Practice, Practice, Practice!

How much should my child be practicing?

Parents are always asking me, “How long should my child be practicing daily?” It depends on what I have assigned that week and the student’s level of playing. As I know that piano is not the ONLY activity my students participate in, I stress to my students that it’s not necessarily the amount of time you are spending on the piano, but what you are actually doing during that practice time.

Quality of practice vs. quantity of practice.

Each student has weekly piano goals they work towards during their practice times. They work through each goal until the goals are achieved for that week. I stress progression. If the student hasn’t reached all their weekly goals, but can sufficiently prove that they have worked on them, that is progress.

Below is an approximate time that each level should be practicing daily:

Level 1 – 10 to 15 minutes

Level 2 – 15 to 20 minutes

Level 3 – 25 to 30 minutes

Level 4 - 40+ minutes

Level 5 - Classic Studies: 60+ minutes

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*Though a concentrated time should be spent practicing, these minutes can be spread throughout the day/evening. 

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*A "Practice Chart" + working towards a reward can be highly motivating for younger students. 

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