Summary: <br> Episode Highlights:<br> Sometimes it seems like no progress is being made in lessons.<br> Keep an audio record of your child’s piano playing to compare musical maturity<br> Let them listen: to critique their own performance and to realize how they have improved over the course of time<br> Intermingle easier pieces<br> Students face a new challenging piece as soon as they complete the current one. This can be frustrating.<br> Allow students to play an easier piece before jumping to the next challenge if they are feeling pressured or frustrated.<br> In my studio, students are assigned a “for sure” piece and a “bonus” piece. This gives them a second piece of equal difficulty to the assigned piece they may choose to study or not. As a teacher, I enjoy giving my students this ownership and freedom.<br> My students also have “tag” songs. They select their favorite piece in each completed unit of their method book to put a sticky note tag on it. These pieces become review pieces and serve as a great confidence boost.<br> Supplemental books can also help students master concepts and skills while allowing them to play genres or styles they enjoy.<br> Be Patient<br> Remember you are learning a new language. Build fluency with a few concepts then add more.<br> Practicing new pieces and new skills can be awkward (<a href="http://www.pianoparentpodcast.com/?p=56&preview=true">See Episode 001</a>). Help your child stay motivated by sprinkling in easier pieces to balance things out.<br> Plateaus are still musical. It’s okay to just enjoy the music where you are – that’s the whole point of studying piano, right?!<br> <br>
