Working to Develop Good Practice Habits in Young Piano Students
Yes, you’re right, piano students in the early days of taking lessons do not practice at home, at least very much. For young students the Animal Notes do help because the children can read the notes easily. However, there is often no point of reference at this point in their young lives to link the importance of practicing at home. As a teacher, it is like starting from “ground zero.”
Here is one method I use. I talk to my young student about what he/she does during the day. From this I find a time that they could easily remember to go to the piano and play their assigned pieces. Right after a meal is often a good starting point. Doing it after a meal means they do not have to interrupt some other activity. I then talk to the child about how they would feel if their Mommy or Daddy did not do the jobs for which they are responsible. What would it mean if Mommy just “didn’t take time” to fix you something to eat or get you a snack, or Daddy “didn’t take time” to go to work to earn money for the family? They usually agree that would not be pleasant. I can then stress that playing their piano pieces one time every day is one of their jobs, and it is not pleasant when they don’t do their job, just as it is not a good idea for anyone not to do their jobs. I stress that it is their “job” to practice their piano.
If this information does not soak in the first time, it must be repeated in different forms, but patience and persistence pay off. I do ask that my young students play each assigned piece once a day. That is not much. It only takes a few short minutes, but it is enough that the child makes satisfactory progress. What I am trying to do at this point is to give them the great gift of “developing good practice habits”.
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