Communicating Piano Practice Clearly: Helping Pupils Know What to Do at Home

One of the biggest challenges in piano teaching is not what happens in the lesson, but what happens afterwards. A well-structured 30 minutes can quickly unravel if the pupil leaves the room unsure of what to do at home. Clear communication about practice tasks can make the difference between steady progress and mounting frustration.

Why Clarity Matters

Pupils, especially beginners, often leave lessons with only a vague idea of what to practise. “Work on this piece” can feel overwhelming without guidance on which section to focus on, how many times to repeat it, or what musical detail to pay attention to. Parents may want to help but feel unequipped. The result is aimless practice, or sometimes no practice at all.

Clear communication removes the guesswork. When pupils know exactly what’s expected, practice becomes achievable, focused, and more rewarding.

Written Lesson Notes

This is the traditional method of communication. Whether you jot down notes in a notebook or use a structured practice diary, written reminders give both pupils and parents a roadmap for the week. A quick checklist can work wonders:

• Warm-up: 2 minutes on five-finger scale pattern

• Piece A: bars 1–8, hands separately

• Piece B: play through with dynamics

• Listening: watch YouTube clip of “Drunken Sailor”

This method works brilliantly if anyone at home actually opens the practice diary and reads it during the week. In reality, I’ve found only a very small number of parents actively engage with the diary. I’ll start work on a section of a piece that was introduced in the previous lesson and set for practice only for the child to look at me blankly, saying they didn’t know they needed to practise it. In contrast, some parents love this and will write a novelette for me to read at the beginning of each lesson.

Sticky Notes and Simple Cues

For years my pupils have joked with me about my love of a post-it. A post-it stuck on the front of a book can be a memory jog every time that book is picked up. Start and end post-its on sections that need extra focus make it really clear for pupils to remember what they are supposed to be doing when they get home. Sometimes the simplest tools are the most effective. A sticky note on the page with a clear instruction such as “Hands separately, 3x each” or “Focus on bars 5–8, staccato touch” gives pupils a visual reminder as they sit down at the piano. Short, specific cues work far better than long explanations that may be forgotten as soon as the lesson ends.

Digital Tools for Organisation

For teachers who like a more streamlined system, digital platforms can be game-changers. Tools such as My Music Staff or Google Classroom allow you to set weekly practice tasks that pupils and parents can access anytime.

I used to use Google Classroom, which is free, to communicate all the practice activities for the week. You can add documents or YouTube links. You can also set assignments which pupils can then submit on Google Classroom, such as a music theory or composition task, or a video or audio recording of them playing a section of their piece or a scale.

I now use My Music Staff. Although this is a paid subscription, it’s worth every penny if you utilise it fully. Not only does My Music Staff allow families to access lesson notes and my online resources, it is also a one-stop shop for parents to access the calendar and book in lessons. For me, it handles invoicing and even keeps a record of my accounts.

Final Thought

When practice instructions are clear, pupils feel more confident and parents can support more effectively. Whether you use sticky notes, notebooks, or digital platforms, the key is making sure pupils know exactly what to do when they sit at the piano. It often takes some trial and error to find the method that works best for you and your families, but what matters most is that pupils leave each lesson knowing precisely what to do when they sit down to practise at home.

Want more strategies to support pupils with practice and keep families engaged? Sign up for a 7-day free trial of Piano Umbrella and discover scaffolded resources that make practice clear, achievable, and motivating.

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