tips for teaching clarinet lessons

Teaching Clarinet LessonsTIPS FOR TANZANIA & BEYOND

What makes a good lesson?

What makes a BAD lesson?

BUT…I’m not going to Tanzania…

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT???

General TipsFOR TANZANIA

u Document everything. Write down what’s discussed in lessons, rep that needs work for the next lesson, and what (specifically) needs to be addressed in that rep.

u Be punctual. Begin & end lessons on time. Even though it’s generous of you to offer a student some of your time for free, it can really mess up a family’s schedule.

u Always have a duet book (or a few at different levels) – great for first lessons, forgotten music, extra time at the end, etc…

General TipsFOR YOUR OWN STUDIO

u Communicate clearly. Include parents on all emails – especially if your student drives to his/her lessons!

u Write down your lesson policies (lesson rates, payment, missed lessons, rescheduling, etc…). Give them to students & parents AND STICK TO THEM.

u Get comfortable with some teaching materials (method books, etude books, solo books), esp. when starting out. But don’t get stuck in a rut! Always seek to expand your materials.

u Seek out (fun!) opportunities for your students to perform. Practice rooms are lonely – we make music to connect with people, and sometimes this gets lost when students are only preparing for lessons, not a performance…

OrganizationFOR TANZANIA

u Have a plan for each lesson (usually warm up & then move to the etude or solo repertoire). Include sight-reading, excerpts, and ensemble music as desired.

u Set goals. Involve the student in this.u Try to make sure that some of the goals are short-term & some are more long-

term – if they’re all long-term, students may lose motivation.

u Follow up every month: What needs more attention? What can be removed? What should be added?

u Organize & pace each lesson so you cover all assigned material (or let students know you’ll work on it in the next lesson). If you assign something (like long tones) but never hear it in lessons, they’ll stop practicing it.

OrganizationFOR YOUR OWN STUDIO

u Have a plan for long-term growth.u Always begin with higher-level issues (breathing, tone, embouchure, tongue

position, hand position, etc…) before working on specifics.

u Monitor student progress over time and select music that will address weak areas.

u Make sure students play different styles of music (different eras, lyrical/technical, accompanied/unaccompanied).

u Begin each year (semester?) by discussing important dates – auditions, solo & ensemble, etc… Plan repertoire accordingly.

AtmosphereFOR TANZANIA AND YOUR OWN STUDIO

u Create an atmosphere where it’s okay to make mistakes. Let students know that lessons are a “check-up” and not a perfected performance.

u Cultivate a sense of awareness on the student’s part: of their playing, and of their body & mind as they play. Ask questions that make them listen to their playing & pay attention to their body/mind. (More on questions in a minute…)

u Be professional – but be fun too! It’s your job to keep your student inspired, and the atmosphere of lessons goes a long way towards this.

u Get to know your students’ lives outside of music. What else are they interested in? Sometimes you’ll find something that you can use for analogies in lessons – but more importantly, it helps you develop a bond!

LanguageFOR TANZANIA AND YOUR OWN STUDIO

u Ask questions. (This is called the Socratic Method – and it works!)u This encourages students to listen critically in lessons, which is a crucial skill in the

practice room.

u Putting something into words helps us understand it.

u This also helps students to develop their own voice. Reinforce this by letting them know that they don’t always have to agree with your opinion – as long as they have a good reason =)

u Some students will be hesitant to answer questions at first, but they’ll improve as they get more comfortable with you & with lessons in general.


u Ask students what they’re hearing or how they would practice (or have practiced) something that isn’t working.

u Be prepared to explain the same concept in several different ways. We’re all different, and different explanations will reach different students.

u Use the “compliment sandwich” to reinforce positive self-talk & let students know what’s going well.

u Always be specific, both with what’s working well & what needs improvement; generalizations aren’t helpful to students. (“That’s great” vs. “Your breath support has really improved, and it’s made connection over the break much easier!”)


u Avoid “don’t” (“don’t do this”) because it plants the idea of “doing this.”u Use “let” as much as possible – it conveys an ease of movement & playing

(“let your jaw fall open” vs. “open your jaw”).u Be careful of talking too much – we remember more by doing than by

listening (plus, you can make sure your student understands what you’re saying).

LessonsFOR TANZANIA AND YOUR OWN STUDIO

u Encourage students to arrive at lessons with the instrument assembled & having warmed up (if possible).

u Be careful of overloading students (esp. younger students).u In lessons: Give students one (maximum of two) things to work on & then have

them play a section to see if it’s improved. If it has, you can move on (or have them repeat it 2 more times) – if it hasn’t, you need to stick to your guns & have them play it until they’ve improved on whatever you told them to.

u Between lessons: Identify 1-3 key areas (depending on student age & ability) for each assigned piece.


u Make sure to incorporate the student’s interests. (If they want to play jazz, you need to get comfortable with that!)

u Make sure the fundamentals are always sound – even if students are more focused on All-West…

u Offer suggestions for how to practice – and have students use them in their lesson. (The three times rule, rhythms, chunking, metronome, etc…)

u Use a metronome. If you don’t use it in lessons, they won’t use it in the practice room…


u Be aware of posture/alignment. This has SO MUCH effect on playing, yet it’s easy for students to overlook because it isn’t an “active” part of playing the horn.

u Encourage students to experiment. Do this in lessons (hold out a G & move the tongue around – where do you like it best?) and point out places where they can experiment in practicing, too.

u Demonstrate – by playing, singing, clapping, moving… Demonstrating what isn’t working is often very helpful for students (playing with a low tongue & then a high tongue, playing with the incorrect & correct rhythm, etc…), especially combined with asking them a question.


u Insist on correct fingerings (side keys, Eb key in the altissimo, chromatic fingerings once they start playing the chromatic scale). Your students need these in order to progress, and you aren’t doing them any favors by letting them slide with poor fingering choices.

u Observe teachers – good & bad. Take away what you like, as well as what doesn’t work.

u Relate ideas to each other, esp. for older students (ie: tongue position affects tone/air).

tips for teaching clarinet lessons

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