Successful Ideas to Motivate More Enthusiastic Piano Practice: Part 3

December 7, 2020 Leslie Young

Off

If you have read – and perhaps actually applied – the suggestions in Part 1 and 2 of this blog topic of how to motivate more enthusiastic piano practice, you may be wondering when and how to make the shift from extrinsic to intrinsic motivation for your student. The ultimate goal, of course, is for the student to be self-motivated to the point where he/she desires to practice with best personal effort a sufficient amount of time on a regular basis – which would be nearly every day.

There are so many factors that come into play before this self-motivated level can be achieved. In today’s world, the youth are exposed to many more distractions than used to even exist, and they’re all competing with piano practice time! Choosing to use time wisely, developing self-discipline and personal integrity, establishing a love of listening to and performing piano music – all these take time and maturity and the levels differ with age and experience. They all affect motivation – extrinsic (tangible treats and stickers, etc.) and intrinsic (personal interest and satisfaction. With experience, maturity, and over time, students should be experiencing more intrinsic motivational rewards which show a growing love for music and efforts to produce “personal bests” in piano practice and performance.

As the parent or teacher, your encouragement towards intrinsic motivations may be more successful with an understanding of what and how particular things would stimulate the student in piano practice. At the website https://www.healthline.com/health/intrinsic-motivation#factors you will find various factors that affect the performance and interest of students:

Curiosity: As a teacher, I find that a brief conversation about the song’s illustration, title, and lyrics generates some curiosity in the student. These short “word teasers” spark student attention and curiosity and have them wondering what the song will sound like before playing it. Even if the technical differences between the sounds created by major and minor keys has not yet been taught, chats about, “What would ‘spooky’ sound like? Would a dinosaur make sounds more treble or bass? What might this composer have had in mind when writing this opera aria?” – this sort of dialogue helps students develop an appreciation and interest in the song before even hearing or playing it. If there are lyrics, it helps to have the student read the words first. If the teacher plays the song first while the student sings, then a brief review of rhythm and sounds could follow: “Did it sound something like we expected it to sound, going by the lyrics and the title?” These efforts should increase the student’s interest in learning about the piece, analyzing it, and comparing the playing of it to his expectations. This all leads to quicker music appreciation and the personal pleasure of playing music. Exploring curiosity is the key.

Challenge: Whether a teacher challenges a young student or an older student challenges himself, trying to meet the challenge increases skill level and promotes a more energetic attitude. Challenges could be about practicing for a longer time; having the Practice Record chart completely filled; decreasing the number of errors or being able to self-correct (which is very rewarding in itself). Meeting a specific goal creates very positive feelings and is very self-rewarding – a good intrinsic motivator! All individuals should only make comparisons to self (How can I become a better version of myself?) – and not make comparisons to other people, as this often can become self-destructive. There is an interesting essay about this at https://fs.blog/2019/06/comparing-yourself-others/

Check out Part 1 here
Check out Part 2 here

What Would the First Lesson for a Young Student Look Like?

What Would the First Lesson for a 6 to Teen Look Like (video)?