How to Inspire Your Child to Practice a Musical Instrument

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By Katharine Ann
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Getting your child to practice their instrument can be frustrating

Tired of yelling at your child to get in there and practice that piano, violin, or whatever? Get easy tips from an experienced music teacher on how to make practice time less painful for your child (and for you!)

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Step 1

Be positive and give honest support

Be encouraging! Remember, when child begins learning a new instrument, chances are they will sound very, very bad. This is normal! You don't have to lie and say things like, "Ooooh, honey, that sounds great!" Instead, give positive TRUE feedback like "Wow! You're really working hard. That sounded much better than last week." This way both you and child can feel good about praise that is honest and encouraging.
Step 2

Find ways to motivate your child according to their interests

We can all hope that students will eventually gain an intrinsic appreciation for the value of daily practice, but realistically very few students possess such a responsible personality. One effective method is to set up an incentive chart. Create goals and rewards and stick to them. Maybe for every ten days in a row that your child practices scales you will buy them a new piece of music that THEY want to play. Find your child's specific motivators and use them to your advantage.
Step 3

Be involved with what your child is learning

If your child takes private lessons on their instrument, go to them with your child. Talk to the teacher about what your child needs to work on and be helpful to your student when they practice: "Remember, Mrs. Smith said you need to play that scale five times every day. You only have two more to go, you can do it!" Showing an interest in what your child is doing shows them that you believe it is important. In turn, they may work hard to impress you.
Step 4

Setting aside specific practice times places importance on the activity

Set aside a specific place for practice. Don't just set up a wire music stand in your kitchen at 4:30 every day and expect your child to have a focused, successful practice session. Set up a specific place, perhaps in the child's room, that is designated for practice. Maybe spread a small area rug on the floor and set up the incentive chart posted above, or put up music posters on the wall. Work with your child to decorate a place where they can feel focused and motivated.
Step 5

Parent involvement is key for any student's success

Attend your child's concerts with enthusiasm! Okay, we all know how painful it can be to sit through twenty-four variations of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star", but be supportive! "That was the best version of Twinkle, I have ever heard! Way to go!" As a teacher, I cannot stand it when students are merely dropped off and picked up at performances. These students have a very low motivation to practice because they know that nobody they love is going to come hear it anyway. Be your child's biggest fan!

Comments

Greatfunmoms said

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on 7/1/2009 Great tips!

ponchomeg said

on 6/1/2009 Wonderful article. From one music teacher to another, I feel your pain. :) Thanks for giving tips to help parents help their students succeed.