How Effective are Group Music Lessons? Do Group Piano Lessons Actually Work?

Private music lessons and group music classes are two different classroom settings — and we’ve seen different students thrive in both settings. So how do you know if Group Music Classes are right for your child?

Do group piano lessons work?

You might be able to picture group guitar and singing classes, but what about group piano lessons?

We’ve introduced a few group piano classes over the past couple of years, and we’ve found them to be an awesome success. We’ll explain in this article why. But first — here are some things that would be good to look out for to make sure that the group music lesson you enrol your child into will be a good fit for them.

Here are some things to look out for when finding the right group music class:

The attention that students receive in private lessons doesn’t have to be compromised in a group music class. Something that’s important to look out for is how large the music class is.

At Music on Purpose, we keep our group classes intentionally small. The maximum number of students we’ll enrol in one class is 4 students. This is because we want our students to experience the benefits of learning in a group setting as well as receiving the tailored attention that they would in a private music lesson setting too.

We don’t want our students to fall through the cracks and go by unseen. We also want to make sure that each student feels seen, safe and celebrated in each class, so it’s very important to us to keep our numbers nice and small to deliver the best value that we can.

We believe that our students’ relationship with their teacher and peers in a group music lesson are important too. Vibrant, kind, patient music teachers are great at creating a warm, safe environment for students to make mistakes as they learn new concepts, try their best fearlessly and be completely, unapologetically themselves. Students who get along with their classmates will also have a more positive, enriching experience learning music.

Now that we’ve covered a few things to look out for when finding a suitable music class, here are some surprising benefits of learning piano, guitar or singing in a group class environment:

1) Group music lessons can build students’ confidence & sense of self-esteem

We’ve seen some of our group piano lesson students thrive more than they had ever in a private piano lesson setting. Having peers around the same age and similar skill level when it comes to learning piano had an awesome confidence boosting effect on our students.

Rather than just being with their teacher (who, at the end of the day - is an authority figure) — having classmates has allowed our naturally more shy students to come out of their shells and show us the funny, silly and encouraging side to their personality that may not have ever come out during a private music lesson.

2) Group music lessons allow students to develop great camaraderie & exceptional team work

Learning piano with other students means that friendships naturally develop within the class. Feeling a sense of togetherness and belonging can be incredibly beneficial for students’ emotional well-being, and make classes more enjoyable for them too. As the weeks go by, students in the same group piano class were able to develop great bonds, share lots of laughter and also learn how to effectively work together.

Rather than working on their own to achieve goals, we’ve found that students who work together as a team tend to be more focused through the class. When goals are achieved as a team — there is a deeper sense of fulfilment that students are able to share as a class.

3) Learning piano, guitar or singing in a group class setting can increase students’ motivation to practice

Group music lessons allow students to become accountable — not only to their teacher, but to the class too. Whether it be piano, guitar or singing — when students know that their peers are practicing during the week, they will be compelled to also put in the work. They will feel a sense of responsibility and autonomy to practice their instrument between classes as they know that if they don’t — they will most likely fall behind in the class.

Learning music in a group setting can create a healthy level of competition that can keep students on their toes. This often feeds their sense of internal motivation and inner-drive which is priceless when it comes to growing and progressing — not only in their musical ability, but as a whole person.

4) We’ve heard it time and time again that group music classes are so much more fun

“I mean, I loved learning just with you, but I like this so much better!”

We’ve asked students for honest feedback about transitioning from a private lesson to a group class setting when learning the piano, and most students responded in a similar way to the quote above.

When asked whether they’d like to transition back to private music lessons — students have declined, saying that they enjoy the group class setting a lot more. Hearing this feedback was phenomenal. Learning the piano, guitar or singing in a group class has proven to be a more enjoyable experience that our students look forward to every week.

The friendships, teamwork, sense of belonging, healthy competition and teamwork are a few of the things that have inspired our students to practice more during the week and fall in love with the process of coming to lessons each week. We’re excited to see what’s to come!

If you’ve been thinking about learning an instrument, we’d love to connect with you.

Music on Purpose is a music studio is based in Maroubra, in Sydney Australia. We offer piano lessons, guitar lessons and vocal / singing lessons for students of all ages. Adults included! We’ve got incredible piano, singing and guitar teachers who genuinely care for their students and tailor their lessons to meet each of their students’ learning needs and desires.

Click the button if you’re looking for music lessons in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney! We’d love to hear more about you, and how we can best help you.

www.music-onpurpose.com | Music on Purpose | Piano, Guitar & Singing Lessons for All Ages