Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Education

Join the discussion on our Education forum.

Original poster

Finally found a piano teacher for ds2 .. I'm so excited!

32 replies

roisin · 12/02/2006 17:52

I've been asking round, phoning, hanging around on waiting lists, etc. for almost a year!

I've got his place confirmed: I'm just waiting to hear now whether he will be starting this week or after half term.

Top tips for nagging/reminding/rewarding for doing regular practice please

OP posts:
wangle99 · 12/02/2006 18:26

How old is DS?

Regarding practise we did little and often, in the beginning we did 5 mins in the morning and 5 mins in the afternoon and increased as necessary. Make him practise too much in the beginning and he'll lose interest.

Have fun

Original poster
roisin · 12/02/2006 18:36

He'll be 7 in May.

The teacher we've got doesn't usually take them until they're 7; so I don't think he appreciates little ones, and will expect ds2 to practice regularly. But that's my approach too!

I just want any tips to avoid "practice" becoming a battle-ground.

OP posts:
tamum · 12/02/2006 18:40

roisin, one of ds's numerous piano teachers made him a colourful chart with the days of the week on, and he had to fill in how long he had practised on each day (she was only expecting 10 minutes or so). It worked brilliantly, because he wanted to please her and this was something more tangible to him than just playing better than he had done the week before!

Beetroot · 12/02/2006 18:41

i reward ( or I did at first when it was a bit boring for them)

One 10 min practice = 10p
6 in a week = £1.

Worked fantastically and now as you know they are all begging to play ...well they do argue over who's trun it is sometimes

Oh and BOOK THAT APPOINTMENT

Beetroot · 12/02/2006 18:42

TW WE ALWAYS DID OURS before school. after breakfast fwhen they are fresh. 10 mins is nothing and actually when theya are jsut starting 5 mins it enough

Original poster
roisin · 12/02/2006 18:44

Great - thanks all! Once we get started I will sort out a chart and some suitable stickers or something; plus rewards/bribes.

Beetroot: We've got one more week at school, then it's half term, and we're around. So I will phone and make an appointment then ... Promise ... OK?

OP posts:
Beetroot · 12/02/2006 18:45

OK

btw the way. imo there is nothing that beats that clink into the jam jar of a 10p

cod · 12/02/2006 18:47

Message withdrawn

Beetroot · 12/02/2006 18:50

go back and have lessons cod, it will all come back. when your boys learn you will remember a load.

i have gone back to lessons recvently

cod · 12/02/2006 18:52

Message withdrawn

Beetroot · 12/02/2006 18:54

hmmm...are you sure you couldn't find a space. not that big really

snailspace · 12/02/2006 18:55

Message withdrawn

bobbybobbobbingalong · 12/02/2006 19:08

5 minutes twice a day - sticker for each five minutes and an extra sticker on the day of his lesson. Make them at the same time of day, so you don't get to bedtime and think - oh poo, he didn't practise today.

At 7 you may need to be very involved in checking that he has practised all the things he was asked to. Do you get to sit in on lessons, or does the teacher write on the music? Make sure you understand how you will know what he has to do.

Never ever make an excuse in his hearing like - he was really busy this week, he has a lot of homework, he was playing sport etc. He has 168 hours in a week and at this level of practise the piano is asking for under 2 of them including lesson.

With older children they swap practise time for TV time/internet/MSN/phone time in a minute for minute arrangement. This reinforces just how little they practise - 5 minutes on a playstation2 feels like bugger all.

Most teachers with this kind of waiting list will kick out students who don't practise.

Original poster
roisin · 12/02/2006 19:23

I don't know about the sitting-in on the lessons thing Bobby. I appreciate the communication issue, but in terms of the lesson, so you think it's better if a parent sits in or not?

Dh will take him to the lessons, btw, not me.

OP posts:
snailspace · 12/02/2006 19:26

Message withdrawn

bobbybobbobbingalong · 12/02/2006 19:35

The forum I belong to suggests there is one teacher in the UK and me in NZ who likes parents sitting in.

So I would say your dh will probably not be in the lesson - are either of you musical - can you check that your ds has his hands in the right place.

Original poster
roisin · 12/02/2006 19:48

Yes I play piano pretty well myself - so no problems there!
(I had intended teaching ds2 at first myself, but came to the conclusion it would be better for him to have formal lessons, and I can do the practice-nagging!)

OP posts:
Bink · 12/02/2006 19:54

roisin - he may not need nagging & rewarding! My ds (and you know how immutable he can be if uninspired) just loves his piano lessons - it's the one place where he nearly always behaves beautifully, and concentrates like a dream. So every evening (we do 10 mins in the peaceful half-hour when dd has gone to bed) when I say "now piano" it's like showing a dog a lead. Still find it hard to believe, but it's been four months now. (And piano gave him the first ever report that said "X is a joy to teach".)

snailspace · 12/02/2006 20:21

Message withdrawn

snailspace · 12/02/2006 20:25

Message withdrawn

Original poster
roisin · 12/02/2006 21:59

Ooh I hope he really does love them, and enjoy practising. I just want to establish some good routines early, so that I don't have to nag

Bink - that's great to hear of your ds's successes in music lessons, and fantastic report!

DS1 is still sometimes very reluctant to commit to anything that he doesn't instantly find very easy. I'm delighted that he's agreed to persevere with Italian, despite being frustrated that he can't speak it fluently already - after two 1hr lessons! ROFL!

OP posts:
Bink · 13/02/2006 10:21

I can just imagine ds1! (but very impressed with Italian - wow). ( - I have never forgotten poor Jude the Obscure thinking that all he needed to do to "have Greek" and go to Oxbridge was get himself a Greek grammar.)

Cam · 13/02/2006 18:02

roisin if you've found a great piano teacher you ds will want to practice to please them, also lots of praise and "being very impressed behaviour" from you

my dd's been learning for 5 years (she's just 9 now)

Beetroot · 15/02/2006 09:44

regarding sitting in, i would do it everynow and then. it gives them a treat a boost. there will be a book that the teahdcer wil write in what he is supposed to do.

cam, in an ideal world but little boys love to get out and play ime, so sometimes practice can be a chore, especially until they can play some tunes

Tehanu · 23/02/2006 18:43

Ds2 had his first lesson today, and loved it! The teacher has a list of his top ten students on display in his reception area, and ds2 is determined to get on that list asap He was also very impressed with the teacher's Bechstein Grand!

PS This is me - I fancied a namechange