Do you find yourself nagging at your child and say things like…

“Boy… did you practice violin today?”

“Go practice your violin before your dinner”

“If you don’t practice, then I will (insert punishment here)”

We all know practice is part of music learning.

But do you know nagging at them to practice is also the fastest way to make your child lose interest in music? Because the last thing we want to hear from them is ‘I don’t like violin any more…”

Watch this video below to find out more.

We can all agree that no ones like nagging.

But if we nag too much at our child, they will associate learning music with nagging, and that is a negative association.

So the child may think that the only way to stop the nagging, is to stop learning music.

So what’s the better way?

Encourage them. Praise them.

Most children start learning violin full of excitement and enthusiasm. They may pick up the violin a few times a day, playing the songs they learn in class, or doing the exercises in their theory workbooks. Sometimes they even try to play tunes they hear from movies or cartoons they like on the violin on their own. 

When they do that, encourage and praise them.

Don’t take it for granted that it is something that happens naturally.

Everyone likes praises, so give them more!

“You’re learning well!”

“That’s a very nice piece you’re playing!”

And if you like what they play, you can clap for them, for playing for you!

Your child will feel appreciated.

But, what if your child plays wrongly? Don’t you want to point out their mistakes?

Surely, you’ll want to highlight any mistakes your child made while playing.

And here’s how you can do it positively.

For every criticism, find a praise.

Start with a praise, then your criticism. Then encourage them to do better.

“You played well for that part. It’s very musical. I think there may be a note you played wrongly there. Keep up with your practice, and I’m sure you’ll do it right!”

Beginners, especially children, have low confidence in themselves, and they are always thinking “Am I doing it right?”, “Why do I keep making mistakes?”, “Why can’t I play as well as others?”.

They are at a learning stage where they need the most encouragement from people closest to them.

So do encourage them more (and criticise less)!

Looking for a violin teacher who can make lessons fun, and motivate you to progress further? Let us know your requirements in the form below, and we will get you the best teachers within 24 hours!