Self-regulation of teenaged pianists during at-home practice

Professional musicians employ self-regulation and deliberate practice strategies when learning music. Although self-regulation is difficult for beginners, presumably students practice deliberately as music becomes more difficult and they develop musical skills. It is not clear to what extent intermediate piano students self-regulate during learning. This study explored practice strategies used during at-home practice of nine intermediate-level teenaged piano students. Over a two-month period, piano students recorded three videos of themselves practicing. Data were triangulated from coded video, teacher interviews, and student questionnaires regarding practice habits, strategy use, and perceived challenges. Students regularly practiced under less-than-ideal circumstances and had limited attention spans, but skill level was not an indicator of self-regulation. Nine practice strategies were observed and reportedly employed. While six of the students mostly played through repertoire, three participants were motivated to deliberately use practice strategies and they attempted to self-regulate when practicing without a teacher present.