Showing posts with label music lessons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music lessons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music lessons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music lessons. Show all posts

How to Motivate Your Child to Practice Guitar

How to Motivate Kids to Practice Guitar


Whether you homeschool or not, you probably have a difficult time getting your child to practice their musical instrument. No matter the instrument, be it a ukulele, guitar, piano, clarinet, or saxophone, practice makes perfect. So, how do you motivate kids to practice guitar? Read on for some valuable parenting tips that may just save your sanity.



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How to Motivate Kids to Practice Guitar or Ukulele
How do you motivate your child to practice their musical instrument?

No matter how much your child loves playing the guitar or the ukulele, there comes a time when he or she isn’t in the mood to practice. When this happens, what can you do?


First, you need to determine why your child doesn’t feel like practicing. Perhaps they find their old guitar to be too unwieldy or cumbersome, or it won’t stay in tune and they’re not enjoying the sound that comes out of it. If the problem is the starter guitar, it would be a good idea to look into other guitar models that kids would like. A great-sounding small guitar is one of the best motivators for kids to keep practicing.



More ideas on how to motivate your child to practice guitar:



tips to motivate child to practice musical instrument guitar




Assess the practice schedule
If practice time is set too close to bedtime, your child may already feel too tired to pick up the guitar. Sit down with your child and talk about a good practice schedule he or she can stick to. Some children may enjoy a 15-minute practice session in the morning before school and another 15-minute session in the afternoon. Put your child in control of the daily practice schedule and give them a gentle reminder to stick to it.


Set up a reward system
Construct a reward system based on goals. For this you’ll need to work with your child’s guitar teacher so you’re on the same page. You can utilize a number of methods for the reward system, such as points for every goal met or number of minutes of practice. It’s up to you and what you think would work best according to your child’s personality. Find ways to keep the reward system fun - level up rewards or create bigger challenges to keep your child aiming for the gold.


Schedule regular performances
Performances keep young guitar players excited. Nervous too sometimes, but it’s part of motivating children to practice. After all, no one wants to play badly at a recital, so one is really bound to practice. Performances also work to hold kids accountable, while helping them develop confidence and keeping them inspired to keep on learning.


Offer words of encouragement
Learning to play the guitar isn’t always a sunny experience. There are good days and bad days. Children may become frustrated at not being able to play a particular chord or learn a new song. Times like these, it’s up to you as a parent to keep their pep up.


Ask how their guitar lessons went and ask them to show you what they've learned. Listen to them play the guitar and cheer them on. Tell them how proud you are of how good they’ve become and how they could get even better with more practice. When they see you are really interested, they are more likely to practice so they can show you more of their guitar skills.


Track progress
Many kids learning guitar may not feel up to practicing because they are not aware of the amount of progress they’ve made from Day One. To motivate your child to practice, track their progress and show them how far they’ve come. You can do this by taking short video clips of practice sessions and performances. When your child sees how much they’ve improved because of practicing, they will become more motivated to keep at it and make their guitar practicing more consistent.


Do you have other tips for motivating children to practice playing the guitar? Share them with us in the comments.


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Kalu Yala Problems

Kalu Yala Problems: School in the Rainforest?

Have you ever considered working in the Rainforest? You can study abroad a Kalu Yala. Learn to build a sustainable village in the jungle. Kalu Yala is on a mission to build and redesign places to be more socially and environmentally responsible. What a great opportunity to study abroad and learn in the trenches! Seems like the perfect gap year opportunity. You might have heard there are problems in Kalu Yala. Let's address those. #kaluyalaproblems #ad

This is a sponsored post, all opinions are my own.


Kalu Yala Problems: School in the Rainforest?


So, Kalu Yala is building a sustainable town in a jungle. That's not a 5-star hotel. It's not even a comfortable dorm room, but who would expect the luxuries of home while building a town in a jungle? If you're expecting the conveniences found at a university, Kalu Yala isn't for you.

What are some Kalu Yala problems? It's a dorm, without walls. Ranchos are traditional open-air structures. It's in the jungle. Expect to sleep on hammocks, and if your're lucky, air mattresses. Expect bugs. Expect to smell your roommates. Expect their snoring to keep you awake. Expect to cherish these memories, and to miss your roommates when it's time to go home. And coming soon, as of Fall 2017, students will be moved to enlarged “Granchos” to provide for more space.


Want to Work in the Rainforest: Kalu Yala


Another Kalu Yala problem, you might think by wanting to help build a town in a jungle, that that desire would be enough. Though the offer is commendable, this is a study abroad program. You're attending school in the jungle. The things you'll learn are invaluable. So, like any study abroad program, there's a fee for that. College tuition, you know. Kalu Yala isn't free. Tuition covers instruction, (you're learning to build a town in a jungle) room, (those fabulous hammocks) and board, (all the structures on the property) plus three meals per day. 

Why, you ask? Kalu Yala is on a mission to make places more socially and environmentally responsible. At stake, how can real estate be socially and environmentally responsible? It's a testing ground. It’s starting in a lush mountain valley in the Panama rainforest.

Where, you ask? Kalu Yala is a 375-acre plot of jungle valley located 50 minutes from Panama City, Panama. 80% of the land is reserved for conservation. The remaining 20% of acreaage is poised for low-impact development including an academic institute, residential housing, and commercial facilities.

Off the grid? Town square boasts a solar powered charging station, retail markets, recreation areas, ranchos, and classrooms. What a great educational experience for the adventurous. So ,what do you think? Are you up for it?  


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Best Musical Instruments for Children

Hitting the Right Note: Online Music Lessons and Instruments

So, your child wants to play an instrument? Great! The benefits of playing a musical instrument are endless- playing a musical  instrument increases memory capacity, concentration levels and coordination, teaches perseverance and discipline, promotes social skills and the ability to listen, nurtures self-expression, and relieves stress. The pros outweigh the cons, now all you need to do is choose a musical instrument, find a music teacher and take some music lessons. Simple. We've got it all sorted out for you, including some of the best online music lessons for children. Enjoy!

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.


Best Musical Instruments for Children