A new school year is the perfect time to refresh routines—not just for homework and bedtime, but for music practice, too. Whether your child is picking up their first bow or continuing private lessons, good habits now will shape their confidence and success throughout the year.
At Shar Music, we’ve spent over 60 years supporting string players of all ages. Our experience with parents, teachers, and students tells us: the best practice routines are consistent, supportive, and sustainable.
Here are our Top 5 Practice Tips to start the year strong and keep motivation high:
1. Make Practice Part of the Daily Routine
Consistency is more effective than intensity.
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Choose a time that aligns with your child’s natural focus window. For many students, this is right after school, before fatigue from evening activities sets in.
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Begin with 20–30 minutes of deliberate practice, especially for beginner and intermediate players.
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Link practice to an existing routine—just as you would with reading or brushing teeth—to reduce decision fatigue and improve follow-through.
🎵 Shar Recommended Products:
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Korg TM-70T Combo Tuner-Metronome – Compact, easy-to-use, and perfect for keeping practice sessions focused.
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The Rhythm Train by Dana DeKalb Volume 2 - Digital Download – Helps students with rhythm units and rests. Includes a certificate of completion, fold out Rhythm Train poster, and flash cards! Spiral-bound, 25 pages.
2. Create a Distraction-Free, Well-Lit Practice Space
The environment matters more than you think.
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Use a well-lit corner with a stand, chair, and supplies ready to go.
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Keep essentials nearby: rosin, tuner, pencil, extra strings.
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Eliminate distractions like TV, pets, and phones.
🎵 Shar Recommended Products:
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Extra Tall Light Music Stand with Bag – Features a 'full-frame' desk to give maximum support for your music, in a compact folding design.
- Mighty Bright Encore Music Stand Light in Black – Six bright white LED's in a 5-inch head will illuminate 2 pages of music. Two brightness levels, optical grade lens to spread the light evenly, and a flexible gooseneck.
- Manhasset Music Stand Black – One of the most popular music stands on the market. It is simple, practical, and failsafe.
3. Use a Weekly Practice Focus Plan
Rotating focus throughout the week brings structure, prevents burnout, and helps young musicians progress with purpose.
Monday: scales and warm-ups:
Start the week by reinforcing fundamentals. Scales, arpeggios, and shifting exercises strengthen intonation, hand position, and tone production—while warming up both mind and body for the week ahead.
What to do:
- Begin with one-octave or two-octave scales appropriate to your level.
- Add arpeggios and basic finger pattern drills.
- If shifting has been introduced, include slow shifting exercises between positions.
- 🎵 Shar Recommended Products:
Tuesday: Bowing Technique
Bowing is the heart of tone production. A focused day on bow control builds skills that impact every part of playing—from articulation to phrasing.
What to do:
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Practice open string bowing with full, even strokes from frog to tip.
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Use rhythms and bowing patterns to explore control and clarity.
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Add short études or exercises emphasizing spiccato, legato, or detache strokes.
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Check for tension in the right hand and arm, and maintain a relaxed bow hold throughout.
- 🎵 Shar Recommended Product: Bow Hold Buddies Concert Black
Wednesday: Learn New Music
Mid-week is an excellent time to introduce new repertoire or tackle unfamiliar sections. Energy is still high, and new challenges feel fresh.
What to do:
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Choose a small section of new repertoire or a short étude.
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Use the “divide and conquer” method: isolate challenging shifts, rhythms, or string crossings.
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Use slow, hands-separate practice if needed (fingering without bowing, or bowing open strings to match rhythm).
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Mark difficult spots with fingerings or bowings—don’t wait for the next lesson!
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🎵 Shar Recommended Product: Auer, Leopold - Graded Course of Violin Playing - Book 3 for Violin - edited by Saenger - Fischer Edition
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Thursday: Review and Reinforce
Repetition is essential to retention. Thursdays are for circling back to old material to refine and reinforce—not just to repeat.
What to do:
- Revisit pieces from earlier in the year or week.
- Identify 1–2 areas for targeted improvement: dynamics, bow distribution, phrasing, or clarity.
- Record and listen to playback for self-evaluation.
- End with a “play-through” to practice performance endurance and pacing.
Friday: Musical Expression
Fridays are perfect for creative exploration—focusing on tone color, emotion, and communication through music.
What to do:
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Select one favorite piece or passage and explore dynamics, vibrato, tempo flexibility, and phrasing.
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Experiment with tone color by changing bow speed, pressure, and placement (sul tasto vs sul ponticello).
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Try playing for an audience—family, friends, or camera—to simulate a performance setting.
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Reflect: What story does the music tell? How can you express it?
4. Celebrate Effort and Small Wins
Confidence grows through recognition, not perfection.
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Praise effort: “I saw how hard you worked on that tricky shift!”
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Use visual trackers (stickers, charts) to show progress.
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Record short videos so students can see their improvement.
🎵 Shar Recommended Products:
- Fun With Rhythm - Practice Book for Strings by Evelyn Avsharian - Rhythmic drill presented without the difficulties of instrument playing is an excellent way to teach rhythm reading to the beginning student.
5. Be the Cheerleader, Not the Instructor
Your presence makes the biggest difference.
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Ask curious, encouraging questions: “What’s your favorite part to play today?”
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Avoid correcting—leave that to the teacher.
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Celebrate the process, not just the performance.
🎵 Shar Product Recommendation:
- Shar Music® Micropourous Super Cleaning Cloth - Made to capture rosin dust and wipe off fingerprints, perspiration, or any other debris coating your violin, this cloth captures everything without scratching delicate surfaces or leaving lint.
🎒 Shar Music: Here for Every Step
Whether you’re outfitting your child with a new violin, restocking rosin, or searching for practice tools, Shar Music is your trusted partner in making music a meaningful part of daily life.
