How parents can help with a kid’s piano learning
A young person’s learning journey is something that they often face alone, alternating between homework and in-school classes. But when it comes to learning something like playing the piano, the beauty of sharing this learning journey with others can be essential to the kid’s progress. For parents, it can represent an opportunity to share that journey with their children, motivating them through their practice and maybe even learning something on the way.
So let’s look at how exactly parents can get involved with their children who are learning to play the piano, ensuring that they are an encouraging presence and that they can keep their kids’ spark to learn alive.
Be supportive
Firstly and most importantly, a child can greatly benefit from seeing their parents show a genuine interest in their practice. Ask them how their playing is going, learn about which pieces they’re playing and keep a positive attitude throughout.
Staying motivated on the piano can be difficult, especially when facing challenges, so having someone else encourage them and reassure them that they can get through it can be what stops a child from giving up on playing altogether.
While reminding them of their practice routine and piano lessons is just as fundamental, it’s also good to reward kids for sticking to a piano-playing schedule, as that alone can be a great source of motivation.
Keep their instrument in check
Whether the child is playing on a keyboard or an acoustic piano, it’s down to the parent to make sure that either of these instruments are in good condition to encourage progress in the kid’s practice. While some more advanced young pianists might be able to notice when something is out of tune and we understand that not every parent will be able to learn how to spot that, sticking to a regular schedule of servicing and tuning can remove any doubts.
If your child is playing on a digital piano or keyboard, instead, just make sure that they really understand the importance of looking after their instrument and treating it well as to keep it in perfect, functioning conditions.
Get involved
This point is especially important for beginners, as they are more likely to need support outside of their piano lessons and who better to offer that support than their parents? In the first lessons with a teacher, make sure to sit there and pay attention to how things play out, without interfering. Maybe even take some notes that you can refer to when it’s time for your child to practice!
It would be harder for your child to remember what they need to work on after every lesson, if they only have their memory to rely upon. This way, you can also make sure that they focus on exactly what the teacher requires.
Make time for music
Another great way to keep a kid interested in learning an instrument is by keeping their enthusiasm for music alive. This can take shape in all kinds of ways, from bringing them to classical concerts to showing them great piano performances on YouTube, or even learning how to play the piano together.
The more you show an interest in the piano and classical music, the more opportunities your child will have to be exposed to it and nurture their love for this new hobby.
Hopefully, the above are some encouraging points that highlight to parents why getting involved with their child's learning of the piano can be highly beneficial. Have fun and keep on supporting them as they fall in love with the beauty of playing the piano!
