Got the Practice Blues? A few Solutions

We all want our kids to do well in all they do, but sometimes we hit rough patches where we need to change things up so keep the momentum going.  I know I am the same way with even the hobbies I love the most.  A few parents have given me permission to share some things that are helping them keep practice fun and effective, so I'll share them today and a few others that have been a hit at our house.  For more ideas for every level and on multiple concepts, see the Making Musicians LPM blog, as well as searching this blog for posts labeled practice helps.

First Year --

• Keep practicing specific things to a few minutes 3-4 times a week so kids don't get bogged down... then leave the bells and CD in an easy to access place so that the kids will naturally experiment and make their own discoveries.
• Make your own autoharp or download an app so they can practice honing their chord playing and develop their ear for when chords should be played.  More info HERE.
• Let the kids be your teacher.  Have them point at the bells to play for a specific song.
• At the grocery store, let your child practice baby steps and skips using the floor tiles.  The very next tile is a baby step, hopping over one is a skip, and more than two tiles is a leap!

Second Year --

• There is a fabulous video on the LPM blog demo-ing a game for Yellow Arrow students to learn their note names with the alphabet pieces game.  CLICK HERE
• Trade places and have the kids point while you play the piano.
• Have kids try to balance a smartie or other small candy on their bubble hand as they practice playing the fingers you sing.  If it stays on they get to keep it.

Third Year --

• Look for unique times and ways to reinforce concepts.  One mom shared their bathtime solution (pictured above).  Writing on the wall is usually a no-no, but with a wet erase or dry erase marker, windows and bathroom surfaces can turn into a classroom with a captive audience.  GREAT IDEA!

Online Games: Interval and Keyboard Notation

Popping in for a little summer fun :)  My little guy loves to be on the computer when it is roasting outside, and sometimes I'm inclined to let him, especially if I know he's getting something out of it.  I'm passing along a couple links to some review games that 2nd and 3rd year students might find to be fun!

Interval Notation (Green Turtles+)

White Note Key Name Review (Yellow Arrows+)

Key Signature Review (Purple Magic Grads)

What Is the Best Way to Do Bell Practice?

As a parent I know that sometimes other activities my child is interested in compete with all that they have to do, so keeping bell practice fresh and fun is important.  How can we do this? This answer from veteran LPM Teacher and administrator Jenny Smith:

"Tone bell practice should be fun for them and done at least once a week.  I like turning the CD on and putting the bells down by the CD player and just letting my child go at it- I walk away...  No pressure, just fun.  If they do this once a week, the children start to play along with the CD after a while... There is no set time to practice, when they get bored or stop having fun the learning opportunity is gone.  So my advice to t[you] would be to be enthusiastic in [your] tone of voice saying things like, "Let's see what your teacher wants you to do this week! I wonder if it will be hard or easy"  Or "I love playing bells, bells are so fun! What songs do you get to play this week?"    It all boils down to parent's attitude.  We just don't want to force, we want to encourage."

So go ahead and let them be free with what they are doing and they might just surprise you with what they can pick out by ear!