Recently, I was approached by many parents asking whether violin lessons for beginners should be Group class or One to One? To me, through my journey of learning violin from the age of 5, I only studied in a group environment at the beginning lasting only for one month – later, I was immediately switched to Private One to One violin lesson until I graduated from the Royal Academy of Music in London.
This article aims to address why One to One violin lessons are so important for beginners:
One to one Violin lessons help meet every student’s personal goals To begin with, when you study with a professional private violin tutor, you’ll receive your teacher's full attention and focus for the entire lesson. It is so important in a way that you’ll get lessons planned and tailored to your specific needs, goals, and learning style. For that reason, you’ll progress quickly and easily because classes are made just for you. At Aureus Academy under my violin class, I have a 4 year old student progressing from beginner to Grade 3 level in just half a year! That’s why students who take private lessons usually make steady and good progress toward their personal targets. Group violin classes can’t offer that kind of individualized instruction. The teacher usually follows a pre-set lesson plan and cannot take care of the specific needs of many students. These students will have different needs, abilities, learning styles, goals, or even ages. So you just can’t give them the same level of individual focus. That’s why One to One violin lessons are just so important for beginners, and allows students a great head start!
Take it from the perspective of a teacher – I once taught in a group environment two years ago containing ten students at a time. As a result, I found myself always compromising. I tried to balance each violin student’s needs as a whole. Imagine that one student is struggling with something the rest of the class finds easy. I can help him but the other students wait – or I go on when most of the class is ready, leaving the struggling violin student behind. It’s just so ineffective in both ways! That weaker violin student found himself scared or even intimidated by this group environment, making him give up violin in the end. What a pity! And to myself, neither is a good solution if great
progress is your goal, but that’s a common problem in a group class. None of these are issues in One to One violin lessons, making them the best choice for you if you are looking to make quick and easy progress toward your goals.
Moreover, violin students who take group classes to learn an instrument often form bad habits because they don’t have personal, individual attention. Mistakes go unnoticed and uncorrected. In light of this, at Aureus, we only provide private One to One violin lessons for beginners, as we believe this is the best choice for students!
To Mak’s career as a violinist has seen him perform as a soloist in notable concert venues locally in Hong Kong and around the world including Austria, Germany, and United Kingdom. A graduate of the prestigious Royal Academy of Music, To Mak received his Master’s Degree in Music under the tutelage of Professor Nicholas Miller. He has also participated in masterclasses with prominent violinists including Yair Kless and Kirill Troussov. As a dedicated music educator, John has taught and worked with students in both a private and group setting. He currently serves as a full time Violin Teacher at Aureus Academy.
