How often should your child be watching a new Hoffman Academy lesson? There’s a sweet spot between too fast and too slow in which a child will be making optimum progress. For most children, that will be two or three lessons a week. The beauty of online lessons is that each student can find their own pace. A child who is having difficulty with a lesson can spend several days on it, while another child who masters a lesson quickly may be ready to move on sooner.
Does it have to be perfect before we move on?
Some parents want to see a child completely master the material in a lesson before moving on to the next one. Because review of old material is built into Hoffman Academy lessons, children can move forward before they are able to play a song perfectly. They only need to continue to make that song part of their practice routine.
Children need new material in order to stay fresh and engaged. They may become bored if they are being held back. On the other hand, a child may want to charge through the lessons, watching several in a single day. This is probably too much for a young, beginning student. For older students or those who already have some piano training, it is okay to go through the Hoffman Academy lessons quickly at first. They’ll probably slow down on their own once they reach a point where they are challenged by the new material.
Pacing the lessons
Keep two questions in mind as you try to decide if your child is moving through the lessons at the right pace. The first is, are they learning and making solid progress? The second is, are they having fun and staying motivated? If the answer to both questions is yes, then they’re doing it right.
As a child watches a new lesson, it is best to do it near the piano or even at the piano. Throughout the lesson there are times when students are asked to pause the video and practice. Make sure that your piano student takes the time to stop and play as instructed. Right after viewing a lesson is a good time to spend a few more minutes practicing. For the next one or two days the student can either watch the full lesson again and play along or practice as instructed, or review the material by practicing on their own.
Using practice sessions as a guideline
For each lesson, I’ve created a practice session with a list of activities for students to complete when practicing. These practice sessions are available when you become a Premium Member. Not only do they take the guess-work out of piano practice, they’re a good guideline to let you know when your child is ready to move on to the next lesson. If the practice session proves difficult for your child, spend another day or two on it until they master it. When your child can complete each practice session task, not necessarily perfectly but with confidence, you’ll know it’s time to move forward.
What’s right for you
Parents should feel free to use the lessons in whatever way is best for their family. Let your child help decide when it’s time to move on to the next lesson. Most children will have a good sense of when they’re ready to learn more, and will enjoy the lesson experience more if they’re allowed to go at their own pace.
How do you progress as a pianist?
Progressing as a pianist involves a combination of practice, continuous learning and developing a deep understanding of music. And of course, progress happens faster when practice feels fun! Here are a few tips to help students advance:
- Making practicing a consistent habit/routine — Aim to practice daily, even if it’s for a short period of time, rather than have infrequent longer sessions. For more guidance in how to create a practice routine, check out our free piano progress charts down below!
- Set clear goals — Having a clear goal is essential to making progress! Setting a small goal every week can help students progress towards a larger goal. For example, a student’s weekly goal may be to learn one scale a week so that in a few months they know all 12 major scales. Or perhaps a small weekly goal could be to learn 4 new measures of notes so that by the end of the month, they can play a whole page of music.
- Listen and imitate — Students should always be listening to recordings of the piano pieces they’re playing. Listening helps students with rhythm, learning notes, and understanding the nuances of dynamics and expression. To make this fun and easy, Hoffman Academy Premium comes with beautifully produced listening tracks for each piece in our curriculum.
How long does it take to progress in piano?
The most exciting thing about learning the piano, or any other musical instrument, is that you can make progress every single day! Even if you’re struggling through a practice session, when you return to the piano the next day you’ll notice that what was difficult has become easier. That’s the magic of practicing.
In the long term, how much time it takes to progress in your piano ability depends on your goals, prior musical experience, and how much time is spent practicing. A single video tutorial can teach you a new song, new music theory concepts, and new techniques. It will be up to you to develop those skills through daily practice and make them your own. To get an idea of what you’ll be able to play at each stage of your piano learning journey, read “How Long Does It Take to Learn Piano?“
Free practice resources
Download our free Piano Learning Essentials Packet! It’s a collection of colorful music learning guides with everything you need to know to get started on the piano. Includes reference charts for rhythm words, pentascales, note names and their places on the keyboard and staff, a posture guide, flash cards, and more!
Our free Practice Trackers help motivate consistent, daily practice. Choose 28, 50, or 100-day practice tracking charts.
Read “Top Piano Practice Tips and Resources for Beginners” for even more resources and our top tips for making practice time fun and effective!