Music classes for teens: guide for dads

A teenager learns music when she's connected with who she's with: the music she's listening to, the friends she wants to play with, the video she wants to get up, the band that she's dreaming about. The classes that work at this age start with these interests, they trade the repertoire and put goals that really care about the youth.

For dads and moms the change is also great: it's no longer about sitting with them to practice but about supporting them without monitoring. Here's how to do it, from the electrical guitar in the room to the question of whether to study music at university.

To sum up

In adolescence his motivation comes from his identity: his music, his friends and his goals.
The music they love is an excellent starting point for learning technique, reading and theory.
Playing with others in a band, a choir or an ensemble holds interest rather than practice alone.
To be recorded and published can be motivated, with family agreements as to what's shared.
If you think about studying music, you have to get ready with a year or two in advance.

What teens are looking for in a music class

A 8-year-old goes to class because his parents have been registered with him. A teenager goes after his care and stops going after his care doesn't make sense.

To sound as the artists who listen.
To play with friends and feel part of a group.
To have a space of his own to express itself, far from school and grades.
Show what they do: at a touch, at school or at networks.
To some, explore if music can be their professional path.

That's why teacher cannot be just someone who fixes. He has to listen, propose and especially connect. If you're looking for one, these [questions to choose music teacher]](/blog/como-elegir-profesor-de-musica) They help you figure out if she's the right person for your child.

The music they love as a starting point

Rock, regreset, trap, indie, pop, salsa, vallenato, K-pop or video game music: nearly every genre serves to learn, if teacher knows what to get out of every song.

What can be learned with the music they have been listening to
What they have to play	What they learn by the way
The Riffs of his favorite rock band at electric guitar	Power chords, string quiet, alternates and tablature reading.
The low line of a funk or salsa song	Groove, subdivision, how to connect with drums and rhythmic reading.
The Reg or Rock Battery Pattern	Independence of hands and feet, stable pulse and work with a methonomer.
A cover of his favorite singer	breathing, tuning and how to adapt the tone to his own voice.
The music of a movie or video game at piano	Reading, chords and how a piece's harmony is built.

A formula that works: "a song that you choose, an exercise or a piece that I propose." Thus the young man feels that his class is his and his teacher makes sure that his technique advances.

If she sings: an eye with a change of voice

The voices of men change noticeably during adolescence and that of women also have changes, but less evident. I'm singing It's best to work with the range available at every moment, without forcing sharp and serious notes and adjusting the tone of the songs. If there's an inconvenience or a ronquera that doesn't pass, we have to consult with a specialist.

Bandas, essays and play with others

To put together a band with friends is, for many teens, the best motor to practice. Classes can prepare that moment:

Learn his share before essay, so that his time with his band will be to play together and not to play songs.
To count, start and finish on time, something that looks obvious and that's what costs most at first trials.
To listen to others: [Electrical bass]](/clases/bajo-electrico) and the drums have to go together, and the guitar has to leave space to his voice.
To care for the volume and ears with hearing protectors at every trial.

If there are no gangs in sight, there are other ways to play with them: the school group, a choir, a youth orchestra or an ensemble of students. The important thing is that the music will not stay alone in the room.

Networks, videos and prints

The cell phone can be a great ally. To be recorded allows listening to what isn't felt while playing, to watch the advance week by week and to have a concrete goal: "in a month up this cover." Many teens practice more with a video by means.

We have some agreements to put in place:

To speak with family about what's published, what's your account and with what privacy, especially if you're a minor.
Remember that the comments of strangers do not measure his talent and his advancement.
Do not turn every practice into content: the actual practice is slow, repetitive and does not always look good in camera.

The online tutorials also have their place to get songs but they do not replace someone who fixes posture and technique. We explain this in Learning music with YouTube or with a teacher.

What if she wants to study music at university?

Around the age of 15 or 16 some young people start to ask if music can be their race. It's a question that's worth serious, without being afraid or idealizing.

The music race in Colombia usually has admissions tests that evaluate instrument or singing and also reading, theory, rhythm, and dictiation. That's why it's best to start preparing with a year or two in advance, although the young man's ear plays very well.

To strengthen reading and theory, and not just repertoire.
To know the options: interpretation, master's degree, composition, music production or sound engineering, among others.
To go to concerts and university shows to get an understanding of the environment.

If that's the plan, A medio tono there's a program preparation for admission to music thought for that goal.

The role of dads: support without monitoring

He negotiates practice times rather than lays them down and if his agreement is his, his best.
Search for noise solutions: hearing aids for the electronic guitar, pg or drums, schedules agreed with the neighbours.
Stretch with equipment gradually as the commitment holds.
Go to his performances, even if it's a touch at his school or at his friend's place.
Don't get his music tipsy and you may have a bad time with his regresion or metal but criticize them will close his conversation.
Keep contact with the teacher, now with more discretion: the young man also needs to feel that his relationship with his teacher is his.

And if at some point she wants to change his instrument, his style or his teacher, listen to him: at this age his tastes move and that's also part of finding his place in music.

Frequently asked questions

Is it late at age 15 to start an instrument?

No. A teenager quickly understands, organizes his practice and advances with agility while motivated. If he wants to study music as well, the important thing is to start preparing with time.

Do virtual classes work with teens?

They usually work very well: they are comfortable with technologies and can share with their teacher videos of practice between class and class. For electrical guitar, low or singing, the virtual class is a very practical choice, especially with the tight school schedules.

What do I do if my son wants to play only one gender?

Let and get some use of it. Any genre has rhythm, harmony and technique to learn. A good teacher uses that music as an entrance door and, little by little, expands his repertoire with other things that give him.

How do we balance music with the last year of high school?

Realist agreements. In the season of exams or training for the tests Know 11 can reduce practice but keeping the weekly class prevents losing the thread. To many youth, music is just the pause they need at that season.

Classes of music for teens: how to sustain motivation