A month ago, I had the opportunity to sit down at a professional development with other elementary band directors where we were talking about starting beginning band in the first five weeks. I was so happy that I could contribute to answering their questions and offer support. I started to think – when I was a brand-new teacher, the only issue in my mind was – how do I start young band musicians in the with optimal success? I’m starting my 10th year as an elementary band director. Hard to believe! The teacher I was back then feels worlds away from who I am now. I’ve shifted from a teacher questioning every decision to a teacher who isn’t afraid to try new things – and I’m not afraid of the outcome anymore, either.
In my program, I see students one time a week for a 30-minute lesson. Some programs have more time (yay for you, if you are one of those!) and some have even less time (yikes). I’ve pulled together a recap of my first five lessons with beginner students, which roughly equals the first five to seven weeks of instrument lessons. Don’t be afraid to slow down if the students need a review. You will make up time later on when they have a good technique foundation. Focus on teaching the concepts well in the beginning versus fast for the sake of time or the push of their first concert.
Here is what I focus on with my first-year band students (fourth graders) for the first five to seven weeks, mixed with some of my personal reflections along the way. I hope it resonates, affirms your own experience, and maybe even offers a few sparks for your classroom!
Week 1: Getting to Know Our Instruments
This is our big first day. We learn:
- How to safely open and care for our instruments
- The names of different parts of each instrument
- How to hold them with good posture and hand position
- What it means to be part of a band – listening, patience, and encouraging each other
Many students make their very first sound, but not all – and that’s ok! This first lesson is all about getting them familiar with the parts and assembling as accurately as possible. If you use Google Classroom or other online resources, this is a great time to post a video that students can use at home to help them practice putting their instruments together.at home so they come back ready to move on the next week.
Week 2: Producing Our First Sounds on the Mouthpiece
This second lesson reviews instrument assembly and focuses on efficiency. I dangle the carrot of, “the more efficient you are at putting together your instrument, the more time we have to play!” Once students demonstrate the ability to put their instrument together, I have them take it apart except for their mouthpiece. For clarinets, they keep the barrel and mouthpiece assembled; alto sax uses their neck/mouthpiece; flutes – head joint only; and brass, mouthpiece buzzing.
This week we focus on:
- Making a clear, steady sound (making sure to call it a “tone”) on the mouthpiece only
- Breath support (wind players) and buzzing/lip control (brass players)
- Basic stick technique and rebound for percussion – I use bell kits in the beginning of the year to teach musicality and note-reading. I save snare drumming for later in the winter.
During this second lesson, I stress the importance of making “good” sounds and defining what that means. A good way to do this is to have students reverse engineer their embouchure – once they have a good tone consistently, have them demonstrate what it means to have a weak embouchure and tone. They learn control pretty quickly this way!
Weeks 3, 4, and 5: Reading Our First Notes!
For the next three weeks (or more, depending on the students’ progress), I introduce music literacy. I use a combination of their method book, plus a “First Five Notes” packet that I created to help get students reading notes faster. If you want to see it, click here!
- Learning the first five notes of the Concert B-flat Scale
- Understanding basic long tones/whole notes
- Playing long tones along with a drone or other audible tone
- Introducing half and quarter notes
For these lessons, I introduce playing with a constant tone such as a drone, as well as my own performing demonstrations for the students. Learning where each note sits on the staff can be daunting for some learners, which is why I designed my own lesson packet just for this purpose. I pull from the method book plus my own experience for these first few lessons.
Final Thoughts…
As I reflect on these first five weeks – and on entering my tenth year as an elementary band director – I’m reminded that this work is never really the same year to year. The students are different, the challenges shift, and I continue to grow right alongside them. Watching beginners go from unfamiliarity to pride in their first sounds never gets old. It’s a humbling and joyful reminder of why we do what we do.
To those of you also deep in reeds, mouthpieces, and stick grips this fall: keep going. These early weeks may be messy, but they’re magic, but the foundation we build now is what carries them through the rest of their musical journey. And honestly, it carries us too.
Here’s to squeaks, small wins, and the long game!
~K.L.
Looking for more? Check out these posts on teaching scales to beginners, or how to get students to write meaningful concert reflections!