5 ‘No Fail’ Ways To Make Piano Practice Fun

Growing up and learning to play the piano, one of the things I hated the most was practicing the piano. 

If you learned to play an instrument, I’m sure you too have had many of those experiences where you were not thrilled to practice and your kids, just like mine must be no different. 

So how do we actually make piano practice more fun? 

In this post I am sharing some tips and tricks that have worked for me personally and also for my students, in the hopes that it will help you as well. 

Reward Your Child After Practice

This does not have to be something elaborate. Something as simple as a hug or some personal one on one time with you can be very helpful. 

Another thing that I have found to be very successful with my kids is to reward them with screen time. 

Yes, yes, I know we are trying to reduce screen time, not increase it. But in this case I have found that if my child practices for 20 minutes then rewarding him with 20 minutes of screen time each day directly after practice, makes him more eager to practice. 

Of course, you may see this more as bribing, and I have to admit that it is in fact so. 

If you are uncomfortable with this tip, no worries just move on to the next. 

Make It Short and Sweet

It is more important that your child practices the piano or any other instrument daily rather than weekly. 

Furthermore, research has shown that like in sports, short spurts of practice each day has a far better outcome than long spells of practice once a month. 

So remember to keep practice sessions less than 10 minutes per day for younger and beginner learners and 20 minutes or less for older and more advanced learners. 

This will make practice sessions less daunting and overwhelming and more manageable. 

Celebrate The Failures

As Carol Dweck said we are going for ‘progress not perfection’. So it is important to acknowledge the failures and celebrate them because being able to recognize them is a part of the growth process and with practice not only will your child progress, but he will also achieve perfection. 

So go ahead and celebrate those failures. 

Break It Into Bite Sized Pieces

Even simple pieces of music can be very complex for learners based on their age and skill level. 

So instead of trying to tackle the entire piece at once, have your child master one bar line of music first. 

Breaking it down in such a manner will make it manageable, the failures will be less and the victories will be more, thus creating traction. 

Don’t Compare, Don’t Criticize, Simply Make It A Part Of Family Time

This is very important. 

Don’t compare your child’s abilities to any of the other kids, and don’t criticize, simply encourage your child to keep going. 

Also don’t make your child practice, while other members of the family are doing more seemingly interesting things. Rather make practice time, family time and support your child by being there as a family and celebrating the victories. 

Now, that you have five solid tactics that you can use starting today, which one are you going to try out first?

Want to know how to ensure your child succeeds when learning to play an instrument online? Then click here and read my article on 7 ‘Shockingly’ Simple Ways To Ensure Your Child Succeeds When Learning Piano Online.