We are just wrapping up week 2 at the studio and I can hardly believe it! These past two weeks have been a mixture of review, first lessons and getting back into routine. Now that we are about to start week 3 I wanted to check in to make sure practice routines are also getting established. Making sure good practice habits are started right away will help lead to a very successful year of piano.
Here are some great general tips for practice (please check your child's notebook for more specific tips for your child):
1. Try to practice around the same time everyday - make it part of your daily routine, like brushing your teeth
2. Count. Count. Count.
3. Slow practice is your friend :) Especially on the first few practice days after a lesson. You cannot expect to learn/play the notes correctly if you are rushing. (plus it's easier to count when you play slow!)
4. Don't worry about setting a timer for the length of practice. Especially for the beginners I like to tell them to just be sure to play their songs everyday at least 2-3 times in a row. As their songs get gradually longer, their practice time will also gradually get longer.
5. Count. Count. Count.
6. Once you get longer songs, it doesn't do you any good to just play through the song beginning to end. You can get more accomplished in a shorted period of time if you practice in small sections and repeat those small sections over and over. At that point you can play through the song from beginning to end.
7. Remember it's the quality of practice that will help you improve. Practice smart, practice everyday.
I'm in the early stages of planning a practice challenge that will take place through the month of October (if you follow me on Instagram you will have seen a sneak peak of the challenge). This challenge will help to continue these practice routines that you are establishing now.
