As piano teachers, we’ve all been there. A student walks into their lesson, fumbles through the same passage they struggled with last week, and the week before, and sheepishly says, “I practiced…”—but we both know something went wrong.

Maybe they played through their pieces a few times, fixed nothing, and called it a day. Maybe they got distracted, didn’t practice at all, or worse, thought they were practicing but were just reinforcing mistakes.

So, what’s the real issue? Are they lazy? Unmotivated? Lacking discipline?

Maybe, but not necessarily. Many students don’t actually know how to practice effectively. And if we don’t teach them that, we’re setting them up for frustration, slow progress, and an endless cycle of mediocre attempts at improvement.

Self-Regulated Learning: The Key to Smarter Practice

Here’s where self-regulated learning (SRL) comes in. Research shows that students who take control of their own learning—setting goals, tracking progress, and adapting their strategies—are the ones who improve the fastest. But here’s the catch: most students don’t naturally do this.

Why? Because traditional music teaching is often built on a master-apprentice model. The teacher guides, the student follows. This works in lessons but collapses the moment they’re alone at the piano.

In contrast, self-regulated learners don’t just play through pieces aimlessly. They:
1. Set specific practice goals (“Today, I will fix the left-hand jumps in measure 12”)
2. Use strategies (slow practice, chunking, hands-separate work, mental play)
3. Self-assess (“Is that actually better, or am I just playing it again?”)
4. Adjust when needed (“Maybe I need to isolate just these two notes first”)

And the best part? We can teach students how to do this.

Practical Strategies to Teach SRL (Without Micromanaging)

How exactly do we move students from “I played it a bunch” to strategic, goal-driven practice?

1. Stop asking, “Did you practice?” Instead, ask:
   • What did you work on this week?
   • How did you decide what needed fixing?
   • What did you do to improve it?
   • How do you know it got better?
     These questions shift the focus from time spent to quality of practice.
2. Use Practice Journals or “Exit Tickets”
   Before students leave a lesson, have them write 2-3 specific practice goals for the week. Example:
   • “Fix rhythm in measure 8 by practicing hands separately at half-speed.”
   • “Memorize the first two lines by saying note names before playing.”
   • “Fix pedaling in section B by testing different foot positions.”
3. Teach “Error-Spotting” Skills
   Students often don’t fix mistakes because they don’t notice them. Try:
   • Recording them playing and asking them to critique their own performance.
   • Playing a passage incorrectly on purpose and asking them to “catch” the mistake.
   • Having them mark their sheet music with trouble spots before moving on.
4. Give Students Some Autonomy
   Research shows that when students get to choose a piece (or even just part of a piece), they engage more deeply. Let them pick a section they want to improve or a piece they’re excited about—then teach them how to practice it well.

What’s the Takeaway?

Students aren’t practicing poorly because they don’t want to get better. They’re practicing poorly because no one has taught them how to practice effectively when they’re alone.

The goal isn’t to make students “work harder.” The goal is to teach them how to work smarter—so they’re not just spending time at the piano, but actually improving.

And the best part? If they learn how to practice well, they won’t need us forever. They’ll develop the skills to refine their playing on their own—which is exactly what we want for them.

Have you tried helping your students develop better practice habits? What strategies have worked for you?

Thanks for reading!

Source: McPherson, Gary & Miksza, Peter & Evans, Paul. (2017). Self-regulated learning in music practice and performance. 10.4324/9781315697048.