Book Review: 101 Piano Practice Tips by Tracy Capps Selle

101 Piano Practice Tips is an ebook, meaning you must purchase it to read on a computer, tablet, or smartphone (not a paper book). It is sold at amazon.com for $2.99.

Here is a book that you can read quickly from start to finish. However, I recommend that you consult the table of contents and go directly to the tips which will apply most to your pianist's situation. The chapters are:

1. The Top Ten Things You Can Do Right Now
2. Create a Great Environment
3. Make a Plan
4. Attitude is Everything
5. How to Encourage More Practice
6. How to Encourage Good Quality Practice
7. Make it Fun: Accountability
8. Find Opportunities for Your Child to Perform
9. How to Help Older Students
10. All Practice Does Not Need to be at the Piano
11. Things to Remember
12. Tips from Kids
13. Tips from Parents
14. Help! My Child Wants to Quit Piano Lessons

I have read the book and have found many fresh ideas that could help a number of my students tremendously. But this is a book that would do far more good in the hands of a caring parent or grandparent than it will with the piano teacher as the only reader. Parents and grandparents invest a great deal of money in piano lessons. The return on that investment is multiplied exponentially when a consistent practice routine is in place at home. Many adults have no idea how to encourage a child to practice piano. This book provides the help you need in language that non-musicians will easily understand and in very practical terms. Obviously, with 101 tips, there will be some that help your situation more than others. If you find just one tip that does the trick with your child, you will have not only gotten your money's worth from the purchase of the book, you will have increased the benefits you and your child receive from piano lessons.

This short book would be about 28 pages long if it were in paper format. It is a resource you can consult repeatedly and return to for fresh inspiration over the course of years during which your child studies piano.

Here are a few sample tips (shown here with permission from the author):

Number 17 - Once you know the weekly practice goal, you can come up with a plan. Perhaps your children could practice 20 minutes, 4 days a week. Or maybe 15 minutes, 5 days a week. Have your kids help! Remember, there's no wrong way to do this. Just set a goal and give your children some direction. Plus, they'll be much more likely to follow through if they helped create the practice schedule.

Number 29 - Rewards! All children are different, so spend some time thinking up a good reward designed with your child in mind. Perhaps you could offer a coupon to get out of a chore in exchange for an extra day of practice. Would your children like to earn more electronics time or maybe a sleepover with a friend? Believe it or not, I have one student who will memorize just about anything for a can of chicken noodle soup! Another student really likes our cats, so occasionally I'll reward her with a coupon to play with our cats for 10 minutes. The possibilities are endless and you could always ask your children for ideas, too!

Number 40 - Encourage your children to focus when they practice. Some kids are in such a rush to finish, they play incorrectly. A short, focused practice is much better than a longer one with no concentration.

Number 55 - What are you working to accomplish? Remember, your gift might not be playing music. At least let your child see you working on something. Crochet an afghan. Finish a woodworking project. Try a new recipe. Exercise a little more! Make a pact with your children that if both you and your kids accomplish your goals, then you all get to go out for frozen yogurt.

Number 65 - Teens don't like to be micromanaged, and yet they often need it! If your children are older, it might be time to work on transferring practice responsibility. A good way to accomplish this is to be "hands off" and still give them some subtle reminders. One idea is to take an index card and write the days of the week on it. Tell them that they need to practice 4 days that week and have them mark off the days when they practice. It's their responsibility to remember. Make sure you put the card in a place where your kids will see it every day. Maybe their desk, or tape it on the mirror in the bathroom. If they do this for a month or so with success, reward them! Most teens love iTunes gift cards.

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There are 96 more tips in the book. I would love to think that all of my students have the sort of support at home that they need to succeed with and enjoy piano. Reading this book (and consulting it again and again as needed) is one way parents and grandparents can make that happen. I heartily recommend it.