Listening
Listening to great classical recordings serves as a model for how students should aspire to sound when they play their instrument. Without a model, they only hear their own sound during their home practice sessions. They will get used to that sound and not realize that they should be trying to improve it to sound more like a professional. Students may unintentionally set a very low standard for themselves because they don't have a reference point for what is considered a HIGH standard. Listening to recordings of professional musicians will help a great deal in providing a model of what a high standard really is. The moment that a student achieves a more refined sound is the moment when the doors of expression can really be opened. Self-expression takes flight and this is truly one of the most remarkable stages in a student’s journey.
Imitation
Trying hard to imitate the teacher in the lessons and at home is one of the ways students learn to create a sound that more resembles that of a professional musician.
Repetition
Students constantly review and refine the pieces that they have learned. This in turn strengthens memory, solidifies technique, and helps to develop their ability to musically express themselves. Make sure that you are listening to your child practicing. It should sound like they are playing the same small parts of their assignments repetitively. If they are playing their assignment from the beginning to the end all the time and you hear lots of mistakes, this needs to be corrected. They are actually learning the mistakes!
Listening, Imitation and Repetition are the building blocks of how people learn to speak a language - the trifecta of learning, if you will. The concept is the same with all learned tasks including playing an instrument. This is simply how the human mind learns new information.
Daily Practice - Unleash the Power of Repetition!
Students who don’t practice enough never quite feel comfortable playing their instrument. It especially shows up when they are expected to perform the assigned tasks in their lessons when they feel a bit under pressure. With daily, correct practice, this will be a thing of the past. They will be eager to get the instrument out to show their teacher what they can do! That confidence then becomes a catalyst for more focused practice and before they know it, they have surpassed their own expectations. The most important step the student must take is to put in the initial effort and sustain that effort for a period of time within which they notice results. Then they can learn to trust the system of practice laid forth by the instructor. It is not easy for some children to practice carefully, and many times slowly, with attention to detail. That is especially where you can help them. Adults can organize and help direct home practice sessions. Of course, if a student is 12 years old and above, this responsibility should be their own. Still, once in a while parents may need to remind their child of the benefits of mastering small portions of an assignment before continuing. See Step-by-Step Mastery below.