Practice Sessions

[meli]

Hi everyone, do you ever quietly watch how your students practice? I have been teaching this 9 year old girl, she's reaching grade 1 soon, but somehow, I feel she is not practicing effectively i.e. mistakes repeated, starting from beginning after slips, rushing etc.. She tells me she does practice daily. Progress has been quite slow (same piece for weeks), so I am wondering if I should 'sit in' a few practice sessions, and just watch and guide her. I keep telling her that its not quantity of practice but quality! i.e. correct notes, rhythm and dynamics etc.. and I give her 1 - 2 goals to focus. I just feel that it will take alot of lesson time i.e. watching her practice! Is this recommended?

[perfect_pitch]

Here's what I do... when I have a student from the very beginning I try and instill the message that the music is on the page and that they should read and understand the note before playing, so that it avoids the random key playing.

The 3 rules I try to teach my older students (only because I have a student who is trying very hard to correct his incorrect playing/practicing/bad habits etc from his last teacher)...

1) Slow down and relax when playing. If you feel that you are rushing or anxious about playing the next note and feel you are getting worried - slow down.

2) The notes are on the page and always will be. Feel free to look at the music as much as you can instead of at the fingers. If you make a mistake, identify what it is you did - whether it was a physical mistake (finger played the wrong key), musical mistake (I played a 'D' because I thought 'D' was the next note, instead of the 'E') and then try to focus on what you will do to correct that mistake. 

3) Listen while you play. If you hear a mistake, spend time on correcting it. If you think the examiner won't pick-up the mistake, you're wrong.

[mcdiddy1]

If your student is not practicing effectively you have to take a long hard look in the mirror for what is  going on. Whatever you do in your lesson should be a model for what the student practices. If the student makes a mistake realize that its not the end of the world! We need mistakes to know what is right and there going to happen. Now having a mistake thats repeated is worse.

If your student is stuck on the same piece you need to abandon ship before the student gets frustrated! Spending 3 weeks on mary had a little lamb is not beneficial where there are more lessons in music making to learn!

If you know the student is weak in rhythm then address the rhythm before you start the piece and go over it. Demonstrate what the piece should sound like and how to count it and have the student count it first! If there are problems with notes MAKE THE STUDENT WRITE IN THE NOTES. do not write in yourself or you practice being a wrong note detector and the student learns how to be spoon fed answers. When they write it in the learn the note, they learn how to correct mistakes, listen to their own playing , problem solve  and with your help how to isolate problem areas. When they have their own handwriting staring at them it tends to become more personal to them and it show them what they don't know even when your not there.

You have to remember that it is your job to make the student successful in some kind of way so you have to make her successful and not wait for her to magically show up to the lesson able to do it. Telling her that she need to have quality practice does not influence anyone. You have to make them do it and make it a habit from the beginning. Before you start go to every problem spot marked before she plays a notes. If she can do it with you then she can do it be herself

Also keep mind that some people learn slower but sometimes i can take off like a rocket once they learn the write way to do things so be patient and don't giver her a chance to make a mistake.

Hope that helps