Piano Practice
Many parents want to ask how much time their children or they should put into their piano practicing at home. This, to me, is the bane of existence for piano teachers, students, and parents. We all have this one thorn in common.
As a young girl I started taking piano lessons at the age of 4. I never remember my first teachers making it miserable to practice but I don’t remember specifically what they did to create the opposite feeling. I know that I have never minded playing the piano so practicing was not really something a parent had to nag me about. I hated going and sitting with a stern person for 30 minutes while they put up with my mishaps and noise.
When I teach very young students I suggest 10 minute practice sessions. Perhaps for a first grader 10 minutes in the morning before school, 10 after school and 10 after dinner. This makes it so that no one is nagging for 30 minutes straight or listening to a piano train wreck as nerves wear thin through the day. I do think that 30 minutes for any age is the absolute minimum time that should be spent. If you won’t commit to 30 minutes I believe you are wasting your money on lessons. Even the most talented of students can perfect their assignments and then use practice time for Hanon, scales, sight reading or extra theory. It isn’t like one is every truly finished learning when it comes to music. There is always something more that can be accomplished or learned.