Teachers, do you teach a student once a month?

[ranniks]

My new education is starting in september and it would be ideal for me if I could get one lesson each month. I would not mind one lesson taking 2 hours, but do teachers even do that? Is there even a point to a lesson that's longer than one hour? An hour lesson would be best for me.

I'm an adult beginner btw, started a year ago.

I'm terribly afraid to ask my piano and violin teacher to teach me once a month, because they might say they can't do that. But I'm a paying customer so I should be able to just ask, right?

Please help.

[lilla]

Adult piano students have unique needs.  I have heard of adults taking lessons once per month.  You should not be shy about asking your current teacher.  Be prepared to tell your teacher exactly what you can do to prepare for lessons and how you can maintain your focus throughout the month.  In this way you and your teacher will have clear expectations. Certainly, your teacher will also have some guidelines necessary to make it work.  It can be done.  Good luck and do let us know what happens.

[ranniks]

Adult piano students have unique needs.  I have heard of adults taking lessons once per month.  You should not be shy about asking your current teacher.  Be prepared to tell your teacher exactly what you can do to prepare for lessons and how you can maintain your focus throughout the month.  In this way you and your teacher will have clear expectations. Certainly, your teacher will also have some guidelines necessary to make it work.  It can be done.  Good luck and do let us know what happens.

So it's not a matter of them being unwilling to teach me for once a month because it's less profit or something?

[keypeg]

Teacher needs are in there two.  If you come in once a month on Thursdays from 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m., then there are three Thursdays in that time slot where there will be no lessons.  It is unlikely that the teacher could find another student who will come three Thursdays in a row for the remaining weeks.

If you are a beginner, more frequent lessons are better since you are forming habits, and they can go off track in a whole month of practising alone.  Fixing them once they're set is hard work and time consuming as well as frustrating.

[rembetissa]

I agree with keypeg. I would not take a once-monthly student at a prime lesson time. Maybe I'd try it out for two months provided this student was my last of the evening? Whether or not monthly lessons work depends on the student as well. They'll be more successful if you practice consistently and contact your teacher if you have questions during the month. As far as a two-hour lesson, honestly that might be too much new information in each session to really sink in.

[nick_op]

I wouldn't have any problem with teaching a student that infrequently, but the lesson time would be to my convenience - either very first of the day or the very last, thus not leaving a space that would go potentially unfilled for 3 weeks of the month.

I'm wondering, if you're considering going once a month for two hours, why not go twice a month for an hour each time? You could stagger piano and violin lessons so that they occur on alternate weeks.