Can a Piano Student Progress Without Practice?

If a piano student does not practice, can they still progress simply by showing up every week to their lessons?

In this article, we’re talking about piano students who don’t practice!

If you talk to piano teachers for any length of time, you’ll find that a common complaint is: “My students aren’t practicing!”

Despite our best efforts to motivate, incentivize, encourage, and instruct, some students just won’t practice no matter what we say or do.

So let’s address a few core issues at play with students who don’t practice:

• Should piano students who don’t practice take lessons at all?
• How can piano teachers help students remember to practice?
• What to do when we notice a student is not practicing.
• Is it a big deal for a student to continue lessons and continue to not practice?

To Fire or Not Fire a Piano Student Who Doesn’t Practice

What do I mean by “fire?”

The age old question: To fire or not to fire?

I once held the position of Piano Lesson Coordinator at a local music store. My job was to schedule lessons for 22 piano teachers who taught at the store.

There was one piano teacher who would occasionally “fire” students. If she observed that they weren’t practicing after frequent reminders, she would tell them to move on. They got the boot, so to speak.

“Firing” means a piano teacher asks a student to discontinue lessons altogether or to find another teacher.

When is it time to “fire” a student?

Some teachers would never dream of firing a student, no matter what the circumstances.

Other teachers have strict contracts that must be adhered to in order to remain on the roster.

And everything in between.

Where do you land?

My Opinion on Firing Students

Personally, I have never fired a student in my twenty years of teaching piano lessons.

Anyone who wants to be there is welcome in my studio, whether they follow my practice suggestions or not!

If you tend towards this inclusive approach to teaching piano lessons, then we need to figure out WHAT WE ARE TO DO IF A STUDENT ISN’T PRACTICING.

No Practice: Now What?

So, you’ve noticed the first signs of a piano student not practicing. Now what?

Here is the first step before taking any action…

ANSWER THESE 3 QUESTIONS:

Did I make the practice expectations clear?

As the teacher, were you crystal clear about how piano practice works at the start of this student’s journey with additional reminders as they grew?

Parent Communication

Were parents made aware of how at-home practice should go?

Did you send home a practice guide? Go over it with them?

Do they know that piano practice between lessons is a thing?! (Or do they think it’s like soccer practice–all of the learning and practice happens at practice?)

And do they need some guidance setting up an inviting at-home practice space or encouraging a regular routine?

Student Communication

Does the student understand what is expected between lessons?

Do they know how many days they should practice? For how long?

Do they know what to practice?

Do they know how to practice?

And, if they’ve been with you for a few years, have you given a refresher course on at-home practice recently?

Is this a temporary setback?

Has the student never really practiced consistently?

Or is this a new development? How long ago did you notice a drop-off in practice?

Is there anything going on in their world that might affect their usual practice routine?

Is the student still enjoying piano?

Despite a lack of consistent practice, does it seem like the student is genuinely still enjoying the experience and is content with their progress?

Knowing the answer to these questions will help you know what actions to take.

Step-by-Step Guide for Students Who Aren’t Practicing

So, you’ve done all of the above brainstorming. You’ve communicated with the parents and the student. You’ve deciphered the situation best you can.

But despite your initial investigation, THE STUDENT IS STILL NOT PRACTICING.

Now what?

Here is a step-by-step guide to help you navigate the situation and best serve this student.

Step 1: Give it a Minute

To be sure this isn’t just a temporary setback or a season of busyness in the student’s life, let the issue rest for a few weeks.

Step 2: Talk to the Student

After a few weeks or months, if the situation has remained the same or gotten worse, it’s time to take action.

Have a casual conversation with the student.

Perhaps you’ve talked to them already about practicing and your observation of the decline in at-home practice. Now it’s time to have a real heart-to-heart about what’s going on.

Let them know what you’ve observed in the most caring and gentle way.

DO NOT make them feel bad about the change, lecture them, or lay on a guilt trip!

Simply open the floor for their thoughts, concerns, feelings, and a glimpse into their life situation.

Listen patiently to everything they say. Let them take the lead in the conversation.

Often opening up about the topic can trigger their own personal motivation.

Step 3: Try an Incentive

Piggy-backing on this new understanding between you and your student, introduce a practice incentive.

The exact incentive used will depend on the age of the student, the reason for their lack of practice, and what motivates them.

You may even want to offer a few choices and let the student choose the most appealing.

Here are some practice incentive ideas to get your started:

• Practice Record Book: Check out the goal-oriented quarterly assignment book I designed and use with my students!
• Practice Challenge: I like to introduce a little friendly competition (with prizes!) into my studio every so often with a 13-week practice challenge. Check out the seasonal practice charts I designed.
• Recital or Festival Motivation: If you have an event coming up, revving up the practice in anticipation of a live performance can be very motivating. Here is a Recital Practice Bingo Board I created (it’s FREE!)
• Practice Bingo: And, speaking of practice bingo boards, I also have one for Spring Break and one for Summer Break. Ramp up the practice over a studio break. Here’s the Spring Break Bingo Board (FREE) and here is the Summer Break Bingo Board (also FREE).

Get creative and come up with a practice incentive that puts a smile and a look of excitement on your student’s face.

Step 4: Talk to the Parent

After a month or so of implementing the practice incentive, if you’re still not seeing any improvement in your student’s practice habits, it’s time to officially involve a parent.

Before contacting the parent, I usually mention it to the student so they do not feel “betrayed,” like I’m going behind their back.

Especially for older students, I say something like, “Hey, I’ve noticed that practice is still tricky for you lately. I know the incentive we tried hasn’t really lived up to the hype we thought it would. I’d like to give your mom/dad a call if that’s okay with you, just to see if they have any ideas we can try! I just wanted to let you know that you’re not in trouble. I just want to make sure they’re in the loop with our talks.”

At the end of the conversation with the parent, come up with an idea that can be implemented at home to encourage practice. Give it another month before reassessing the situation.

Step 5: Accept the Situation

If you’ve tried all of the above ideas and left enough time between each step, and you’re still not seeing very much at-home practice, it is time to…

ACCEPT THAT THIS STUDENT WILL NOT BE A PRACTICER!

…at least for this season of their piano journey.

Continuing to lecture or even implement incentives will likely further discourage the student. It’s now time to accept that exactly where they are at and what kind of piano student they are going to be.

Do not try to change them. Keep encouraging them gently along the way, of course, but let it go for now.

This means YOU will have to now pivot how you teach them.

Knowing they will not be practicing regularly, you may need to:

• Switch to a slower-paced method book series
• Reduce the number of items on their weekly assignment list
• Graduate pieces long before perfection
• Take breaks for method books altogether to work on a “fun project”
• Practice in the lesson (make if FUN though!)
• Take a more chill approach to their studies in general (maybe drop recitals and festivals?)

Piano For the Fun of It

At the end of the day, it’s okay if not all of our piano students are ready for a career in music!

The truth is: most piano students will end up in another career with piano as a hobby.

Imagine your non-practicer as a middle-aged professional in their field. They’ve just worked a 10-hour work shift. They come home, open the piano lid, and take a deep breath as they play through a familiar favorite learned years ago. They think of you, the kind and inspiring teacher who accepted them exactly where they were for who they were, and kept a love for music active in their life.

Isn’t THAT what it’s all about!