Mastering a new piece of music isn’t easy. Your child will need to practice it over and over. They may become very frustrated, especially early on, because they simply can’t get a part of the music right.
Private piano lessons in Denver will help them learn everything they need to play piano and overcome these frustrations, while their dedication and devotion to practicing will help them master the instrument. The following steps will give them a structure they can use to master new songs and alleviate some of the frustration they have with making mistakes.
Step 1: Create a Trouble List
Your child can do this on their own, or you/their private piano teacher in Denver can help them. Have them play through the new piece several times and mark (on the sheet music) any areas that they have trouble with or where they make a mistake several times. If it’s a long piece of music, they may want to break it up into sections. This is often a good method to use when learning a new piece of music with online music lessons.
Next, create a checklist of these areas and the mistakes made. Include which measure the mistake is in and the page it’s on as well as the type of mistake (missed note, duration too short/long, etc.). Also have them write down any particular scale or chords that are particularly challenging for them. If these scales or other patterns appear in several trouble areas, practicing them can clear up several sections of the piece.
Step 2: Use the List as a Practice Guide
The next time your child starts practicing the piano, they should use the list as a guide. If they keep having difficulties with one certain scale, for example, they should work on that scale during their practice time.
Step 3: Break Each Problem Down
Now that your child knows what to work on, they need to work on it in an effective and efficient manner. This means breaking it down until they are working on the smallest part of it. This may mean they work on a few notes or measures at a time. Once they get that part down, they can add in the next part and so on. This makes it less overwhelming and can help your child feel like they are making good progress.
Step 4: Practice that Small Part Over and Over
Once your child has broken down a trouble area into small parts, they need to practice the first part over and over until they feel confident with it. Then they can start working on the second part. Once they feel comfortable with it, they can work on the two parts together. Then they continue to work on parts of that problem area until they have the entire section down. Once they do, they can play it in context by playing the piece from the beginning up to the next area they’re having trouble with. By the end of the list, they should be able to play the entire piece with fewer difficulties.
Step 5: Be Patient
It can be hard for children to have patience and stick to the list, but that’s the only way this method will work. As they master each section and mark items off the list, they will see that they’re making progress. This will help keep them motivated, even when it takes longer to overcome some problems than others. In the end, though, they will have mastered the piece of music and will be able to play it beautifully.
Do You Need a Teacher?
If your child is in need of a piano instructor, we can help. Our teachers will come right to your home for every lesson, plus we virtual music lessons, too. However, our online music lessons are being taught by local music teachers with live lessons tailored to your child! So whether you’re looking for online teachers to teach Atlanta piano lessons or if you want Houston piano lessons, we got you covered! Contact us today to learn more.
