How much music practice?

[Rosehip345]

Exactly that really, how much do your DC practice musical instruments and what are their ages/level?
My DD is 6 and about to take grade1, she practices Mon-Thurs and has her lesson on a Fri. I think/thought this was plenty but am being told she should be doing it all weekend, which is something we would quite simply struggle to do.
She does this amount without fuss and I don’t really want to push that or make it seem a chore.
Please do tell me if I’m wrong or if I’m being completely naive as to the amount of work needed. Thanks

I think that’s fine. Playing more days than not and enjoying it. It’s a shame when it becomes a battle or a burden.

If her lesson is on Friday, by Monday she will have forgotten most of what the teacher told her on Friday, and any technical habits she needs to build will feel awkward. She needs to practice by Saturday at the latest. And remember, even if you try to practice every single day, sometimes things come up and you miss practicing; so actually she is not practicing as much as you think.

DC2 is a beginner - grade one by summer I think
she practices for 10 minutes daily. inevitably something comes up on one of the days that means she misses practice, so in reality 6 days of 7.

The more serious musicians with an eye on specialist music school, music scholarships or conservatoire all practise much more, but we are a house of happy amateurs with no pressure to race towards a particular goal.

I was led to believe that they should practice 10 minutes a day per grade level.

DS currently at grade 6 fuck knows how but resolutely did not do this amount of practice. He passed all his exams with merit / distinction, though he drove his more classical instrument teacher demented with his waste of talent.

I've spent a large portion of motherhood nagging about music practice. Then about a year ago he got back into the guitar in a big way, and now plays at least three hours a day off his own back - be extremely careful what you wish for OP!

Thanks for the responses, perhaps it would be best for her not to continue then as we simply wouldn’t fit anymore in due to other commitments. I didn’t realise 7days was expected!

My son is 9 and we try to practise most days for ten minutes. Some weeks we manage every day and other weeks life gets in the way. Your daughter is very young and there's no rush to grades. I somewhat regret the fact that DS is preparing for grade 1, as he's enjoying it less now because of the endless repetition of scales and the exam pieces. I would just continue as you are since your daughter's enjoying it and clearly progressing.

Please don't make her give up just because she doesn't practise every day, especially as she does weekdays with no nagging . Both my girls got to Grade 8 on 2 instruments and neither of them practised every day, they just didn't have time.

As long as she's enjoying it, carry on. And don't worry too much about grades at this stage, it's much more important to enjoy it and develop an interest in different types of music. DD1 gave up lessons on one instrument after Grade 5 as she read just going from grade to grade and was really bored. She immediately started playing for her own enjoyment and soon asked to start lessons again (with a different teacher who didn't place so much emphasis on exams).

Keep encouraging your DD gently but don't turn it into a battle!

DD has just started an instrument, and does 10 mins a day (except the day she has her lesson as her stuff is at school) when she gets in at lunch time. We don't have grades here thank goodness so she's expected to practice because she wants to learn. She does 10 mins on Sat/Sun if she feels like it but the teacher isn't allowed to ask them to because she's learning through school and it's illegal to set homework over the weekend!

Sorry, meant to say she's 7

Thanks, I really just don’t want to turn it into a chore or something I have to nag about as I want her to see music as something to enjoy.

I think that is more than enough for a 6 year old. We give my son a day off practice on a Sunday and he is a teenager on grade 7. Absolutely no way would I make a 6 year old practice every day - that is a sure fire way to put them off.
None of mine started that young - the teacher we go to won't teach under 7's - but when they did grade 1 I would say they were doing 20 mins a day 4 days a week plus a half hour lesson on another week day. Immediately before the exam I probably got them to practice on a Saturday as well, but I have never enforced 7 day a week practice.

As a music teacher, yes I would recommend she practises every day, even if only for 5 minutes. If you feel she needs days off, try to not take the day after her lesson off - she should really try to practise while it is fresh in her mind. Maybe take Monday off rather than Saturday? Reminding her to practise needn’t be nagging or a chore, perhaps remind her of something she did in her lesson that she enjoyed, or ask her if she would give you a little concert - it’s easy to make a game of things at that age.

Meh. My daughter has always been very ad hoc at music practice. She is never going to be a great musician, because she doesn't apply herself well enough, but she is competent and loves music. That is good enough for me.

Encourage daily practice, but don't breathe down her neck about it and let her enjoy it.

@shakeyourteethout We don’t do weekends as we simply don’t have time it isn’t out of choice particularly. So even if she had a Monday ‘off’ we still wouldn’t be able to do Saturday.