How Much Should You Practice When Taking Music Lessons?

How to Set Up A Good Habit From the Very Start of Your Lessons

One suggestion for practicing that I can confidently recommend, from years of experience is for you would be to find the same time every day. If you can do it first thing in the morning or at lunch or before dinner or whatever time is a regular time that you won't get interrupted it makes it much easier for it to become a habit. Without that our lives are much too busy and the time just gets sucked out of the day and we find that we can't really remember what happened but the day just went by. 

I have a couple of students who are working 80 hour weeks but they have carved out a time that they see as sacred and they rarely miss, and for that reason, they are among my best students! They are disciplined in their work and they also carry that over to their practice time and it makes all the difference in their success and progress.

if you pick a time, even if it's for 10 minutes, AND make it the SAME TIME every day you will really see the payoff. Once it becomes a habit it will be easier to do longer periods. Daily practice will make a HUGE difference in your progress as well as the amount of fun you will have. Let's face it, at the beginning of playing an instrument it sucks, you just feel like a clutz and you think you just don't have talent, but talent comes from making the commitment to practice and do it at least 5 times a week. Skipping more than one day is a mistake that you can't make up by practicing 2 or 3 hours the next day. Our brains don't work that way and all you have to do is to test it to know for yourself. 

Short periods of consistent focused practice will get you into a good habit that will help you get out of the beginner stage faster. Once you can start playing something fun you will get more inspired to practice more. Just try this for 2 weeks and see if it doesn't make all the difference for you. 10-20 minutes but everyday and the same time everyday. Think of it as your meditation period where you get away from everything else in your life and spend a few minutes on something that could really become a fun escape from your daily routine of work.

I've been playing for over 40 years and I still practice every night, because I NEED to? No, not at all, it's because i really love spending that time getting away from everything else and just making some music. It's a great stress reliever for me and many of my colleagues and students. 

We all need a push sometimes. Just try it for 2 weeks and if it doesn't totally change how you feel about the piano and taking lessons I will give you your next lesson free. I promise! But you have to commit to really being consistent for those two weeks as if your life depends on it. And it DOES to a certain extent, if you want to be successful at anything you desire to incorporate into your life.

I have had students who have called me for lessons and tell me that they are busy so they just want to take lessons every other week. I always tell them, don't think that having 2 weeks will give you enough time. Remember it's the consistent practice that works the best. If you do what most people do you will not practice hardly at all the first week and then try to hit it hard right before the lesson in the second week. Cramming simply doesn't work, especially with a musical instrument, but you'll really be surprised how well you'll do if you just do that 10 minutes a day. By the 3rd day you'll already see how easy you can come back to where you left off of the last practice. Then you'll thank me for the advice. Let's face it, we all have 10 minutes a day that we can set aside for something that we really want.

Hope that helps! This started out as a suggestion to one of my students who has had a life goal to play piano. Then I realized that I was talking ot ALL of my beginner students.I know you want to be able to learn the piano. YOU CAN DO IT if you just make the commitment. Start with 10 minutes and then the progress and the fun you get out of getting to higher (and more fun) levels will inspire you to find MORE than 10 minutes and you will have started a good habit.

OK I'll shut up now! LOL

Rick

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