"Can we do lessons once every other week?" This is a super common question that we get all the time.

I've been a piano and voice teacher since 2020, and based on my experience, I highly recommend taking lessons once every week over once every two weeks if you're choosing between those options. If your option is once every two weeks or not at all, then some is better than none, and it's an okay place to start. However, my experience with my own students is that you will get more out of it doing it weekly.

Like most music schools, Doorstep Music Lessons offer lessons once per week. This is the standard for music education from beginners all the way to the highest levels, including collegiate, post-graduate and doctoral studies.

Here are 16 reasons why once-a-week music lessons are generally more beneficial than lessons every two weeks in my experience:

1. Consistent Practice:

When you have weekly lessons, it encourages you to practice regularly. This consistent practice helps you build and maintain your skills more effectively. Without it, you might find yourself practicing less frequently, which can slow down your progress.

2. Steady Progress:

With more frequent lessons, you make continuous progress. This steady advancement keeps you motivated and engaged because you're always working on something new and improving. If lessons are too far apart, you might feel like you're not moving forward quickly enough.

3. Immediate Feedback:

In weekly sessions, you receive timely feedback on your technique and performance. This allows you to correct mistakes before they become habits. If you wait two weeks for feedback, it might be too late to fix issues that have already become ingrained.

4. Shorter Time Between Lessons:

When there's less time between lessons, you're less likely to forget what you've learned. This makes each lesson more productive because you can pick up right where you left off, rather than spending time reviewing what you forgot.

5. Routine and Discipline:

A weekly schedule helps you develop a consistent routine, which promotes discipline and time management skills. Having a set time each week for lessons helps you stay organized and committed to your practice.

6. Better Retention:

With frequent lessons, you're revisiting new concepts and techniques more often, which helps with retention. When lessons are spaced too far apart, it's easier to forget what you've learned, and you might need to relearn it all over again.

7. Deeper Engagement:

Regular interaction with your teacher fosters a deeper connection and engagement with the music and the learning process. This consistent communication helps you stay interested and invested in your progress.

8. Personalized Attention:

Weekly lessons give teachers a better understanding of your progress and needs. This allows for more personalized guidance, as the teacher can adjust the lessons based on your strengths and weaknesses.

9. Faster Adaptation:

With more frequent opportunities to work on new pieces and techniques, you can quickly adapt and incorporate them into your playing. Waiting longer between lessons can make it harder to pick up new skills efficiently.

10. Confidence Building:

Regular lessons can boost your confidence as you see consistent improvement in your skills. This steady progress helps you feel more assured in your abilities and more willing to tackle new challenges.

11. Better Preparation:

Weekly lessons provide more opportunities for preparation for performances, exams, or auditions. This consistent preparation ensures you're ready and confident when the time comes, rather than feeling rushed or underprepared.

12. Continuous Motivation:

Frequent check-ins with your teacher can help maintain your motivation and enthusiasm for learning. This regular encouragement can keep you excited about your progress and eager to keep improving.

13. Improved Technique:

Regular instruction helps reinforce proper technique, reducing the risk of developing bad habits. With weekly lessons, you receive consistent reminders and corrections, helping you build a strong technical foundation.

14. Greater Flexibility:

A weekly schedule allows for more flexibility in adjusting the curriculum to meet your needs and interests. If something isn't working, it can be quickly changed, keeping your learning experience relevant and engaging.

15. Stronger Foundation:

More frequent lessons help build a stronger musical foundation. With regular reinforcement of concepts and skills, you're better equipped to progress to more advanced levels without gaps in your knowledge.

16. Missing One Lesson Means You Miss a WHOLE MONTH:

Inevitably, there will be times when you need to take a week off for a vacation, school, work, or a scheduling conflict. When you have weekly lessons, this isn't a big deal because you'll see your teacher the next week. However, with lessons every two weeks, missing one means you're now a whole month away from your next lesson. That's a long time to practice on your own and wait for teacher feedback, which can slow down your progress and make it harder to stay on track.

Overall, weekly music lessons offer a structured and supportive environment that fosters consistent growth and development. If your only option is to take lessons every week or not at all, then I recommend starting with every other week and switching to weekly as soon as your schedule allows.