Making The Most Out of Piano Practice For Kids
If you’re planning to enroll your kids in piano sessions, you ought to know how you can make the most out of this investment. Once your child starts learning the piano, you become an intrinsic part of their learning sessions. Sitting by your kid while they’re playing can be a brilliant bonding opportunity. Moreover, learning the piano can be extremely helpful for your child’s overall cognitive development.
In this article, we’ll discuss how you can optimize your kid’s learning sessions to guide them in their music journey.
How Does Music Education Help Your Child’s Development Process?
Learning to play the piano is found to have positive effects on your child’s cognitive development. Some of the benefits include better listening skills, higher emotional intelligence or EQ, developed memory, improved motor control, and increased well-being.
Some scientists discovered that your kid’s brain can develop faster through music education. They came to this conclusion after studying the effect of music training on the mental, social, and emotional development of children.
If your kid has had music education, chances are they have a better auditory system than kids who did not receive any music education. This indicates that musically educated children are more proficient at sound processing.
Moreover, another study showed that children who learn to play the piano or any other instrument tend to be more verbally competent. Music training also enhances a child’s spatial-temporal skills. Spatial-temporal skills are crucial for solving problems that consist of multiple steps.
Learning music allows your child to conceptualize different elements that are likely to go along. Therefore, it helps them solve puzzles a lot faster. These are huge plus points for your child’s overall development.
Preparing Your Kid For Piano Lessons
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Worried about how to get your kid intrigued to learn the piano and make the most out of it? With the help of The Best Piano Teachers, you can get the most suitable piano instructor for your kid to help them develop an interest in music. Your kids’ piano teacher can then guide them in their journey while also making the learning sessions fun and engaging.
Moreover, children start growing interest in something when they feel drawn to it. So, if you want to encourage your child’s piano learning sessions, you have to create the right environment for them. Hence, start with surrounding your kids with music. Consequently, this will motivate them to create their own on the piano.
Here are a couple of ways to inspire your kid to learn and appreciate music.
Listen To Songs Together
Listening to music together is not only a great start for your kid’s learning journey but also a brilliant scope for parent-child bonding. There are so many compositions you can choose from. Starting from classical compositions by Bach, Mozart, and Vivaldi to more popular songs by The Beatles and Queen, you can explore different pieces and see what your kid prefers.
Moreover, acquainting your kid with different melodies later helps them understand different musical concepts. Also, don’t just stick to songs your kids should learn. Make your listening sessions fun and lively by incorporating songs with dance moves.
Did you know moving to the music can help your child form a sense of rhythm? This further helps them in learning the piano. So, make sure you try out different genres of music and move your feet with the beat!
Engage in Musical Activities
Besides listening to songs, you can do so much more to help your kid develop a lifelong love for music. Sing nursery rhymes with your kid. Arrange a family sing-off competition. Create your own musical instruments using household utensils like a plastic egg, cups, or plastic containers.
Another fun activity you can engage in is ‘Guessing The Song’. Hum the melody of a song and let your kid guess the title of the song.
Watch Music Shows
Watching aspiring musical artists perform can be a huge push for your kid to learn music. This often opens up a wide arena of interests and you may even find your child singing in front of the mirror or playing a certain tune they heard on the TV.
Play With The Piano
If you want your kid to learn the piano, they need to be acquainted with it. Once they see and hear it every day, it’s now time to let them try it on their own.
Having a piano around the house might be completely new for them, which is why you should let them play with the keys so they can get comfortable. Don’t worry too much about them playing the wrong keys - it’s only the start. Guide your child gently to help them understand how piano keys work.
Moreover, encourage your kid to explore different notes and push them to try out their inner musical creativity. You might want to check back with your kid’s piano teacher to understand how you can make the most out of the learning sessions. Moving in a synchronized manner helps your child grasp the music faster.
How To Make Piano Practice Lessons More Engaging For Kids
Your kid is more likely to be hooked to the piano when you make the practice sessions more fun. Here are a few tips as to how you can do it.
Use A Metronome
A metronome can help a great deal for anyone learning to play the piano. This device shows a steady pulse or beat and helps your kid track time while playing. You can also change the tempo however you deem fit.
A metronome is ideal when you’re learning a song for the first time or looking to develop your sense of rhythm.
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Incorporate Different Games In Your Practice Sessions
Your kids will surely enjoy the practice sessions a lot more if those feel like playtime rather than a laborious activity. Games you can play may include Name The Note, Frenzy Pattern, Matching The Symbols, and more.
How To Motivate Your Kid To Keep Going About Their Piano Lessons
It is incredibly easy for your kids to lose focus and get distracted, regardless of what activity it is. The same goes for learning the piano. This lack of interest occurs especially around the time kids start making the progress. They seem to feel they’ve mastered the piano and consequently lose concentration.
The silver lining, though, is that you’re right there to guide your child at every step of their musical journey. Here are a few tips that can help you along the way.
Take Breaks
Yes, to keep your child motivated, taking breaks will prove to be as important as a regular practice. Don’t push your child to play the piano on an already hectic day. Let them take a break and engage in other activities related to music.
It would also be great to have a piano teacher who can understand your kid’s learning pace. Kids often need a little nudge and a good piano instructor will be able to identify how to retain your child’s interest in music.
Let Your Kid Play Songs of Their Choice
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Another way to encourage children to keep practicing the piano is to let them play songs of their choice. This means you should motivate them to play songs that hold a meaningful value for them or tunes they are familiar with. Playing pieces close to their heart can essentially be a soothing experience for your kids.
The tune can be anything from ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ to ‘My Heart Will Go On.’ Ask your child’s piano tutor to teach them a song of their choice. Whenever you notice your kid getting frustrated with their practice, you can ask them to play something they want to and turn it into a wholesome experience for them.
Track Your Child’s Progress
Reminding your child how far they have come can be a big boost for them. For this, you need to track your kid’s progress over time. Moreover, you can record short clips of your kids playing something for the first time and playing the same thing next week for the seventh or eighth time. Merge these together and show the clip to your child.
Offer words of encouragement such as ‘You’re doing fantastic! Look how far you’ve come.’
Lead By Example
It’s important to remind your kids that they are not alone in their learning journey. Try practicing the piano with your child by your side. Show them it’s completely okay to make mistakes. After all, it’s never too late to start your learning journey.
It will not only help you bond with your kid but also inspire your child to keep going. Take turns to practice different chords and notes with your kid. Try playing with your left hand one day and your right hand the next. Host a small get-together and play the piano with your child. Give them a pat on the back for doing a good job.
Final Words
Learning the piano can offer several different benefits to your kids. It positively affects your kid’s overall cognitive development and helps them develop empathy. Not to mention, your child learns a new skill altogether!
We genuinely hope you’ve found all our tips helpful. If you’re looking for a piano instructor for your kid, sign up with us for FREE! For further assistance, feel free to contact us!
Which of these tips are you planning to implement in your kid's piano practice? Let us know in the comments below!