2017© Copyright Pamela cornell
.
For Children ages 3 - 5 years (scroll down for older children):
Of course regular practice is always recommended, but at this early age, traditional practice would be quite challenging if not impossible. Children love making music. At first it is just experiencing the different sounds that they can make out of the piano. They will also want to pretend they are a great performer or composer and imitate a wonderful song. As they play and listen, they will discover which notes sound good and which notes don’t sound nice. They also learn how to control the notes with their fingers (as compared to the whole hand.) Playing the song they learn in class once or twice a day would be enough formal practicing at this age. Enjoying the piano and creating their own music is also important because it encourages their inner motivations of learning music.
Here is a video showing what it will look like helping your pre-schooler play the piano.
Click here to find out how to put dots on your piano at home.
For Children 5 years and older:
When a child first begins piano lessons, regular daily practice is important. However it is more about making it a daily routine than the amount of time or quality of practice. Set a piano time that works best with your child's daily schedule and will be fairly easy to keep consistent. This is your child's "piano time." They may play whatever they want for as little or long as they want. The goal is to make "piano time" a daily habit. What they play and for how long they play will come out of their own desire to make music. Here are some additional tips for making practice time more productive and enjoyable.
- Practice several times a day for shorter periods of time.
- Play each song or section of music at least 3 times in a row.
- Practice slow enough to play it perfect.
- Break harder or longer pieces into smaller sections.
- Set a goal for each practice session.
- Have practice time be a “special one-on-one time” with a parent.
- Do not use practice time as a punishment.
- Listen to live music whenever possible.
- Listen to recordings of music being learned, or music that could be learned in the future. Listen to jazz or classical piano.
- Use a metronome during practice sessions.
- Record student during practice session. Then have the student critique their own recording.
Click here for ideas of what to do if your child doesn't want to practice.