Practice Tips

1. Practice Strategy
2. Questions from Parents
3. Individual Strategies
4. Kids Tell All
5. Pause Button (Based on a true story)
6. Quick thoughts

Practice Strategy

This is a collection of practice strategies from teachers, parents and students that were originally published in High Notes, the first SMS newsletter. Parents need many different techniques, as no one strategy will work for every child every day. Few children actually like to practice every day, so until the inner sense of responsibility kicks in, parents need to help motivate and create a structure to get it done.

Mark Lakirovich, former SMS Music Director, offered several organizational and technical strategies for practice:

• Every practice session should have a clear goal. Parent and child should set the goal together, and the child must know what the goal is. Goals should be manageable. You can't do everything in depth every day - so plan to work more on Piece A today, more on Piece B tomorrow.
• Practice should include several activities. This strategy deals with two questions: what do we do with the time? And - what do we do if the child can't focus? Leopold Auer, the famous violinist, said that 45 minutes, followed by a 15-minute break, was probably the maximum time possible for good concentration. It is important to know how long the child can concentrate at a time, and then to organize the time accordingly. Switching among several different kinds of activities can keep the child from getting frustrated.
• Practice should include repertoire and exercises, sight-reading of something completely new, and something from the old repertoire. (I tell students to keep a book, "My favorite pieces." In this way, they are learning to make a program, and they always have something that they know that they can play.) The child should work at a single activity as long as possible. Then, by switching to another, he refocuses. The child isn't lazy - he just needs a break from concentrating on one thing.
• Sight-reading makes a good break from working on pieces. If the child is too young to read and play, have him just name the notes for two minutes, then return to repertoire or studies. The child should also have time to be creative with the instrument - to play whatever he wants. Music from the movies? Improvisation? Why not? However, the parent should help the child organize the time. Say: "We have one hour. Do you want to do improvisation now, or break it up?"
• Kids like scales. They are also an opportunity for creativity. For example, play them with different rhythms, or play them getting louder going up, softer going down. If the child's teacher wants him to work on bowing, play a scale very slowly once. Scales needn't always be played at the beginning of practice -- I don't see them as a warm-up. Some children like the routine of always having them at the beginning, which is fine, but you don't always have to play them for ten minutes or some other set time. If the child isn't getting anywhere with them, he should go on.
• It's important for a child to see that he has achieved something at the end of the practice session. That way, he will be happy to play again tomorrow. If the goal is to learn two bars a day - by the end of a week, he will have learned a 16-bar piece!

How do you get a child motivated to work on the details of perfecting a piece?

With young children, it is often difficult to get them to appreciate the final result. Help them by breaking the piece down, and be precise about what isn't good. Eventually, they learn to listen to themselves. Teachers also have to be realistic and know how much a child can achieve. It is a good idea to ask the teacher how long she plans to have the child work on a piece, and what result she expects. If the child knows that the piece is for a concert, for example, that may supply some motivation - and a time limit. Sometimes, of course, you just have to let a piece go, and the teacher will do that.

Summer practice was extremely difficult. Any suggestions?

I give my students 8-12 pieces to work on over the summer. I never hear most of them. The idea is to keep them in contact with the music and the instrument, to let them read music, to feel free to choose what they want to play. Their work on their development continues, but it's not driven by performance or evaluation. If the pieces aren't learned well, when they get back to school they leave them and go on.

What do you do if the child resists practicing?

There should be a non-negotiable time for practice - but a choice of what to do with that time. "You go to school from 8 to 3. Your practice time is 5 to 6. What do you want to do with it?" Tell the child that practice is a condition of staying in the school - like doing homework.

What if the child struggles with the parent during practice?

Let the child practice by herself. Even if it doesn't sound good, stay away. When the child goes to the lesson, the teacher may say that something isn't right, and then the child will come back to you and ask for help, and there will be peace for a while. But don't make the child feel guilty for sending you away in the first place, and getting criticism from the teacher as a result. You can't protect them from mistakes, and gradually, they learn to practice independently.

(This can be an important developmental issue. One parent added that her older child only asks her for help with schoolwork when he is feeling reasonably confident. When he isn't, he goes to the teacher.)

Is there a reason for the barrage of elements (technique, repertoire, reading, etc.) that are introduced all at once to kindergartners?

Yes. These kids are very talented. They would be bored if they didn't have something musical to do - how long could they focus on holding their hands correctly? Ask the teacher to give a lesson - with the parent there - demonstrating how to practice, incorporating all the different elements.

There are times when we feel that there is no result no matter what we do, and as parents, we want results. Stop. Do something else - some sight-reading, perhaps. Sing the part. See what chord all the notes make when they are put together. Then go back.

We have to read our children, and be creative. We have to know when to step back, but also show that we care, that we want them to do it. Learning an instrument is not easy, but they will have a wonderful life with it, sharing what they feel through music. And for now, it is more our responsibility than theirs to help them find the best way to practice.

Some individual strategies

Father of Grade One piano student: My son and I sometimes play games during practice time. "Cat and Mouse" requires piano skills -- I play simple little exercises that I invent and he has to copy them. He likes the challenge of hearing the right notes and playing by ear. Also, it's companionship - after all, piano practice is a lonely job. Sometimes I'll try to play his pieces and he'll correct me.

Or, we'll give a concert with me singing made-up words to the melody. The words are totally silly -- the sillier the better. The challenge is to make him laugh so he can't play, and he has to try not to laugh. Sometimes I do a free interpretive dance to my son's songs. If the song is in three, my wife and I will waltz. We also have a parakeet. It sits on my son's shoulder or his head. If he plays calmly, the bird stays. If he plays a wrong note, it invariably squawks and flies away. Sometimes he practices with a stuffed animal or a beanie baby to keep him company. I've also tried telling him that I'll rip his Pokemon cards up and throw them away if he doesn't practice. That one doesn't work, because he doesn't believe me.

We've also found that some parents win, and some parents lose. Having my wife work with our son is not a good idea. He'll throw himself off the bench onto the floor. It's nothing to do with what she does, it's just because she's Mom. When I am out of town performing, the babysitter supervises practice. There's often a level of respect for outsiders that is not extended to parents.

Grade Four piano student: I have been developing practice games since I first started playing. I would get bored just playing the pieces, so I made up games to make it more interesting. I'm trying to think up new ones now. With much younger kids, you can play this game where you take out a stuffed animal and make it encourage them as they practice. But it really depends how much they like the animal. If they like it a lot, it works much better.

When I was younger, I had a game with Russian eggs. I would take out one egg each time I played something perfectly. Then, when they were all out, I would start over. I kept score to see how many times I could set them all out in one practice session. I also used to play hangman while I practiced. Whenever I learned a scale perfectly, I'd get to draw a body part. Sometimes, it took a really long time to complete the whole body, if I decided to make it really detailed, like with eyelashes and different pieces of clothing.

It's not exactly a trick, but lately, I've been asking my teacher to give me two grades each lesson, one for concentration, one for preparation. The highest grade I can get in each category is a five. Then I have a scoring system: like, a five might mean that I get to play for two hours on my Gameboy on the weekend.

Matthew R. ( violin teacher): When a child starts an instrument very young, she works up to practicing a certain amount of time. At the beginning, five minutes of good concentration can be a tremendous achievement. Getting into a routine is the challenge. As she studies for years her stamina increases, and she can practice longer. By end of the first year, the child will be able to focus their attention for 30 minutes or 45 minutes. In the second year, she should be able to concentrate for an hour. Later, practice can last two to three hours, broken into segments. The amount of practice time should be determined between student and teacher, based on each student. It's not necessarily how much a student practices, but how much they accomplish in a given amount of time.

Joseph R. (piano teacher): The hardest thing to develop at the beginning is consistency in practice. You have to develop the child's ability to focus for just 10 minutes every day. The ability to concentrate doesn't necessarily correlate to giftedness, either. The child might be very gifted and hyperactive. It takes time. I like to give instructions that help focus the child's mind, and keep them on track. For example, if the child is learning to keep his fingers curved when playing, I might say something like "squeeze the keys," or "scratch each key" -- an image that gives them something to think about and develops their concentration. I also structure the lesson as I want them to practice, even in the order of things we do, so they have a specific model.

The time expands as the music gets longer and more involved, and there are more things to do. Hopefully their concentration and focus will accommodate that, but it's a gradual thing. There are things I can't control in the family situation, distractions that they get used to as they grow up. I don't give specific time for practice, though older students should do a minimum of half an hour a day - more would be better. It also depends on what the assignments are. I try to make them realistic: I might assign a section of a piece, or just a couple of scales. But the most important thing is to stress the consistency so that they don't think that it's OK to miss a day or two or practice. It can be so easy to let a weekend go by.

Mother of grade two piano student: I have attended my daughter's lessons and helped her practice since she began studying piano when she was four, a year before she started kindergarten at SMS. We have had many battles over practice, which usually start this way: I tell her to play a certain passage or exercise in a certain way, and she does the opposite. If I say to play slowly, for example, she plays quickly. I am trying to get her to do what her teacher wants, which seems perfectly logical.

Logic, however, is not necessarily a factor in how a seven-year-old thinks. I realized that our battles, which had begun to escalate and turn very ugly, were really over control and responsibility, not music. My daughter wants to play well, she just doesn't want me telling her how to do it. So I decided to give her the responsibility. I would not attend her lessons, and I would only help her with practice if she asked me to. This way, the relationship would be directly between my daughter and her teacher, whom she respects and wants to please, without my presence as an interpreter. She would have to understand what her teacher was telling her and remember it, with the help of written homework notes. She would have to determine how to get her assignments done. After three years of lessons, she knows what it takes. She and her teacher both agreed to this plan.

When we started this new regime, I listened to her practice from another room. It was very difficult, because I knew that if she would only listen to me, she would make quicker, more efficient progress. That was not an option, however, and I soon found that she was able to progress, at a different speed, on her own. I still offer some help: I sometimes map out a rough schedule for her time: 5 minutes on a study, 15 minutes on a piece, etc. I look at her teacher's notes after the lessons and ask my daughter exactly what they mean, to be sure that she's clear about what she needs to do. And I will sit with her and help her if she asks, or listen to her play her pieces at the end of practice. It doesn't work perfectly, and we sometimes slip into our ingrained bad habits of confrontation, but it's a step in the right direction, toward independence and the disciplined inner motivation that anyone needs to truly master an art or a skill.

Relaxation and reward seemed to be important factors in the practice strategies of three former 4th Graders: One said, "When I'm having trouble with a piece, I go back and play scales for a minute to relax my hands. After that, it usually goes better." Another found that she sometimes needed a break from scales themselves. "After each scale," she reports, "I let myself read one page from a book I really like."

Another found that the entire experience of practicing was made easier by the knowledge that, at the end of a particularly grueling session, she could treat herself to a large glass of chocolate milk and a short nap.

One mother of a grade three student found that breaking up assignments was a good way to help her son get his work done. "First he'll do a math sheet, then he'll play with toys for 20 minutes or so, then he'll do his writing or practicing," she said. "I keep giving him choices, and I make sure to fit in that downtime. It all gets done over a two or three-hour period. Once he started on a project, he usually stayed focused until it's done." Some supervision is required, but this mom says that her son has started taking responsibility. "One Saturday, we were out all day, and had settled down in the evening to watch a television program that my son was looking forward to, when he jumped up and said, 'I forgot to practice!' and did it. I was thrilled.

One mother of a kindergarten student found that incorporating fantasy play with practice has many benefits. "My daughter dresses up, and we pretend we're people at a parade as she plays a march, or she pretends to be a princess playing for a prince. It's not only fun, but helps develop musicality, and a sense of imagination about the music."

Tips for students with long commutes: Get your reading or some homework done during the ride.

Pause Button

(Based on a true story. Names have been changed to protect the innocent.)
A frustrated seven-year-old girl, sitting at piano, throws up her hands

Gracie: Mom! Don't talk to me when I'm playing, it makes me make mistakes.

Mom: Honey, I have to be able to correct you. How are you going to learn this piece?

Gracie: (sounding about 15) Shhh! Mom! I asked you not to talk when I play, it ruins my concentration. Oxana doesn't talk when I play.

Mom: (defensive) She talks constantly. I sit at your lesson, I listen to her.

Gracie: (snotty tone of voice) But she doesn't RUIN my concentration, she puts her fingers on my fingers and shows me.

Mom: I'm not a teacher, Gracie, I'm doing the best I can. (sighs) OK, look, let's start again, I'll try not to say anything.

Child plays, makes same mistake.

Mom: Gracie, it's the fourth finger. The fourth finger! (Child shushes her.) No! I can't keep quiet, you keep making the same mistake.

Gracie: (loudly) I DID THE FOURTH FINGER.

Mom: No you didn't. I watched you. Look. (gets up, demonstrates) 5-2-4...(pounds the key) Fourth finger! Not third! Child is not watching.

Mom: (gravely) Grace, would you watch me.

Gracie: I'm not going to watch you, because I already know it.

Mom: All right, Grace, close the piano and just show me the fingering. Child swings feet defiantly. Mom slams down coffee cup.

Mom: (calmly, taking a stand) OK, that's it. I'm not going to fight about this and I am not going to allow you to treat me in this manner. Mom walks into kitchen, furious, sits on couch with husband. Gracie: (yelling toward kitchen) Fine! Then I'll just practice alone! Silence. Mom flips aimlessly through New York Magazine, husband raises eyebrows. More silence. Finally...

Gracie: (choked up voice) Momma! Mom! Momma!

And so it goes. Our little dance. I go back into the room. Big talk that goes: "Do you really want to play the piano? If you don't, it's OK to quit." She says, "I love playing the piano." I wipe away the crocodile tears. Big hug. We start again promising to be better to one another.

Then one day, Oxana says, "I want you to record her practice sessions and then I'll be able to hear what goes on at home." Yikes! Oh no! A peek into our private hell!

Later that night, a Walkman sits on our shiny Baldwin piano. I press the red RECORD button, and suddenly, it's as if Oxana is in the room with us. It's nice having her there. We even talk to her. Gracie begins to Have reverence for practicing. The presence of the 5" by 4" box makes her very conscious of how she plays, how she interacts with me (and I with her). When we start to argue, she looks at the Walkman and changes her tone of voice. When our discussions grow intense, she politely requests that I press the Pause Button. But the discussions have never gotten as heated As they once did and they are always short-lived.

As the days go by, we are both secretly happy not to have to use the pause button.

— mother of a second grade SMS student

When frustration levels are high, deal with pieces one measure at a time, finding a small accomplishment for the day. Mother of a grade one violin and a grade three piano student.

Children of parents with no musical background cope with by developing close relationships with their teachers. One mother of a grade two student says, "It was hard for him at first, but now he understands that we don't have to know everything. Now he feels free to ask his teacher to explain things. It has also developed his sense of responsibility. He wants to be a musician and he knows he has to do it himself."

Succeeding at practice means developing a routine. One grade two student gets right to work on homework and practice as soon as he gets home at 6PM. "Our nights are very organized," says his mother.

One grade one cello student motivates his practice by calling her sisters to have them listen to him on the phone.

Things can get easier as children mature. One mother says that her son was a challenge in kindergarten - "wriggling on the piano bench, tuning out his teacher. Now that he's developed a certain competence he doesn't do that stuff anymore." This student's motivator is getting to play with his father for 10 minutes after practicing.

Try getting some practice done early in the morning, before school.

For young children, rewards like M&Ms, Cheerios or stickers for tasks completed can be effective. Try making a weekly chart, and putting stickers on it for each day of good practice. Then after the agreed-upon number of successful sessions, there can be a somewhat larger reward.