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On the Subject of Practicing by Jennifer Wade
Practicing is possibly the most frequently discussed element of violin or viola study, and with good reason. Without regular practice sessions and good practice habits, progress is slow and a child's enthusiasm is likely to wane. This page is designed to give students and parents a fresh perspective on practicing, in the hopes that this most crucial element of study can become a more rewarding experience for all involved.
Parents often site just getting practice started on any given day as a difficult and sometimes tense proposition. This little collection of ideas has been gathered from personal experience, anecdotal experience, and even literature on the subject.
Mix up the location Young children have been known to enjoy practicing in the bathroom, "Because it sounds nice!" Or, how about practicing in a corner of the kitchen while dinner is being prepared, with the promise of special good bites that the rest of the family isn't privy to?
Parent/child role reversal Again, this works best with younger children, but has a lot of value for somewhat older children as well. In this scenario, a parent faced with a student who is refusing to practice "sets a good example" by starting the practice session with the student observing the parent as he or she attempts to play the material. Parents are encouraged to engage their children by asking questions like, "Am I doing this right?" or "Where does my finger go again?" Often young children will step right in, correcting the parent and even demonstrating the technique for the parent. Once the child has taken the instrument into their own hands, it is often a simpler process to coax them into a more thorough practice session. (Be careful not to push too much in this circumstance. A short practice session is better than no practice session.)
Schedule practice play dates Families with students in the same studio who are near the same playing level can create fun social associations with practicing by encouraging children to practice together. Usually, this works best in groups of no more than three children at a time and could be scheduled as often as once a week or as little as two times a month. Each parent/host directs practice when it is at their home, having children play review pieces together, perform new solos for each other, and demonstrate specific posture or technique related material. The elements of having friends involved, "performing" for each other, and getting to practice with someone other than one's own parent, is often a motivating circumstance for children of all ages. (Plus, it gives parents a day off from intense one-on-one practicing every now and then!)
Special Impromptu Performances To pique interest in practicing, suggest that the day's practice be in preparation for a "special concert" to be performed immediately after the practice session. The special concert could be recorded on video to aid in the sense of formality. Young children often like to gather special stuffed animals together to serve as audience members.
Create Practicing Stations This technique can be pulled out on days of resistance or incorporated into regular practice. Create multiple stations throughout the house which cover specific elements of practice. (Review Station, Scales Station, Solo Station, Exercises Station, Sight Reading Station, etc.) Each station is set up in the same way, but allows the element of choice which is so important to young students. Suggestions for each station's format include:
A chart listing tasks and small rewards. (ex. Scale Station: One correctly played scale equals one small reward. Two correctly played scales - the same scale or a different scale - equals two small rewards. Three correctly played scales equals four small rewards. Always give special recognition for stepping above and beyond regular expectations.
A jar or bowl with practice items written on slips of paper for blind selection. (ex. All review pieces are included in the jar. Slips of paper are randomly selected and review is based on what is drawn. The chart mentioned above indicates the reward for number of items drawn or repetitions of each item.)
Two dice. One roll of both dice indicates the number of minutes to be spent at each station. Young children may only need one die per station, however, a rule might be instituted that rolling a 'one' automatically assumes a double roll.
A timing device to ensure time is accurately tracked. (This is for the benefit of both the student and the parent. It eliminates arguments.)
Incentives
Many parents resist the idea of incentives in the early months of violin or viola lessons, feeling that a "bribe" shouldn't be necessary as a motivation for practicing or accomplishing other lesson-related tasks. It is important to understand that young children are not always developmentally mature enough to understand the long-term rewards of practicing. The reality of practice means that students and parents alike are faced with overcoming difficult physical and mental challenges, sometimes on a daily basis! To ask a child to understand that these difficulties are in service of a higher, distant good is often asking too much, and that is where short term incentives can become a very useful practice tool. The list below represents common incentives to encourage regular and happy practice at home.
Charts Tracking a child's habits and successes is a useful tool for both students and parents. Create a large colorful chart to hang in the kitchen or other common area. Allow the child to place stickers on the chart himself or herself to enhance the sense of accomplishment and ownership. Charts can be used to track the number of days practiced in any given week and even the quality of the practice. (ex. Really good days earn a gold star which is worth double.) When the chart is being constructed, parent and child (and the teacher, if desired) can agree on a certain reward for a certain number of stickers achieved. Bonuses might be included for a chart which does not have any missing stickers (days not practiced in that time period).
Play Money Using play money as an incentive allows for flexibility in determining the worth of the effort and results demonstrated by your child, in turn helping them better understand the most useful ways to spend their time. Before the system is put into place, it is important for the parent and teacher to discuss what is important to both parties so that an appropriate value can be established. I always like the idea of a higher value placed on self correction, as this is where the learning process makes the deepest, most lasting impression on a child. While a general "price list" will cover most daily practices, this system does allow for spontaneous rewards. For example, If a child has a particularly long or successful practice session, spontaneouslyperforms for friends or family, or has a successful audition, the parent can decide upon a special value and reward the child accordingly. The idea is that the child is earning play money toward a special item - an afternoon with mom or dad going to the movies is worth 'x' amount of play dollars, or a new stuffed animal is worth 'y' play dollars. Parents must be consistent with their pricing, (the same reward should not change price) and it is so important for parents to try to avoid pricing based on personal convenience. ("My child really wants to go ice skating, but I don't have a lot of time for that, so I'll make it really expensive.") Be respectful of the effort your child is putting forth to earn their play money. This is of real value to them. Take it seriously.
Marble Jar If you are not comfortable with throwing the idea of monetary value into the equation, the marble jar is a nice variation on the same theme. Instead of playing for 'x' dollars, the child can earn marbles to be collected in a jar which has place of pride in the household. Children will enjoy seeing the jar fill up, as it is a visual representation of their successes. Prizes are priced in marbles instead of dollars, but the principle is very much the same.
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