On Piano Practicing, Part 2

Put Yourself in the Shoes of the Parents

Over my many years working with piano students, I've observed how certain approaches parents take to music lessons can lead to effective practicing and steady progress in their children — and how other approaches can have the opposite effect. Here is a brief summary of what I've learned, along with some tips for parents.

“There's bad news and good news. Which do you want first?”

1. As a parent of a beginner student (5–8 years old), can I leave practicing to my child and her

teacher?

Bad news. With a weekly 30-minute lesson and young children's limited ability to retain information and manage their time, it's not going to happen. Without a parent's help, there will be little to no progress, which can lead to the child struggling, losing confidence, and eventually losing interest. Are there exceptions? No. Mozart was a genius, but he had his father by his side until he was grown.

Good news! You don't have to spend hours at the piano with your child. Even a few minutes might be enough to review the lesson, help them recall details, and answer any questions they might have. What if you don't have a musical background yourself? That's fine — you'll learn plenty of new things, too.

The right strategy depends on your child's personality and your relationship with them. Here are a few suggestions parents might find useful.

● Remind yourself often that you are a parent, not a teacher. You're there to support your child and have their back. Judging and evaluating is the teacher's job — leave that to them.

● Children love sharing what they learn. Ask them to show and teach you what was new and interesting at the lesson — it's fun for both of you!

● Consistency is key. Fifteen minutes every day is far better than an hour once in a while. Setting aside time for daily practice and sticking to it builds structure, routine, and much-needed discipline.

● Even with a very young child, leave some time for their own exploration at the piano. After you've practised together, let the child play on their own for a few minutes — suggest they review songs (keys, notes, exercises), improvise (make up their own music), or perform for an audience of stuffed animals.

● If you can, practise the piano yourself, too. You're the one your child looks up to.

2. As a strict parent, I send my children to practice for a set time every day, expecting them to comply.

Bad news. It's more complicated than it sounds. Piano practising is demanding on many levels, and even obedient children won't always comply with an order to practise for long stretches.

Good news. As children get older, other tools emerge to support their interest in playing and practising. After the initial years spent helping your beginner child at the piano, you should generally step back from practising with them daily. Continuing to do so may rob them of a sense of ownership over their learning and strain your relationship. That said, you should stay involved in the process so your child knows their interest in music is shared

and supported. Here are some suggestions:

● Create a musical environment: listen to music together, go to concerts and festivals, and invite your child's musical friends over so they can talk about their lessons and, hopefully, make music together.

● Help your child organize their daily routine and keep track of their practising. Practice charts, apps, and calendars can all help.

● After every lesson, ask your child whether they have a clear idea of what to work on before the next class, and go over the details of content and timing together. For example, in a 45-minute daily practice session, 10 minutes might go to warm-up (exercises, technique), 20 minutes to pieces (say, working on the left hand in one piece and fixing the rhythm in another), 5 minutes to sight-reading, and 10 minutes to composing their own piece.

● Talk to the teacher at least once a month about your child's progress and how you can help at home.

● Ask your child to play for you once a week. If you're both comfortable with it, offer gentle corrections and point out any of the teacher's notes that still need attention.

● Revisit your child's musical goals from time to time, since they change as your child grows. In the beginning, children are mostly looking for fun. As they grow older — in personality and in musical skill — they'll need more serious motivations: taking grade exams, earning certification, playing more advanced repertoire, accompanying a choir, playing in a band, and so on. Talk about how what they're learning and how they practise will help them reach those goals.

3. My child took lessons for 10 years.

Then they closed the piano lid and never played again. How bad does that feel? It couldn't feel worse.

Good news. The time and money weren't wasted. Making music really does make you smarter — extensive research shows that learning a musical instrument significantly boosts children's development. With music lessons, you invested in your child's intellectual and cultural growth. And here's more good news: music stays with us even when dormant. It can reignite our interest later in life, drawing us back to playing, learning, and appreciating music even more.

4. My child decided to pursue a career in music.

That alone might sound like bad news. As a parent, should I try to talk them out of it? Better not to. If music is their calling, they'll be happiest fulfilling it. If it isn't, they'll come to understand that themselves and change course.

Good news. We musicians survive! And we're often happier and more passionate about our work than people in other walks of life. The world needs music. On a more practical note, even if your child isn't destined for a big stage career, there are plenty of other paths: teaching privately or at schools, playing gigs, accompanying (good accompanists are always in demand!), working in music therapy programs, and more.

5. A special note on the type and quality of the piano, and where to put it in your home.

Electronic pianos continue to grow in popularity, and for good reason: they don't need tuning, they're easy to move, and to a non-musician's ear they sound just like acoustic instruments. All true — but even the most advanced, expensive electronic piano only recreates acoustic sound. When we play an acoustic piano, we create live sound,

thanks to the near-infinite range of overtones produced by vibrating strings. Playing an electronic piano, by contrast, means triggering fixed, ready-made copies of that sound.

Nowadays, many households are giving away their older acoustic instruments, which can be a perfect fit for beginner and intermediate students. My own preference is, and always will be, acoustic pianos for my students — though many other teachers are fine with students practising on electronic ones. It's always best to consult your teacher about their preferences and requirements before buying an instrument.

As for where to put the piano, the ideal spot is quiet, comfortable, not too cramped, and well-lit. A cold basement, garage, closet, or a busy family room with the TV on are not the best choices. Practising piano is demanding, both intellectually and physically, and requires a student's full attention and focus. To help your child succeed, create the

most suitable environment for practice that you can.

Thank you for reading this part of “On Piano Practising.” Stay tuned for more!