How to Support A Child’s Music Practice Routine

When a child is learning an instrument it’s important that a healthy practice routine is established early on as it will set your child up for a successful and more fulfilling experience with an instrument. This particularly applies to children aged around 7 years and under as they will need support and supervision of their practice routine in order to progress. An effective routine is established through the collaborative efforts of the music teacher, student and parent or guardian.

How Long Should They Practice?

It should be established by the teacher from the first lesson how long each practice session should be. This recommendation will depend on the student’s age and experience level. Practice should occur daily, or at a bare minimum of 4 days per week. If a student is unmotivated on a particular day it’s beneficial to simply have them sit with their instrument for a few minutes, or to warm up on their instrument for a few minutes. It is the expectation and implementation of a routine that is important in establishing effective long-term practice habits.

Understanding Lesson Notes

At the end of each lesson your student should receive written or digital notes from the teacher on what to practice. These notes should be referred to during practice sessions and will contain the following components:

Working Pieces - One or two songs that are in active development. This music will take up a significant part of their practice routine as they are learning to technically master new music.

Polishing Pieces - This music will be a piece that has already been worked on but needs some further revision. Sometimes the focus will be solely on working pieces, however it is common to be revising and refreshing a piece of music especially when a recital is approaching.

Technique - Here you will find some succinct notes on which technical aspects the student should focus on for the week (eg wrist position) with related exercises or instruction on how a technique issue can be adjusted. A page of music theory or written homework may also be included in this component.

Scales, Arpeggios and Etudes - Depending on your child’s instrument, experience level and performance goals this component will vary however etudes will be common. An etude is a piece or music which is usually short, difficult and designed to be a practice tool for perfecting a particular musical skill found in a new repertoire piece (ie ‘Working Pieces’).

Practice Environment

Consider where the student is practicing. Is it the busiest part of your home? Are they easily interrupted by family during practice sessions? There should be a family agreement that when the student is practicing they are not to be disturbed by other family members. If the student is still being frequently interrupted the family should consider the option of hiring a practice room. Your teacher will be able to assist with finding a practice space nearby that meets the student’s needs.

Your Impact As A Parent

Although having a great teacher is important, a collaborative approach from the parent will have an equally strong impact on your child’s motivation to develop as a musician. It is important to maintain a fun, explorative attitude to learning music while providing support and encouragement to your child. There should be expectations for a child's practice routine, however this should always be portrayed in a positive manner. Being too strict and overbearing will not achieve the same great results in comparison to persistent, authentic encouragement. For example this can occur when you notice small successes in mastering their working piece or when they are able to play through the new piece. Rewarding and/or praising your child for maintaining a practice routine can be a powerful tool to help keep them motivated.

I hope you found this information useful! Next blog we will delve into how a student practices a working piece.

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