How much to push musical instrument
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Anonymous
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I have well below average musical ability and I have always felt it has held me back in small ways socially. Obviously not a big deal but I could never participate in musical events (sing-alongs etc.) because I can't carry a basic tune. Hoping for better for DC, I signed them up for piano lessons which they were initially quite enthusiastic about. However that enthusiasm quickly waned and now they don't practice and will not achieve a basic level of musical proficiency unless I really push hard.
On the one hand, it's their life and I don't want to be overly pushy. On the other hand I feel basic musical ability is an important practical skill that they will be disadvantaged for lacking at a basic level. I have no interest in pushing concert-level skills, just the ability to read music, carry a tune, and play basic songs on the piano or other instrument. For what it's worth, my spouse is highly skilled in a different instrument but has not had luck getting them enthused about learning from them. Should I let them drop it or push them to practice some more? |
Anonymous
| Push it to the limit |
Anonymous
| Either you require practices or let your child drop the instrument. Lessons with no practice is the same as taking money and lighting it on fire, plus it wastes the teacher's time. |
Anonymous
| My boy was a finalist in the international Chopin competition. She practices 4 hours a day |
Anonymous
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For piano, try to get them to practice once or twice a week but playing only at lessons is still worthwhile. Same for a band instrument.
For a string instrument, practicing every other day or 4-6 days a week is a requirement, even if it is only for 5-15 minutes on those days. |
Anonymous
Clearly a troll |
Anonymous
| At the beginning level, I asked my kid to play through each of their assigned songs 3x each day. It took less than 10 minutes at the beginning. They made steady progress this way. Their daily practice evolved as the songs have gotten more difficult, with focus on specific passages and skills, but it was a fine way to start out. |
Anonymous
| Try a different instrument. Piano is not for everyone. For instance, my niece was forced to play the piano and hated it, but once she switched to cello, she loved it. |
Anonymous
Why |
Anonymous
| OP, why did you leave out basic information? How old? What do you mean by "basic"? Waned "enthusiasm" and "don't practice" doesn't give us enough information. |
Anonymous
| How old? If super young maybe stop and try again later? Also if young, your child may respond better to it in a group environment like band or strings in grade school |
Anonymous
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It’s odd that you think not playing an instrument will be a disadvantage as adult. I played trumpet and I’ve never been asked to bring it out for old times sake.
I come from a family of tone deaf people. My husband’s family has professional musicians. My girls are also tone deaf but have musicality in their movement. My son plays an instrument he chose in middle school. You can’t push it. |
Anonymous
| What about a youth choir or something social that doesn’t involve practice on her own? |
Anonymous
You want us to reveal your “tell”? |
Anonymous
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I'm not sure you can teach someone to carry a tune, but I think musical education is important. Find a kids' choir (church, school, or community center) that is fun and not too formal. Also let your kid pick an instrument, and consider changing teachers to find one who is more engaging.
I agree with the advice to play each assigned piece X times per week. Most kids' music teachers no longer advocate a forced 30 minutes of practice. |