Many parents think: “I can’t play myself, so I can’t help.” That isn’t true. The most important kinds of help with practice have little to do with playing. Here are things you can do without any prior knowledge.
Tuning the instrument
An out-of-tune instrument sounds off no matter how well the child plays – and that’s frustrating. With a tuner, tuning is easy even for non-musicians: pluck a string, watch the needle, turn the peg. Two minutes before practice is the most valuable help of all. The app’s tuner shows which string it hears and gives hints if you turn the peg of a different string.
To the tunerComparing chord diagrams
You can learn to read a chord diagram in five minutes – see How to read chord diagrams. Then you can compare with your child: is every finger on the right string and fret? Ask rather than correct: “Look where the ring finger is in the picture – and where’s yours?”
Your child becomes the teacher
Let your child teach you a chord or a little song. Explaining something helps you understand it better – and children love being the expert for once. If your fingers hurt and it sounds off, that’s actually good: your child sees that starting out is hard for everyone.
Good questions instead of judgements
- “What was hardest today?”
- “Which string isn’t ringing yet?”
- “Will you play me the song you’re working on?”
- “What would you like to learn next?”
Nobody has to judge alone whether a chord sounds clean: every chord in the app has a “Check me!” button. The microphone listens and says which string isn’t right yet. The analysis stays on the device.
Joining in without an instrument
- Sing along: with singing, practice turns into a song. Your voice doesn’t need to be pretty.
- Clap the beat: clap along to the pulse or switch on the metronome.
- Listen: a mini concert after dinner is the nicest reward for many children.