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How long should my child practise for?
This very much depends on how old they are, how ambitious they are with their cello playing and how much time they have. My general advice would be 15 mins a day going up to 30 - 40 mins by grade 4/5. For those very passionate about cello playing and ambitious to develop faster I would advise increasing these times by 10 - 15 minutes but the most important things to ensure good progress are the frequency, continuity and quality of the practice.
How frequent should this practice be?
Frequency: I sometimes liken cello practice to brushing your teeth, better done a bit every day than for a long time once a week but perhaps a better analogy would be an athlete’s training. The cello is a great instrument that works in harmony with the body and how we use our weight but it is still a very physical instrument and a young cellist’s development involves a fair bit of developing specific muscles and physical co-ordinations. What the mind can understand in an instant takes some regular and patient repetition for the body to truly incorporate particularly in the tricky initial stages of learning the instrument. The good news is that if the student properly commits to regular practice the basic technique becomes second nature and the cello becomes just like an extension of the body. So my short answer to the question would be if possible practise every day and if that’s not possible then at least four days a week.
What can I do to encourage this frequent practice?
Continuity: It’s a really good idea for cello practice to become a regular part of the daily routine, if possible occurring at around the same time on school days. It is extremely optimistic to hope that your child will automatically stop whatever they are doing and take him/herself off to practise the cello at some point during the day. Childrens lives are so full and even as adults most of us still have a convenient way of “forgetting” to do the things that we have a lurking suspicion might be good for us. For this reason I think having an official “cello time” every day is a good idea. It’s also best thought of and presented as a treat - the time when they get to have fun playing this exciting instrument.
Quality: Perhaps the most important element is quality when it comes to practice. A short time really focusing on and enjoying the time with the instrument will always be more valuable then hours spent repeating bad habits.
I really want my child to give the cello his/her best shot but what can I do if I don’t want to be a “pushy parent”?
There is a HUGE difference between encouragement and pushy-ness. Being really positive about their cello playing and encouraging your child to continue to get the best out of it is absolutely essential. It will really support and aid their progress. Children love to see their parents are interested in, value and celebrate their music making. It will encourage them in turn to see it as valuable.
My child seems to have lost motivation and is even talking of giving up. Is there anything I can do?
1. Does your child do all their cello playing on their own? Playing music with other people is the great joy of learning an instrument. Not only is there the wonderful feeling of becoming part of a bigger musical picture, there is also the opportunity to meet other children for whom playing music is an important part of their life (my own development as a musician was greatly supported by the close friends I made playing in my local youth orchestra). After a student has mastered the basics on their instrument they can join an orchestra or another ensemble. Find out if there are groups they could join at school or locally.
2.Many lulls in motivation are the result of the student feeling ‘stuck in a rut’ with their playing. The lack of a regular practice routine can often be the reason for students feeling demoralised and sadly sometimes giving up. Without the practice they are unable to achieve any real progress and end up ‘treading water’, going over the same things lesson after lesson. Try to encourage them to really be dedicated for a few weeks and see how they feel at the end of it. Some charities (such as Sargent Cancer Care for Children, see http://www.clicsargent.org.uk/Getinvolved/practiceathon) run sponsored practice-a-thons in which children can raise money by practising more often. This is a really positive way to get them into better practice habits.
3. Encourage them to listen to more cello music. Play it around the house or in the car. If possible go to a concert. Hearing the instrument played really wonderfully gives the student more to aspire to and can provide real inspiration.
A final thought:
The most important thing when learning an instrument is not hours spent toiling and suffering for your art or restrictive discipline but enjoyment. Focusing on the great joy and fun of cello playing, whatever the level of dedication, is the foundation for building a lifetime of happy music making.
