What should my child be practicing on their musical instrument? Individual teachers and instruments will vary but there are several fundamentals that all musicians should include in each of their practice sessions.
Scales or Warm ups
Ear Training
Music Theory
Performance or Method Book Piece/Exercise
Fun Songs
These five areas of study are a great place to start when planning out your practice, however they are just that - a starting point. Feel free to adjust your practice to fit your needs and add things to this framework.
An organized and structured practice routine does wonders for a music student’s progress and technique, so we highly recommend that students spend time working with their teacher to develop one. A rigid routine does stifle creativity pretty quickly though. So it is important to remember to let your child spend some time exploring and creating without any concrete goals. If you see your child starting to make up their own song or trying to figure out how to make new sounds on their instrument, then let them. Avoid the temptation to direct them right back into practicing scales and exercises. Once they have explored their creative muse, they can go back to their regular practice or even pick it up the next day.
For more tips and info on practicing your musical instrument reach out to us at 614-964-1001!