Here are our top three tips for parents of children who are starting to learn the piano.
1. Get a Good Instrument for Practicing
Your child will need to practice between lessons. That means they will need an instrument, but make sure you get as good an instrument as possible. The ideal situation is to get an instrument that is similar to the instrument that your child uses when at their piano lessons in West or East Auckland, or North Shore.
Often, parents will get their child a keyboard that doesn’t have weighted keys or is smaller than the piano used in lessons. This can reduce the benefits of practice and cause frustration.
Of course, there are other things you need to consider. Purchasing an instrument is a big investment, particularly when your child is just starting out. You may not want to make such an investment until they are further along in their piano learning journey. The best approach is to get advice from our team here at The Music Education Centre. We should be able to point you in the direction of cost-effective instrument options that will ensure your child has a good piano or similar instrument to practice on.
2. Don’t Miss Lessons Because of a Lack of Practice
Look, it happens – sometimes a week goes by with little or no practice on the piano, even with the best of intentions. This is no reason for missing a lesson, though. If your child is feeling embarrassed about the lack of practice, reassure them that it will be okay. Our teachers would much prefer to see your child at the lesson rather than them missing out further.
That said, your child’s teacher is likely to explain why practice is important, but that is part of the learning process.
3. Get Involved with Your Child’s Piano Practice
We know this is another difficult one, but the more that you can be involved with your child’s piano practice, particularly in the early stages, the easier it will be. They will enjoy it more if you are there. You can help them when they get stuck, too, even if you don’t have any piano playing experience. There are plenty of resources online that teach parents the basics of piano that you can then use to help your child practice.
Remember, at The Music Education Centre, we believe playing a musical instrument should be enjoyable. It should be something that your child looks forward to. You can help create this fun atmosphere by getting involved, even if it is only for a few minutes each day.
