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Adding private lessons to video lessons
Hi! I am 48 and have been playing harp for about 1.5 years now. I was taking private Zoom lessons, as well as doing a few video lessons with Christy Lyn, and also purchasing random sheet music from Christy-Lyn and other harp folks.
Life got super hectic this summer and I took July and August off from private lessons. I am considering just continuing to do video lessons here and buy sheet music I like. It would save money and maybe stress of trying to learn too many pieces at once! On the other hand, my harp teacher taught me many useful skills.
I’m interested in people’s opinions around doing both video lessons and private lessons. Is it too much? I I have a full time job and a fiance, but no kids other than my cats. Thank you!
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3 Replies
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I think it really depends on your learning goals and styles. Some people benefits from having a teacher who can help them personalize their learning; some people love the flexibility of learning from video lessons at their own pace (and the ability to replay the instructions!). Personally I take private lessons and I augment that with other forms of learning such as video lessons and workshops if and when necessary. In my opinion there are some complex subjects that are not ideal for a one-directional transfer of information (lectures, video lessons, etc); that’s why some learnings are better suited for small group instructions and/or private tutoring. I am also the kind of learner that benefits from working through problems with an expert instead of reading an instruction manual. But not everyone learns the same way and not everyone wants the same learning outcomes. If the goal is to learn to play some tunes that you enjoy, video lessons with the occasional workshop or private lesson would probably be quite sufficient.
I work a full time job and is married with young kids. Making time to learn and practice the harp, regardless of how I am learning it, is a personal commitment I have to make an effort to uphold for sure. I have to figure out how much time is realistic for me to invest in learning and playing the harp, and how to prioritize things when there are so much more going on in life than harp. Maybe the fact that you are looking for a change in your harp learning routine is an indication that you are not entirely satisfied with the way that you are spending time with the harp? If I were in your position, I would ask myself what is causing me to rethink how I spend time with the harp and what is a different outcome (or outcomes) that you are hoping for. From there I would work backward to figure out what kind of learning would meet my needs.
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Thank you both for those very thoughtful responses! I probably need to do some thinking about how much time I can devote to the harp on a regular basis. The monthly private lessons might be a good option.
Thanks again!
Elin
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I’ve been playing for about a year and a half also. I started with private lessons along with the Christy-Lyn Harp Grove membership. I really need the private lessons to keep my technique on track and she also personalizes my lessons for my weaknesses.
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