Editing Music lesson (section)

== Posture ==
{{one source section|date=December 2023}}
[[File:TimothyBCobb.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Manhattan School of Music]] professor Timothy Cobb teaching a bass lesson in the late 2000s]]
For vocal lessons, teachers show students how to sit or stand and breathe, and how to position the head and mouth for good vocal tone. For instrument lessons, teachers show students how to sit or stand with the instrument, how to hold the instrument, and how to manipulate the fingers and other body parts to produce tones and sounds from the instrument. For wind and brass instruments, the teacher shows the student how to use their lips, tongue, and breath to produce tones and sounds. For some instruments, teachers also train students in the use of the feet, as in the case of piano or other keyboard instruments that have damper or sustain pedals on the piano, the [[pedal keyboard]] on a [[pipe organ]], and some drums and cymbals in the drum kit such as the bass drum pedal and the hi-hat cymbal pedal. In addition to teaching fingering, teachers also provide other types of instruction. A [[classical guitar]] player learns how to strum and pluck strings; players of wind instruments learn about breath control and [[embouchure]], and singers learn how to make the most of their [[vocal cords]] without hurting the throat or vocal cords.

Teachers also instruct students in achieving correct posture for most efficient playing and to prevent injury. For all instruments, the optimal way to move the fingers and arms to achieve a desired effect is to play with the least tension in your hands and body. This prevents habit formation that can injure the skeletal frame and muscles.  For example, when playing the piano, ''fingering''—which fingers to put on which keys—is a skill slowly learned as the student advances, and there are many standard techniques a teacher can pass on.

There are many myths and misconceptions among music teachers, especially in the Western classical tradition, about "good" posture and "bad" posture. Students who find that playing their instruments causes them physical pain should bring this to their teachers' attention. It could be a potentially serious health risk, but it is often overlooked when learning to play an instrument. Learning to use one's body in a manner consistent with the way their anatomy is designed to work can mean the difference between a crippling injury and a lifetime of enjoyment. Many music teachers would caution students about taking "no pain, no gain" as an acceptable response from their music teacher regarding a complaint of physical pain.  Concerns about use-related injury and the [[ergonomics]] of musicianship have gained more mainstream acceptance in recent years. Musicians have increasingly been turning to medical professionals, physical therapists, and specialized techniques seeking relief from pain and prevention of serious injury. There exists a plurality of special techniques for an even greater plurality of potential difficulties. The [[Alexander Technique]] is just one example of these specialized approaches.