How Do I Get My 6-Year Old to Practice 30 Minutes a Day?

You just signed up your kid for piano lessons, and he's doing great with Twinkle Twinkle and Hot Cross Buns, but his teacher is demanding 20 - 30 minutes per day of practice. You're lucky you get 5 minutes out of your kid. Each of his songs takes about 20 seconds to play and you really don't want to hear that nursery rhyme 500 times. So how on earth do you get a beginner to put in 20-30 minutes a day? Here's what I do with my boys, and it's working great. They started their lessons with me a few weeks ago and are (to our delight) -- advancing rapidly. We know they are enjoying it because they are ASKING FOR MORE SONGS AND HARDER SONGS!  It's all about developing daily HABITS and WITHHOLDING THE GOOD STUFF until piano practice is complete. No, I don't put them on a 30-minute timer and lock them in the room. No, I don't hound them or hover over them constantly. So what is my magic formula to get the wee beginner at the piano 20 minutes every day?

1. Break up the half-hour.  Break it up into 5-minutes here, 5-minutes there, etc.  
2. Withhold screen time/ iPad, etc.  Whatever their favorite leisure activity is -- withhold it until piano practice is complete.  (I add homework and chores as additional screen-time pre-requisites).  I know one family who forbids screen time during the week and the kids must earn weekend screen time through music practice and homework during the week.  All the children play 2 musical instruments.  There is no TV in the house, only access to movies on a DVD player.  It's not my exact system, but it works great for them!
3. Practice the same time/s every day and stick to it.  My kids have to practice 5 minutes before school, 5-10 minutes after school,  and about 10 minutes before bed (when I try to jam with them if I'm home by their bedtime).  By enforcing these three times every day, they are getting to the point that they just go to the piano after they get dressed in the morning.  
4. Add a piano app as part of their practice time.  I use Piano Maestro to help my kids learn to read music.  It's phenomenal and they enjoy keeping time and finding the letter names on the keyboard.  
5. Have them perform their songs regularly for grandparents/ friends/ relatives on Skype, phone, or Facetime.  This is a great way to get extra practice out of them!  They LOVE to show off their skills to others, and the compliments from family members are a huge encouragement to them.

Hope that helps you get your 20 - 30 minutes a day!

For more information on piano lessons or piano entertainment in Loudoun County, VA, contact me at jennifer@piano2go.com or call 571-439-0136.  My website is www.piano2go.com.

"I practice with my keyboard on the floor" and other wacky configurations!

Yes, this is an actual quote from one of my students this morning...which brings up an important issue.  This is not ok!  The student in question then continues..."and I sit criss-cross applesauce while I practice."  Oh, dear!  I didn't think I really needed to address this.  Surely they know better than to practice in a manner that produces poor technique and slouchy posture.  Surely they are all sitting on piano benches while practicing.  But I should never assume anything.  So today I offer you a token of wisdom on "practice configurations."

What is the right practice configuration? 

• Proper Seating!  Sit on a piano bench, or at a minimum, a creaky chair patched with duct tape like the one American pianist Glenn Gould would drag around from venue to recording studio (actually, I hope you don't do this.  Glenn was a tad eccentric.).
• It's all about arm angle!!!  When the keyboard is at the proper height in relation to your seating, your arms will form a right angle (90 degrees) at the elbow when your hands are outstretched, shoulders relaxed, elbows hanging loosely by your sides, ready to play.  If your arm angle is less than 90 degrees, your keyboard stand is too high in relation to your seating.  If your arm angle is greater than 90 degrees, your keyboard stand is too low in relation to your seating.  Keyboard stands are usually adjustable -- just move to a different set of holes.  Some benches are adjustable.  Do what you need to do to get the right arm angle!  It's important!
• Kitchen tables are for food, and floors are for feet!  Please don't practice with your keyboard on the kitchen table.  And the floor is just bad.  Bad.  Bad.  There are stands made for just about every kind of keyboard and you can find one just for your keyboard on Google.  If you haven't bought your keyboard yet, do make sure you purchase a piano with a stand.

I hope that helps all of you parents wondering if the keyboard-on-the-floor thing is ok.  It's not.  It will, indeed, sabotage all your piano teacher's efforts to instill good technique into your child's piano-playing.  

I do in-home consultations to evaluate your practice set-up and the mechanical fitness of your instrument.  I also go to student homes and install notation and recording software for students, getting your keyboard and computer to talk to each other so you can be an artist!  Click the link below to schedule your instrument assessment or technology installation now!