Dont let your beginning student get stuck trying to learn a piece of music that is really just too difficult for them. Dont buy music for your beginner before allowing their piano teacher to focus your childs attention on learning the basics. Of course your beginning student wants to play a really cool piece of music they can show off with, but dont let them spend an entire year on one piece of music. While there is nothing wrong with this for an advanced student, beginners need to focus on the basics to achieve real piano progress that will transfer to other music. Here are two ways parents can do to support their young children in piano lessons or their older beginner to stick to a long-term plan that will result in an outstanding repertoire and a solid foundation of piano skills.

1. Encourage your child in piano lessons to learn a new piece of music their piano teacher assigns each week. At the end of the year your child will have learned to play 52 songs! Plus they'll have developed a great foundation of skills and playing abilities they'll need to know well to play more complex music. Some of these 52 songs theyll like much more than others and want to keep playing. This makes it fun for kids to play for others. They like to show off all the music they can play and enjoy the encouragment they receive from friends and family.

2. Dont discourage your child from setting high goals. Instead focus their attention toward the end of the year piano recital. This is the time for your child to choose a challenging piece of music. At this time it will be much easier for your child, having spent many months acquiring skills and playing abilities, to learning more difficult music that will showcase their talent and skill at their recital. In this way your child will have playing confidence that has been nurtured over time through previous successes.

By the time your childs Spring Piano Recital rolls around theyll be prepared to wow the audience with a wonderful piece of music, and have the playing confidence to do this with comfort and ease.

Cynthia VanLandingham

Cynthia VanLandingham's Piano Adventure Bears Music Education Resources create an exciting musical adventure for children ages 5 to 11. Visit PianoAdventureBears.com for free samples of her Piano Adventure Story Books and piano resources for children. She is also the author of The Wonder Guide to Creativity.

Cynthia has been teaching piano in Tallahassee, Florida for 20 years and is the owner of TallyPiano & Keyboard Studios. She is a member of the American College of Musicians National Guild of Piano Teachers, the President of TallyPiano Enterprises, LLC, and a graduate of the Florida State University College of Education. Visit her website at TallyPiano.com to download her original, uplifting piano compositions, including "The Potter's Wheel." While you're there subscribe to her free internet newsletter, Piano Matters, and read the Wonder Guide to Creativity Online.

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