How To Encourage Your Child to Stick With Learning an Instrument

Your child has decided what instrument to play and has begun taking lessons. As a parent, it is exciting as your child plays their first notes and learns to read music. The goal of starting your child on their musical journey is to give them a creative outlet they can enjoy through school and into adulthood. 

Remember, learning an instrument is challenging. Learning to read music can be like learning a new language, and it can be frustrating for your child in the beginning as they familiarize themselves with their instrument. Down the road, learning more difficult music comes with its own set of challenges. Every new musician is different. Factors like age and natural ability can influence their experience. 

As a parent, there are some things you can do to help keep your child motivated and excited about learning to play. In this article, we are going to go over how to encourage your child to stick with their instrument!

How to Encourage Regular Practicing

Like math, English, or social studies, musical education comes with homework. Instead of filling out a worksheet or reading a chapter from a textbook, students practice at home. Practicing will allow your child to develop and build upon the skills they worked on each week with their teacher. Sometimes, it can be a challenge to get your child to practice consistently. Here are some steps you can take:

Create a Practice Routine and Be Consistent 

It’s essential to create a practice routine early in your child’s musical journey. Setting a well-established schedule for practice early on creates a foundational habit they can build on as they continue to learn. This does not need to be a huge time commitment to start. 15-30 minutes three to four times a week initially is perfect. Once your child is more comfortable playing and used to the routine, the time and frequency can increase. 

Keep Their Instrument Out In The Open

Instead of putting their instrument away after every practice session, keep it in the open. If your child is bored, they now have the option to pick up their instrument like they would a book or a toy. View it as additional unstructured practice. 

Incentives for Practicing

While it may seem transactional, sometimes an incentive will get your child to practice.

Avoid Distractions

15 minutes of focused practice is better than an hour of disengaged distracted practice. If you have the space in your home, consider using one room for designated practice times, and keep electronic devices, siblings, pets, and other distractions out of the way.

Invest in a Quality Instrument

A quality instrument will make practicing more enjoyable and help them build a good foundation for playing. A good quality beginner instrument does not need to break the bank (in fact, that’s what we specialize in at Overture). 

Other Ways to Encourage Your Child to Play

While forming good practice habits is critical, here are a few other things you can do to aid in piquing your child’s interest in music.

Explore Different Genres

There are countless genres of music. Let your child explore different genres and see the different ways the instrument they are learning can be played.

Watch Live Music

Watching a professional play live is inspiring and encouraging to a new musician. Going to a show can be a great family activity as well. Watching videos online of live performances is a good substitute!

Conclusion

Encouraging your child to practice and keeping them excited about music is difficult at times. There will be times they feel discouraged and frustrated, but setting up good practice routines and staying consistent can help them push through difficulties. If you have more questions or concerns we didn’t cover here, your child’s music teacher is a great resource. 

Looking for a student instrument? Overture First is an alternative to traditional instrument rentals. We sell quality John Packer student instruments at an affordable price with a buyback guarantee. It’s our goal to put high-quality beginner instruments in the hands of new musicians at a reasonable price.