Helpful Tip

SMILES: The Parent’s Guide to Practice 

The SMILES acronym breaks down the important elements of practicing. 

Slow- Hard parts must be practiced slowly. Kids love to say it is easier to play fast, but this may be sloppy. 

Students need to practice the small details. 

Matching fingers – To learn each example/song students should say the letter name of each note and match their fingers or slide position on the instrument.

Identify the problem(s)- Don’t be afraid to ask them why they are practicing something. If they can’t tell you why they are practicing something, then that is a bad sign. Here are some examples of “problems:” 

• Notes (This could be reading the note or fingering the note on their instrument) 
• Rhythms (They may be unsure of a rhythm and could use a pencil to write in the counting or use a metronome or light toe tapping to keep a steady pulse) 
• Articulation (Brass & Woodwind players have specific ways a note should be started. Using the tongue. Percussionists should have some markings telling them which hand to use) 
• Tone (Quality of sound… they may need to work on a stronger or smooth sound.) 
• Breathing (Practicing breathing at specific spots, or being able to sustain notes for the full counts) 
• Dynamics (How loud or soft the music should be played.) 
• Style (There are directions written in the music telling them how notes should be played) 

Listen/Time- It may take multiple practices to fix a problem or learn a new technique. Students must be patient! They should listen as they play.  Encourage your child to record a practice session.  Then listen to it with them.   Multiple practices for smaller lengths of time are more effective than one or two practices. Set up some regular practice times or block out a certain number of minutes each day. 

Early Start- You cannot prepare for your lesson by only practicing the night before. 

Speak/Sing- Speaking rhythms out loud and singing pitches go a long way toward reinforcing what the music should sound like. They can also clap and count out loud!