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
Extra-curricular activities

Find advice on the best extra curricular activities in secondary schools and primary schools here.

Original poster

Organising the Practice of two instruments

35 replies

Acinonyx · 03/12/2013 15:57

Dd plans to take up a second instrument when she is 9 and I'm wondering how best to organise practice. At the moment, we do 20-30 mins of first instrument after dinner and some random other times (and usually miss 2 nights for one reason or another) and this is working really well. Not sure about the second one - best one after the other, apart, same time each, every day??? Xmas Confused Not aiming for professional standard but keen to do it well.

OP posts:
marmitecat · 03/12/2013 16:56

We just do one then the other every day usually before dinner. Takes about 30 mins or perhaps up to 45 if ds os feeling particularly diligent or has an exam coming up. I don't deliberately ask him to do the same time every day bit I do insist on daily practise unless he is ill.

BanjoPlayingTiger · 03/12/2013 17:00

Ds does one before he leaves for school in the morning and then one in amongst homework. It really isn't easy to organise and this morning he didn't do his practice before going out, so he'll have 2 lots to do this evening.

If you are having to hassle her to fit it in, I would suggest leaving it until she wants to do it (it being the practice, not the instrument). In my experience it just produces too many battles in when they aren't that keen.

Original poster
Acinonyx · 03/12/2013 17:09

We have a lot of stuff going on after school (too much probably) which is why we've got an after dinner slot organised. She's happy to do that at the moment (i.e. I prompt it but she's happy to do it - without prompting it would be more like every other day) - but I can definitely imagine problems with two sessions. She's mad keen to do instrument no 2 but I'm anxious she doesn't drop no 1. I seriously doubt we could do it in the morning as she is SO slow getting dressed and eating.

I do sometimes worry that adding this one more thing will bring down the house of cards!

OP posts:
beatricequimby · 03/12/2013 19:38

One before school, one after on weekdays, more flexible at weekends depending on what we are doing. I think 2 lots of practice after school can be quite overwhelming if they also have homework to do and maybe an after school club or a friend round to play.

Original poster
Acinonyx · 03/12/2013 19:55

Yes that is my impression too - it's a lot after school. Perhaps we will have to be more organised in the morning and Xmas Shock get up earlier Xmas Sad

OP posts:
SilasGreenback · 03/12/2013 21:00

Maybe you could explain to her that to do the second instrument she will have to do 15-20 mins before school so how is she going to fit it in?
I assume from your comment that if she speeds up that would be half the problem solved - so say your suggestion is get up 5 mins earlier, eat and dress quickly and prove she has the time by doing her practise on current instrument then. If that doesn't work then she can't do the second one.

Mine do 2 after school and it can be a problem. It was much better when they did one each before school, but drums before dawn seems a bit antisocial!

Juliet123456 · 03/12/2013 21:56

At one stage we had 3 children with 3 or 2 instruments each which is quite a lot of practices. Currently we just have 1 doing one and one doing 2 which is easier. They both won music scholarships and they don't practice each instrument every day although it would be better if they did. So I suppose my point is if they don't do one one day it's not the end of the world although much better to do 5 minutes every day than 30 minutes once a week.

Most children do it better if there is a regular time. One of mine has 5pm or did until his very recent exam as the practice time at weekends. If I suggested it earlier to get it out of the way he wasn't happy. If I went in at 4.58 he sent me away even.

Original poster
Acinonyx · 04/12/2013 09:18

I do think having a regular slot works for us - it's a good routine. Maybe one short slot (10 mins) in the money of one and a longer one of the other after dinner - alternating maybe. I'm going to need a spreadsheet at this rate Xmas Confused

OP posts:
Original poster
Acinonyx · 04/12/2013 09:19

in the morning!!! (Freudian slip due to expense of instruments and lessons????)

OP posts:
OldBeanbagz · 04/12/2013 10:29

When she was at Primary my DD used to practice one instrument before school and the other after. Now she's having to leave earlier to get to high school she does them both in the evening (one before dinner & one after).

Both schedules seem to have worked well and she manages this every day of the week but I'm guessing the music will take up more and more time as she progresses through the grades.

Bramshott · 04/12/2013 10:38

We struggle with this. DD1 (nearly 11) does piano, clarinet and singing. We do clarinet and singing after dinner (singing is easier to fit in as it can be done on the hoof if necessary!). She's supposed to do piano in the morning but as the mornings are getting darker and she's getting tireder it's increasingly slipping off the radar. I think she may stop piano in the next year.

Original poster
Acinonyx · 04/12/2013 11:03

Stop piano Xmas Shock That is just what I'm afraid of! But realistically, I can see it having to be one or the other at some point.

OP posts:
Bramshott · 04/12/2013 11:56

Yes that's the point we're at now. DD1 isn't a natural pianist really, but it is very useful for her other instruments. I am hoping we can somehow muddle through to the end of Yr 6 with it.

titchy · 04/12/2013 12:10

If you assume they don't practice on the day they have a lesson, and they have a day's break from practice it shouldn't actually work out too badly. DD's routine is something like this:

Monday - instrument 1 lesson at school, practice instrument 2 in the evening
Tuesday - the other way round.
Weds. Practice instrument 1, break from instrument 2
Thursday - other way round.
Friday, Saturday Sunday practice both. (one before dinner, one after).

I sit in on one lot of practice a night only. If it's a two instrument practice day then dd is on her own for one practice session.

Original poster
Acinonyx · 04/12/2013 12:22

That looks like a good plan titchy.

OP posts:
makemelaugh · 04/12/2013 18:06

It's difficult DS also a music scholar and finding year 7 very full!
This is us:
Monday lesson on instrument 1
Tuesday practice instrument 2
Wednesday lesson on instrument 2 and practice 1
Thursday practice 1
Friday lesson instrument 3 and practice 1
Saturday practice 1 and 2
Sunday practice 1 and 2
He doesnt practice 3 outside school
Choir rehearsals on top of this
Terraced house so can't practice before school or too late !

makemelaugh · 04/12/2013 18:08

Forgot to add that practice is now 45 min to 1 hour...especially on instrument 1

Original poster
Acinonyx · 04/12/2013 19:35

Fortunately we're not aiming for music scholarships (not presently anyway) - I suspect her main talent lies elsewhere. Perhaps our main problem is that I will be heartbroken if she drops the piano due to 2nd instrument Xmas Sad I wish I had never promised 2nd instrument Xmas Hmm oh well...,.

OP posts:
RaspberryLemonPavlova · 04/12/2013 21:11

Presumably second instrument will be a band/orchestral instrument? I thnk this helps with their enthusiasm.

We are in the position of 3 children with 3 instruments each, 1 of which each is piano which does take organising and juggling. Priority tends to be towards whichever instrument is being examined or performing. For instance DS2 has just done Grade 5 piano, and was doing extra practice for this, he will be doing Grade 5 trombone in March so that will take precedence. He usually does some practice in the mornings, he has too as he is also a chorister and is very busy.

Original poster
Acinonyx · 05/12/2013 08:53

I'm hoping second will be in the band but it will take a while and might be problematic . I'm very keen for her to stay in the band as piano is so solitary. It does rather take over your life - in a good way but sometimes a bit of a treadmill.

OP posts:
Bramshott · 05/12/2013 09:36

I think two is do-able OP - in my DD's case, piano is effectively No 3 as she's very serious about her singing, so I think that's why we're considering dropping it.

Original poster
Acinonyx · 05/12/2013 09:50

Dd sometimes surprises me - but I'm willing to bet we won't have singing to contend with ..... Xmas Grin We do have a couple of other things to fit in that also require some practice though Xmas Hmm My (rather poor) organizational skills are being severely challenged.

OP posts:
SingySongy · 08/12/2013 22:19

My ds is a music scholar (yr 7)and plays two instruments.

He was getting a bit stressed about practise, so we made a plan (agreed with his teachers) where he does 3 good practises a week on each instrument.

He also has a weekly lesson on each instrument, and plays in 3 bands, and 3 ensembles, so he does a huge amount of actual playing. Because the actual agreed practise time isn't too onerous, he also finds lots of time just to muck around and have fun with music, which is the whole point really...

Original poster
Acinonyx · 09/12/2013 08:59

Yes - that's a whole other thing isn't it - having time just to play around on the instrument without doing the lesson pieces. I agree - there's just no point if all they ever do is practise for their lesson. I think dividing the main practice will be good. I think we are probably doing too much altogether Xmas Hmm - two instruments and two sports may push us me over the edge....

OP posts:
maggiethecat · 09/12/2013 10:09

Little and often is perhaps the best way at this stage. I agree with Silas about trying to fit in a morning one - it will take a lot of pressure off if you can get one done first thing especially when she's fresh.
My dd is not naturally a morning person but I realised when she was quite young that after school practice when she was tired and grumpy was not going to work well.
Getting up 10-15 mins earlier and really being focused with dressing etc should allow you to fit in a decent practice.

Swipe left for the next trending thread