Piano Skills and Practice Articles

Check out these articles on PIANO SKILLS and PRACTICE:

Debating between signing up for the Let's Play Music complete musicianship course OR traditional private piano lessons?  Read this important post to get the big picture on the differences between the two approaches.  Read more here.

How much technique do we need when teaching beginning pianists? Our program focuses on building complete musicians...you may be surprised to read our take on technique.  Read more here.

What technique and posture do we cover? Find out here.

Our tiny students have brilliant minds ready to play bing things on the piano... but tiny hands that aren't very strong.  Here are some playful ways to help develop dexterity and strength without overworking those digits. Read the post here.

Now that we're playing chords, we insist your child practice the fingering taught in class. What's the big deal? We rely on muscle memory to teach your child common chord hand shapes that will help her achieve piano success.  Read the post here. 

The first year of the Let's Play Music program is light on the practice schedule, but when recital time comes, it's time to ramp up the regular, recorded practices with an intention of polishing the recital songs. Get a fun practice chart and some ideas in our blog post here.

Memorization helps you get ready for your recital AND has loads of brain-boosting benefits. Here are tips to help you memorize painlessly and keep those songs in the bank forever! Read more here.

Practice Habits: Parents need to develop habits of their own to become consistent cheer leaders and practice reminders.  Here are a few tried and true ways to get going on your habit so you can, in turn, help your child. Read more here.

You hope your child practices because he LOVES making music, but right now he's only motivated by extrinsic factors.  Here's a guide for talking to your child about piano practice in a way that nurtures the developing intrinsic motivation. Read more here.

Looking for more ease and peace at practice time? Author Carol Tuttle, the Child Whisperer, helps you adjust practice habits for your child's personality in this post here.

Frustrated with your child's practice time? One strategy for bringing peace and ease back into this family routine is adjusting expectations. Read more here.

It's summertime. Do we HAVE to practice? Find a plan that works for you and your family with some of our summer tips here.

The Purple semester begins in a few weeks! Let us help you and your student refresh your piano skills so you'll be totally prepared for the MAGIC. Find out how here.

If your child is working on learning Cockles and Muscles, check out these tips and tricks to help overcome the challenging parts of this song. Read them here.

The connections songbook and program: every graduate needs it!  See how we transition students from our Let's Play Music program into mainstream private piano lessons. Read more here. 

Popular group The Piano Guys share tips on practicing, composing, and having great friendships in this exclusive Let's Play Music interview. Read the full interview here.

You'll need a piano or keyboard for 2nd and 3rd year Let's Play Music classes- find out how to get one that meets your needs, and how to avoid a dud in this article here.


You have a piano, so be sure it's ready to play. How do you care for a piano? Read our post here.