As a parent, one of the first things you should do after the first lesson is to establish a practice routine. It’s essential to have a routine because no one can learn to play piano with only 30 minutes of practice each week (only done during the weekly lesson). Piano takes patience, work, and a LOT of time.
Luckily, you don’t have to have a musical bone in your body to help your child establish a great routine. Here are five guidelines for an effective routine.
1. Establish a consistent time for practice
Whether it is before school or after, before dinner, or right before bed, designating the same time for practice each day will help keep your child on track. Consistency is key here. The more consistent you are, the more likely your little pianist will sit down without a complaint. They will recognize this is something that will happen every day, no matter what.
2. Forget about practicing for a specific amount of time
Yep, that’s right. Practicing for 30 minutes each day doesn’t really mean anything because a pianist could have spent all of that time staring at the music without ever touching the keys.
Instead of setting a timer, judge each practice day from the assignments your child comes home with. I’ll write things like, “Play the right and left hands alone 5 times” or “Play the first ten measures with perfect dynamics three times in a row.” Whether that takes 5 minutes or 30, that’s great!
Practicing this way will encourage your little pianist to work toward simple goals rather than staring at the clock waiting for time to run out.
3. Work on encouraging slow practice
Especially when they are just beginning lessons, slow playing is 100 times better than fast playing. I’d encourage you to sit with them for the first weeks of practice to remind them to slow down. After that, poking your head in every once in a while with a reminder works too.
4. Let them be the teacher
You really know a concept when you can explain it. With that in mind, ask your pianist to be your teacher for a minute or two as you ask them what different symbols on the page mean. Your child might even perk up and feel more confident that an adult is asking them questions.
5. Be their cheerleader
More than anything, students need encouragement. For every piece of critique you give them, be sure to tell them two things your love about their playing. Even if it seems like they are struggling to play anything right, you can say, “I love your enthusiasm!”
If you hear them play a piece really well, form a little impromptu concert for the family to hear. Little moments like this will encourage beginner pianists more than anything else.
Remember, the piano takes a long time to learn. Having a consistent practice routine from the beginning will set your child up for success.