Conservatory of Music and the Arts
Lancaster--Canal Winchester
711 North Columbus Street
Lancaster, OH  43130
740-681-2792
info@LancasterConservatoryOfMusic.com
Encouraging Successful Practice
Regular practice is a necessity to make progress in music lessons.  Practicing is like
brushing your teeth—you can’t skip a whole week, then plan to make up for it by doing it 5
times in one morning.  Below are some ideas to help encourage regular, high-quality
practice.  Figure out what works best for your student and your schedule.

  1. Choose a consistent time for your student to practice when there are few or no
    distractions.  Right after school, before dinner, or first thing in the morning may be
    best.  Choose what works best for your family.
  2. Younger children may benefit from two or three shorter practice sessions rather
    than one long.  Break down the assignment into small sections to make it easier
    for the child to sit still.
  3. Measure practice time in terms of repetitions, not time on the clock.  Tell the child
    that each song or exercise needs to be played 3 times rather than that he needs
    to practice for 20 minutes.
  4. If you are measuring practice by time, set a timer so there is no argument about
    how long the child has been practicing.
  5. On difficult passages, create a game to help with the repetition of practice.  For
    instance, start with 5 pennies on the left side of the music stand.  Each time the
    passage is played correctly, move one penny to the right side.  If a mistake is
    made, move all the pennies back to the left.  When all 5 are moved over, the
    passage is learned and the student can have a reward.  (You can also do this with
    small candies like M&Ms or with cookies; the reward at the end is eating them.)
  6. Creating a practice chart can help long-term.  Put the chart on the fridge or the wall
    near the piano or music stand.  Every day that the student practices as instructed,
    a sticker goes on the chart.  When the chart is full, the student gets a reward.  
    (Adults, you can reward yourselves!)
  7. Another fun way to measure practice is to put a candle near the practice area.  The
    candle is lit at the beginning of each practice session and blown out at the end.  
    When the candle is gone, the student gets a reward.  You can use a larger or
    smaller candle depending on the age of the student.  (Parental supervision
    recommended)
  8. Have family concerts on a regular basis so that students can demonstrate what
    they are learning.  This is especially helpful before recitals and competitions so
    that students can work through their performance jitters.

Parental involvement and interest is always key in student performance.  If practicing is a
priority to you, it will be to your child as well.

6760 Thrush Drive Suite F
Canal Winchester, OH  43110
614-834-1936