October 2019 - How Much Should My Child Practice?
It’s October 9th and I’m finally getting around to writing my October blog post. Sounds about right.
I’m going to get straight to the point because if you’re like me, you don’t have time to waste reading a bunch of fluff about fall weather and pumpkin spice. I’m here to tell you that the kids are struggling to practice and it’s our job to help them!
(Slight exaggeration…there is SOME playing going on. Some.)
Here’s a terrific graphic I found on Facebook yesterday, shared by another music teacher friend. I think this is spot-on.
Think about it. As you get better at doing something, it becomes more enjoyable. Your muscles remember certain movements, your brain remembers the order of certain tasks, it becomes second nature...pretty soon, the new activity is fun!
As parents, it’s our job to set our children up for success. We can’t control everything our kids do, but we have some degree of control over the environment in which our kids live. If we want our kids to have fun playing piano, then it’s up to us to ensure that practicing/playing the piano daily happens.
As a piano teacher, I would love to see daily practice. “Practice every day that you eat!” is what I tell the kids. 20 minutes is a great starting point. Some younger children will have trouble sitting for that long. Take a break from the dishes or your phone and sit with them. Most kids will play through their three pieces once or twice and say “that’s it, I practiced! I did all I needed to do!” and it will take them three minutes. That’s when the extra stuff needs to happen:
repetition - play the piece more than once
memorize
play scales (5-finger or regular)
improvise! (make up your own songs)
review old pieces
try transposing - playing a piece in a different key/hand position/major or minor
As a mom, I know that daily practice isn’t always a reality. Life happens. But I also know that we make time for the things that are important for us, whether that’s sleeping, family time, exercising, preparing healthy foods, doing homework, or learning an instrument.
My goal for your child is to teach them a skill, and to have fun making music at the piano.
Will you help me?