Practising

Practise Tips

Practice is Fun! (really?)

Practise can and should be a positive experience, but sometimes we think that children will hate practise because we hated practise – it’s important that this prejudice is not communicated

Practise can often be challenging because the rewards are not instant. Children largely live in the moment, so the idea that something done today (practice) will lead to good things later (positive reinforcement and a feeling of self-esteem in the class situation) is not evident to them without the help of parents.

Music Practice is hard

Practise can be hard because the student is continually having to deal with new pieces, new technical demands and different experiences. We like activities which showcase existing skills and music practise is always demanding. But the rewards in mastering a skill always overshadow the challenge, and it’s great for kids to learn this life lesson.

Choose your time…

We often ask our children to practise at the end of a busy day when they are less able to cope with new and challenging experiences. Sometimes we expect that they should be able to initiate practise sessions on their own, but…practise involves set up, equipment, time and space and a small child is unlikely to initiate such a complex activity after a busy day at kinder or school. How can we then encourage practise and make it pleasurable?

• Have the music and the instrument set up ready in the heart of the home
• Children like to be heard and encouraged, so always be with your child when they practise (or they with you…a concert in the kitchen?)
• Be supportive and not judgemental
• Keep practise sessions short – one minute 3 times a week is a good starting point for a 4 year old
• Let the child control the time spent practising with a timer or stop watch and finish as soon as the agreed time is up – it is essential not to prolong a practise session because the child will never want to practise again if this happens

Practice makes perfect … but not straight away!

• Don’t expect immediate results and don’t worry if the piece doesn’t sound ‘right’
• It often takes a long time to develop an understanding of a new piece and learning patience and perseverance is one of the benefits of practise

Creating the (positive) Habits of a Lifetime

When you find a time of day that suits your child – practise at that time and on the same days each week

• Practise needs to be habitual and not one week on, two weeks off
• Practise soon after lessons and look carefully to see if there is a message in the music book from the teacher
• Reward practise sessions so that children begin to see the bigger picture
• Stickers a wonderful – put a sticker on each time your child has a practise session
• At the end of the week the teacher and the student can be proud of the stickers and what they represent, even if the pieces are not perfectly performed

Maybe suggest a small reward each time the student collects 20 stickers. After all, adults reward themselves when they have a difficult day or a tiring experience and it is important to find a meaningful reward for children

Show them you’re proud of them…

Always suggest that children play for visiting relatives and special occasions

Playing for other people and putting on a concert for a family birthday is a positive and happy way to experience practise.