FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
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How long should practice sessions be?
As long as it takes. It's better to think quality over quantity. The length of sessions doesn't matter as long as you practice the right way. |
Where should I put the piano/keyboard?
The piano or keyboard must be put in a quiet environment where the student will be free to concentrate without any distractions. If you have a home office, think about that for a second. |
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Why isn't any improvement being made?
Ask yourself, is the student following the 4-step process (see below) and regularly viewing the videos? Success depends on doing the right things 100% of the time. This is definitely not easy but if you feel like you're following the process and watching the tutorials (on a regular basis) then what you need is more patience and time. |
Why isn't my child practicing on their own?
Your child cannot do everything by themselves. They need structure and support; it is your responsibility to give them that. We only see them once a week and are not responsible for what they do outside of lessons. If we could, we would. Scroll to the bottom of the screen to read tips on motivation. |
Video Tutorials
Why are video tutorials so important? Well...
We've all heard "fake it 'till you make it" and this applies to practice as well. All successful people have always imitated other successful people: athletes are always studying film, architects look at other great architects' blueprints, and aspiring cooks observe master chefs in the kitchen. Music is no different. Rhythm, accuracy, quality sound, and piano technique can be picked up by watching and listening to the videos just once a day (though more is better).
There's also a limit to how much we can teach at a lesson and this is an extremely valuable service we've provided at no extra charge. We care about your learning experience and it's important that you are progressing every week. After reading the following guide on practice, click the button to access our tutorials.
We've all heard "fake it 'till you make it" and this applies to practice as well. All successful people have always imitated other successful people: athletes are always studying film, architects look at other great architects' blueprints, and aspiring cooks observe master chefs in the kitchen. Music is no different. Rhythm, accuracy, quality sound, and piano technique can be picked up by watching and listening to the videos just once a day (though more is better).
There's also a limit to how much we can teach at a lesson and this is an extremely valuable service we've provided at no extra charge. We care about your learning experience and it's important that you are progressing every week. After reading the following guide on practice, click the button to access our tutorials.
How to Practice
The process that we teach for effective practicing is broken up into 4 steps:
1. Small chunking
2. Metronome
3. Repetition
4. Large chunking
We teach this to all our students and this is a process that anyone can learn. You can also apply this to other disciplines since these are universal principles.
1. Small chunking
2. Metronome
3. Repetition
4. Large chunking
We teach this to all our students and this is a process that anyone can learn. You can also apply this to other disciplines since these are universal principles.
Small Chunking
The first step is to pick the smallest do-able section. Could be one measure, could be a few notes, heck it could even be one note. Before a single note is played, the student needs to have a clearly defined start and end point. Practicing the whole piece/song from beginning to end is NOT effective.
The first step is to pick the smallest do-able section. Could be one measure, could be a few notes, heck it could even be one note. Before a single note is played, the student needs to have a clearly defined start and end point. Practicing the whole piece/song from beginning to end is NOT effective.
Metronome
The second step is to use a metronome. Unless the student is listening to hours of music daily, the metronome is their best (and only) path to excellent rhythm. It's a measuring device. Successful people use effective tools. Teachers use charts, pilots measure distances, chefs recipes, etc.
If the student doesn't have a metronome, they aren't ready for it just yet so keep referring to the video tutorials.
The second step is to use a metronome. Unless the student is listening to hours of music daily, the metronome is their best (and only) path to excellent rhythm. It's a measuring device. Successful people use effective tools. Teachers use charts, pilots measure distances, chefs recipes, etc.
If the student doesn't have a metronome, they aren't ready for it just yet so keep referring to the video tutorials.
Repetition
Step 3 is repetition. The student should aim for 3 repetitions in a row. This is extremely important because repetitions only count if they do it the right way. For the younger or complete beginning students you may want to scratch that idea and instead focus on volume of repetitions without too much concern on accuracy or results.
Step 3 is repetition. The student should aim for 3 repetitions in a row. This is extremely important because repetitions only count if they do it the right way. For the younger or complete beginning students you may want to scratch that idea and instead focus on volume of repetitions without too much concern on accuracy or results.
Large Chunking
The last step is large chunking. As soon as 2 short sections are complete using this process, go back and connect them together.
There are 2 reasons for this: 1. if the student doesn't review the previous section, they will forget (music is memorization) 2. small chunking and large chunking helps the student understand the structure of the music.
There is one last reason which may be most important of all. This method helps create "signposts." Imagine driving on the freeway from San Francisco to L.A. and having only ONE freeway exit. In piano recitals, things happen and if the student has practiced chunking well enough they can quickly move onto the next "signpost" without missing a beat. It's like having 2 or 3 "safety nets" during performance.
After this last step, wash, rinse, and repeat the process.
The last step is large chunking. As soon as 2 short sections are complete using this process, go back and connect them together.
There are 2 reasons for this: 1. if the student doesn't review the previous section, they will forget (music is memorization) 2. small chunking and large chunking helps the student understand the structure of the music.
There is one last reason which may be most important of all. This method helps create "signposts." Imagine driving on the freeway from San Francisco to L.A. and having only ONE freeway exit. In piano recitals, things happen and if the student has practiced chunking well enough they can quickly move onto the next "signpost" without missing a beat. It's like having 2 or 3 "safety nets" during performance.
After this last step, wash, rinse, and repeat the process.
How to Motivate Your Child, or Yourself
We tend to focus too much on results, both in the professional world and our daily lives. With the students, you want to instead focus on the outcome.
What is the outcome for the student? Is it just getting the right notes? If that's the only goal they may start to hate practice (which will result in bad lessons). Instead, focus on developing good practice habits and enjoyment of music.
Remember that concentration and discipline is a muscle. If the student hasn't developed these muscles yet there is no use focusing on things such as accuracy or rhythm. Throw it all out the window and instead positively encourage every little thing that they do.
PROCESS > RESULTS. And consistently view our video tutorials!!!
What is the outcome for the student? Is it just getting the right notes? If that's the only goal they may start to hate practice (which will result in bad lessons). Instead, focus on developing good practice habits and enjoyment of music.
Remember that concentration and discipline is a muscle. If the student hasn't developed these muscles yet there is no use focusing on things such as accuracy or rhythm. Throw it all out the window and instead positively encourage every little thing that they do.
PROCESS > RESULTS. And consistently view our video tutorials!!!
Tips for the Long Game
Always think about what motivates the student, it may not always be what motivates yourself. Positive encouragement always helps but they need external rewards as well (which is why we use a reward system).
On the flip-side, some students will not be motivated to practice unless there is the possibility of losing one of their privileges or activities. Practice and piano lessons are a privilege and sometimes it takes not having that extra play day or video game hour to help them understand that. I want to be clear that this is not a form of punishment. If you try this out, do it without any emotion whatsoever.
In order to achieve success in their lessons, they must prioritize daily practice sessions. If they do not, it is up to you to help them understand this. If they don't want to do it themselves, they need your support.
Remember, human beings are motivated by 2 things: pleasure and pain. So it makes sense that we need to experience pleasure for accomplishing a goal and also to keep ourselves motivated in the long-term by reminding ourselves of the pain (figurative not literal) we will receive if we don't achieve what we want or work hard.
Use one, or both, of these motivational strategies and find out what works best for your child (or yourself!).
On the flip-side, some students will not be motivated to practice unless there is the possibility of losing one of their privileges or activities. Practice and piano lessons are a privilege and sometimes it takes not having that extra play day or video game hour to help them understand that. I want to be clear that this is not a form of punishment. If you try this out, do it without any emotion whatsoever.
In order to achieve success in their lessons, they must prioritize daily practice sessions. If they do not, it is up to you to help them understand this. If they don't want to do it themselves, they need your support.
Remember, human beings are motivated by 2 things: pleasure and pain. So it makes sense that we need to experience pleasure for accomplishing a goal and also to keep ourselves motivated in the long-term by reminding ourselves of the pain (figurative not literal) we will receive if we don't achieve what we want or work hard.
Use one, or both, of these motivational strategies and find out what works best for your child (or yourself!).
More....
Looking for a chart? How about some practice ideas or motivational quotes? Check out our Pinterest account for additional resources.
