by Heather Baldwin - September, 2021

With the school year well underway, the phrase, “I didn’t have any time to practice this week!” is starting to reappear. I’ve always said the hardest part of piano practice is walking to the piano; that’s doubly true when homework, exams, swim meets, extra volleyball practice, etc., collide to create a jam-packed week. 

In the most comprehensive survey of U.S. music teachers conducted in the last 15 years, a 2020 Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) survey asked teachers to rank, from a list of 15 common issues, their biggest anticipated concerns over the next few years. Top on the list: overscheduled students, followed closely by student motivation. I find the two go hand-in-hand: when students are overloaded, it’s hard to get motivated to sit at the piano and work through hard stuff.

So, what’s the solution on days when the calendar is overly congested? Try aiming for just five minutes of practice.

Yes, seriously – five minutes.

The “five minutes” strategy accomplishes a couple things. First, it gets students to the piano. Five minutes seems so do-able, it’s hardly worth arguing about. Second, five minutes inserted daily into a busy week can add up to enough progress on a few things to create some confidence for the next lesson. Third, it removes the stress and guilt of not practicing so students can focus more fully on other things. Finally, five minutes maintains consistency in the practice habit, making it easier to spool back up when things return to normal.

There are a couple guidelines for ensuring the five-minute practice is successful:

1. Set a goal. The minutes don’t start until a student knows exactly what they are going to work on and how they’re going to tackle it. For instance, “I’m going to learn the first line of my new song. I’ll start with the right hand, then work on the left hand, then put hands together slowly until five minutes is up.” Or, “I’m going to play this page once with the metronome at 70, then at 73, then at 76.” You get the idea.
   
2. Set a timer. Set a timer for five minutes (don’t watch a clock). Position the timer so it’s out of sight but can be heard when it goes off.
   
3. Set no further expectation. Once five minutes is up, students have permission to walk away. That’s important. If they choose to continue practicing (and their schedule allows for it), that’s great. But if they hop up and run when the timer buzzes, let them. Otherwise, it will be tough to get them back the next time. 

For younger beginners, five minutes is sometimes enough anyway. Small doses of repeated, daily exposure to new material really adds up quickly without feeling burdensome. But even older students are often surprised and motivated by how much they can accomplish in five focused minutes. Best of all, five minutes usually isn’t the end of it. Once a student is at the piano and engaged in working on something, they often ignore the timer and just keep playing.

Obviously, five minutes isn’t enough practice time on a regular basis. But on those days or weeks when everything is piling up, the strategy functions like a torniquet: it’s an effective emergency solution that slows the loss of learning.