How much is your 2nd grader practicing her instrument if she plays classical
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Anonymous
| DD's violin teacher is noncommittal and vague about practice expectations. I've heard some kids practice "once or twice" during the week, and then of course you hear of competitive kids doing 2 hours or more per day. If your child is learning classical method and repertoire, how much does she practice daily? And is it self-motivated or parent enforced? Do you sit and direct it, or do you let her practice on her own and you have no idea what progress she is (or isn't) making? |
Anonymous
| OMG. Please don’t force your 7 yr old to practice more than once per week. What is wrong with you? |
Anonymous
|
Our second grader is in her first year of violin, so it might be early to say she's "doing classical" unless you just mean "not Suzuki."
She practices almost every day (probably five days a week average) but not for very long, maybe fifteen minutes a day? We tell her to do it and make sure she's doing what her teacher told her to practice. Usually I'll sit there and read a book (as well as one can with a first year violin student playing nearby), but I don't watch very closely. |
Anonymous
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For both piano and violin our teachers have requested at least 5 days/week of practice and then not so much a time committment as practicing each song a certain number of times (usually 3 or 4).
If you aren't practicing several days a week taking weekly lessons is pointless. The lesson is where something new is introduced. Practice is where the learning happens. At that age I had to remind 2 of my 3 kids to practice but didn't get push back. One of them was (still is) entirely self-motivated. Note they aren't practicing 2 hours a day. It's more like 15-20 minutes plus extra random moments when someone will plunk down at a piano and just start playing for fun. |
Anonymous
I hope you're joking |
Anonymous
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My 7 yo practices almost every day, but only for 10-15 minutes or so. I understand that frequency is more important than duration for improvement. I sit with her and we do it together so I can make sure she uses good technique and doesn't entrench bad form.
My 10 yo mostly practices on her own, but I pay attention and will work with her if she's stuck or struggling. Sometimes she also just wants me to sit next to her for moral support. |
Anonymous
| While we are on the topic I would love to hear if anyone has good ear protection that your kid will actually wear. I am thinking of buying musicians ear plugs. Do violinists wear them in just the one ear, or both? |
Anonymous
| 15 minutes daily minimum, usually they do more. 5 minutes warm up doing whatever, 10 minutes semi-supervised actual work, then leave them to play whatever for however long they want. They get 5 day off passes a month. You don’t learn much practicing once a week. |
Anonymous
Does 5 day off passes apply to lesson days? or do they have lesson days off from practice anyway? |
Anonymous
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Violin is very hard. You have to practice every day. AKA, only practice on the days you eat.
If your kid isn’t willing to focus and practice hard nearly every day, just have them take up an easier instrument (sax) when they are older at school. |
Anonymous
IYO How much is the minimum daily practice and how much is TOO much? |
Anonymous
Wait, what? Why sax specifically and not trumpet or guitar? I'm laughing because 2 of my relatives play sax. |
Anonymous
| Stfu with violin snobs |
Anonymous
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15 minutes on any weekday she isn't doing something else. No practice on lesson day. Sit with her to maintain posture and tuning, and organize her practice routine for her so she doesn't have to figure it out on her own.
Any kind of earplug is fine. Left side only. |
Anonymous
sorry do you play viola |