Trial Lessons

Trial lessons are a great way to figure out if a teacher is a good fit for your child, family, and musical goals. Many teachers are happy to schedule trial lessons, although some teachers prefer to set up lesson observations—you observe them teach one or more of their current students—or an initial phone call with a parent/caregiver (and some teachers do a mix of all of the above!). Regardless, it’s always worth asking about trial lessons, lesson observations, and the general process for prospective students if you’ve found a teacher you’d like to know more about!

A few tips for making the most of a trial lesson: 

• Ask the teacher beforehand what they charge for trial lessons and how they prefer to receive payment. Some teachers don’t charge for trial lessons or informational sessions, but many do! 

• Ask the teacher what to bring with you to the trial lesson. If your child is brand new to the violin/viola you probably don’t need an instrument for a trial lesson. In fact, many teachers won’t want you to get an instrument until they’ve clarified things like the appropriate size and the best places to rent/buy instruments in your area (and very young students won’t need an instrument for the early stages of lessons, anyway!)—but it’s still a good idea to check what the teacher’s expectations are for trial lesson materials.

• Prepare a general list of what you want to know about the teacher, how they run their studio, etc. Questions could include things like:

1. What method and/or teaching philosophy do you use?

2. How involved are parents/caregivers in lessons and practice? 

3. What are your expectations for the amount of practice each week? 

4. Do you offer and/or expect students to be involved in group lessons, youth orchestra, or other ensembles?

5. How often do your students perform? 

6. What materials do you require your students to have? 

7. How do you schedule lessons? 

8. How much do lessons cost and how do you structure billing? 

9. Do you offer make-up lessons? Many teachers (myself included!) do not offer make-ups for lessons that students miss; if this is a sticking point for you, you’ll want to specifically seek out a teacher who offers make-ups. 

Every teacher works with prospective families a little differently, but you can expect them to have a couple questions for you, as well! Perhaps things like whether your child has any past musical experiences and what your family’s musical goals are. 

The ‘lesson’ part of the trial lesson will vary from teacher to teacher. I like to cover some simple, no-instrument-needed practice exercises for beginning students. I also often talk through the structure of a typical lesson, how to set up a practice routine at home, and the pace of progress to expect in the early stages of learning an instrument. If students have previous violin/viola experience, we’ll work together on something they are comfortable playing and I’ll outline what our core goals would be based on their current level.

Working with a violin/viola teacher is, ideally, a long term relationship, so taking the time to find someone you and your child are excited about working with is a wise investment!