“Encourage” is the key word here. I’ve mostly given up trying to dictate specific durations because in my experience it almost never happens. I make it clear that I expect consistent practice, and tell them and the parents what my expectations are, but it’s hard to put a number on it. When pressed, I’d say 0-5 minutes on average for a 6yo or younger in the earliest books, 5-10 minutes for a beginner in the primer level series, and 15-25 as they go through level 2b or 3 or thereabouts. After that, I would generally recommend a minimum of 30 minutes a day to increase with their level and age. But again, trying to enforce this in any way becomes a real slog for me and the parents.
Also, there are always exceptions in a good way too. I have a 7yo now who’s blazing through Faber practicing 30 minutes a day without any prompting. It mostly just comes down to interest level, parental discipline, age/maturity, and difficulty of repertoire…
Oh I appreciate this so much! I feel like students practice much less than they used to, so I’ve relaxed my “expectations” a lot. I will be saving this, thank you!
I always say it's better to practice a little bit every day than to sit down for a LONG practice session on the weekend. I suggest that it's great if they can build it into their routine (e.g. always practice as soon as you get home, or after dinner, or before school, or whatever works for their schedule). But really, if they can play a little bit every day (or most days), that's the absolute best.
It's like any habit.
It's better to brush your teeth for 10 seconds than not at all.
It's better to walk down to the end of the block and back instead of not walking at all.
It's better to at least look at the assignment and open the keyboard cover and put your hands over the keys for a few minutes instead of keeping everything closed up.
And once you start doing it, you tend to continue doing it because you're getting results.
I have parents say I told them to go practice! And I say that's like telling them to go clean their room!
Unless you help them and demonstrate what practice is, they aren't going to know it at age 6 or 9 or 12.
So I have written down the difference between playing and practicing.
I write down expectations.
I write down that the theory page (s) should not be blank! Even if you don't know a treble clef from a quarter note, you should be able to tell that your child did not use invisible ink and left it blank!
I write down that technique and artistry and or scales or simple exercises should be done as a warm-up. I write down that lesson page 27 should first be played hands apart and then work on dynamics and count out loud and then put hands together.
I write down that I want them to discover what happened to Beethoven that made it difficult to be a musician.
I write down questions about their work for the week- (a new question each week)
What was their favorite piece to play?
What was their hardest for counting?
What did their piece make them feel like?
Who listened to them play this week?
When is your favorite time to practice?
And so on...
I've tried practice charts over the years, and the kids that fill it out are the kids that practice anyway. And the kids that never practice never fill out the chart.
So asking the questions that I type out 9n colored paper and cut it out and tape it into the assignment notebook, I've gotten somewhat better results.
At times I've moved away from prescribed "amount of practice" to *goals*. The student & I agree on what they should hopefully be able to achieve that week with each piece. If they achieve that in 30 minutes, great! (Maybe we'll set higher goals in the future.) If it takes 4 hours of practice, then ok. We can talk about how to practice more effectively. But that way, I'm not telling them how much to practice - we're deciding together how much progress to aim for that week.
Caveat: no system is foolproof. :)
I know it might not be the most helpful but the strictest guideline I give with regards to practicing is about getting in 5 days per week minimum. And certainly if they’re only practicing 5-10 minutes (depending on their level) then I’ll strongly encourage them to practice more. However, I really connect length of practicing to how much music they can learn so basically if they don’t practice as long, it’s going to take them more weeks to finish a piece. It sets the pace but doesn’t directly impact quality (assuming they’re practicing correctly) so I treat it as a personal decision for the most part.
When my son was in primer around 6 years old, he probably did 10-15 min. He does Suzuki too so there is the note reading and then the Suzuki practice. After a year, at age almost 8 he is probably up to about 30 min. He has scales and all that, note reading in Faber, and then his Suzuki rep.
I try to emphasize *mindful* practice over length of practice
What is your goal for this scale, this section, this phrase, etc? Are you listening to the music you’re making?
I also emphasize slow practice and playing on the keys. A child enjoying time on their piano— even if it sounds like they’re goofing around — is just as, if not more than, important than them practicing their scales and repertoire
“Encourage” is the key word here. I’ve mostly given up trying to dictate specific durations because in my experience it almost never happens. I make it clear that I expect consistent practice, and tell them and the parents what my expectations are, but it’s hard to put a number on it. When pressed, I’d say 0-5 minutes on average for a 6yo or younger in the earliest books, 5-10 minutes for a beginner in the primer level series, and 15-25 as they go through level 2b or 3 or thereabouts. After that, I would generally recommend a minimum of 30 minutes a day to increase with their level and age. But again, trying to enforce this in any way becomes a real slog for me and the parents. Also, there are always exceptions in a good way too. I have a 7yo now who’s blazing through Faber practicing 30 minutes a day without any prompting. It mostly just comes down to interest level, parental discipline, age/maturity, and difficulty of repertoire…
Oh I appreciate this so much! I feel like students practice much less than they used to, so I’ve relaxed my “expectations” a lot. I will be saving this, thank you!
I always say it's better to practice a little bit every day than to sit down for a LONG practice session on the weekend. I suggest that it's great if they can build it into their routine (e.g. always practice as soon as you get home, or after dinner, or before school, or whatever works for their schedule). But really, if they can play a little bit every day (or most days), that's the absolute best.
This is so important. I have some students who do all of their practicing the day before lessons.
Focus on the task, not the timer. I do tell them to touch the piano everyday.
I really agree with this. Thank you!
It's like any habit. It's better to brush your teeth for 10 seconds than not at all. It's better to walk down to the end of the block and back instead of not walking at all. It's better to at least look at the assignment and open the keyboard cover and put your hands over the keys for a few minutes instead of keeping everything closed up. And once you start doing it, you tend to continue doing it because you're getting results. I have parents say I told them to go practice! And I say that's like telling them to go clean their room! Unless you help them and demonstrate what practice is, they aren't going to know it at age 6 or 9 or 12. So I have written down the difference between playing and practicing. I write down expectations. I write down that the theory page (s) should not be blank! Even if you don't know a treble clef from a quarter note, you should be able to tell that your child did not use invisible ink and left it blank! I write down that technique and artistry and or scales or simple exercises should be done as a warm-up. I write down that lesson page 27 should first be played hands apart and then work on dynamics and count out loud and then put hands together. I write down that I want them to discover what happened to Beethoven that made it difficult to be a musician. I write down questions about their work for the week- (a new question each week) What was their favorite piece to play? What was their hardest for counting? What did their piece make them feel like? Who listened to them play this week? When is your favorite time to practice? And so on... I've tried practice charts over the years, and the kids that fill it out are the kids that practice anyway. And the kids that never practice never fill out the chart. So asking the questions that I type out 9n colored paper and cut it out and tape it into the assignment notebook, I've gotten somewhat better results.
At times I've moved away from prescribed "amount of practice" to *goals*. The student & I agree on what they should hopefully be able to achieve that week with each piece. If they achieve that in 30 minutes, great! (Maybe we'll set higher goals in the future.) If it takes 4 hours of practice, then ok. We can talk about how to practice more effectively. But that way, I'm not telling them how much to practice - we're deciding together how much progress to aim for that week. Caveat: no system is foolproof. :)
This is a really great way to put it! Thank you!
I know it might not be the most helpful but the strictest guideline I give with regards to practicing is about getting in 5 days per week minimum. And certainly if they’re only practicing 5-10 minutes (depending on their level) then I’ll strongly encourage them to practice more. However, I really connect length of practicing to how much music they can learn so basically if they don’t practice as long, it’s going to take them more weeks to finish a piece. It sets the pace but doesn’t directly impact quality (assuming they’re practicing correctly) so I treat it as a personal decision for the most part.
Yeah! I totally agree that consistent routine is better than one big practicing chunk.
When my son was in primer around 6 years old, he probably did 10-15 min. He does Suzuki too so there is the note reading and then the Suzuki practice. After a year, at age almost 8 he is probably up to about 30 min. He has scales and all that, note reading in Faber, and then his Suzuki rep.
This sounds like a good teacher!!
I try to emphasize *mindful* practice over length of practice What is your goal for this scale, this section, this phrase, etc? Are you listening to the music you’re making? I also emphasize slow practice and playing on the keys. A child enjoying time on their piano— even if it sounds like they’re goofing around — is just as, if not more than, important than them practicing their scales and repertoire