Practicing: FAQs for Older Students

Why do I have to practice?

A better question is, “Why do I want to practice?” You will need to look inside yourself for the answer to this question, although I can provide some ideas here.

I’m guessing since you’re taking lessons that you have a desire to get into the music and to get better at playing it. Without practice, you won’t be really internalizing what you’ve learned, and it will be hard to grow as a musician. Plus, isn’t it more fun to actually be able to play the pieces you’ve been wanting to play?  
The thing about daily (or, let’s be real, almost-daily) practice is that it leads to another “P” word: Payoff! You get the tremendous sense of accomplishment that comes from mastering a beautiful piece of music and performing it (in your own living room, for your cat, dog, or goldfish; or in a recital or café setting in front of an equally supportive audience).


With practice, you immerse yourself in each piece of music until your voice comes through. You can even use theory skills from your lessons to write your own songs. Beyond this, there is the benefit of a sense of inner peace that comes from spending time focused only on the music. If you focus on this, you may notice over time that you want to practice more!

If you skip a day (or a few) – don’t beat yourself up about it; simply reboot and start again. You can always return to the practice.  And you’ll be glad you did.  

What should my practice routine consist of (what & how to practice, and how long)?

Within your first couple of lessons, we will create your plan that includes a weekly goal and daily practice strategies.  It will change as we progress, and you are an active partner in tailoring it to meet your needs. Typical practice sessions might run for 20-25 minutes and include:
  • a few minutes of technique and scales to warm-up and strengthen fingers and increase flexibility
  • have fun working on pieces at your level that you have chosen with me, including strategies to sight read, “isolate” and slow-down small sections of the music, analyze the overall structure, play one hand at a time, and express the style and emotions of the music
  • creative time to explore on your own
  • take note of any challenges you encounter so you can get help at your lesson; or feel free to e-mail or call in between lessons for support
Keeping these practice sessions short initially may motivate you to practice more than once a day at times, and/or to gradually extend your practice time by natural interest as your skills progress.

I didn’t practice much (or at all) this week – should I still come to my lesson?

If you “fall off the wagon” and get too busy to practice for a spell (or if you find yourself unmotivated for some other reason), please come to your next lesson anyway. These lessons are your lifeline to an activity that you love, and you can still learn a lot and get re-inspired even on a week when you didn’t practice. Talk through whatever has kept you from practicing, revise your goals, and get tips from me on more effective practice strategies, plus lots of encouragement; all this can help you break through any challenges you may have encountered so that you will once again find yourself inspired to practice. Also, see “My practice plan is not working for me.  Help…??” below for more ideas on how to trouble-shoot.

Bottom line: let go of the guilt and remember why you want to be playing. You could even turn your lack of practicing into a creative exercise and “play” your feelings about practicing – what does that improvisation sound like, and what does it reveal to you?   

I’ll be here as a guide to listen to you and provide you with the skills and confidence to reach your goals. And remember, you can always start fresh – each new day brings an opportunity to come back to playing music. It will not be a perfect journey, but your heart for the music and dedication to re-starting your practice will help you continue along the way.

My practice plan is not working for me. Help… 

Talk to me about the obstacles and about your goals. Your plan is always open to revision. For example: 
  • If you’re having a hard time getting started, try just sitting down at the piano and opening the lid (or turning on your keyboard) – and just sit there quietly for a minute. See what comes to you. Your fingers may just want to touch the keys. Something may come to your mind that you want to play. Start there. Keep it short and congratulate yourself for taking this action. Tell yourself you can just work on one small thing this time. Notice how it goes. Try again later today or tomorrow. Keep an honest practice log so that you can see, and share with me, what works for you and what doesn’t.
  • If the work is too hard, I can give you more strategies to break the music down into smaller pieces and tackle difficult passages one little step at a time. We can also take a step back and choose slightly easier pieces of music! 
  • If you’re bored, we can add creative and fun challenges to your agenda. We can also set a performance goal to give you something to work toward.  
  • If it’s hard to find time in your schedule to practice, we can find ways to compromise and get creative so you will be happy with your progress and still have time for other important priorities in your life.  
  • Other reasons? No problem! Let’s talk it over and see what we can do to meet your needs. This is supposed to be fun and you will want to feel good about the time you’re spending and the results.
Enjoy your practice times, and know that these will ebb and flow and evolve. How awesome that you are giving yourself this time to do something that you love. Play.

• Practicing Overview • Tips for Parents • FAQs for Older Students • Student Practice Log (PDF) 

• Dallas Symphony Orchestra Article with Great Practice Tips for Kids!