Estimated reading time 3 minutes
Table of Contents
Introduction
Have your music lessons been disrupted by hiccupping students? Do you want to know how to quickly get the hiccups stopped so that you can get your lessons back on track? Hiccups can be really annoying in music lessons because you’re on the clock and the student is getting distracted by “hic, hic, hic.” Keep reading How to Deal with Annoying Hiccups in Music Lessons to learn the three most common hiccups treatments so you can get back to teaching music.
How to Deal with Hiccups in Music Lessons: What Causes Them?
Hiccups happen when your diaphragm spasms causing a sudden in-draw of breath:
- The in-draw of breath then causes the epiglottis to snap shut, causing the “hic” sound.
- This diaphragm–epiglottis action repeats several times per minute, making for a formidable distraction.
- Given time, they’ll usually go away on their own.
- What causes them? Stress can be one reason they start up. This explains why you’ll probably need to deal with this issue periodically, because students often feel stress while playing for their music teachers.
- However, there are a few treatments that will help hiccups go away more quickly, some which are more appropriate for music lessons than others.
How to Deal with Hiccups in Music Lessons: How Do You Get Rid of Them?
Good music teachers should always be prepared for what they’ll need in a music lesson. These can include:
- Band aids – don’t want blood on the instrument!
- Tissues and cough lozenges in case you or a student needs them mid lesson.
- Hand sanitizer if you have a shared instrument like the piano or a concert band percussion instrument.
Likewise, it’s a good idea to know how to quickly stop hiccups. Here are three common treatments:
- Hold Your Breath for 30 Seconds: This is the one I use the most in kids’ lessons, and it works more often than not. Ideally, you should have students hold their breath for a minute. Holding their breath for a minute almost always works. However, most kids won’t be able to hold their breath for that long – thus 30 seconds.
- Drink a Cup of Water While Plugging Your Ears: The downside to this remedy over remedy #1 is that you need to have something else (a cup and water) to stop the hiccups. Also, someone will need to plug the kid’s ears. If that someone is you, make sure the kid isn’t ticklish. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a cup of water on your floor.
- Eat a Spoonful of Sugar: This has the same downside as #2 in the sense that students will need to consume something to make it work. Also, sugar causes cavities, so some students’ parents won’t be wild about this option. However, many people on social media swear by this hiccups treatment.
Also, scaring the hiccups out of your music student probably isn’t the best idea for having a productive music lesson.
Final Thoughts on “How to Deal with Annoying Hiccups in Music Lessons”
Takeaway points:
- Hiccups can be caused by stress, which means that sometimes you’ll have to deal with them in music lessons.
- One treatment for hiccups is to have students hold their breath anywhere from 10 seconds to a minute – the longer the better.
- Also, you can get rid of them by drinking water or swallowing sugar.
Related Posts
- How to Deal with Students Who Act Out in Music Lessons
- D’you Want Some Music Tips and Tricks I’ve Learned Over the Years?
- Basic Arpeggios Explained in Less Than Three Minutes
© 2025 Geoffrey Keith
Tips for Teaching an Autistic Child the Guitar
Are you a teacher of an autistic guitar student? Each student has a unique learning style. Autistic students are no different, which means you need to be flexible when teaching kids on the autistic spectrum. Read more to get tips for teaching an autistic child the guitar. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
Read More
Changing Keys in Your Songwriting
Tired of using the same old chords in your songs all the time? Want to create excitement in your songwriting? Adding a key change to your song can make your listeners sit up and take notice. Read more to learn about changing keys in your songwriting. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
Read More
Best Music Program for Three-Year-Olds
As you may already know, Geoff from Success Music Studio is an expert in multisensory teaching, teaching piano to children as young as four-years-old. However, he has recently expanded to teaching three-year-olds a pre-instrumental music program that ultimately leads into piano lessons. Keep reading “Best Music Program for Three-Year-Olds” to learn more. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
Read More
What Are Some Elegant Examples of Polyphony?
Are you confused about what polyphony is? Do you want to know how to write counterpoint? Elegant can mean tasteful, but it can also mean well-designed, which these example pieces are. Counterpoint and polyphony appear in arrangements in many different styles and will enhance your writing skills no matter what type of music you write. Keep reading “What Are Some Elegant Examples of Polyphony” to learn what it is and how it works. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
Read More