Take the Piano Practice Quiz!

1. It is more important to: a. Practice at least 30 minutes a day.  b.  Practice consistently each day.  c.  Practice the complete lesson assignment daily.
2. True or False :  All students should complete daily practice on their own.
3. True of False:  Students that schedule their practice time in the morning are more likely to complete their practice goals.
4. True of False:  Students should always start practicing their piece by playing through the entire piece or playing as much as they have already learned.
5. All students should feel motivated to practice because they take piano lessons

Answers

1.  B  The most important habit to establish is daily practice, even if it’s only 5-10 minutes a day, which is a very realistic time for a piano student that is only 3 years old.

2.  False.  Lead by example.  It is very difficult to expect any student that is not used to sitting down and completing work to suddenly be able to sit and practice on their own.  It is important that the parent that attends the lesson is the parent that is primarily helping the child to practice each day for the first year, especially when children ages 6-10.  Students that have parents guiding their daily practice progress much faster, and the parent tends to learn how to play the piano and piano theory along with the child!

3.  True.  I’ve found that the students that set practice time in the morning are very consistent in their practicing.  Of course, if the student or the family tends to be rushed in the morning, it is better to schedule a consistent practice time after school.

4.  False.  When the piano piece is very long, or if the child is struggling to get to the end of the piece, it is better to have the student start his piano practice by working through the new section, while the mind is fresh.  If the student is on a deadline for an upcoming event, teacher can mark out the daily sections (4-8 measures)  that the student is to complete over the course of the week.

5.  False.  Each student will have a different level of motivation to practice the piano, which will wax and wane every few months.  It is fine to give students extra incentives to practice.  For younger students, teachers can give little practice prizes to students who complete their practice goals each day for a month.  Both older and younger students will be motivated to practice when an upcoming event is in the horizon.  Monthly performance workshops keep students on track each month.