1. What lessons do you offer at Pladd Dot Music? We teach Guitar, Bass, Drums, Voice, Piano, Woodwinds, and Brass instruments. All of our instructors are highly trained in their area of instruction.

2. How much do lessons cost at Pladd Dot Music? Lessons are $90 a month. We draft a checking or savings account once a month.

3. I hear that I have to sign a six month contract. Is that true? Yes. Learning an instrument isn't always easy. Some of our best students took 6 months before they became "serious" musicians. Without a commitment, many students may try to stop after just a couple of months. We feel that holding a student accountable for six months gives them a strong head start. This way, they get over the "honeymoon" period and begin to truly learn the instrument. Our student retention is very high in part because of our commitment contract.

4. Does my student need to own an instrument to take lessons? Yes–unless it's voice lessons.

5. How old do they have to be to start lessons?
Piano: 5 years old
Drums: 5 years old
Guitar: 7 years old
Voice: 8 years old
Band Instruments: Middle School

6. What's the oldest student you teach? Our oldest current student is 67.

7. Wow. 67? What's he learning to play? Can you really teach an old dog new tricks? Yep. 67. Right now he's learning Beatles, Kenny Rogers, and all of his scales. I don't know about old dogs but people should never stop learning.

8. How long does it take to learn to play an instrument? That answer is different for different people. It depends on how much you practice. For the 15 year old with stars in their eyes, it may mean countless hours of jam sessions. Because of the countless hours, you may see them get pretty good pretty fast. For the working professional, it may mean 15 minute intervals between dropping off kids at soccer practice and grocery shopping. It may take them a bit longer since they don't have as much time.

9. But I know this guy that's been playing guitar for two weeks and he can already play Sweet Home Alabama. So do we.

10. So are some people just born with talent? Yes. Some people are born with more musical awareness than others. HOWEVER–there is no substitute for hard work and practice. "Talent" is the most abused word when describing musicians. More often than not, the term "talented person" is used in the place of "hard working person". We've known many talented people that never succeeded in learning an instrument. We've seen many hard working musicians go much farther than lots of talented people.

11. So does that mean I can play Sweet Home Alabama after two weeks? Yes. If you work hard.

12. How long do I have to work? We have no idea. We don't know how talented you are.

13. But how long should I practice each night? Until you get it right.

14. How long should I practice to be a professional? Until you can't get it wrong.

15. What method book do I need for lessons? All guitar lessons are taught using "Lessons for Life (and guitar)" by our very own Chris Mitchell. We use various method books for our piano, band and orchestral instruments.

16. How much does an instrument cost? If your student is taking drum lessons, I'm not telling you to go out and buy a Tama Starclassic Bubinga Birch kit for $2,400.00, but at least get them something to get started on. Here's an idea of average prices for starter instruments:

Acoustic Guitar: $159.00
Electric Guitar with Amp: $250.00 - $300.00
64 Key Keyboard: $139.00
Drumset: $399.00
Bass Guitar: $240.00

(all prices are averages and don't reflect any specific brand)

17. What is the difference in a "starter" instrument, a "step up" instrument, and a "professional" instrument? That question is different for each instrument but here's a pretty good breakdown:

A "starter instrument" is an instrument designed to get a student playing. It's set up with proper intonation and is not a "toy" like you may find in some of the big box stores out there. Starter instruments are usually tough as a tank because they are going to take some abuse from younger players. That being the case, they're usually not built from the best "tone" materials. They're designed to help a student learn.

A "step up instrument" is usually where a student starts having some options that they didn't have on a starter instrument. It's more similar to a professional instrument but usually cheaper construction. On a guitar, it may mean that the instrument offers a "push-pull" coil tap on the tone controls, allowing them to get more tonal options. On a trombone, it may mean that the student now has an "F" attachment, allowing them to play faster passages. These features are usually functional and allow the student to grow and develop as a musician.

A "professional" instrument gets a little trickier. A professional instrument should offer no limitations to it's player. That sounds easy enough but it's actually pretty vague. For example, a professional guitar can cost anywhere between $350 and $5,000. That's a big price gap but here's why: Since a guitar is made of wood, a guitar can be manufactured using CNC (computer numeric controlled) machines. This allows computers to cut the parts in just minutes. If a guitar is made by hand, it can take a skilled luthier months to complete a guitar. Therefore, a guitar made with a CNC machine can be made with all the bells and whistles for just $350.00.

A saxophone is a totally different story. It can't be manufactured by machines. There are so many moving parts on a saxophone that each one has to be assembled by hand. Not only that, but during the heating process the metal has to be watched by a master craftsman until it reaches the right temperature. Then it has to be shaped and forged by hand. All of which adds to the cost in producing the instrument.

Then there's the frills and fancies... Some features add no function to the instrument but are just dang pretty! For example, a guitar may have mother of pearl and abalone inlays that don't add function or sound improvement. They're just pretty to look at. Years ago we went to a NAMM show and played the 750,000th Martin Guitar. It was all handmade, had diamonds and gemstones inlayed in it's finish, and had a full mural of a peacock inlayed in the back. The starting price was $750,000.00. You read that right. To see what frills and fancies are all about, go here.

18. Do I need to purchase the $750,000 Martin for my son to start learning guitar? No.

19. Do I need to purchase the $750,000 Martin and donate it to Pladd Dot Music's showroom? That would be very nice of you.

20. Is number 19 really a frequently asked question? Okay... you caught us on that one! Sadly, no.

21. So what materials do I need to get started? You'll need a music stand that is strong enough to hold a large book, a method book, and a tuner or metronome (depending on which instrument you play).

22. So where are you guys located? We're in downtown Statesboro right beside BB&T bank (near the courthouse). There's a Google map right here.

23. Do you have female and male teachers? Yep. We've got a good mix of both to help suit your learner's needs!

24. Will I learn to play by ear or do I have to read music? We teach all of our guitar students by ear first. As they progress, we teach them notation. Percussion and Piano students learn both at the same time.

25. But doesn't learning to read music make you a better musician? Not at all.

26. Watchu talkin' 'bout, Willis? I thought all musicians could read music and that reading music makes you better. There are a lot of 6th grade band students out there that read music. I wouldn't hire them to play a wedding. Obviously they're not "better" than a professional who doesn't read music.

27. So what does reading music do? Why should anyone learn it? Music notation is the oldest form of recorded music. It gives musicians the ability to read something note for note and offers us another way of communication. It's still up to the musician to make it music! A quick reader can learn songs fast by reading just in the same way a person who is very intuitive and plays by ear can learn.

28. You guys are awesome and the best music school I've ever seen. How do I sign up? Thank you! We agree! Just come on up to the shop and we'll give you the necessary paperwork! See you soon!