Practice Helps for Parents
I think most parents are more than happy to help their children practice, they just don't know where to start. The good news is that you can help your kids practice even if you know absolutely nothing about music. I'll start with a few basic points and elaborate later.
1. Be Interested In What Your Child Is Learning
Be genuinely interested. Ask specific questions: What's the hardest part in the song you're working on right now? Do you have a favorite song that you've played this year? Why?
You may have to really reach for the first few questions, but the more you ask and listen the more informed your questions will be. You'll also see that even if you weren't really interested at first (because you had NO idea what was going on) you will become more interested as you understand the trials and thrills of what they're working on.
You may have to really reach for the first few questions, but the more you ask and listen the more informed your questions will be. You'll also see that even if you weren't really interested at first (because you had NO idea what was going on) you will become more interested as you understand the trials and thrills of what they're working on.
2. Listen to their practice
Do they always seem to play the same two or three things at every practice session? Do they play them really well? This isn't practice and I think a lot of students are falling into this trap.
Practice involves working on a difficult section until it comes better. You should hear a gradual improvement in a student's skills over the course of the week.
Also, each student should have a specific purpose to their practice and I am working hard to help students to realize this. At any point you should be able to walk into your kid's practice room and ask them specifically what they are working on and what they are trying to improve. On a basic level they should be working on: 1) Learning the notes of a song, 2) Memorizing a section, 3) Playing it with a metronome, or 4) Working on basic maintenance of a section. Of course, they will probably phrase it differently but they should have a specific cause for why their working on a particular section of a song and what they hope to accomplish.
If you hear them working on the same thing each lesson and not really practicing, gently encourage them to try something else. If they only practice what they are good at, then they will never get better.
Practice involves working on a difficult section until it comes better. You should hear a gradual improvement in a student's skills over the course of the week.
Also, each student should have a specific purpose to their practice and I am working hard to help students to realize this. At any point you should be able to walk into your kid's practice room and ask them specifically what they are working on and what they are trying to improve. On a basic level they should be working on: 1) Learning the notes of a song, 2) Memorizing a section, 3) Playing it with a metronome, or 4) Working on basic maintenance of a section. Of course, they will probably phrase it differently but they should have a specific cause for why their working on a particular section of a song and what they hope to accomplish.
If you hear them working on the same thing each lesson and not really practicing, gently encourage them to try something else. If they only practice what they are good at, then they will never get better.
3. The Level System
I implemented the level system with many of my younger students (approximately 12 and under) this semester. Ask your kids about what levels they are on, how many levels they have left, and what they are trying to accomplish this week.
Here's how it works:
1. Their recital song is broken down into different sections. I let them name these sections (so expect some pretty crazy names!) to give them ownership of each section and to make each section sound more fun.
2. Each section has different levels. These levels vary per instrument but they are all written on their individual pieces or inside the cover of their lesson books. Levels include things like being able to play all the notes in a section correctly, memorizing a section, etc.
3. The goal for each student is to complete all of the levels of the song. So if a song has 5 sections and 3 levels in each section then there are 15 levels for the song. The student can have a realistic view of how accomplished they are in the song based on how many levels they have completed thus far. It gives them a concrete goal to shoot for and they will know when it has been accomplished.
4. Each week I send students home with a certain number of levels that I expect to be completed by the next lesson. They can choose to complete any level from any section in any order, but they must complete that number of levels within the week. This gives them ownership and choice while still making sure that they complete certain tasks that move the song forward each week.
5. We aren't done with the song once all of the levels are completed. This simply means that we are now able to work on the finer details of musicianship: phrasing, tone, dynamics, etc. This is what really makes a piece sound like music! Think of the levels as the cake and all of these finer details as icing and sprinkles. The more time that we have to work on icing and decorating the cake the better it will be!
Here's how it works:
1. Their recital song is broken down into different sections. I let them name these sections (so expect some pretty crazy names!) to give them ownership of each section and to make each section sound more fun.
2. Each section has different levels. These levels vary per instrument but they are all written on their individual pieces or inside the cover of their lesson books. Levels include things like being able to play all the notes in a section correctly, memorizing a section, etc.
3. The goal for each student is to complete all of the levels of the song. So if a song has 5 sections and 3 levels in each section then there are 15 levels for the song. The student can have a realistic view of how accomplished they are in the song based on how many levels they have completed thus far. It gives them a concrete goal to shoot for and they will know when it has been accomplished.
4. Each week I send students home with a certain number of levels that I expect to be completed by the next lesson. They can choose to complete any level from any section in any order, but they must complete that number of levels within the week. This gives them ownership and choice while still making sure that they complete certain tasks that move the song forward each week.
5. We aren't done with the song once all of the levels are completed. This simply means that we are now able to work on the finer details of musicianship: phrasing, tone, dynamics, etc. This is what really makes a piece sound like music! Think of the levels as the cake and all of these finer details as icing and sprinkles. The more time that we have to work on icing and decorating the cake the better it will be!
4. Bribe Your Kids
I've never been one to use external motivators (candy, gift cards, etc) for lessons very often. As far as I'm concerned, parents pay for lessons and kids should be thankful, appreciative, and work hard for the gift that they've been given. But, for what it's worth, sometimes a little external motivation can go a long way. Something as simple as a candy bar, letting them pick a movie or decide on dinner one night, or a favorite outing can really encourage students. Eventually motivation needs to become internal (normally around the teenage years), but for younger students sometimes a little external motivation is needed. Try it. There's nothing to lose and you may be surprised with the results that you can get from what you perceive as a very small reward.
5. Play with your kids
Play practice games with your kids. Practice doesn't have to be boring or a chore. Find ways to make it interesting at home. I can give you ideas, but ultimately you know your kids and your household a lot better than I do. Don't be afraid to try new things!