It’s hard to remember everything we have to accomplish in a day – from picking up groceries to practicing piano! In the same way that lists make it more likely that we remember to pick up milk at the grocery store, a piano practice chart can turn music practice into a simple daily routine. At Hoffman Academy, we have created piano practice sheets that guide beginners through this process. In this article, we will cover ways to build a piano practice routine and how piano practice sheets can facilitate better piano practice. We will also share the link to our piano practice chart for beginners in our store!
When you use a piano practice chart, piano practice becomes a structured part of the day. Rather than spend time thinking about what needs to be done, piano practice sheets spell out for pianists the steps and skills that need to be included in each practice session. The use of a piano practice checklist benefits piano students from beginner to advanced levels by making every aspect of piano practice a part of the routine.
Ready to take your piano practice to a new level of efficiency? Sign up for Hoffman Academy Premium to access your piano practice chart as part of your membership!
What is a good piano practice routine?
Piano practice charts and checklists help build a structured and efficient routine. While Hoffman Academy has created a piano practice checklist that covers everything a piano student needs to establish good practice habits, you can also craft your own piano practice routine. By taking the time to write out and understand what needs to be practiced in terms of songs, scales, review, and music theory, students gain a sense of preparation and what to prioritize in their practice. If it seems overwhelming to build a piano practice chart, we recommend starting with Hoffman Academy’s Piano Practice Checklist that helps build practice habits over two weeks!
A practice routine should also create an environment that is goal-oriented and focused on making progress. We recommend starting each practice session by checking in with your piano posture to ensure you are playing correctly and efficiently. If you have a young pianist who struggles to be motivated, the first step in the piano routine might be playing a favorite song! If a student is self-motivated already, we suggest starting your practice routine with piano warm ups and finger power exercises. More advanced students might start their practice time with scales and Hanon exercises. Next, a pianist might practice the most recent material from their lesson. Then, a student might wrap up their practice session with music theory worksheets or games.
You can learn more about making music practice positive and efficient in our article Music Practice the Positive Way
How long should a piano practice session be?
Beginner students should practice piano for 10-15 minutes a day. Especially for younger beginners, this is the right amount of time to stay focused on the piano. As pianists learn increasingly difficult repertoire, the duration of practice gets longer, but breaks are still key to a healthy practice routine. If you were to set a goal of practicing 1 hour a day, you could break your practice session into 20-minute segments so you stay fresh. You can learn more strategies for practicing in our article Learning How To Practice.
Hoffman Academy’s Piano Practice Checklist
At Hoffman Academy, we have also created a piano practice checklist that you can use to help your beginner pianist practice consistently. Our piano practice sheets encourage students to check off practice for new songs, review songs, scales, chord progressions, and more. With our checklist, students use structured practice time to build the habit of practicing efficiently and effectively.
For Hoffman Academy Premium members, our Piano Practice chart is included in your membership! You can also locate and purchase our Piano Practice Chart in our Store. Using our chart, students can track two weeks of practice and make piano a part of their daily routine.
Additionally, each video lesson in our curriculum comes with a customized practice session. For Hoffman Academy Premium members. These practice sessions provide goals and opportunities to review old songs and include games and worksheets to improve your skills. Each practice session builds pianist confidence and skills while teaching the importance of a piano practice routine.
How Piano Practice Charts Help Create Practice Habits
Using a short piano practice checklist can help young students make sure they’re practicing effectively every day. Breaking down piano practice into smaller pieces can make it seem more manageable, which gives piano players a sense of progress as each item is completed. Some pianists find it fulfilling to create a “practice journal” with a record of their daily piano practice. You can use this journal to track practice time and offer incentives for consistent, quality practicing.
Of course not everyone responds well to checklists, especially very young children. If using a checklist proves frustrating to a student pianist, wait a while and try it again later. Or, instead of a checklist on a sheet of paper, you might want to use index cards and write or draw something to represent each part of piano practice on a different card. If your student doesn’t like to do things in the same order every day, shuffle the cards and draw them one at a time to find out what to practice next. You can also invite young pianists to participate in building their practice checklist and the piano goals they would like to achieve through practice.
A basic practice checklist should include:
- warm-up activities, like checking piano posture and playing some finger power exercises
- working on a new song
- reviewing old songs
- fun time to improvise, compose, or do an activity page from the lesson materials
Ready to take advantage of structured practice sessions included with our piano curriculum? Give Hoffman Academy Premium a try today!