The first lesson
What your first lesson is like
A first lesson is a conversation and a first sound. It runs as long as the lesson length you and your teacher choose, and nothing in it is graded.
- 01
Step 1: You talk first
Your teacher asks what you have tried before, what you would like to play, and how much time a week you really have. If you are nervous, or you were once told you had no ear, say so.
No audition
No homework before you come
- 02
Step 2: You hold the instrument
The instrument is ready in the room. Your teacher shows you how to sit, how to hold it and how to breathe, and you try it slowly. If something hurts or feels strange, you stop and ask.
You need not own an instrument yet
Bring a notebook if you like to write things down
- 03
Step 3: You play something small
A few notes, a chord or one line of a tune you know. Your teacher plays it first, then you do, and you repeat it until it feels like yours. Mistakes are part of the lesson.
Songs you know, or tunes from your own family
Every student moves at their own pace
- 04
Step 4: You leave with a plan
A short practice for the week is written down for you, and you choose a regular lesson time. Five or ten minutes a day is a fine start, and your teacher will adjust it with you.
A weekly time that fits your evenings
Ask your teacher before you buy or rent an instrument
Before you come
Small things people ask first
What to bring
Nothing, if you are not sure. If you own an instrument, bring it, and bring a notebook if you like to write things down.
What to wear
Whatever you can sit and move in. Shoes you can stand in comfortably are all a voice lesson needs.
Who can come with you
A friend or partner may sit in on a first lesson. A parent who wants to learn beside their own teenager can book one shared lesson for both.
If you think you are too old
Adults start at every age
At Downbeat nobody compares you with a child, or with the person you used to be. Your teacher asks where you are now, and the lessons begin there.
If an old teacher told you that you had no ear, you are welcome to tell us. We will listen to what you hear and start from that.
Ready to try a first lesson?
Book a placement visit first. A teacher listens, you talk, and together you choose a first teacher and a regular time.