A timeless question to ponder. Consider the answers from this multiple choice list below...
How much should my child practice their instrument each week?
- A) 20-30 minutes every day
- B) 1 hour every other day
- C) Whenever they can fit it in
- D) Until their fingers bleed
- E) All of the above
- F) None of the above
Drumroll please...If you answered "F" you are correct! Although a strong argument can be made for answer "E", as well. Confused yet?
The thing about trying to quantify practice time is that it's not like a writing a prescription of antibiotics to cure an ear infection. There's no label stamped to each child that says "Practice piano for 30 minutes, 5 times per week. Take with food and keep piano refrigerated between uses". That's not good for your piano or your refrigerator. Rather, practice time is a function of a student's personal motivations with music, the goals they set with their teacher, and the priority this activity holds in their mix of other commitments.
Because motivation, goals, and priorities ebb and flow from week to week for most mortals, we have found it more sensible for our teachers to prescribe practicing frequency and duration on an evolving basis with each of their students. We try to examine what will be realistic and attainable for each child, on each week that we work with them. Once a diagnosis is determined, the teacher will jot down the week's practice requirements in your child's "Assignment Logbook" - a fantastic tool to help kids remember what they are responsible for between lessons. Indeed, just as it plays out in other areas of their academics or sports life, some weeks will produce better results than others.
One certainty that should be noted about practice time is that "you do get back what you put in". There is a complex math equation below that demonstrates this point:
Little practice = Little progress
Much practice = much progress
If you would like some really great parental tips about how to foster your child's cooperation with their practice requirements as well as a number of other suggestions that will assure progress with their lessons, take a gander at our "Tips for Success" page.