The single most important determinant of success is….
Practice!!

Piano lessons are not like other activities your child will be in… a minimum practice expectation is 5 days per week. More is wonderful!! But 4 days will mean your child will begin to struggle with the material, and three days means they will begin to fall behind. If you are only practicing for 1 or 2 days, then what it really means is that our lesson time is another practice time, and we are not really learning any new material.

Now, this does not mean endless hours at the piano. Beginners should aim for only 5-10 minutes per day to start, and this will increase to about 15-20 minutes a day by the end of the first year. For intermediate/advanced level students, you will be expected to practice a minimum of 10 minutes per grade level (i.e. a student in RCM Grade 4 should practice 40 minutes per day).

“My child just doesn’t like to practice, and he would rather be playing with his friends…”

We are easy quitters. So often I hear “This is hard. Practicing is hard”. Yes! Yes it is! But that shouldn’t stop you. Achievement doesn’t happen by accident, it happens with purpose!

Music lessons should not be viewed as just another activity.

It is an academic pursuit that compliments and enhances what your child is learning in school.

It supports reading and math, and numerous studies prove this. Click here for a published paper on neuroscience research in this area. In fact, research shows improvement in intelligence testing after only 20 days of music training!! Some of the long-term health benefits of music study are improved recovery from stroke, a delay in onset of dementia, and compensating for hearing loss in adults.

What is my goal for my child?

Every person I know who has their Level 8 Piano (or higher) did so because their parents simply told them that was the plan, and it was not optional! It was regarded as part of their academic learning, just like any other class in school. There is a lot of research that supports this – if you tell your child “oh, we’ll give it a try to see if you like it”, that child is not likely to continue in music.
Having a defined goal early in the process greatly increases the likelihood of success.
Please be mindful of this when you are speaking to your child. Music can be hard. Practicing can be tedious. But it is not impossible. And the rewards are life-long!

There are 3 kinds of adults:

• those who can play an instrument
• those who cannot but wish they did, and
• those who took lessons as a child, quit, and now regret it!

I have never met an adult who said "I'm glad I quit piano".

They all say "I wish my parents had made me practice!"

Tuck that into the back of your mind if the going gets tough!

“But, we are so busy…

we can’t find the time to practice…"

All of us (parents, teachers, kids) overuse, and misuse, the word “busy”. We are as busy as we choose to be, so we might as well quit using that as an excuse. If you are supposed to do something, then do it (and that includes practicing!!). We all have the same 24 hours in the day!

Make a schedule, and schedule practice… every day… just like any other commitment. Be consistent. But be flexible too. Some weeks require you to reschedule so practicing doesn’t become the monster in the room.

This is really about establishing a habit. Experts say that it takes 21 days to form a habit. We have good habits (eating better, exercising, practicing!) and we have bad habits (and you know what those are!), and they all happen in 21 days. Just 21 days to literally change your life!

This means that, by Thanksgiving, your practice habits with your child will predict how well your child will progress for the rest of the year. Notice I didn’t say “your child’s practice habits”! You must do this with them.

Make a schedule

and schedule practice!

Parents must be involved with practicing!!

Just as with homework from school, your participation will improve your child’s progress.

You are important!!

Here is a suggested daily practice plan for beginners:

Use a signal to your child that you are creating a special time, just for them, and that you are now the teacher (not the parent!). This could be a nursery song, bring a favourite stuffy to be the ‘audience’ or a timer.
Technical work such as scales (if assigned) – these are the warm-ups that our fingers need.
Play the assigned pieces. Review the homework notes from our lesson to ensure you are practicing what is assigned! If your child can play the piece with little difficulty, then play it ONCE and move on. If your child is having some difficulty on the first playing, play it a SECOND time (to work out the problem) and a THIRD time to play it better
Some pieces will become favourites, so do those as often as you like!
Any ear training/sight reading as required.
Do one theory homework page. Optional Homework routine - you can do all the assigned theory pages in one sitting if your child wants and has the attention to do so. If you do this, do not leave it until the last day of the week. The homework supports the concepts introduced and is our first introduction to written music theory. If you are doing all homework at once, do it at the beginning of the week (ideally, when you get home from our lesson!)
Closing Activity – This is a fun signal that we are done. You can sing a song, or give the stuffy a hug!

Practice SMART!

Slowly - Slow and careful practice is the key to securing rhythm, notes, and fingering.
Methodically - which means goal-based practicing. With your child, we agree on a GOAL for each piece. Practice with intention and focus - isolate and master.
Artistically - Never play a note without intending it to be beautiful!
Regularly - Establish a regular practice schedule and protect it! Have a regular place to practice and make sure the piano is accessible, available and in a space that is inviting to learn.
Tenaciously - When practicing, concentrate on one thing until you master the concept, rather than doing everything at once. Practice like you mean it!

Slowly Methodically Artistically Regularly Tenaciously – SMART!

Any time you need help, or have questions, or need encouragement… contact me!!

I want to be your child’s musical partner for many years to come.