How to Keep Your Child Motivated to Practice

At some point, almost every student hits a stretch where they don’t want to practice. For some, this happens seasonally. For others, it comes and goes much more frequently.

It might come after the initial excitement fades. It might come when pieces get longer and progress feels slower. It might come during a busy season at school or an overloaded activity schedule. It might come when lessons aren't regular enough to provide the guidance students need. Or it might come for no apparent reason at all. For teenagers especially, motivation often loses a quiet struggle to phones, novelty, and constant dopamine hits, all of which reward distraction far more quickly than the cello ever can.

None of this is a sign that something is inherently wrong. The cello is hard. It is demanding. It is challenging. That is also one reason why it is such a worthwhile pursuit. But how we respond when motivation dips makes all the difference.

Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation

You already know the difference.

In cello, intrinsic motivation can present itself in the satisfaction of nailing a difficult shift repeatedly and confidently, the pleasure of making a beautiful sound, the feeling of real improvement, or playing a badass song.

And, extrinsic motivation comes from outside. Sticker charts. Rewards. Praise. Grades. Pressure.

Both exist. Both are useful in doses.

But the research is clear: intrinsic motivation predicts whether students stick with music long-term. Šulentić Begić and colleagues found that the most motivated practicers weren’t chasing rewards or approval. They described practice as “challenging and fun” and practiced because they wanted to get better.

These are the students who practice even when no one is watching.

So how do we help intrinsic motivation grow?

To answer that, we first need to understand why motivation so often fades.

The Problem of Invisible Progress

Early on, progress is obvious. A child goes from noise to notes. From scratching to songs. And, everyone can hear it.

Later, progress becomes quieter and can feel slower. Several weeks of work might result in better accuracy in upper third position or a slightly more controlled bow. Important changes, but they can feel almost invisible.

This is where motivation can drop. Not because the student isn’t improving, but because they can’t feel that they are.

The solution isn’t more pressure. It’s visibility. When progress happens gradually, it’s easy to miss. Creating simple ways to track growth can help both you and your child see what’s actually happening.

What Parents Can Do

Parental support matters tremendously. The form it takes matters more than the amount.

Track progress intentionally. Record your child once a month and listen back together after a few months. This can reveal changes that are hard to notice day-to-day. If the difference isn’t clear, that’s useful information too. It might signal that something in our approach needs adjusting.

A practice journal can also help. Jot down which passage was worked on, what tempo it was practiced at, or what got memorized. When progress can be measured, it becomes easier to trust the process. For older students, let them pick a notebook and pen they like. This makes it feel less like a chore. Younger kids often respond well to a simple chart with colorful stickers.

Be present. Help establish routines and gently guide scheduling practice. Make sure the instrument is in good working order, in tune, with fresh rosin. Create a distraction-free zone. No electronics during practice. If there’s a phone, put it on airplane mode or, as I call it, “Practice Mode.”

Create a musical environment. Attend concerts together. Play recordings at home. Talk about music. Let music feel like something people do, not just something children are told to practice.

Be careful with praise. Carol Dweck’s research shows that when children are praised only for exceptional results, they begin to see practice as less meaningful, because practice rarely produces immediate perfection. Acknowledge the work itself: consistency, focus, persistence.

One thing that consistently backfires is forcing practice. Pressure may produce short-term compliance, but it rarely builds long-term motivation.

Practical Ways to Lower Resistance

Motivation often dies not from laziness, but from friction.

Make the instrument visible. The hardest part of practice is often opening the case. As for me, putting on my shoes is the hardest part of running. Leave the cello out when possible. There are cello stands for this, too.

Create performance opportunities. A Friday night mini-concert. A recording sent to grandparents. A FaceTime call. Practice feels different when it has an audience.

Let them play something they love. I have to remind myself of this one, too. Alongside required repertoire, allow space for music with personal meaning.

Adjust on busy or tired days; don’t skip. When energy or time is low, do a ten-minute “power practice” on the hardest passage or on a piece they love. Something is almost always better than nothing.

How to Practice Well

Practice works best when it’s unhurried and intentional. Slowing down, taking a breath, and learning passages carefully the first time helps prevent habits that later need to be undone. All practice builds habits, for better or for worse.

Productive practice usually starts with knowing what actually needs attention, rather than playing straight through over and over and hoping the difficult sections improve on their own. Breaking passages into small pieces allows the work to stay focused and manageable.

Listening is just as important as playing. Paying attention to the body, the resulting sound, the character, and the musical intention keeps practice connected to music rather than mechanics alone.

When practice feels purposeful, motivation tends to follow.

Final Thought

There is always this: just do it. Sit down and practice whether you feel like it or not. For a few, that mentality works.

But for most children, motivation needs the right conditions. Those conditions take time and care to build. And like everything else with the cello, they compound.

The cello is demanding. But it gives a great deal back if students stay long enough to discover it.