Practice is the most important element in learning to play the piano. Without daily practice the student will never progress as he should. Just as athletes must practice daily, pianists must train muscles and learn endurance, too. Just as learning to read takes daily practice and reading is taught every day at school, learning to read music takes daily practice to become fluent. Following are some tips to help you and your child have a quality learning experience.
1. Set aside a time each day for practice and post the schedule in a prominent place. Let nothing interfere. If something happens that the practice time must be missed, be sure to reschedule that session as soon as possible. Good times for practice sessions are before school while the mind is fresh and the body is not tired, and just after school before homework time to give the brain a break from schoolwork.
2. Be sure the piano is in a suitable place. A suitable place is away from the television and away from brothers and sisters who might interfere. Sometimes it works well in the child's room.
3. Be sure the piano is in good condition and tuned properly. Practicing on a less that suitable piano is discouraging to the student and impedes progress.
4. Read the assignment and see to it that the student practices everything on the sheet. Each item is important for the growth the student's musical education. If time is left over, then the student can play old pieces, play pieces that he/she especially enjoys, experiment with different ways to play pieces, play by ear, or compose.
Rules for Earning a Practice Trophy
Practice trophies will be awarded at the spring recital to students who meet the following requirements:
Books I, II, III - 100 hours (30 minutes daily, 3 hours per week will reach this goal)
Books IV, V, VI - 150 hours (45 minutes daily, 4 1/2 hours per week will reach this goal)
Advanced levels - 200 hours (60 minutes daily, 6 hours per week will reach this goal)
Assignment books must be filled in with the practice time and parents must sign the assignment for the student to receive credit for the practice. If the assignment is lost, the parent may write a note with the time written down and the parent's signature.
