So your kid has just begun with his/her music lessons and you couldn’t be any happier! Music is perhaps one of the best ways to teach your child the golden lessons of dedication, hard work, patience, and perseverance etc. that would really help them become a better human being.
Learning an instrument is an excellent way of self-expression. Now most parents do not have a musical background and mostly depend on the music tutor to train their children. However it is kind of hard for a teacher to give her entire attention to your kid, and this is where you play your part. Check out these simple tips you can follow.
Get a piano at home
It is obvious that you kid must have an easy access to the instrument he wants to learn in order to master it. Buying a piano for your kid would only enhance his playing techniques as he gets more practice.
It is not mandatory that you get him a brand new one as that can be quite an investment you can easily get a second-hand piano at garage sales or thrift shops. Just ensure that it is in perfect working condition and well-tuned.
Music lessons must not be skipped
Punctuality and discipline is the first lesson any student must learn if he wants to excel in any field. And as a parent, you can ensure the fact that your kid attends his music lessons regularly. Take out some time for your child and drive him to his classes. You kid cannot miss his lessons under any circumstances; of course, there are emergency situations like a fever or a flat tire when you can skip classes.
Practice makes perfect
Encourage your child to play the piano regularly. Practicing consistently can work wonders for your kid’s playing. Usually, the music teacher gives the students some homework or assignments to complete so that your kid gets ample practice at home.
Also, it is much better that you focus on the sections that you kid finds difficult rather than letting him play the entire piece again and again. Remember that your mere presence and support plays an important part in your kid’s overall development.
Participate in your child’s learning experience
Even if you cannot understand a single note, your encouragement means a lot to your kid. Make a schedule and set a time every day for practice. Sit down with your child and hear him play, refer to his notes and talk to his teacher to know more about his progress.
An active participation from your part can speak volumes to your kid. Your involvement can really boost up his confidence and enhance his performances.
Interact with the tutor
If you think just enrolling your child in some piano lessons is all you need to do then think again. You cannot push the entire responsibility upon the teacher! You’re as much a part of the learning experience. In order to know more about your child’s growth, it is important that you talk to the music tutor regularly for appropriate feedback. Know the strengths and problem areas of your child’s piano playing techniques and help him improve on them.
Introduce your child to good quality music and music related books
It is important that you provide your child with a proper learning environment that supports him. Keeping a wide collection of music cassettes and piano playing related books can really help your child learn better. But in order to provide your kid the best atmosphere, you must widen your music knowledge.
Listen to a versatile collection of artists and albums and encourage your child for the same. Also reading music related books can open their minds and help them create their own style.
Never compare!
Every child has its own potential and grasping capacity while some understand concepts pretty fast others might need some time to catch up. If your child is not able to learn the techniques and keys properly you should patiently talk to him and encourage him to do better rather than comparing him to other kids.
Comparison only leads to your kid feeling inferior and insecure about his capabilities.
The bottom line
Participating in your child’s musical education is a fulfilling and enriching experience. Active involvement on your part can really work wonders for your kid!
Featured Image: Image Credit
Practice like you’ve never won.
Play like you’ve never lost.— Juju Smith Schuster (@TEAM_JUJU9) July 14, 2016
Practice is Everything. #WednesdayWisdom pic.twitter.com/Q7LhZlxCJ5
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) July 13, 2016
Related Articles:
The 5 Biggest Piano Practice Excuses… and How to Make Them Go Away
Is it just me, or do piano teachers receive a whole host of incredible reasons for missed piano practice?
We recently asked for the craziest excuses piano teachers have received on our Facebook page and the answers were hilarious…
“I couldn’t practice this week because I had to make cookies for my sister’s birthday.”
“I couldn’t practice because my mom put the washing machine on top of the piano.” (Yup, seriously).
Over my years of teaching piano… and slaying the dragon that is ‘home practice’… I’ve been able condense those excuses into 5 categories. Sure the excuses get much more inventive than the category titles I’ve given them below (“My dog gets sick when I play the piano” is one excuse I will remember forever!) but by placing each excuse into a broader category, I’ve been able to find effective solutions for each of them. Via Teach Piano Today
Top Tip: Voicing Chords
Down the years, I have been passing on a tip for voicing chords that was given to me by Philip Fowke. No doubt Philip inherited this from his teacher, Gordon Green, who had in turn studied with Egon Petri (a student of Busoni and Teresa Carreño, and thus a descendent of Carl Reinecke, Felix Mendelssohn, Robert Schumann, Franz Liszt, Anton Rubinstein, Frédéric Chopin, and so on).
This tip works beautifully, so I thought I might pass it on to you all here!
Play the strongest note of the chord first alone with the level of sound you want (or slightly more).
While holding the note and in your own time, put the remainder of the chord down extremely softly. If you prefer, you may depress the keys without allowing the notes to sound. Via Practising the Piano
Why A Week of Piano Practice Can Be Doomed Even Before A Student Leaves Your Studio
Piano practice is a finicky little beast. A teacher can do everything right, mess up one small detail, and an entire week of practice is doomed.
It’s like cooking pancakes with baking soda instead of baking powder. You can beat the eggs to perfection, add in chocolate chips and blueberries, and pour the batter into little cartoon character shapes but if that darned baking soda makes it into the mix, instead of flipping pancakes, you’ll have a massive flop.
So the questions is, are you accidentally adding in the “hypothetical baking soda” before your piano students even leave your studio? (As it turns out, my own answer to this question was… ‘Yes’.) Via Teach Piano Today
