What to Do When a Student Says 'I Hate Practicing'

A student looks you in the eye and says, “I hate practicing.”

If you’ve taught for more than five minutes, you’ve heard some version of that. It can feel personal, even when you know it isn’t.

This matters because “I hate practicing” usually isn’t about music. It’s about what practicing feels like at home: confusing, lonely, too long, too hard, or full of pressure.

Start by figuring out what they actually hate

When a student says they hate practicing, I try not to correct them right away. I get curious. Your response in the first 30 seconds can either open the door or shut it.

A few questions that work well:

“What part do you hate, starting, the middle, or stopping?”
“When you practice at home, what do you do first?”
“What’s the hardest minute of your practice?”
“If practicing was easier, what would be different?”

Common translations of “I hate practicing”

You’ll start to hear patterns.

“I don’t know what to do.” This is the student who sits down and plays from the top, makes mistakes, then feels stuck.
“It takes too long.” Often a pacing issue, or the assignment is too big.
“I’m bored.” The task has no clear goal, or it repeats without feedback.
“I’m bad at it.” Perfectionism, comparison, or fear of disappointing you or a parent.
“My house is stressful.” Siblings, noise, tight schedules, parent comments, or limited space.

This won’t work for everyone, but simply naming the real problem out loud can bring the temperature down. “Oh, you don’t hate music. You hate not knowing what to do when you get home.”

Change the assignment before you change the attitude

Some students need encouragement. Many need a better plan.

If a student practices for 20 minutes and gets nowhere, you can’t pep-talk your way out of that. The assignment has to create quick wins.

Here are a few ways to adjust without lowering standards.

Shrink the target. Instead of “practice the whole piece,” try “get measures 5 to 8 to feel easy three times in a row.”
Make the goal visible. “By next week, you can start at letter B without stopping.”
Give a first step that takes 30 seconds. “Play just the rhythm on one note.” Or “play the left hand alone at half speed.”
Limit the number of tasks. Two clear tasks beat six vague ones.

Example: when a 7-year-old struggles with starting

A lot of younger students hate practicing because the start feels like chaos.

Try giving them a “warm-up button” they can press every day:

30 seconds of “find all the C’s” on their instrument
1 minute of a favorite pattern you know they can do
Then one tiny assignment (like four measures)

The goal is to make starting feel safe and predictable.

Example: when a teen hates repeating things

Teens often interpret repetition as punishment.

Try “reps with a job”:

Rep 1: correct notes
Rep 2: correct rhythm
Rep 3: correct articulation
Rep 4: musical shape (dynamics, phrasing)

Same repetition, different focus. It feels more grown-up and less grindy.

Teach them what “practice” means in your studio

Students think practice means “play it through.” If that’s the only tool they have, of course they hate it.

I like to teach practice skills inside the lesson, then assign the exact same steps at home.

A simple practice recipe you can teach in almost any instrument:

Pick a small chunk. 1 to 4 measures, or one tricky shift, or one entrance.
Slow it down. Slow enough that they can think.
Loop it. 3 to 5 times with a specific goal.
Add one layer. Dynamics, articulation, bowing, sticking, breath plan, tone, intonation.
Reconnect it. Put it back into the phrase.

Make them practice in front of you (gently)

This is one of the fastest ways to help.

Ask: “Show me how you practice this at home.” Then watch.

You’ll learn a lot:

They start from the top every time.
They stop at every mistake and lose the beat.
They rush the hard spot, then slow down after.
They have no idea what counts as “better.”

Then you can coach one small change. “Today, we’re going to practice the practice. You’re going to loop two notes and keep your hands relaxed.”

Reduce the pressure without lowering expectations

Sometimes “I hate practicing” means “I hate the pressure around practicing.” This shows up a lot when parents sit nearby and correct everything, or when a student feels like practice equals judgment.

A few ways to lower the emotional load:

Give permission for messy practice. “Practice is where mistakes belong.”
Separate effort from results. “Your job is to do the steps, my job is to help it sound better.”
Use short time blocks. 5 to 10 minutes can be plenty for a beginner.

If parents are part of the problem

This can be delicate. I keep it practical and specific.

You can say something like:

“This week, can you help by asking one question: ‘What’s your practice plan today?’ Then let them do it.”
“If you hear a mistake, try waiting until the end of the section to comment, or write it down and tell me.”
“If practice turns into a fight, stop and message me. We can adjust the assignment.”

This won’t work for everyone, but many families relax when they get a clear role.

Build a practice plan they can actually follow at home

A student who hates practicing often needs a plan that fits their real life.

Ask about their week. Sports, homework load, siblings, shared instruments, noise, and bedtime all matter.

Then make a plan that sounds like a human schedule.

Example weekly plans

Busy middle schooler: 4 days, 12 minutes each day.
Beginner student: 5 days, 6 minutes each day.
Advanced student preparing for an event: 5 days, 25 minutes, split into 2 chunks.

If you charge $60/hour, your student gets 60 minutes of your attention each week. Their home practice should support what you teach, not crush their motivation. A smaller plan done consistently often beats a big plan done once.

Give them a “minimum” and a “bonus”

This is one of my favorite structures.

Minimum: the smallest version that still counts (like 5 minutes, or two loops of the hardest spot).
Bonus: extra work if they have time and energy (like a full run-through, or adding metronome).

Students who hate practicing often need the safety of knowing they can succeed, even on a rough day.

Practical takeaway: try this in your lessons this week

Pick one student who has said they hate practicing (or clearly acts like it). Try this simple reset.

Ask one curiosity question. “What part of practicing is the worst?”
Watch them practice for 60 seconds in the lesson. No corrections at first, just observe.
Rewrite the assignment into two tasks. One skill task (small chunk), one fun task (something they like).
Set a minimum plan. “Four days, 8 minutes. If you do that, you did your job.”
End with a quick win. In the lesson, get one spot to improve clearly, even if it’s tiny.

If you do only one thing, make the assignment clearer and smaller. Many students stop saying “I hate practicing” when practicing stops feeling like wandering in the dark.