It's a Marathon, not a Sprint!

Just like becoming fluent in a language, learning how to play the piano is a lifelong journey that requires dedication, practice, and patience – immersion. As with any skill, progress comes with consistent effort and commitment. Unfortunately, many students and parents treat piano lessons as a temporary (even seasonal) activity, taking breaks or quitting altogether when life gets busy. In this blog post, we'll discuss why it's essential to stick with piano lessons consistently, the downsides to taking breaks, and the benefits of staying committed to the process.

Why it's not good to stop and start lessons
Consistency is key when it comes to learning the piano. Stopping and starting lessons can cause a disruption in a student's progress and make it harder for them to pick up where they left off. It can also be frustrating for both the student and the teacher, as they have to re-establish a rapport and figure out where to start. For studios that offer or require regular recitals and other performance opportunities, “catching up” to meet performance deadlines can be a source of stress (or disappointment) for both student and teacher.

Equating school with piano lessons: Quitting during the summer months
It's tempting, and not uncommon, for students to quit during the summer months, because of vacations or other activities, and sometimes simply because student and parent are looking forward to being free of their school routine. While it may seem like a good idea to take a break, this can actually be detrimental to progress.  In the worst cases, breaks can set students back to a beginner level every single year.  Keep in mind that piano lessons are not “school”, but the fun activity your child began out of a genuine interest in and passion for music. In addition, piano lessons don’t typically carry the schedule burdens, deadlines, homework, and rigorous daily planning that comes with a 6 to 8 hour school day. 

Pausing lessons when parents' schedule is busy
Many parents pause their child's piano lessons when their own schedule gets busy. While it may seem like a necessary sacrifice, this can be harmful to the student's progress and motivation. Pausing lessons sends the message that piano is not a priority, and it can be challenging for the student to get back into the swing of things once their schedule frees up.

The Cons to taking a break from lessons
It’s not that Piano Teachers don’t ever want their students to go on vacation, or miss a lesson because a special event conflicts, or skip the occasional lesson when there’s a big school project due the next day. Piano teachers were once students!  Many are also parents and grandparents. Based on perspective and wisdom, here are some of the disadvantages of having gaps in the lesson year.

Forgetting what was learned: With long lapses in accountability, students are naturally going to slack off of playing and practicing. Technique skills tend to deteriorate during stagnation periods, making it necessary to spend time on technical exercises, rather than music. In addition, inconsistency will usually cause a student to forget some or possibly all of what they've learned, so that jumping back into lessons means weeks to months of review, rather than progress.  

Losing momentum: Continuity is crucial to building momentum, staying motivated, and long-term success. Many parents will promise their child will continue playing/practicing even though they won’t be attending lessons. Perhaps. But, without the accountability and guidance of lessons, students quickly lose sight of new challenges, making it harder to stay motivated.

Frustration: Taking breaks can be frustrating for both the student and the teacher. The student may feel like they're starting over, and the teacher may have to spend extra time reviewing previous lessons.

Decreased confidence: It’s no fun falling behind on a skill, or feeling out-of-shape, and this can lead to a decrease in confidence and motivation. Particularly if students are involved in a studio that offers regular performance events, competitions, or proficiency standards.

The Pros to sticking with it
Perhaps the best argument for continuing with lessons year-round is that students learn the importance, and the outcome, of long-term commitment. With so many extra curricular activities being seasonal or finite with age, music lessons are a unique opportunity to experience reaching a long-term goal and success.  But, there are a few other solid benefits to continuing piano lessons without major time gaps!  
Success tends to snowball: Consistent practice and lesson attendance leads to faster progress, completion of more songs, building of repertoire, and mastery of the piano. 

Performances: Playing in recitals (or whatever events are offered in your studio) rely on advance preparation. Taking lessons without major gaps means not missing any performance and rehearsal opportunities during the year.

Improved memory: Consistent practice helps build muscle memory, and comfort at the piano.  In addition, it is the long-term consistency that stimulates brain activity, hand-eye coordination, and promotes cognitive development.

Better sight reading: The more frequently and consistently music is played and studied, the better students become at reading music fluently.
Greater confidence: With steady progress comes greater confidence, motivation, and the ability to set and reach goals.

Enjoyment: Let’s face it…we enjoy the things we are good at.  When progress and success are allowed to happen steadily for students, this leads to a greater sense of enjoyment and satisfaction with lessons.

A better relationship with the teacher: Teachers want their students to look forward to lessons, to succeed and enjoy music, and not spend half the piano year bored by re-learning old repertoire and exercises.

Don't forget why you started (or want to start) Piano Lessons in the first place
​Fun?  Self expression?  A creative outlet?  Love of music!  But besides being amazingly fun and fulfilling, piano lessons are an investment that lasts a lifetime!  And, much like wise financial investments, you’ll receive a much higher return by staying with it consistently. So, if you are currently enrolled in a piano lesson program, or thinking about it, remember...it’s a marathon, not a sprint.

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