I used to have this long checklist for my students that was supposed to help them with their practice. Over the course of the years, I have been personalizing the list and updating it. Still, some of my students are still practicing like 'hamsters'. I call it hamster when one plays from the beginning of a piece till the end and repeat it countless times. Hah! Did I call you out! So, finally, I have crossed out most in the list and condensed it all to the most basic ones. Today I am sharing the MOST BASIC strategy for beginners to start teaching themselves how to practice SMART, and not just practice hard! (Actually, this could be applied to any instrument learning!)

What is 3, 3, 30? 1. Always divide your practice to 3 sections 2. Make a mistake? repeat 3 times. 3 CONTINUOUS repeats which means if you play two times correct and the third time you make a mistake, then go back to zero again. Keep in mind the golden three times. Why? Because each time you make a mistake, you will need at least three times of repetitions to correct the wrong muscle memory. Making this mentally challenging is a way to avoid falling asleep on the piano from boring repetition. 3. Practice for no less than 30 minutes daily. For beginners obviously depends on the age, I would advise the different lengths of practice. Young beginners may start with just 12 minutes per day and slowly extend it. However, 30 minutes is pretty substantial for beginners. Having a plan will help students overcome the feeling of "practicing is just repeat and repeat, it's SOOOO boring..." or "but I don't know how to practice?!" or "I did practice but I don't sound good" Keep this strategy going for 30 days before you start judging any outcome. Yes, 30 days. Don't start asking questions before you get to the 30th day. Persistence is the key to any successful instrumental learning! I can tell teachers many ways to keep lessons interesting, but that's the teacher's job, your job as a parent or student, is to keep your practicing EFFECTIVE which means, following a plan! So, stop being a hamster and practice smart from today!