This is a question that I have been asked more than any other over the course of my career, and the quick answer is ‘there’s no such thing as “not musical!”’ However, I realise that just because I know it’s impossible to be unmusical, that doesn’t stop you feeling like you are!
If you didn’t show an obvious ‘talent’ for music (and don’t get me started on that concept either!) when you were a child, then you may have grown up to feel that music is not one of your strengths. And right now, that might be true. I didn’t show any interest or aptitude in sports growing up, and so now I would not describe myself as an athlete, in much the same way as you would not describe yourself as a musician. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t become better at music, it’s never too late to start! (I am going to conveniently pretend that this analogy does not also apply to sports, because nobody is going to ask me to teach PE anytime soon, and I have zero interest in developing any healthy habits without a professional impetus…)
I am here to tell you some important truths. One: you do not need to worry that you never learned to play an instrument. Two: you do not need to worry that you cannot read music. Three… you know what, I could go on, but you’ve probably got a million and one things to do, so let’s just distil it down into this. You do not need to worry about anything, it’s only music. Seriously, when did a sub-par music lesson do actual harm to a child? Probably never.
You do not need to be some kind of multi-grade-eight-holding musical genius to teach music to primary school children. You just need to be able to do musically what it is you’re asking your pupils to do musically – and if it’s achievable by 5-11 year olds, it’s achievable for you, right? (This question was rhetorical!)
If you’re wondering where to start, that depends on your individual school set-up. Hopefully they will provide access to some kind of scheme of work for music that you can use; there are a billion different options to choose from, but most are specifically designed to help you, the generalist teacher, teach music with confidence. However, you do need to engage with these schemes in the right way; don’t just plug and play and let the music happen around you. Read the planning, watch the explainer videos, study the resources; only then can you learn enough to take charge of the lesson and really make a difference to the learning experience.
If you don’t have access to a scheme of work, and need to create your own lessons, there are still loads of freely available pre-packaged options to choose from as you develop your own confidence around music. BBC Teach is a great starting point for high-quality, interactive resources that will elevate your music lessons, and there are also lots of options produced by professional orchestras, opera companies, and concert halls worth investigating. (Which has given me an idea for a whole new blog – look out for a link to that here when I get round to writing it!)
But beyond the flashy resources, even something as simple as just putting some music on and talking about how it makes you feel can be a great route into musical activity. Remember, when listening to music, the audience has all the power; it is the composer’s job to convey their message to you, not the other way around. You don’t need special musical skills to listen to music, and you don’t even need specific musical language to discuss it at first – you can use metaphor and descriptive language, which is actually more appropriate for developing your pupils’ understanding anyway, especially in the younger years.
If you’re lucky and you have some more musically confident teachers in your school – make them your best friends! Ask to watch their lessons, ask them to observe yours, seek their advice, co-plan, team-teach. And if you’re all in the same boat, look outwards for support towards your cluster, MAT, or local music hub. Teachers generally love teaching (duh!) so the request to teach some adults a thing or two (in the nicest possible way!) is almost always seized on with delight.
Obviously it would be silly of me not to mention at this point that we are here to support you too! One of the best places to start with our support offer is our Confidence in Primary Music online course, which develops your own basic musical understanding, so you can start teaching with all the key musical concepts under your belt. This course was developed by the fantastic Gina McLinton as part of her MA research into how best to support primary generalist teachers, so it really is tailor made and tried and tested for you.
So, how can you teach music when you’re ‘not musical?’ Well, you do exactly what you’d encourage your pupils to do in the same situation. You start at the beginning and try your hardest to keep moving forward, bit by bit. Slowly but surely you’ll gain your confidence and start to feel more ‘musical.’ After all, it’s really just about finding the musicality that was inside of you all along.
Dr Liz Stafford, February 2026. Copyright © 2026 Music Education Solutions Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Further information and support:
Click here to read more blogs about music education
Click here for information on our services for schools
Click here to join our mailing list