The most important aspect of piano study is that we take what we learn in lessons, and practice on our own at home every day. I know this is difficult at times, but at minimum you should practice 4 out of 7 days. Your musical journey is special and can be fun and rewarding, but to feel this, there must be consistent practice.
Do your best to play piano everyday between your lessons! Make sure you read the lesson notes so that you know what the focus of the week is. During lessons, I will suggest different ways to practice depending what we are working on. It is very important to create good habits for positive practice, so that you can feel progress from day to day.
Recommended Daily Practice:
Beginner Levels (Primer/Prep A/B): 10-20 minutes
Elementary Levels (RCM Level 1-3): 20-30 minutes
Intermediate Levels (RCM Level 4-6): 30-45 minutes
Advanced Levels (RCM Level 7-8): 45 minutes to 1+ hour
Four Star Online Ear Training:
Here is the link for a fun interactive ear training program with the RCM. If your student has a Four Star Sight Reading and Ear Tests book, then all you need to do is click on the link, and redeem your code which is on the last page of the book. Students should do some ear training exercises a 2-3 days a week.
The fruit of piano practice is celebrated with all the wonderful repertoire you will be able to play. A good inspiration is to listen to recordings of the pieces you are working on, as well as listening to recordings of all the other pieces at your level.
This can be done by logging into your RCM account and then redeeming the code which is at the very back of your RCM Repertoire book. When you are on the page “My RCM”, you will see a link “Redeem Code”. You can listen on line or download files.
To the Parent:
Learning to play the piano is an ongoing endeavor which requires a partnership between student, parent and teacher. Parental support is essential for a child to get the most out of his/her learning experience.
Do your best to work with your child in setting up a daily practice schedule as this will help develop self discipline and good work habits.
Listen to your child play and comment on improvements. Praise and encouragement are powerful tools in helping a child reap positive results 🙂
SUSAN RICHARDSON PIANO 