PRACTICE TOOLS 101

You want to help the child and keep him motivated. Yet how?

Here are some ideas for practice in the lesson and at home.

►Achievement Scale

Many kids like to keep track of what they’ve achieved (steps toward a goal for instance) and where they are going (goal). Decide together what is necessary to reach each new step on the ladder (scale). I print out the following scale and paste it into the assignment book. Then the child and I decide what improvements belong on each level and write it next to the appropriate number. This helps students measure their progress.

When that level has been reached, color in the square with the number in it.

Achievement Ladder: Where is your child now? What needs to be done to get up to the top of the scale? What can your child learn to “win” each step?

     (What needs to be achieved to reach each new level?)

5  (polished piece or technique)
4
3
2
1

►Portion Control

No, this doesn’t have anything to do with diets! Take a new piece and blow it up (I actually mean enlarge it by copying it at about 150-200%!). Large notes are less intimidating. The younger the child, the larger the notes should be! Now that I am older, I appreciate larger notes on the page, too! I often take printed music and enlarge it on the copy machine. The larger page might need a cardboard backing - One of my mothers uses cereal boxes.

Variation 1: Cut out each line or musical phrase. Give your young genius one "strip" of the piece pasted on colored paper each week (or when she has completed the old one). The rest of the colored paper under the strip is for stamps/stickers.

Every time your child practices the ‘strip’ she gets a stamp or sticker for that page.

In the end, she has several pieces of colored paper and a whole sticker collection. Plus a complete knowledge of the piece. Then you present her with the "whole" composition. Maybe enlarged only to 125%.

Variation 2:

Make a copy of the music and divide it up into sections. Number or letter the sections and have someone call out the section (you?) and your child has to start the piece from that section. You can make a cardboard dice and write a section letter on each side. Or use normal dice and the number your child rolls is the section she plays.

What to do with each section

1. First work out the fingering and the rhythm (counting).
2. Then try playing the section, with careful attention and at a slow tempo, seven times over. If you can’t play it flawlessly (at a minimum: correct notes and counting) after one or two tries, then the section is too long or the tempo is too fast.
3. Add the dynamics and special things like fermata, decrescendo etc.
4. After playing the section seven times, close the music book or turn over the piece of paper and try playing it by memory. If can’t be played from memory easily, the section is too large. Just cut it in half and try again.

►Learning to work with the metronome

These steps will help your child use the metronome well:

• clap to the metronome, listening first before clapping starts; start with mid-range speeds, such as 80 and speed up a little at a time; when 208 is reached, give a slow one, such as 52. Slow is difficult for young kids!
• same as above but hide the metronome so the student must listen only, not watch and listen. You can hold up a piece of paper in front of the metronome for older kids.
• clap the same beat as the metronome and speak rhythmic syllables, rhythmic motives or the like at the same time. Or, let your child hold the metronome in his hand (works only with electronic metronomes!) and speak. The vibrations of the metronome can then be felt, which sometimes helps.
• same as above but play these rhythms on one note with the metronome.
• work on a "metronome piece" each week. This should be a song that is very easy—with relatively simple rhythms--so he can really concentrate on playing it at different speeds with the metronome.

I like "The Metronome Game". The child avoids "getting hoodwinked" by me or the parent who sets the metronome speed. The clue is to listen before starting. Try 3 or 4 different speeds daily.

Variation: Metronome speed-up

Start the metronome at a fairly slow tempo. Your child should play the passage at this tempo until he can do it perfectly and still stay exactly with the metronome. Then move the metronome up a notch and have your child repeat the process. Keep doing this until your darling reaches the tempo desired.

Often, the tempo at which one can play a passage precisely with the metronome and without mistakes, is surprisingly slow. Help your child find this (surprisingly slow) tempo and gradually work from there up to the speed at which your teacher would like him to play the passage. It is better to practice this way than too fast with mistakes.

►Mini-Breaks

After a child has repeated a section carefully several times, has tried to play perfectly in tempo or the like, you might like to “reward” him by letting him color part of a picture, find Waldo (wonderful books!), draw a line between dots on dot-to-dot pictures, etc. This helps break up any rigidity and tension ensuing from intense concentration. Take a slightly longer Mini-break after you have finished a passage, piece or the like to briefly stretch, move, etc.

►Sight Reading

Playing a piece you’ve never played before is a skill you can develop! Have your child sight read pieces that are about two levels lower. It is fun to become conscious of the progress made. Remember when your child had to practice this kind of piece?! The more often you sight read, the better you get.  One of these days, your child will be able to play about anything placed in front of him!

►Keep it fun!

Music making is a magnificent activity. Avoid any negative feelings on what the young instrumentalist is working on as this will directly effect progress and in many cases cause her to lose interest in studying the instrument. So be sure your child is always working within his ability in the daily time that is allowed for practice. Do not push your young learner to practice through signs of tiredness. Keep the sessions brief and interesting. 

►Carpe Diem: Using a Timer or a stopwatch

Decide how much time you need to spend on each piece (scale, technique, etc.) The timer (stopwatch) will help you not overwork one specific area and make sure that you cover all the material on your lesson plan. A timer set for a certain amount of practice time could mean the practice time will also end in the near future! Good for little kids.

►Record your child’s efforts

This is enjoyable and very helpful. Take an audiocassette recorder and record your child playing his assigned (or favourite – if different!) pieces and listen precisely to the results. Record the same piece at different stages along the way to “perfection”. Always listen to the newest recording exactly and decide what needs to be done to make it better.  Later, these recordings are a documentation of your child’s progress!

►Practice means work on what you don’t yet know well

Most kids who practice will preferably play those familiar things that sound terrific. To get the most out of practice time, work on material that presents a challenge. This will help you learn most effectively and quickly. Conversely, when you sit at the instrument and make NO MISTAKES... it is time to do something new and more challenging.

There are five goals we are working on when practicing: guarantee excellent memory, eliminate boo-boos, ensure a beautiful and musical interpretation (the “feeling” behind the music), develop technique further, and get ready for performances.

►Ear-Training

Ear training is another important area to begin at an early age. In addition to the structure of lesson material, ear training should always be a part of everyday playing. By developing ear training tools you will find students more connected to the instrument and able to interpret music more expressively and creatively. A lifelong process that anyone can develop with time put in. Practicing even the simplest exercises like picking out your favorite tune on the piano, or singing a note and finding it on the instrument will have you soon applying ideas using your ears more and more all the time.

►Set small goals

Often tasks seem so overwhelming! If the pieces your kids are working on seem formidable, be sure to break it down into small steps. For example: do the right hand perfectly first before adding the left hand or do the first 2 bars perfectly before adding the 3rd bar. This type of practice will give students the feeling of accomplishment while they are working on a piece. Work to succeed, keeping the week’s main goal in mind. Set achievable mini-goals that you can reach with a daily session. Sometimes I just work on one measure (or even ½ bar)!

►No rushing, please!

Always ask yourself: “Why does my child want to play this instrument?” The going gets rough sometimes and it isn’t always easy to be patient!

I thought I would kill my kids often (and I am sure they were planning the same) but, in the end, they were glad to have had the chance to learn. My son still plays his “kiddie songs” for me when he visits and he is grown! But we both have a great time!

The thing about playing an instrument is - it never gets “easy”! The new stuff is always slightly harder than the last. BUT – your child is also slightly better! Remind your child to play old pieces and notice what used to be difficult. Now it is much easier. We are never “finished”. There is always more to be learned. That is why we need to enjoy the process!

Marvel at your child’s progress and achievements. Set up good habits. Avoid discussions – parents nearly always loose!!

►PRACTICE AMOUNTS (“Time, time, time is on my side.”)

“Children can't structure a half-hour themselves. They need someone to coach them.”

Professor John Sloboda, Psychologist

How quickly do you want to progress?  In the case of children, even ten minutes a day would be acceptable. If done EVERY DAY, progress is inevitable.

►Daily practice time suggestions for different age groups

Age
5: 5 min.

6: 10 min.   

7: 15 min. 

8: 20 min.

9: 25 min. 

10: 30 min.

11 and older 30 minutes or more

These times are only suggestions. By applying these times you can expect a steady range of growth on the instrument and be developing important practice habits that will be carried on in the years to come.

Don't force young children into long practice sessions - five or ten minutes will probably be enough. You might even want to have 2 short practice sessions daily. 5-10 minutes twice daily lead to amazing progress! 

I’ll have to admit I was very surprised that one of my six-year-olds practiced 30 minutes daily! I never asked for that but his mother told him to and he did. Every day! With a timer. I figured, don’t change a winning game. He was definitely playing well and enthusiastically. I could hardly keep him in new pieces!!