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Practicing Tips #1
Learning a musical instrument is a family affair! Parents, your child needs your guidance and encouragement. Here are some specific tips on how to create a lasting relationship between your child and his instrument of choice.
- Set up a regular time every day to practice.
- Establish a routine. A typical junior high school student’s half-hour practice routine might include:
- Warm-up: 1-3 minutes
- Play a fun, familiar piece: 3-5 minutes
- Work on a new or difficult piece: 10-15 minutes
- Work on technical requirements, such as scales or other technique builders: 5 minutes
- Play something fun to conclude the session.
A high school student’s practice routine should last about 45 minutes because they have more technical problems to work on, but they also have the ability to practice longer in a more concentrated way.
- Playing only familiar songs will not help you improve.
- Learning happens in stages. Sometimes a student will work on something for a long time with no apparent improvement, and then discover a sudden leap in ability. Other times, learning happens very quickly. The important thing to stress is that consistent practice will yield results.
- Help your young musician set practice goals. Keeping a journal, not just a practice chart, helps track the peaks and valleys of learning a new piece or improving fundamental skills.
- As a parent, don't make judgments about the musical quality of your child's practicing. Learning an instrument requires lots of squeaks, scratches, and wrong notes.
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