Top 4 Tips on how to Invite Piano Practice into Your Home

Time and time again, I see bouncy students coming to class, enjoying the lessons, enthusiasm radiating from their smiles and sense of achievement. Each one leaves their respective lessons for home with a promise to practice this time, and I believe them each and every time. I believe them mostly because they really have the intention and the desire to practice. I wonder why then they return the following week with that cheeky grin telling me “I didn’t practice much this week… oops”. On pondering the matter more thoroughly I’ve come to understand that there are a number of factors at play in this scenario and I wanted to share them with you. As parents of piano students, students, or even aspiring musicians, practice is a vital aspect in flourishing in this great, beautiful, challenging and gratifying art. Here are some tips that I learned through my years of experience:

Music to my ears

Playing music is hardly about playing the correct keys at the correct time (although we do encourage this - at times). Music is being created and must sound pleasing. If it doesn’t, there is very little motivation for the player (especially a beginner) to continue learning. Just like swimmers invest in high-performing swimwear, golfers invest in decent golf clubs, and chefs invest in high-quality pots and pans, so should a pianist have access to a pleasant sounding piano/keyboard. Piano owners should be on top of their piano tuning (if it sounds bad, call a tuner!). (Tip: Generally, each time you move a piano it may require a tuning). As for keyboards, they are a lot better these days than when I was a kid, so there are many great ones to choose from! Feel free to ask me for advice when purchasing a keyboard and stay tuned for an upcoming blog on ‘how to choose a keyboard’. Remember, the point of learning to play the piano, or any instrument, is to enjoy the beautiful music we create - get this right and your kids may be keener to get going with their practice.

Keep it Organised

They say that the space we inhibit often represents our state of mind. So, if the room is disorganised, books and pages lying around all messy on top of the piano, toys and other unrelated objects scattered across the floor, you can be sure that even if practice does happen, it may be full of distractions. The best thing is to ensure that all music related items are within reach and all other things out of reach. In addition, keeping an organised folder/book with all relevant music is crucial and makes it easier to focus on practicing rather than searching for your music. Try sticking music sheets into a jumbo scrapbook or a display folder. Kids can even enjoy decorating their piano folders as a craft activity! Some of these examples may seem obvious, but they may not be to a child, so they often need us to show them.

Sharing space

Something that many people don’t consider is where the actual instrument will sit. Playing the piano is difficult and requires complete focus, and believe me, it can be so easy to get distracted (especially when you’ve convinced yourself that you deserve a break after every 5 minutes!) This means that there cannot be surrounding noise coming from the TV, other family members, and anything that creates distracting sounds. For an instrument like a piano/keyboard placement makes a huge difference, since you cannot just pick it up and take it to a more convenient practice space. If available to you, placing it in a separate room (like a bedroom or study room) is a great solution. Another is to simply keep the household relatively quiet for the duration of practice time (this could perhaps be ‘homework’ or ‘reading’ time for other siblings). This can also send the message that practice is considered an important part of the household routine, creating more motivation to do it.

Correct Posture at the Piano

Something doesn’t feel right

How we sit – physically – at the piano makes a huge difference to our level of focus and desire to actually go to the piano. Why would we put ourselves through extended periods of discomfort? Throughout beginner lessons I am constantly reminding students how to sit in the most comfortable and optimum way at the piano, but it would be hard to replicate this at home if you don't have access to the following: a bench that allows for sitting so that arms are at a slightly higher level than the keys (adjustable bench/chair or cushions can be used), a foot stool or some thick books to help rest the feet down flat, and of course, decent lighting is important for visibility of the music/books. Also check out this little diagram above and compare the next time you or your piano child sits down to practice.

In general, these are the four main hinderances to getting a good practice session going. Luckily, they are manageable and easy to fix. Even though it can take some effort to get up and go practice, it always feels rewarding and there is this glowing sense of achievement that comes with it. The practice setting is important and is key to motivating musicians at any level. If practice is slow, try some of these tips and see how you go. Feel free to leave a comment about your experience or any other tips you would add to the list.

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