Why Your Kid Doesn’t Like Music Lessons (And What You Can Do About It)

By: Susan Flinn

Let’s Just Get Right To It:
If your child hates music lessons…
If they complain about practicing…
If they’re still stuck on the same song after 6 weeks…
If they’re not progressing and you’ve tried changing teachers, methods, or instruments…
There’s a good chance it’s not the teacher.
It’s not the scheduling.
It’s not the motivation or the reward chart.
It’s not because they need more performing… or less performing… or more private attention…
It’s because they can’t read music.
No, really. That’s it. That’s the blog.
(Okay fine, keep reading…)

What We Actually Mean by "Reading Music"
Let’s clear this up first:
“Reading music” does not mean identifying notes one by one.
It’s not calling out “C… E… G…” like a game of Bingo.
Real music reading is fluent.
It’s instinctive.
It’s the ability to look at the page and know what to do—rhythm, notes, fingerings, expression—all in one glance.

It’s not that different from reading a book. Imagine if your child had to sound out every single word, look up vocabulary mid-sentence, and read in a monotone. They wouldn’t enjoy books, and you’d probably be wondering what’s wrong with their reading program. Music is no different. If your child is struggling with music, it’s likely because they’re still “sounding out the letters” instead of truly reading the language.

Why This Matters
When a child can’t read music fluently:

• They get frustrated
• They feel stuck
• They rely on someone to play the song for them first
• They don’t feel ownership of what they’re doing
• They don’t grow—and worse, they think they’re the problem

This is exactly when parents start looking for “a better fit,” “a more motivating teacher,” or even switch instruments entirely—when really, the issue isn’t the person or the piano. It’s the reading foundation.

So... What Should Be Happening in Lessons?
From the very first lesson, students should be:

• Looking at the music on the page
• Learning how to figure it out for themselves
• Being shown how to read, not just what to play
• Moving through lots of music—not just repeating one song over and over until it's "perfect"

Repetition is great for building technique, memorization, and performance skills—but it will never build fluent sight-reading. And if you want your child to really thrive in music long-term, reading is the key.

How We Do Things Differently (and Why It Works)
Our program isn’t fancy or flashy.
We don’t hand out prizes or perform sticker math.
We don’t hype up one “recital song” for three months straight.
We just teach kids to read—and because of that, they fly.

Many of our students move through their method books at twice or three times the rate of private lessons. Not because we’re rushing, but because they’ve learned to actually understand what they’re doing. They open their books, start playing confidently, and know how to correct themselves.

We’ve seen some students finish seven books of the Faber Piano Adventures series in just 12 weeks—with great technique, musicality, and expression.

And the best part? They’re not dependent on us. They’ll be able to sit down at any piano, with any music, and figure it out for themselves. That’s independence. That’s real musicianship. That’s a life skill.

 When a Student Can Read Music...

• They can play any piece, not just the one their teacher assigned
• They can easily transition to other instruments
• They don’t need to rely on YouTube or “someone to show them”
• They progress faster and with more joy
• They build confidence, self-direction, and long-term motivation

​(And they stop whining about practice. Mostly.)

So, If Lessons Aren’t Working...Ask yourself:
“Can my child read music fluently?”
Not just name notes.
Not just follow finger numbers.
Can they actually read and understand the music?

If the answer is no—or you’re not sure—it might be time to rethink the structure of your current lessons.

Want to Learn More?
We’ve built our entire program around helping students become confident, independent music readers. If you'd like to learn more about how our approach works (and how it can actually fit into your family's life), check out our website. No gimmicks. No pressure. Just better readers, and happier musicians.

I WANT MY CHILD TO READ!