For many kids, the piano is one of the first instruments that they start to learn. Because pianos are so prevalent, it’s usually easy to find someone who plays the piano and can teach your child how to play as well.
However, because actual piano lessons can only be so long, so much of your child’s learning will have to take place in the home through practice. The problem with this is the many children don’t enjoy practicing anything, let alone a solo instrument.
So to help this become less of a battle in your house, here are three tips for getting your child to practice the piano.
Make Practice A Daily Routine
In order for your child to take their piano practice seriously, you have to take it seriously as well. To do this, Ellen Pendleton Troyer, a contributor to the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, recommends that you make practice part of your child’s daily routine, just like doing their homework or brushing their teeth.
Even if it’s just for five minutes each day, making practice a routine will make it easier to accomplish for everyone involved. And while this can take some time to adjust to, once piano practice becomes a habit, it won’t be a fight any longer to get your child to do it, since it will just be something that happens every day and has to get done.
Try To Work On Your Child’s Time
Just because practice should be taking place every day doesn’t necessarily mean that it needs to happen at a certain time during the day. Ideally, you should try to find a time during the day where your child is in a good mood and ready to sit still for a few minutes.
According to Anastasia Tsioulcas, a contributor to NPR, you might want to try scheduling piano practice for first thing in the morning rather than trying to squeeze it in at the end of the day when your child is more likely to be tired. While this can make mornings a little crazier, if your child’s in good spirits at this time of day, it could be worth a try.
Give Them Specific Challenges
For some children, simply being told to practice can be a bit overwhelming. Especially if they’re not very comfortable with the piano yet, they may not even know what constitutes practicing.
To help with this, TakeLessons.com suggests that you give your child specific challenges to accomplish during practice time rather than just telling them to practice. If you’re not sure what type of challenges to issue, consider speaking with your child’s piano teacher to get some advice.
If you’ve been having a hard time getting your child to consistently practice the piano, consider using the tips mentioned above to help make this a little easier on everyone.