Healthy Home Practice Environment Part 3: Learning Tools

Welcome back for part 3 of our series on setting up a Healthy Home Practice Environment! Last week we talked about some things to consider in making our home practice space more ergonomic for ease of use, and to support healthy technique. Today, I'm sharing some of my favorite home practice tools, or piano accessories if you will, that can help us achieve that.

Here are my 5 favorite tools to enrich your piano practice space:

• 1. If your piano space could use some more light, try a piano lamp. 
• 2. If your piano kid likes mechanical things, how about a metronome? You can always download an app to a smart device, but having the real thing can be more fun and eliminate the distraction of a screen during practice time.
• 3. A footstool & something on the seat to boost their height (a folded blanket is my favorite quick fix) is good to have available for all practices. 
• If you have a little who is using the pedals and want to invest in something a bit more piano specific than a footstool, consider a pedal extender.  
• 4. Manipulatives - hands on learning tools that can help us focus.
• flashcards to review current concepts
• rhythm instrument like a drum or wood block to work on tricky rhythms
• dice, coins or game markers for gamifying practice time.
• 5. A Pencil - the easiest of all, have a pencil or two that just live on your piano so you can:
• circle elements of the music we may be missing 
• jot down quick reminders on our sheet music
• complete our theory assignment pages

Thank you for following this blog series, so far we've covered Location, Ergonomics and Tools, and next week we'll be talking about one of the most valuable elements of a Healthy Home Practice Environment, and that is Encouragement! If you're looking for engaging, honest, productive ways to offer feedback and encourage your piano kid, be sure to check back for next week's post.