Can I ask how you get your DC to do piano practice?

My DD started lessons in January and she is really good about practicing. She just does it whenever she is at a loose end, which is 3 or 4 times a day.

She will be doing her Grade 1 shortly.

thnanks all for your comments - i have had a chat with her teacher aand agreed we will just coast for a bit with her practice as she is enjoying the lessons . i will also have a look at the resources suggested -thanks again xx

It's interesting with practice - I know when I was a kid a condition of having lessons was 30 mins practice every day, on both instruments, right from the beginning (age 7). And I wanted the lessons so I did the practice.

By grade 8 standard on any instrument 45 mins-1 hour is really the minimum you should be doing. I think it helps to split it up though - I recommend doing 15 mins technique, 15 mins scales and 15 mins pieces, possibly in 2 or 3 sessions.

At Grade 8 they really do expect a higher level of performance than in other grades, and because a distinction at grade 8 is so coveted, they are very careful about who they give them to!

You may find that point is still some way off yet Kerry - the trouble is, although some of them can wing it, if they get used to not practising it's a hard habit to start later when they need to. Someone said it should be as much a part of the daily routine as cleaning your teeth.

Ds did used to practice cello by the way - almost every day for a while, but never for more than 5mins. Sometimes he would literally just play a single open note on each string and put it away more usually he'd just play whatever he was working on striaght through once, but he's fallen out of even that meagre habit for some time now.

I think it would have helped him if the teacher could have explained to him exactly what he should be doing in his practice - instead of a lesson once in a while she could have taken him through how to practice step by step explaining what was expected of him & how often he should be doing it. (Maybe she did this, but I don't think so - actually his old teacher once said he should be practising 1hour a day, which just seemed so unfeasible it put him off, 10-15 mins really efficient practice would have been about right for him I think). Our trouble was/is with lessons at school we never see the teacher.

Just a thought.

www.musicroom.com/de-DE/se/ID_No/058973/details.html

Someone on MN recommended these little books to me which are very easy and take it nice and slow. We went through the 2 first theory books and then the three Theory Made Easy for children books. They are self explanatory and might help your dd since she is only 7, I think she wouldn't find them too babyish. I'd do a page a day till she is confident. Shouldn't take more than a month I think

why don't you help her to read the music by taking it nice and slow and practising for 5 minutes a day, even just two notes a week until she can do them and comfortably sight read? Just break it down into easy little chunks. In the same way, practice two different length notes, a week till she knows them - 4/4 and 2/4; next week 2/4 1/8 etc. After 4 weeks, she'd have no problem recognising them all and all the notes she is currently working with.

Let her compose her own little tune on notepaper with those two notes she's been learning (say C and D) and then play it

If she enjoys the lessons, I think she would be fine practising - if she knew how to do it.

Tbh I would always go with ABRSM, especially for Grade 8 - it's the 'gold standard' that people look for really. I don't know much about the other syllabuses, as I haven't used them but I seem to remember there is an element of theory involved as well, done verbally, which he may not like!

It's really frustrating isn't it when they just won't learn the scales, but not uncommon in teenage boys! However, there's no rush to do the scales, so he could take a year or so learning them. I'm always really strict about scales, because they are such a fundamental of technique, and provide the basis for sightreading, fast playing etc.

I think most people who get to grade 7 and stop doing grades regret it later on - it's always nice to be able to say 'I have grade 8' and certainly if he wants to audition for amateur orchestras, it's the first thing they will look at on an application form. Not sure how you convince him to practise though! Could you pay him? I know one or two people have success with that!

Actually LilyB, Do you have a view as to whether there's much difference between ABRSM & Trinity Guildhall for music exams these days? I'm told Trinity have much easier scale requirements, so maybe that's the way forward?

Hopefully he will LilyB, but he has to learn the scales (& there are 100s at grade 8) or his teacher will not put him in. He had a new teacher a couple of years ago as his old teacher stopped working at the school and the new one is an absolute stickler for scales. She says his pieces are fine (he's played loads at that level now) but is not happy with his previous strategy of writing off the marks given for the scales & hoping for the best (which until grade 7 yielded an average score of 138, so seemed to work quite well). As he's a stubborn teen, I'm resigned to the fact it may well not happen (and let's face it there's far worse things to be recalcitrant about as a teenager). He will not be short of UCAS points - the grade 6 distiction counts for some (more than the grade 7 pass actually), but he will also have piano 8 and a lot of A levels, so quite possibly that's not a big enough carrot.

The thread is old so not sure if the OP is still about, if so, I just wonder if the piece (Fur Elise) is wrong for your dd. If there is a piece she really wants to play it makes everything much easier.

ok, was imagining he was 11 or so! It would definitely be worth him getting Grade 8, as lots of orchestras in the future may have that as a requirement AND he gets UCAS points for it (more if he can get a distinction) - might be a good carrot to wave!

LilyB he's older than you think (15) and I reckon it's too late for practice routines to be laid down. I'm not really bothered if he stops tomorrow. He can play grade 8 pieces & above and sight read well. He doesn't want to be a profesional cellist - he sees it very much as a hobby, but he could find a seat in most amateur orchestras which is all he will ever want to do I think. He plays in two orchestras a string quartet and a piano trio at the moment, so quite probably that's why he gets away without actually practising as he is still playing a fair bit. I'm in the fortunate position that he has free lessons at school, so I'm not begrudging any investment.

I feel I'd like him to take his grade 8 because he's easily capable of it, but if he doesn't it's really not the end of the world. The annoying thing is, he loves the piano & will practice that loads, but he's really more talented at the cello.

definitely, finding the right instrument is key.

Ds1 and dd both do piano and a stringed instrument, and they both enjoy doing a couple of orchestras - that might be a way of at least ensuring the instrument comes out of the box! And he might enjoy playing with others more than playing on his own.

The same goes for strings as for piano in terms of laying down the fundamental technique - almost more so in some ways.

That's cello though - never have any problems at all with piano practice (actually that's not true, when he first started he didn't practise piano much for about 2 years - it's almost like you need to be a certain standard to derive enough enjoyment from it to want to practice). But choosing the right instrument that a child wants to learn is important.

snorkie, even if the teacher is happy, it really is worth cracking the practice routine now - it's now that the basics are laid down! And there will come a point when he can't get by on wit alone, and that's when he could either give up, or dig in, and if he has a foundation of practice to fall back on then he is much more likely to continue.

Hi Kerry! Ds does the same on his cello. The wretched thing stays in it's box from week to week & after his lesson each week I hopefully ask if his teacher was annoyed that he hadn't practiced & he just says she didn't notice & was pleased with his pieces. I always tell him I'm sure she did notice but was too polite to say, but he insists this isn't the case. I think he's got to the point where he does need to practice now though as he 'only' passed his last exam (having had high distinctions for all before that) and hasn't done any exams for several years now as his teacher wants his scales to be perfect (& that simply won't happen without practice at his level, though he's been saying lately that even they've been going OK, so I don't know what to think).

Even if you're naturally talented and can 'read' well you still need to practise, it is laying down patterns in the brain that need to be laid down for when you progress onto more difficult music. It's also building technique, which only comes by repetition.

7 is quite young pipsqueak. If she's having difficulty reading the notes I'd back off & try something else before she gets totally demoralised and maybe have another go in a couple of years. Otherwise I reckon you risk putting her off music for life. If her sister plays, you might consider restarting on a different instrument (after a gap) as I think often younger siblings like to do something different and be out of their siblings shadow a bit. Also, note reading for a single line instrument is a lot easier imo.

Did I read that right that she can't read music? How can she practice then? I played piano from 8ish and enjoyed it a lot, practiced an hour a day and managed to get distinctions in grades and also did theory exams. If they don't want to do it then it isn't worth forcing them imo.

dd2 aged 7 is struggling with the piano right now - she is generall y quite bright but seems to be unable to remember any of the notes and has what seems like the equivalent of dyslexia wiht music - she has been learning since january and still cant idntify C-G on the treble clef although she can play a bit by use of the finger numbering . practice is becoming a battle ground and i am on the point of throwing in hte towel but it is hard as we are into music as a family - her dad and elder sister both play to ahigh standard and we really do our best to encourage her but OMG it is like pulling teeth - any tips?

your ds sounds like mine riven - will only practice what he feels like (& never, ever scales), but he does play a lot at home without prompting so I've not had this issue with him. Dd would never practice wihout major nagging, so she gave up as I couldn't be doing with the agro. I know beetroot used to use bribery on her children to good effect, but it depends how you feel about that.

There are also some ideas on the practicespot website that might help.

If you find the answer, market it & you will make a fortune!

I agree with Riven that a commitment to practice comes with maturity.

We started DS1 on piano lessons when he was six. It was a nightmare. Much arguing about practice, much crying (mine and his), much threats. He stopped at eight.

Then he went to Academy at twelve and started guitar (with many promises about practice). He loved guitar. We couldn't get him off the bloody thing.

Then he started his Music standard grade and so needed two instruments. So piano started again. Because he can read music much better now and is so committed to his guitar, he sees the point of practice. He practices daily on both instruments. He is very good on guitar and getting pretty good on piano. Certainly above the level he needs for a second instrument at Standard grade.

Have you thought of starting her on an easier instrument than piano?

we had a leaflet home from school and said that less than 10% of children would take the initiative to practise themselves in the duifficult early stages.I think first thing in the morning is the best time of day, by evening they've had enough.