Instrumental Teaching

• Suitable for instrumental and vocal teachers, wherever they teach
• Encourages teachers to reflect on and improve their work
• Draws on research and examples drawn from current practice
• Stimulating, challenging, and engaging
• Focuses on learning by young people, but is relevant to students at any age or level
• Centres on the teaching of classical instruments, but ranges more freely

Janet Mills (1954-2007)

"This thought-provoking book . . . offers constructive advice to teachers about how to communicate with students . . . Less experienced teachers, in particular, will find much useful practical advice here, and all teachers will be given plenty of opportunity to evaluate their methods." - Nathaniel Vallois, The Strad December 08

"Readers will find Mills's lucid, frank presentation of facts - as well as her conclusions - revealing and at times alarming. . . this is an extremely useful compendium on this under-researched subject." - International Piano July 08

Introduction
Why teach an instrument?
Instrumental teachers
Why take instrumental lessons?
What instrument?
Instrumental lessons, music, and life
The first lesson
Planning a programme of lessons
Practice makes perfect?
Some myths of instrumental learning and teaching
So, why teach an instrument?
Appendix 1 - Nuts and bolts: frequently asked questions
Appendix 2 - How not to teach musically
Index