Top 7 Practice Tools Every Piano Student Should Have: #5 Cube Timer

Piano students don’t need a lot of accessories to practice… a quality instrument and sheet music is enough! But there are a few tools that make a practice session easier and more effective.

I’m counting down my Top 7 Piano Practice Tools I think every student should have when they are on the bench (plus a bonus one at the end that you might not expect!).

Coming in at number 5 is:

Cube Timer

Time is a hot commodity is our fast-paced world, so the time spent at the piano practicing should be used to its full potential. However, how many times has a student “just wanted to check the time” and then ended up playing around on their device instead of practicing? It happens to the best of us, but our practice time dwindles away quickly when we get side-tracked by our devices.

I generally recommend that devices should be as far away as possible from the piano during practice time. I know, I know, they can be used as alarms but ultimately they are a huge distraction… How do we keep track of our practice time then?

A clock near the piano can be enough but a practice tool that I recommend to my students (and use myself!) is the cube timer.

Why do I prefer the cube timer over a traditional clock? Because students will oftentimes stare at the clock or repeatedly look up at the clock to see how much practice time is left. This constant pull to look at the time destroys focus… Every time the student looks at the clock, their focus is gone and will then need to be redirected back to the music.

The cube timer eliminates the distraction of looking at the clock and “worrying” about how much practice time is left. Once the timer is set for the desired amount of time, it will beep when the time is up and the student can fully focus their attention on their music.

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Important Tip!!! The cube timer has a small LCD screen on its bottom that counts down the time left on the timer. I strongly suggest covering it with a small sticker or painting over it. Otherwise, students will run into the same problem as using a regular clock.

The cube timer comes in different time configurations. The one I generally recommend for students is the 5/10/20/30 minute option. A typical 30 minute practice session for an elementary age student using this timer could look like this:

• 5 minutes: Technical exercises and warm-ups
• 10 minutes: Practice piece number 1
• 10 minutes: Practice piece number 2
• 5 minutes: Cool down/fun time

The student would just lay the timer on the piano, the desired number of minutes facing up, and start practicing. When the timers beeps, the student would then move onto the next practice activity and set the timer again. The timer helps students take ownership of their practicing and keep track of their time without distractions.

Practicing is just as much of a mental battle as it is a physical challenge. We are surrounded by distractions from the world around us but we are also swamped by distractions from within. Training the mind to focus on a high level task, like playing an instrument, is a long process. So setting ourselves up for success from the beginning is half the battle and worth the investment.

And there we have it!

The number 5 practice tool every piano student should have. Be sure to check out the previous blogposts for other another great practice tool that made my list:

• #7 Mini-erasers
• #6 Music Clips

Next up is the Number 4 Practice Tool for effective practicing!

• Chord Snowblast
  Are you longing for cooler temperatures this summer? Bust out Chord Snowblast (and the mini-erasers) for a cool piano game that covers all the major and minor chords!
• Pot of Gold Rhythm Game
  Students love this easy rhythm game for beginner/elementary level students. The value of each rhythm note or rest will determine how many coins go into the pot. Who can fill their pot the fastest?! This game can be adapted for any time of the year or use mini-cauldrons for a fun Halloween or St. Patrick’s Day game.
• Rainbow Manuscript Paper
  This colorful manuscript paper is available in the Toucan Piano shop as a free printable! They are available in three sizes, so they can be used for a variety of ages and activities, like writing out original compositions, explaining music theory concepts, music dictation, games, and so much more!

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