Letter to Parents
Dear Parent,
Your
child is about to embark on what will hopefully be one of the most fulfilling
and rewarding experiences of his or her lifetime. Everyone dreams of being able to sit down at
the keyboard and produce beautiful music.
Unfortunately, learning to play a musical instrument can sometimes be
very frustrating. It takes a long time
to learn to play an instrument well, and even the most enthusiastic student is
bound to become discouraged from time to time. Whether or not your child learns to play
will depend as much on your attitude as that of your child. Children need a lot of praise and
encouragement. They also need to do a
lot of practicing! No one wants to have
to nag a child to practice, so I am going to offer you some suggestions on how
to make practice time less painful.
1.
Establish a
regular practice time. Immediately after breakfast, after school or
after supper are good times. Late in the
evening is not a good time because children are usually tired and irritable by
then. Whatever time you choose, STICK TO
IT! Make it a part of your child’s daily
schedule. Fewer arguments over practice
will ensue if your child knows that
2.
Be careful not to
make practice seem like a punishment. Don’t
tell your child, “No! You can’t go out
to play until you practice the piano.”
Instead say, “Yes. You may go out
and play as soon as you practice the piano.”
3.
Make sure your child practices daily but adjust the
length of the practice time to the age of the child. Very young children have a short attention
span and can’t be expected to practice for long periods of time. A five or six year old will probably not be
able to concentrate much longer than 10 to 15 minutes at a time. As they get older and the music becomes more
difficult, they will need to extend their practice time.
4.
Make sure your
child is comfortable when practicing. Try to provide a
practice area that is free from distractions.
If a small child’s feet don’t reach the floor, provide a small foot
stool or sturdy box for the child to rest his/her feet on. If the bench is too low, it can be raised by
placing a bench pad or carpet remnant on the seat. Ideally the child should be seated so that
the feet are together and resting on a flat surface. The wrists should be straight and the forearm
should be parallel to the keyboard and the floor. The upper arm should be resting comfortably
at the child’s side, and the fingertips should be just slightly curved, so that
the fleshy part of the fingertip is resting on the keys. Avoid long fingernails because they will
prevent the child from playing properly.
If the child is using an incorrect hand position, he/she will not be able
to play properly and will tire more easily.
5.
When you hit a slump and your child
wants to quit (and he/she probably will) try to encourage him/her to stick it
out just a little longer. Everyone I
know (including myself) who plays an instrument would have quit taking lessons
if our parents had permitted us to; and we are all extremely grateful that our
parents made us stick it out. It really
is worth it in the end, and your child will thank you for it some day.
Sincerely,
Margy Williams