The summer practice incentive program will continue to be available if you would like your child to be involved. It seemed to provide a little extra motivation to keep that practice going.

The reward program involves keeping a record of the minutes played each day during the week. Bring the sheet in to the next lesson, and I will record them. All that is needed is 150 minutes (135, for 5 and 6 year-olds) to be able to choose something from the basket. Items will include gel and glitter pens, small toys, mini-notebooks, and other surprises. I will try to include items for various ages. Minutes can accumulate from week to week. So pick up a sheet from me to record practice minutes, or just keep a record on a sheet of paper.

Often in sitting at the piano to practice, the player wants to just play through the songs or pieces, since that is the ultimate goal. But it's important to make practice time a little more deliberate. Here are a few guidelines for practicing that will help to keep the player focused and lead to better progress.

First of all, warm up. Play a five-finger scale ascending and descending, and then play some patterns on those scale notes. We do this in lessons, so it should be a familiar concept. I will give some other technique exercises as well. Play with a steady beat. You can also play short passages from your assigned music that need extra practice, at this point.

Second, before playing a piece, study the music without playing. This step is important. The goal is to practice correctly—in other words, to prevent mistakes or practicing wrong patterns. Your mind and hands will remember what you play, not what you intended to play. So walk through the piece in your mind. First set the rhythm in your mind. Tap or clap through it. Then look at the notes: where on the keyboard does it start, how do the notes move up or down, ascending or descending. Look at the key signature, for older students. Also look for repeated patterns and repeated sections. What is the “map” of the piece. For beginners, this step will not take very long.

Now, play through the piece at a tempo that allows you to continue without many mistakes. When there is a problem, go back to the beginning of that problem phrase and play it again. If it is still difficult, repeat until you can play it three times in a row without a mistake. Simplify it if necessary, by dividing it into smaller segments or by slowing it down more. Gradually increase the tempo. If it is difficult to stay at a manageable tempo—kids particularly tend to want to jump to a fast tempo—use a metronome and only increase by four beats per minute at a time.