How To Inspire Your Child To Learn The Piano
When you start practicing the piano from an early stage, it builds a sense of self-discipline that becomes infused in you for the rest of your life. While playing the piano is fun, being motivated enough to practice it daily can be difficult for your child. This is because the motivation to practice is not inherent in most children. In such cases, you, as a parent, have to inspire your child to actually learn the piano.
But how do you motivate your child to learn the piano in a way that doesn’t make them feel coerced? The answer, of course, is not simple. Hence, we have come up with 12 useful tips that will help you inspire your child to learn the piano with a keen interest in music.
12 Tips To Inspire Your Child To Learn The Piano
1. Make Piano Practice A Part of Your Child’s Everyday Routine
The first thing you need to do is incorporate piano practice as a part of your child’s daily activities. Your child should see it as ritual and normal. Once the practice becomes a habit, it will be hard to come out of it. Find a particular time of the day that works best for both of you.
The timing can vary from child to child. Some kids are cranky after coming back from school, so evening might not be the best time. Early morning practice may prove to be very effective because that’s when the mind remains the sharpest. You can also opt for a small practice session before bedtime.
Do consider what works best for your child. Work out a schedule that is convenient for them.
2. Find The Right Teacher
Before your child can learn the piano, you must find the right piano teacher who will guide your kid the right way. It is important for your child to find that connection with their piano teacher. Otherwise, the entire practice session becomes dull and irrelevant.
A good piano teacher should be able to understand your child’s pace and come up with a friendly tutorial. The teacher should also identify where your kid is struggling and encourage them to work on it.
Fortunately, you don’t need to look far for the right piano teacher. With the help of The Best Piano Teachers and its database of more than 2700 piano teachers, you will be able to find the right piano tutor for your kid to guide them through and through.
3. Do Not Set A Fixed Amount Of Practice Time
If you’re an adult, it’s good practice to rehearse the piano for 20-30 minutes a day. However, the same technique should not be applied to kids. Do not force your child to play for a fixed period of time, because you never know when it starts feeling burdensome for them. 20 minutes of willful practice is a lot better than tampering with the keys for 40 minutes.
4. Often Allow Your Child To Simply Play The Piano
While your child needs to practice to actually learn how to play the piano, they need to enjoy the moment as well. Learning about chords, arpeggios, and other music techniques is important, but you should also allow them to be creative to keep them interested and engaged. Your child might want to play a song they just heard on the radio. Encourage them to try out different styles and experiment with songs.
5. Do Not Let Discouragement Win
You’ll often see your child getting discouraged during their practice sessions, and it’s perfectly normal. Do not let their frustration get the better of them. Instead, ask them to take a break and encourage them to play something they love. Try to break down the difficult parts into several segments, and as soon as they master a certain section, offer them ample words of encouragement.
6. Set Specific Goals For Your Child
Set a list of daily goals for your child during their piano practice. Note down small learning goals for each of their practice sessions. You should work with your child’s piano teacher to create achievable goals for your child. For instance, the learning objective on Tuesday might be working on certain fingering techniques. Again, on Wednesday, you might set a goal for your child to learn the right hand of a certain piece. This way, your child will know what to focus on.
You can also set practice goals in terms of time durations. For instance, ask your child to play the piano for 5 minutes without any mistake. These daily goals and the urge to meet them will fuel a sense of encouragement in your child.
7. Reward Your Child
Get as creative as you can while inspiring your child to learn the piano. Reward them with cookies, chocolates, or whatever they like when they perform well. This induces a sense of accomplishment, which will keep them motivated to meet their daily learning goals.
8. Engage With Your Child
You need to meaningfully engage with your child to keep them inspired enough to learn the piano. Join their piano practice sessions at least twice every week. Talk to your child’s piano teacher and learn about their progress. Talk to your child and understand how they feel about practicing the piano and meeting daily goals. Tell them it’s natural to make mistakes and that they only have to learn from those. Praise them every time they meet a daily objective.
Moreover, make sure you lead by example. If you have played the piano before, practice the piano with your child. They should know it’s something you enjoy as well. This not only makes piano sessions fun but also develops a sense of belongingness in your child.
9. Do Not Yell At Your Child For Getting A Piece Wrong
Raising your voice or yelling at your child is the surest way toward discouraging them from learning the piano. It will only instigate insecurity and tension in your child and will bar them from concentrating. Make sure you keep your calm during the practice sessions. If children sense any sort of tension, it will heighten theirs automatically.
10. Make Piano Practice Sessions Fun For Your Child
The right piano teacher will know how to make piano practice sessions fun for your child so that they can stay motivated. As a parent, you, too, should apply various techniques to make playing the piano fun for your kid. Here are some tips you can follow:
- Give your child a hug when they play a certain scale right. Young children tend to be motivated by such gestures from their parents.
- Purchase musical flashcards for your child. You can use these flashcards during practice or at other times of the day. Your child can then learn about musical symbols, notes, and terms. Reward them with chocolate every time they get a flashcard right.
- Get your child piano stickers and use them during practice sessions. Kids absolutely love stickers. Each time your child meets a learning goal, reward them with a sticker set.
- Encourage your child to perform in front of you at least once a week. This is more helpful when your child masters a particularly difficult piece. Ask them to play the entire piece for you without stopping, like a real musical performance. Once they’re done, make sure you praise them and give them a round of applause.
11. Let Your Child Decide
As a parent, it is your responsibility to make piano practice sessions fun and not obligatory. Hence, it is important to give them some sense of control and let them decide what works best for them.
For instance, your child may want to practice the piano in the morning while you want them to practice it in the evening. As such, allow them to choose a time of their choice. Give them optimal breaks if they function better that way. Children have a very limited attention span, so you will need to break their practice time into multiple sessions to retain their interest. For instance, your child can practice for 10 minutes in the morning, 15 minutes in the evening, and 20 minutes before bedtime. Work a practice structure that your child is comfortable with.
12. Enlighten Your Child About Music
Once your child becomes fascinated with the melody, beat, and rhythm of music, there’s no going back. As a parent, you need to ensure your child develops that love for music.
While your child is practicing the piano, try to engage them with the tune they’re practicing. Make them feel like they’re connected to the highs and lows and the progression of a piece. Talk to them about music composers and the background story of the music they’re playing. Google famous musicians and make your child listen to some of the masterpieces by Beethoven and Mozart. This will raise a keen sense of interest in your child.
Another thing you can do is plan a few performances for your child. Invite friends and family and ask your child to perform a piece they’re well-versed at. Remember to applaud them at the end of their performance.
Final Words
Keeping your child inspired to learn the piano is not an easy battle. You need a combination of things in motion so that your child finds that love for music and thereby, the love for learning the piano. Whatever you start with, remember to be patient and encouraging with your child.
The first step, though, should be finding the right piano teacher for your child. A good piano tutor will infuse a sense of interest in your child that will keep them motivated to practice the piano. With the help of The Best Piano Teachers, you can find a suitable piano teacher for your child who will support them in their path to become a piano enthusiast. Sign up today to find the perfect piano tutor for your kid!
As a parent, what are you doing to keep your child inspired to learn the piano? Let us know in the comment section!