Is your child having a hard time feeling motivated to practice their piano lessons? Whether your child is taking piano lessons in Orlando or another city, they will experience a form of practice-block. They are excited to play and learn with their music teacher, but when it comes to practicing at home every day, or every other day, it can be a struggle.
We all reach those points where we get tired of doing the same thing day in and day out. For most adults, it’s going to work every day. Our kids can have that same feeling when they have to practice the piano so many days during the week, especially if your child loves to perform for an audience and there isn’t one around. It can be challenging for you, their parent, to come up with ways to inspire them to practice. We’ve made it a little easier for you. Here are a few ideas for you to try.
How to make piano lessons and practice fun
Before you read any further, it’s essential to keep in mind your child’s age and attention span. Studies show that the attention span for a child is about four minutes per age. So, if your child is eight years old, you can expect their attention span to be about 32 minutes. Not all children are the same, though. And it’s a good idea to change up piano practice activities so that your child isn’t bored too quickly.
1. Pick out your child’s favorite songs
Learning to play the songs they enjoy the most will inspire your child to practice the piano more. Help your child create a list of some of their favorite songs. You can then search for those songs online and look for piano chords or see if there are piano chord books that have a collection of your child’s favorite songs. It could be a popular song on the radio, one of their favorite musicians, or even songs from their favorite Disney movie.
2. Incorporate games into practice
Practicing the piano becomes much more enjoyable if you can make a game out of it! For younger children, you can use little plastic animals whose names start with the same letter as a note on the piano. Have your child place each animal on the piano note that shares the same letter as the beginning of the animal’s name. This will help your child to memorize the notes on the piano keys. For older children who are learning to sight-read, create flashcards with the piano notes on them. Have your child stand on the far side of the room and hold up a flashcard to see if they can correctly name the note. If they do, they can move one step forward. This game is more fun if you prepare an obstacle course or if two or more of your children are learning notes at the same time. You can also try fun ear training games for piano. There are lots of ideas out there, and feel free to get creative.
3. Use your child’s favorite toys
Here is a cute idea if your child is younger, especially if they are particularly attached to a particular toy. Have them bring their toy to their music lessons or whenever they practice. Together, you can pretend that your child’s toy is applauding each time your child finishes practicing a song or a certain exercise. Your child may even want to have their toy practice playing the piano too. You can also have your child set up other toys to seem like an audience that will listen to your child perform songs on the piano, even if it’s just for practice.
4. Let them write their own music
It’s important to allow your child to explore the sounds and functions of the piano. Their natural curiosity will pique their interest in wanting to play more. Allow your child to use their creativity to create their own songs on the piano. Together, you can explore what notes make a song seem happy, sad and what notes evoke other emotions. Do your best to encourage them to explore the many different sounds they can make on the piano, and assure them that there are “no wrong notes” to play when writing their own song.
Make playing the piano fun again
There are many different ways you can help your child enjoy playing the piano. Of course, an Atlanta piano teacher could also give you some ideas to encourage your child to play more. If you don’t have a piano teacher yet, consider hiring one of our tutors at Lessons In Your Home. All of our instructors are professional musicians and gifted instructors. You can be sure that our piano instructors will inspire your child to play the piano more. Our teachers will come right to your home for every lesson, plus we offer virtual music lessons, too. Our online music lessons are being taught by local music teachers with live lessons tailored to your child! Contact us today to learn more.
