When enrolling in any sort of music program, students and parents are often faced with having to decide between group versus private music lessons. At many music schools, private music lessons are available within scheduled time slots, and group music lessons are frequently offered as after-school activities.

At School of Rock, students and parents don't have to decide. Our music programs combine one-on-one with group instruction to create powerful music lessons that challenge students, encourage growth, and teach team-building skills to get them playing on stage.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PRIVATE MUSIC LESSONS VERSUS GROUP MUSIC LESSONS?

Private music lessons are typically of shorter duration (under an hour), and consist of a weekly one-on-one session with a music instructor. This allows for personalized instruction, and is typically why students want to take private music lessons.

Group music lessons may consist of a longer class (up to two or three hours) with a much larger student to teacher ratio. Classes frequently involve ensemble instruction, where students play music together guided by one or two music instructors.

TAKING PRIVATE MUSIC LESSONS

Private music lessons have many advantages when it comes to learning to play, but there are some disadvantages to consider as well.

ADVANTAGES OF PRIVATE MUSIC LESSONS

• Increased individual attention. In private music lessons, the student has the full attention of the instructor for the entire duration of the class. This individual attention provides an opportunity for more in-depth study of techniques and concepts.
  
  
• Personalized lesson plans. In private music lessons, instructors are more easily able to cater individualized lesson plans to match a student’s pace of learning, practice habits, and musical tastes.
  
  
• Individualized and flexible scheduling. Music instructors may have an easier time accommodating cancellations or irregular scheduling for individual music lessons than they would for group classes.

DISADVANTAGES OF PRIVATE MUSIC LESSONS

• Decreased opportunity to apply lessons. Students who take private music classes often have no opportunity to apply the skills and techniques they would learn in a band setting (unless they devote additional time to learning outside of class).
  
  
• Less motivation to practice. While students may learn at their own pace in private music lessons, they are entirely responsible for their own motivation to practice and improve.
  
  
• Lack of community and social interaction. Individual music lessons do not offer the benefits or support of a community, or the opportunity for social growth that can be found in group music lessons.

TAKING GROUP MUSIC LESSONS

Group music lessons offer some clear advantages over private music lessons, but given the larger class sizes, they also have some clear disadvantages.

ADVANTAGES OF GROUP MUSIC LESSONS

• More instruction time. Group music lessons are often longer in duration than private music lessons, providing more value in music instruction time per week.
  
  
• Increased emphasis on song learning. Group music lessons tend to focus on learning complete songs, as opposed to small parts of songs or purely conceptual material.
  
  
• Improved motivation to practice. The ensemble atmosphere of group music classes uses positive peer pressure to inspire students to want to learn and practice more frequently at home.
  
  
• Boosted teamwork. Students in group music classes must work together - often with students of other instruments - to reach concrete goals. This promotes team building and builds confidence.
  
  
• Increased socialization and sense of community. In group music classes, students can meet new friends with similar interests and form new social circles.
  
  
• Reduced risk of stage fright. Practicing in front of peers in group settings can empower students, boost confidence, and help students overcome stage fright.

DISADVANTAGES OF GROUP MUSIC LESSONS

• Less flexible scheduling. Students may not be able to reschedule group music lessons, or may be reluctant to attend alternative sessions where they don’t know anyone else in the class.
  
  
• Less in-depth instruction. Group music lessons by themselves do not offer as much opportunity for individual attention from the instructor, so in-depth learning of techniques may be more difficult than it would be in a private lesson setting.
  
  
• More temptation to lose focus. More students participating in group settings present additional opportunities for distraction. Students need to keep themselves focused to get the most out of the group class.

Combining group and private music lessons

Programs that combine private music lessons with group music lessons are able to offer students the benefits of each, leading to boosted cognitive development, increased student motivation, a faster rate of progress, and more opportunities to apply learned skills.

At School of Rock, we believe that combining both private and group music lessons are the best to learn to play on stage. By themselves, each style can have advantages and disadvantages. Together, these disadvantages are negated, making combined music lessons the best way for students to learn to play. 

School of Rock: the best of both worlds

School of Rock music programs are specifically designed to incorporate both styles of class, and are more effective than enrolling in two separate programs. In these programs, music instructors can combine their lesson plans with a curriculum designed to offer students the greatest possible learning benefit. As a result, our students become more interested in the theory of music, build confidence, and grow excited to learn more.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SCHOOL OF ROCK'S MUSIC PROGRAMS

School of Rock incorporates both private music lessons and group music lessons into most of its programs, including Rock 101, Performance Program, and the Adult Program.

These programs consist of a weekly private lessons where students receive individual instruction, as well as a weekly group lesson in which students work together as a team learning and performing songs.

At School of Rock, it’s not just about playing an instrument; it's about playing as a team.

We deliver an authentic experience using professional equipment, a staff of seasoned musicians, and performances on real rock stages, at real rock venues, in front of real live audiences.