4 Ways to Make Your Child’s Violin Practice More Effective

One of the biggest struggles, when your child is learning a new instrument, is practice time. Sitting down to try to work through scales or a new piece of music can seem daunting and uninspiring. But, practicing doesn’t have to be boring and long or make them feel like they aren’t getting anywhere.

Hi, I'm Melodie with the Violin Practice Partner, and I've been teaching violin for 25 years. It's my mission to help light the world through music by helping children learn to play the violin, while also gaining confidence, learning important life skills, and improving their academic achievement.

I want to share a few tips with you today to help your child take practice time and make it effective. Focusing on a few key elements will help make practice less of a chore, and will help your child feel like they are making progress faster.

#1 – Be deliberate about practice time.

For best results, help your child stay away from distractions. Set them up in a quiet space with all the items they might need to complete a practice session.

They will want a stand, their instrument, and sheet music. Other items that could be helpful would be a notebook to make notes about what they need to work on, or maybe an area they are struggling with so they can bring it up with their instructor. Sometimes a way to record the practice session can be helpful as well.

#2 – Outline goals

Help your child set a clear, attainable goal. Say they want to be able to play the first 6-8 measures of the new piece of music very well. Practice that section of the music, until they feel they have it down. This will also help to boost their confidence, once they have mastered a section they can move on to the next; small wins that add up to a big win are always good for self-esteem.

#3 – Quality of practice over quantity of time practiced

The way your child practices has a bigger influence on their development than how many hours they write down on their practice log. Encourage your child to practice new material slowly, and then increase their speed as they master the notes they should be playing.

Help your child evaluate their practice session, this is where recording your child’s practice can come in handy. You can go back and listen to the recording together, and discuss the areas that sound like they need more work.

#4 - Start small

Start with 15-20 minutes of deliberate practice. Start practice time knowing what section of the music they will be working on. As they get used to practicing like this, they can increase the amount of time spent in practice by 5-10 minutes every so often.

Thank you so much for checking out this post! If you would like more ideas on how to set your child up for success click here for my free practice strategy guide to help you keep your child motivated!