HOME STUDY TIPS

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Daily Schedule

Learning any instrument requires daily concentrated work. Students must commit to a planned routine of music playing, either first thing in the morning or immediately after school.

If a strong routine is established then students will make faster progress and enjoy their music more. Replacing afternoon TV or computer time with a clearly structured music session will pay huge dividends in a very short time. Ideas to help organize home playing time will be suggested at each lesson so that students have clear and achievable short term goals for that week.

Some playing should be planned over the weekends if possible, although having a day off each week will not cause problems. Music sessions should never be more than 30 minutes at a sitting, even for advanced players. Beginners need only play for 20 minutes a day if they are clear on what exactly needs to be mastered during the session. If time is available then take a break then come back for more.

Effecient practice is more about brain development than physical dexterity, so there is no point playing while tired. Three 30 minute sessions with 10 minute breaks will be more effective than working non-stop for 90 minutes.

Music room

It is vital that the room and home performance facilities allow students to gain the maximum benefit from each playing session. Please make every effort to provide the best possible music learning environment. Consider factors such as:

Music stand

For all instruments other than piano it is vital that students use a music stand, available for around $25 in any music shop. A comfortable seating or standing playing position looking straight ahead at the sheet music is important. Sitting on a bed and twisting sideways to see the music is both uncomfortable and detrimental to learning.

Music player

An important first step to learning any new piece is to hear it played many times, either on a CD or mp3 player. All students will have access to recordings of specific teaching repertoire and other associated instrumental music. For wind and string instruments students, will be given backing tracks to assist with tuning and rhythm during home playing.

A quiet space

Background TV, radio or family conversations are all quite distracting and can significantly hinder progress. Music performance is a highly intellectual pursuit and requires hours of intense concentration each week. A silent performance space is an important first step for success. Brass players should use a practice mute to minimize noise problems within the home.

Clutter

A dusty piano covered in piles of music, ornaments, clocks, statues and other visual distractions detract from the process of concentrating on the beautiful sounds you are trying to produce. Your music space should be setup as though you are about to give a recital. A tidy piano or clear performance area for other instruments is a good place to start developing the recital skills and confidence needed to perform in public.

Personal support

Parents can play an important role by sitting nearby and listening to beginners as they play. Often the child will forget musical aspects covered in the lessons and a parent can assist in keeping the session on track. Leaving a beginner alone to somehow magically develop good learning strategies rarely works. Your presence will reinforce the importance of music lessons in your child's life and your interest in their efforts.

Home music playing

"Always perform, never rehearse." Every note should be played as though you were performing a concert and communicating your musical ideas to a real audience. Naturally when you are just beginning to learn a new piece it will be quite slow, and usually one hand at a time for pianists, but your playing must be accurate and musical despite this. Conveying the composer's ideas about volume and articulations must be part of your performance from the very first note. Playing too fast with subsequent wrong notes is a TOTAL waste of time since you then have to unlearn the faulty muscle movements before you start making progress.