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Ds1 Is 6 and has been going to music classes for almost 2 years. 6 months ago they started the recorder and he seems to enjoy it. Only problem is the music teacher tells me he is falling a bit behind because he isn't doing enough practice.
At the beginning it was my fault because I used to forget all about it til the day of the class but in the last month or so he has been doing about 10 mins 4 or 5 days a week but still hasn't caught up. Is this enough at this age? What do your maestros do?
I don't want to put too much pressure on him but there is no point in him continuing if he falls too far behind.

Thanks

10 mins of piano practice a day here - all thats recommended.

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Thanks, would you do every single day without fail?

We do 10 mins piano practice a day mon-thurs....ie when he has regular homework! And then one more practice over the weekend.
We only started regular practice about a month ago, because like your LO he was falling behind, but the difference now with a month's practice is huge!

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Just accept it, some days you'll be the pigeon, some days the statue.

Thanks Koala, we have been doing practice on homework days as well, but might include one day at the weekend too. His class is on a Monday so although I think he has improved a lot, he is quite rusty on the Monday. A weekend practice might help this.

Gosh times have changed... I used to practise about 15-20 mins a day at that age... Scales, warm up and then pieces and then scales....

Consistency is key, if the class is on a Monday he should practise both days over the weekend. If you feel he must skip a day pick say Friday or Thursday... What time is the class on the Monday, does he have time to practise before his class? Even a few mins to warm up/ refresh...

DD1's teacher says 20 minutes per day - that's the flute.

Shakey, he's only done 2 notes so far, so isn't on to scales etc. But I think I definitely need to increase the practice at the weekend. We do a quick run through of the pieces before the class but it's not enough.
Thanks

2 lots of 15 minutes a day, 7 days a week.
I understood this to be stardard for grade 1, age 10.
DS2 is on his second year, first exam and is doing 20 minutes a day, 7 days a week.
Practice is everything and his teacher is very firm about this.

Sullys

Thanks Jenny and Sullys, good to know what we have to build up to if we are serious about this.

Sadly it has been an exhausting bone of contention in this house.The boys are largely allergic to practicing. But their teacher is always saying "it's a waste of money if they do not practice"
She also tells me it is very normal for children to resent the practice.

Sullys

DS is learning the piano (started this year, he was 7) and he would do 10 minutes 3 times a week, it's not much but that's all I can manage (have 3 other kids including a young baby, DS needs to be reminded - read nagged - to do his practice and I have to seat down to listen and keep the others quiet, it's a challenge).

What do you do over the summer holiday by the way ? Do they still practice as much ?

At 6/7 I'd expect 15-20 minutes a day, every day (at least 6 days anyway)
A good tip is you can split the practice. 10 minute in the morning, and ten in the afternoon, suits some kids better than a straight 20 minutes. Depends on the child.
If you can keep him going during the summer it'll make a big difference too

DD (9) is doing violin, just taken her grade 1 exam. Her teacher insists on 10 minutes every day - but every day, 7 days a week. She does do more when she's struggling with something or, like recently, when her exam was coming up; she might do two 10-minute sessions a couple of days rather than just one.

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Hi can I ask what age all your kids started at?

Mathilde, I have the same problem managing the younger siblings - when DS brings out his recorder they all want a go.
DS is reasonably enthusiastic about the practice, but 10 mins is about the limit of his attention span, he knows that he will move on from the recorder to his chosen instrument (which today is a trumpet) so we keep focusing on that, I just need get in to the routine of regular practice.
Thanks all

I teach music and would expect 10-20 minutes a day practice for my beginner students but would emphasise that it should be done every day. Consistency really is the key here as it can be very demoralising for the student (and the teacher) if progress is slow (or stopped). Breaking it up into two sessions a day does help some of my students. I had two students today who both have become more regular in their practising and they are really coming along and both left their lesson chuffed with themselves (and rightly so).

You could play some rhythm games with him. Clap a rhythm and get him to play it back to you on the recorder (using whatever note he wants). Little games like this can help make it more fun and break up the practice.

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Keeper of the beautiful daughters,

Sasha, who is almost 6
Juno, who is now 3!

You can sing that one
I am fighting a losing battle with DS1 and DS2 who are 14 and 12. Piano exams on this Wednesday and I am worn out hounding them, begging and bribing. Going to let them quit after these at Grade 2 and 3.

I do feel I have wasted a lot of money but they have learned a skill and they can pick up an instrument later in life once they have the basics.
Supposed to do 20 to 30 a day on piano , seven days a week.

2 notes in 6 months? That doesn't sound right... is he learning to read music too?
How long does the lesson last?

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DS1 : June 2008
DS2 : May 2010

'If you follow every dream you might get lost' (n.young)

ok dd is a bit older at almost 11. she did guitar in 1st & 2nd class and hardly ever practiced- maybe 10/20 minutes a week!yet she would play as though she practiced all the time- shes just good at it. she started piano at 9 and a bit and initially it was 10 minutes a day 5/7 days. shes doing her grade 1 soon and has built up to a minimum of 30 minutes a day 5/7 days (the day of her lesson+ one other day 'off'). It takes the 30 minutes to just get through her scales etc, exam pieces, sight reading (her teacher likes to challenge her to try and figure a piece out herself) and fun piece. We made a decision that we would never 'make' her practice- she has to want to do it herself and tbh I think its all part of learning to self motivate and be driven. I will 'remind' her on days when the practice isn't looking like being done within an hour of homework being finished but thats about it. It was only recently that she said to me that shes really enjoying the practicing now- as though something clicked with her. she got homework over the summer and her teacher could tell she practiced most days when she went back in September.

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I craft, therefore I am.

Same here, DD who's just 3 goes straight for the keyboard when DS starts playing and "plays with him", then they all shout at each other, cry etc, oh the fun we have

Animella, it must be hard for you to let them quit after years and years of lessons

It's actually pre-instrumental music, so they are learning to read music, the recorder is really only an aid to this.
They also play other percussion instruments - bells etc. and sing songs. The classes are 40 mins long (with 8 kids) I think this is why is still enjoys it so much.
The normal plan is to do one more year of theory/recorder before starting to learn to play an instrument properly.

Oh right, I get it now. It all does sound right...sorry...
As long as he enjoys it and you can convince him to practise all will be grand . Enjoyment is a huge part of music

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DS1 : June 2008
DS2 : May 2010

'If you follow every dream you might get lost' (n.young)

What practice is expected of him? My dd just finished her second year of pre-instrumental (not with me). There wasnt much homework outside of singing songs with her, doing some rhythm homework, solfa and helping her with the very basics of reading music. She didn't have to do it every day and mostly we did our own bit of music for fun (playing random pieces of music/songs and trying to clap the beat of it). She starts piano lessons in September and then I will expect her to practice every day. She ultimately wants to learn percussion (especially drums) so the deal is she spends this coming year working consistently at the piano and then we talk starting percussion lessons!

WIth your son, i would suggest musical games (clapping out rhytms), a few minutes recorder and going over whatever he learned that week (and previous weeks) regarding reading music.

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Keeper of the beautiful daughters,

Sasha, who is almost 6
Juno, who is now 3!