Tips on home practice

As music teachers, we are often asked the question about how to get kids to practice. Here are some ideas that have helped other parents: 

• Schedule your practice! It's more effective if you tag it on to something you are already doing. Add it to the "to-do" list for the day, or put it as a reward for finishing other homework 
  
  
• Use some sort of practice log. Some people prefer "old-school" paper charts, such as can be found here at makingmusicfun.net. You can also simply check off days on a calendar.
  
  
• Try a habit tracker. There are plenty of options. Pick one that looks visually appealing and seems easy to use. If you don't like it, try a couple of others before you give up on the idea.
  
  
• Tie practice to a reward. The best reward is not food or candy (though admittedly those work really well sometimes!) but something related to music. How about a shiny new music book after a month of achieving practice goals? A snazzy bag to carry piano books in? An outing to see a concert? A recording or poster of a favorite musical artist? Musical stickers or pencils? 
  
  
• Schedule a performance! There is nothing that lights a fire under most of us like knowing we will be playing in front of people. This can be as simple as scheduling a video call with a friend or planning a mini-concert for visiting relatives. Those who enjoy bigger audiences can try things like participating in an open mic or school talent show.

 

• Set a goal. Make sure it's YOUR goal. The goal could be to practice a certain number of minutes for a certain number of days, learn a certain song, play your scales at a certain tempo, or prepare for an audition. 

 

• Keep your instrument out during the day. Piano players have this one going for them already. If your piano or keyboard is pushed into a corner, though, you can see about moving it to somewhere more central. Or into your room if that will work better. Only do this if you don't have younger siblings or pets that can damage your instrument! And if you don't want to keep your instrument out, try a music stand full of music you're working on. You can put it right in the middle of the floor. :)

 

• Try something new! Ask your teacher to help you start on something, then get to practicing. Try a new technique or new song. See what your instrument can do, simply as an experiment. You might find something that you really enjoy or that helps you as a musician.

 

• Ask someone to hold you accountable. This is usually the parents' job, so why not have your child ask a friend? It works well if you can find a friend also willing to set a practice goal, or some goal of their own. Then you can check in daily or weekly for accountability and encouragement.

Remember, learning music is always a partnership. For children it's a partnership between student, teacher, and parents. If practice isn't where it should be, leverage the partnership and start a conversation between all three parties. Decide on a strategy that the student is invested in, the parent can support, and the teacher can check in on. Set things up to give the strategy its best shot, and if it's not working after a couple of weeks, try a new strategy!