3 Ways to Escape a Violin Practice Rut
As I mentioned before, it can be very easy for your child to get bogged down when practice becomes the same thing every day. Here are 3 great ways you can help make practice feel refreshing, exciting, and new for your child.
#1 – Find Sheet Music for Songs They Like
One of the best ways to help children get more engaged in their music lessons is to help them find sheet music for songs they’re interested in. There are many beginner-friendly adaptations of popular songs your kids might know from many genres. You can ask around at your nearest music store, or do some research online to find the best fit for your child’s interests and skill level.
If it’s hard to picture what they might enjoy, you can show your child YouTube videos of Lindsey Sterling or other violinists playing popular songs and see if anything clicks. It always helps to have a goal to work towards, and seeing a variety of ways they could use their talent can help kids get excited about practice.
#2 – Play With Others
If your child gets lonely and bored when practicing, finding more ways to incorporate other people can make practice more exciting for them.
If you know other violinists and your teacher doesn’t arrange it already, you can coordinate group practice sessions where your child can practice playing with other violinists at the same time. Or, if it fits your situation better, you can help your child practice playing with people who play different instruments. If any of your family members are musicians or are even just comfortable with singing, you can play and sing together, even just during daily practices.
If none of these are sustainable options for you, your child can also practice playing along with a recording of a group of musicians who are playing a song your child is practicing.
Feeling connected to other musicians is often a huge encouragement for kids, so fostering that feeling of community in one way or another is something you can do to make the everyday practices better for your child.
#3 – Use a Reward System
One of the hardest parts of practicing the violin consistently is that the natural positive feelings come and go, and there can be seasons that feel especially discouraging for your child.
Practicing an instrument requires diligence, and if your child learns that sticking with it through the hardest times can lead to the greatest breakthroughs, they will be much more likely to become a lifelong musician.
A great way to help foster this growth is by providing rewards. These rewards can be small items, treats, or privileges they earn after each practice, or they can be more long-term goals. It all depends on what your child resonates with, and what fits in with the ways your family already rewards your child.
Like I always say, a parent’s support can mean a world of difference in how the child experiences music, so your investment in their success will serve them well!
If you found this information helpful, please sign up for my webinar for parents of violin students! We still have some spots open, and I would love to help you support your child as they advance in their knowledge and skill.
