Tips to practice correctly at home successfully

From time to time, all music students struggle to create a successful practice routine at home. Spending many hours working on your music, the results may vary. The lists within this article have work within my piano studio to help students create a successful practice routine that will save time and also encourage fun experiences.

Suggestions for teachers to consider:

1. Practice means REPEAT, as dictated by any physical action.

2. If we touch something correctly enough times, the fingers learn to perform the action automatically.

3. The fingers are the orchestra; As a teacher, we are the conductor who tells the members of the orchestra what to do.

4. The experienced musician can look at a piece of music and read and interpret the many aspects of the material very quickly; with a little practice of the challenging sections of the piece, it will be quickly mastered.

5. Beginning students are more interested in learning the notes correctly; most performance suggestions should come from the music teacher.

How can we encourage the student to practice?

1. Active parts of the lesson should be used to show how to practice parts of the piece; the teacher must remember what was assigned the previous week.

2. Repetition should always be encouraged.

3. They must be taught to face challenges in isolation, one at a time.

EFFECTIVE PRACTICE = EFFICIENT PRACTICE

4. Practice should be organized by activity and not by the amount of time spent on something.

5. Slow practice is important.

6. Use a practice planner so there is clear communication between the teacher, student, and parents regarding weekly expectations.

7. Details should be included where necessary.

What learning environment will foster a successful practice session?

1. A quiet space with lots of light.

2. No electronic distractions such as cell phones, televisions, or tablets should be present during home practice (unless an app on an electronic device has been assigned for use by the music instructor)

3. Practice at a time of day that sparks musical creativity. This will vary from student to student. Some students prefer to work at night, other students prefer to work during the day (morning or evening). Be sure to find a time of day that works for your schedule, this will allow practice sessions to be fun and not “a chore”.