How to get my kid to practice piano
… and like it!

“How to get my kid to practice piano–and like it!” Parents often want to know what the secret is to getting their child to want to practice piano on their own…without nagging!!  Let’s face it, parents put in a significant amount of money and time into lessons. Ideally, the student shouldn’t need to be reminded constantly to go practice piano. Our goal is to help them be self-motivated. Here are some useful tips for parents that want to know what they need to do to support and supervise their child’s piano practice at home. Depending on your child’s age, parental support and involvement at home is completely necessary for the child to succeed at playing the piano.

Here are a few tips for parents to make their child’s practice time more enjoyable and more successful.

1. ENVIRONMENT

Make sure your piano student has a place to practice that has few distractions. Try to place the piano where they won’t be disturbed by TV, siblings, computers/electronics, phones, etc. so the student can focus and learn.

2. INSTRUMENT

Make sure that your child has the best instrument for your budget. (Check out some tips on shopping for a piano here). Keep the instrument maintained and tuned.  Make sure the piano is easily accessible (keep the lid open!) and is well-lit. Have a metronome, pencil and eraser available and their music books handy.

3. TIMING

Choose a consistent practice time when the child is awake and focused. A good time is before school in the morning. But this is only a suggestion, by all means, pick something that works with your routine and something that works with your child. Some kids are early birds, others are night owls. Pick what works–just make it a habit!  If you need to, split up the practice time throughout the day.

4. DAILY PRACTICE TIME

Consistency is the key. Ideally, the student should practice 5-6 days a week. There is no use in “cramming” piano practice just before lessons. Playing piano is like training for sports. With regular practice, the student are building skills and muscles, as well as training their ears, eyes, accuracy and reading skills. They will also enjoy their lessons more when they can capably play what is assigned to them.

5. REWARD SUCCESS

Practicing every day is a huge accomplishment. Think of how hard it is to stick to a good habit. Find the best way to reward this hard work. Track the practice days with stickers, or offer a small prize at the end of each week’s practice.

6. PRAISE

Make practice a positive experience. In fact, make music lessons as a whole a positive experience! So don’t use practice as punishment, and don’t nag about practice! Make sure your student knows how great he/she is doing. It’s okay if they don’t play everything perfectly. The key is that they are developing their joy at making music and enjoying the learning journey.

7. LESSONS

Here are some things that I’ve noticed from parents that are doing things right. They get their kids to their lessons on time (sometimes early!!). Their kids are well-rested, fed, and eager to learn. They are well-prepared with a music bag that contains their books, a lesson notebook, and a pencil to write with. They meet regularly with the teacher to discuss progress and goals–even if it’s only for a few minutes at the end of the lesson. They allow their kids to have musical experiences–bringing them to concerts and encouraging them to listen to different genres of music. And last, but certainly not the least: they are their kid’s number one fan!

It is the supreme art of the teacher [parent] to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.

Albert Einstein

As a parent, it’s a balancing act to try to puzzle out “How to get my kid to practice piano” without turning it into punishment, a power struggle, or an exercise in nagging. Encouraging your child to discover the joy in playing an instrument is one of the best things we can teach and give them. Hopefully implementing some of these tips will help!

Return to top of How To Get My Kid To Practice Piano.

Return to home page of the-piano-studio.com.