A music tutor is a music instructor who works in a student’s home or in a private studio. The music tutor teaches the student about rhythm, pitch, and tempo while teaching voice and instrument lessons. Other subjects, such as melody and music history, are frequently taught by a music tutor. The tutor is usually able to detect tonal flaws and can offer advice on how to correct the problem. Students are also taught music theory and phrasing to help them create musical and melodic sounds.
The music tutor’s primary responsibility is to teach the student how to read and write musical tablature and notes. Once a student has mastered the ability to read music, he or she can easily transfer it from instrument to instrument as they master new skills. The metronome is a mechanical device that aids the music tutor in teaching students about rhythm and timing. A teacher may occasionally provide a student with a wooden block and a single drumstick, instructing the student to practice striking the wooden block with the stick on every metronome tick. This teaching method is used to subconsciously instill the musical count in the student.
The ability to breathe properly while singing is an important part of voice training and singing lessons. In order to improve a student’s ability to hold notes, the music tutor will frequently assign breathing lessons and instructions. For some tutors, persuading a student to breathe from the diaphragm is one of the most difficult tasks. Other aspects of vocal tutoring include proper mouth shape and formation when making a specific sound, as well as proper tremolo timing and volume control. Some tutors spend weeks teaching a student how to change the volume of their voice when singing alone or with music.
Proper technique in holding and playing the instrument is critical when teaching students to play an instrument. In most cases, music students must be taught manual dexterity so that both hands can master the playing techniques of the instrument. One of the most difficult things for a music tutor to teach a student is proper tone. Timing, melody, and rhythm can be taught to almost any student on most musical instruments; however, tone is in the musician’s ear and, for the most part, it either exists or does not.