Getting Kids to Practice
Getting kids to practice an instrument can be difficult to impossible. Kids usually don't see the long term benefits of practicing an instrument and have to be nudged in the right direction.
As far as nudging goes, In my own experience I've found bribery to be the most effective method.
Here's a simple but effective way that works like a charm. This will give kids something to shoot for, reward hard work and discipline, and keep parents involved with their child's progress. Just a few of the benefits of music lessons.
The Money Jar Method:
Make each practice worth a set amount of money.
Set a goal to achieve each month. Figure around 15 practices to start, then bump it up to 20 per month.
Put the cash in a money jar and keep it visible. Out of sight, out of mind.
At the end of the month the student gets the money.
Now, here's the catch. The student only gets the money only if they reach thier goal. This is the crux of the biscuit. If twenty practices is the goal, then twenty is the goal. Nineteen doesn't cut it. Eighteen.. get outta here. No way. There are no makeups, and you start at zero for the next month. This drives home the fact that kids need to take this seriously if they want to get the reward. And now, if you want to be a bit salty about it, you can explain that if they didn't practice then they've just wasted their own money and not just yours. At this point it's optional to ask your child if they like apples?" If they do, you can respond "Oh yeah, well how do you like them apples?" Ah, that never gets old.
The upside is that this "method" tends to keep parents involved with their child's practice. No sane parent wants to deal with an impending meltdown when their child realizes they've squandered a pile of cash just by missing one or two practices. Try it out and let me know how it works.
How to Be a Great Guitar Student
I lifted this article from StringLoveGuitar.com and thought it was worth posting. Over time, I’ve noticed some common characteristics that make for a great guitar student.
Whether or not you’re currently taking lessons with a teacher, these pointers will definitely help you make the most out of any time you spend learning to play the guitar.
1. Dream Big:
We have one life to live. Each minute that passes is gone forever.
If you are going to the trouble of spending your precious time (not to mention money!) learning how to play the guitar, then dream a great dream and bring the energy of that mighty guitar aspiration into everything you do on the guitar. You don’t have to want to become some rockstar or flashy shredder. But make sure that you’re really stretching with whatever it is that you want to be able to do on the guitar. Don’t settle for the bare minimum. If you’re going to try to learn to play the guitar, then let’s run the full experiment–just how good are you capable of becoming? How many lives could you touch with your music? If you’re fueled by passion, you’ll bring an intensity and urgency to your guitar lessons that will absolutely challenge your teacher to show up in the best possible way. If you put the power of life and death into your process of learning to play the guitar, you’ll learn more, you’ll learn faster and your teacher will have to show up with their A-game in order to satiate your explosive guitar intensity.
2. Bring Your Best Attitude:
There is an inner game and an outer game to playing the guitar.
The outer game is all that stuff we’re always talking about–how to move your fingers, how to play chords, how to play in rhythm–you know, the whole “making music” thing.
Your inner game will completely determine how successful you are in the process of learning the outer game of guitar. Your attitude will make all the difference between you quitting in frustration and you pushing through any and all hurdles to be able to generate unbelievably beautiful music on your guitar. If you’re anything like me, then you’ll probably encounter all sorts of roadblocks, challenges and frustrations over the course of your quest to learn how to play the guitar. If you adopt an indomitable can-do attitude, you can slice through even the thickest of roadblocks. You will make more progress faster and you’ll enjoy it a whole lot more. A great attitude is fueled by great beliefs. Here are some of the key beliefs that will help you develop an incredibly positive attitude toward your guitar playing: “I can learn to play the guitar as well as I am willing to work for it.” “Even if I don’t see the progress, it’s always happening because I’m giving the guitar my all.” “Playing the guitar is fun, and it is totally worth whatever it takes to learn how to play it.” If you aren’t at the point where you actually believe those things, then you’ve got some work to do. There’s no reason you can’t play the guitar as well as you want as long as you’re willing to put in the focus and the effort over a period of time. Patience, Diligence and Doing the Right Thing will guide you in the right direction. If your teacher is great, they’ll make sure you know what the Right Thing is. That leaves the Patience, Diligence and actually Doing It up to you.
3. Practice:
Finally, we’re to the point that you probably expected would top this list of ways to be a great guitar student.
And, without practice, neither Big Dreams nor a Great Attitude will actually result in anything. So, these three aspects to becoming a great guitar student work in tandem. You need all three firing at once in order to become someone who is a joy to teach (because you’re learning so much). Practice. The first thing to do is just to keep showing up at your guitar with as much focus as you can muster. Find the practice approach that plays to your strengths. If you thrive on a rhythmic schedule, then set a practice time every day and make sure you’re there with your guitar. If you thrive on variety, then make sure your guitar is readily available so you can grab it whenever the spirit moves you. Stay clear about what you’re working on so you don’t have to waste any time whenever you sit down to practice. And apply the method your teacher gives you (or that you’ve deciphered through your own journey on the guitar) so that you make the most out of every minute you spend practicing. Great guitar students bring out the best In their teachers and ultimately, if you’re actually practicing, then your teacher will be very likely having a blast teaching you. You’ll be motivated, so they’ll be motivated. And when you show up with a big dream, a positive attitude and a steady commitment to practicing, you WILL get better. You will love your adventure with your guitar. And you’ll probably end up teaching your teacher a thing or two in the process.
As far as nudging goes, In my own experience I've found bribery to be the most effective method.
Here's a simple but effective way that works like a charm. This will give kids something to shoot for, reward hard work and discipline, and keep parents involved with their child's progress. Just a few of the benefits of music lessons.
The Money Jar Method:
Make each practice worth a set amount of money.
Set a goal to achieve each month. Figure around 15 practices to start, then bump it up to 20 per month.
Put the cash in a money jar and keep it visible. Out of sight, out of mind.
At the end of the month the student gets the money.
Now, here's the catch. The student only gets the money only if they reach thier goal. This is the crux of the biscuit. If twenty practices is the goal, then twenty is the goal. Nineteen doesn't cut it. Eighteen.. get outta here. No way. There are no makeups, and you start at zero for the next month. This drives home the fact that kids need to take this seriously if they want to get the reward. And now, if you want to be a bit salty about it, you can explain that if they didn't practice then they've just wasted their own money and not just yours. At this point it's optional to ask your child if they like apples?" If they do, you can respond "Oh yeah, well how do you like them apples?" Ah, that never gets old.
The upside is that this "method" tends to keep parents involved with their child's practice. No sane parent wants to deal with an impending meltdown when their child realizes they've squandered a pile of cash just by missing one or two practices. Try it out and let me know how it works.
How to Be a Great Guitar Student
I lifted this article from StringLoveGuitar.com and thought it was worth posting. Over time, I’ve noticed some common characteristics that make for a great guitar student.
Whether or not you’re currently taking lessons with a teacher, these pointers will definitely help you make the most out of any time you spend learning to play the guitar.
1. Dream Big:
We have one life to live. Each minute that passes is gone forever.
If you are going to the trouble of spending your precious time (not to mention money!) learning how to play the guitar, then dream a great dream and bring the energy of that mighty guitar aspiration into everything you do on the guitar. You don’t have to want to become some rockstar or flashy shredder. But make sure that you’re really stretching with whatever it is that you want to be able to do on the guitar. Don’t settle for the bare minimum. If you’re going to try to learn to play the guitar, then let’s run the full experiment–just how good are you capable of becoming? How many lives could you touch with your music? If you’re fueled by passion, you’ll bring an intensity and urgency to your guitar lessons that will absolutely challenge your teacher to show up in the best possible way. If you put the power of life and death into your process of learning to play the guitar, you’ll learn more, you’ll learn faster and your teacher will have to show up with their A-game in order to satiate your explosive guitar intensity.
2. Bring Your Best Attitude:
There is an inner game and an outer game to playing the guitar.
The outer game is all that stuff we’re always talking about–how to move your fingers, how to play chords, how to play in rhythm–you know, the whole “making music” thing.
Your inner game will completely determine how successful you are in the process of learning the outer game of guitar. Your attitude will make all the difference between you quitting in frustration and you pushing through any and all hurdles to be able to generate unbelievably beautiful music on your guitar. If you’re anything like me, then you’ll probably encounter all sorts of roadblocks, challenges and frustrations over the course of your quest to learn how to play the guitar. If you adopt an indomitable can-do attitude, you can slice through even the thickest of roadblocks. You will make more progress faster and you’ll enjoy it a whole lot more. A great attitude is fueled by great beliefs. Here are some of the key beliefs that will help you develop an incredibly positive attitude toward your guitar playing: “I can learn to play the guitar as well as I am willing to work for it.” “Even if I don’t see the progress, it’s always happening because I’m giving the guitar my all.” “Playing the guitar is fun, and it is totally worth whatever it takes to learn how to play it.” If you aren’t at the point where you actually believe those things, then you’ve got some work to do. There’s no reason you can’t play the guitar as well as you want as long as you’re willing to put in the focus and the effort over a period of time. Patience, Diligence and Doing the Right Thing will guide you in the right direction. If your teacher is great, they’ll make sure you know what the Right Thing is. That leaves the Patience, Diligence and actually Doing It up to you.
3. Practice:
Finally, we’re to the point that you probably expected would top this list of ways to be a great guitar student.
And, without practice, neither Big Dreams nor a Great Attitude will actually result in anything. So, these three aspects to becoming a great guitar student work in tandem. You need all three firing at once in order to become someone who is a joy to teach (because you’re learning so much). Practice. The first thing to do is just to keep showing up at your guitar with as much focus as you can muster. Find the practice approach that plays to your strengths. If you thrive on a rhythmic schedule, then set a practice time every day and make sure you’re there with your guitar. If you thrive on variety, then make sure your guitar is readily available so you can grab it whenever the spirit moves you. Stay clear about what you’re working on so you don’t have to waste any time whenever you sit down to practice. And apply the method your teacher gives you (or that you’ve deciphered through your own journey on the guitar) so that you make the most out of every minute you spend practicing. Great guitar students bring out the best In their teachers and ultimately, if you’re actually practicing, then your teacher will be very likely having a blast teaching you. You’ll be motivated, so they’ll be motivated. And when you show up with a big dream, a positive attitude and a steady commitment to practicing, you WILL get better. You will love your adventure with your guitar. And you’ll probably end up teaching your teacher a thing or two in the process.