ANDREA'S PIANO RESOURCES
Making Every Lesson Count
In this section of my website you will find many helpful treasures for both students and parents alike! I am constantly researching new and interesting activities for lessons and tips and tricks for teaching and practicing effectively and I thought...why keep all these ideas to myself? Check back often to find ideas for:
how to practice effectively
how to support piano practicers in your home
when NOT to practice
how to prepare for lessons
and more!...
.....PLUS I will be adding interesting games, theory exercises and handouts that will provide fun practice for all ages! Watch for seasonally themed activities as well!
ENCOURAGING AN EFFECTIVE PRACTICE ROUTINE
Timer vs. Goals:
For beginning piano students, rather than setting a timer, try to set simple practice goals: A student might play one finger power exercise, play a through a new song three times while working to correct mistakes, then review one old song, and then be done. Even if it only took five minutes, it was structured, it involved a little bit of challenge, and it helped build a habit of daily piano practice.
As students advance through the piano lessons, you can gradually add more to their practice routine (Ideas: sight reading, playing by ear..)
Ideas for a practice session: Review good piano posture, do finger number exercises, work on a new song, review some older songs, do a Theory worksheet, play a music GAME together!
Practice Together:
Good piano practice needs guidance, especially in the early stages of a child’s music education.There are two main things you can do as a practice partner:
1: encourage your child to reach their practice time goals.
2: make practice time challenging and fun with practice games. (https://www.hoffmanacademy.com/blog/practice-games/ )Your job is NOT to sit beside them and tell them all the things that they are doing wrong. If you notice your child making a mistake, rather than saying, “You’ve missed that note three times in a row!” say, “Let’s play a game. I’m going to set a penny on the piano every time you play that measure correctly. When you have five pennies, you win!”If you can’t sit down next to your child during practice time, listen from nearby and check in on them often. Children love attention, especially positive attention.
Let them know how much you appreciate how hard they are working and point out how much they are learning and improving.<3
From: https://www.hoffmanacademy.com/blog/encouraging-a-practice-routine/
Also, remind your child to always refer to his/her notebook from the lesson! If possible, it should be open beside them as they practice so they don't forget a song or a reminder:)
WHEN NOT TO PRACTICE
When to say "let's leave it for today..."
Helping your child develop a sense of diligence and stick-with-it-ness is very important and we all know that learning to persevere is one of the many side benefits of learning to plan an instrument. However, we also know that, when working with children, sometimes a bit of flexibility is required; developing “grit” is a multi-year process that doesn’t happen overnight.
While daily practice is important, I also want to give you know that it’s ok to say “Let’s leave it for today…” in the following four instances.
1. When Your Child Is Exhausted
Attempting to get a child to practice when he or she physically or emotionally tired is never a good idea. Tired children are children who are easily frustrated, quick to tears, and closed to working through challenges. Pushing practice on a child who is very tired doesn’t result in progress. Instead, it creates feelings of inadequacy and negativity towards the piano.
If you notice that your child is frequently tired at the piano, instead choose a regular practice time when your child is fresh and ready to learn. ☺
2. As A Punishment Or Chore
If a child associates piano practice as being a form of punishment or a chore he will eventually learn to avoid going to the piano on his own. Any feelings of enjoyment will be replaced with feelings of resentment. PLEASE AVOID using piano practice as a way of enforcing family rules and please also avoid sending your child to the piano as a way of removing him from a tension-filled moment.
Treating piano practice as a happy activity will prevent your child from associating piano with negativity and/or attempting to practice when your child is emotional or angry. Piano practice can still be a daily activity in the home, but it should be treated as a desirable activity.
3. When A Family Is Rushed Or Distracted
“Cramming sessions” at the piano are never a good idea. What should be happy time spent enjoying the music-making progress can quickly take a downward turn if practice becomes a frenzied checklist of tasks to complete in an impossibly short amount of time.
Try to avoid hurriedly asking your child to practice immediately before a piano lesson or as they’re racing out the door to another activity. Instead, trying sitting down with your child at a time when they are not distracted or multi-tasking. Leaving electronics out of the room and attempting to find a time when siblings will not interrupt is also important. (Yes, this is a “living in an ideal world” moment ;P) Children sense parental stress and anxiety so if parents are feeling rushed, stressed or pulled in several directions children will react negatively.
4. When Parents Are Frustrated With Piano Practice
We’ve all gritted our teeth and bit our tongue when our child just doesn’t get something. Those same wrong notes or mistakes grate on us as we attempt to help… over and over and over. Our own daily stressors can become amplified by a less-than-cooperative child at the piano and we soon find ourselves saying things we will regret later on.
If you find yourself getting “hot under the collar” during piano practicing time, try switching focus. Instead, close the book (nicely) and suggest a different piano activity or piece. Learning to play the piano is a process, and I, as the teacher, will be more than happy to help rectify the issue in lesson time.
THE PERFECT TIME TO PRACTICE THE PIANO?
The perfect time to practice the piano is when a student’s home is free form distractions, when everyone is in a good mood and when the child is content. When these moments come, seize the opportunity and let go of the times when practice is not going well. ‘No practice’ is better than practice in a stressful or negative environment.
Happy music making to you all!!
Adapted from: https://www.teachpianotoday.com/2018/02/07/dear-piano-parents-there-are-four-times-when-i-dont-want-your-child-to-practice/