Frequency of private lessons

[Phogfan86]

Last weekend at Winter Storm in Kansas City, three different workshop instructors approached me to encourage me to look into private lessons for my 11-year-old son. He really impressed folks with his technique and how quickly he absorbed instruction and information. One said that there's no reason in the world that, with hard work, there's no reason in the world he couldn't work up to a grade 2 or 3 band -- maybe grade 1 over a longer period.

Here's the issue: there are no private instructors here in Topeka. We'd have to go to Kansas City, which is an hour away. The other thing is cost. Private piping lessons ain't cheap. He is playing with our pipe band now and rehearing each week with the group, and there is some instruction that happens in that setting.

So with the long commute and the cost as obstacles, I ask the following: Could he take a lesson every other week, or does he really need weekly lessons at this early stage to maximize learning?

Thanks in advance for the help!

[piperdbh]

I would say that if he's getting lessons every other week, and reinforcement from band members every week, he should be fine.
Is there a way to have some regular, scheduled lesson time with someone in your band? That might help, since hopefully, two different teachers won't be telling him very different things.

[JS Sanders]

What would your son like to do?

As an alternative, there're a number of qualified instructors on the internet who provide lessons via streaming video.

Slan,
steve

[WARPIPER]

Every other week is at some times better if there is practice on the lessons being conducted at home. Skill takes time to develope and the practice is important. Once a week is sometimes to quick.