As teachers, we hear it all the time: I didn't practice this week. Usually this is said with a slightly guilty tone of voice, because students know they're expected to work on their material, but the time just gets away from them day to day, and suddenly it's their lesson time again. So here are the ways I've successfully gotten my students to get into the habit of practicing, which makes EVERYONE happier.
1. MAKE IT A HABIT
Do it everyday, at the same time everyday. Just like teeth brushing, just like homework, just like eating dinner. Every day habits are much easier to maintain, so get it into your daily routine. Remember it doesn't have to be a long session; even five minutes a day is better than nothing. And if five minutes is too much, do two minutes. I tell my students, "Even if you don't play, you're required to hold your instrument everyday." At the minimum, take it out of its case, and get into the habit of having it in your hands. Get into the habit of sitting down at the piano and pushing a couple of keys. Taking the pressure off of yourself (or your student) to do a full blown practice session makes starting the practice session less daunting. And honestly, starting the practice session is the hardest part sometimes.
2. SHORT DAILY PRACTICES ARE BETTER THAN CRAMMING
Our brains have a buffer, and there comes a point at which practicing ceases to be useful if the same material is worked on for too long. Everyone's buffer is different, but when mistakes start to get worse instead of better, take a break or work on something completely different to avoid frustration. The most ideal thing (although not always practical) is to take a nap. Our brains finish processing the practice we did, and clears the buffer once we sleep. When you come back to the piece you were practicing after a decent sleep, you'll be surprised how much better you'll play it.
3. DIVIDE PRACTICE TIME INTO THIRDS
However many minutes you have available for your practice, divide your time into thirds:
The first third is dedicated to warm up and review : scales, easy review pieces, finger exercises, sight reading. The next third should be the hard stuff : new material, hard passages, new skills that make your brain hurt. The last third is like eating dessert: Play WHATEVER you want to play: your favorite pieces that you know really well, things that make you happy, goof off on your instrument by trying out weird sounds and techniques without any pressure of trying to make things perfect.
Happy practicing!