question really means is, “What goal am I working towards?” And that is entirely up to you! What are you motivated to achieve?

How long until you can play that one favorite song? I might, after teaching someone for a month or two, be able to guess how long that would take. This is a decent goal - it may be hard to achieve, but it’s highly motivating. It’s a goal you can achieve infinite times, too, because there are so many awesome pieces of music you might aspire to perform.

How long until you can perform at a professional level? Oh, YEARS, probably, even if you have the aptitude and drive to achieve that goal. Not everyone does. And that is totally okay. The only way to know if you’ll be able to achieve professional ability is to try. Even if this is your end goal, your progress toward achieving it is going to be nearly impossible to measure, so maybe it’s best not to focus on it right from the beginning.

How long until you are “good enough” - competent in every basic skill? Probably a few years, or at least quite a while, but this depends on your standard of competence and on what skills you consider to be essential. Your teacher can help you understand what achieving this goal would look like.

How long until you know everything there is to know about how to sing or how to play an instrument? Never! Of course. :)

Perhaps what you really want to ask is, “How long until I don’t need weekly lessons to learn music?”

Although I can’t give you a definite answer, it’s my goal as a teacher to guide you to that point. Not the point where you know everything I know - you’d have to be my student for an awfully long time, because I keep learning! - but the point where you know enough to guide yourself. My students develop their technical playing and singing skills, of course, but learning to perform songs isn’t the only purpose of lessons; I also help students develop their ears, their understanding of harmonic theory and the structure of music, their music-reading ability, their sense of musical expression and artistry, and their practice habits and learning strategies. These are the tools and abilities that allow us to guide our own musical evolution.

You may not realize this, but professional musicians still take lessons and have teachers, coaches, and mentors. Developing your musicianship is an open-ended activity. No one has ever learned everything there is to learn. Growing as a musician is something you can enjoy experiencing for your entire life.

Someday, though, I know, every student I teach will move on from weekly lessons with me. That’s why I’m preparing each of them to answer their own questions, guide their own practice, and learn new pieces without my help.

I think the real intent behind that question - “How long do I have to take lessons?” - is to seek an understanding of how quickly a student can expect to progress.

All the same answers apply. But to those answers I would add that the speed and efficiency of your learning is mostly in your control. Follow your teacher’s guidance. You’ll make progress if you practice, no matter what, but you’ll make the best progress if you practice the material and methods your teacher recommends. No matter what your goals are, that’s the quickest path to any achievements you choose to pursue.