Practice

Helping Practice: tips for parents

Establish a practice routine: Whether it’s every day before dinner or every other day before school, designating a specific time will help your child stay on track.

Consistency is more critical than time: Consistently practicing in brief 10-minute bursts will be more productive than practicing for along time but only once a week.

Easy-Hard-Easy: Encourage your child to begin practicing withsomething they are already familiar with (usually a scale or a briefsong). Warming up with something simple gives them the confidenceto attempt something more challenging. Then, have them play thesongs they're working on. Have them finish with another easy tune to end the practice session on a high note!

Hesitate/Exclaim Rule: When practicing, any part of the song that causes your child to pause or exclaim in surprise should be separated from the rest of the song and used as a practice goal (played separately until no longer challenging).

Be their #1 fan: Positive attention is a powerful motivator, and if you're not enthusiastic about it, they won't be either!

Practicing is frequently the part of learning an instrument that students dislike the most. Helping your child establish good habits of continuous daily practice will support the learning process at home.

Click on the practice chart to save it, and print out for your child to use between lessons!