Practice Tips

Our favorite book for kids - “Not Until You’ve Done Your Practice: The classic survival guide for kids who are learning a musical instrument, but hate practicing.”

1. Aim for 5 to 6 days of practice EVERY week. Consistency is key, even if it is only for 15 minutes!

2. Whatever you do, make sure you practice right after your lesson AND the day following - retention will be 90%!

3. When practicing, aim for 3 times in a row flawlesslessly. For longer and more challenging pieces, be sure you are practicing in small sections. A fun way to do this is through the “penny game” or using candy… ask your teacher how!

4. Have fun - look at practicing as an opportunity! Who knows, maybe you’ll get out of doing the dishes if you practice after dinner….

5. Don’t set a timer - aim for purposeful repetitions rather than time.

Recommended Reading

Our three favorite books for parents who would like some advice on getting the most out of their music lessons.

1. Your Musical Child by Jessica Baron Turner

2. Raising Musical Kids by Robert A. Cutietta

3. Sound-Choices: Guiding Your Child’s Musical Experiences by Wilma Machover

Online articles on practicing:

8 Things Top Practicers Do Differently from The Bulletproof Musician

How Often Should My Child Practice? From TakeLessons.com

I Love Practicing