(No idea if this is the right place to post this)

I saw on another thread someone said they recommended that students practice an hour a day. This seemed to be in the context of reluctant teenagers who probably only do an hour a week.

I have always encouraged my children to do little and often (with the emphasis on often rather than little ) When they started piano I'd get them to do 5 or 10 minutes before school each day, so that they weren't doing it when tired, it wouldn't be forgotten in a chaotic evening and it wouldn't be a long chore that they dreaded. Other parents have approached me, who seemed surprised at the progress my children were making and they seemed to expect them to be doing long practice sessions.

Now I'd rather they did 20 to 30 mins (proper targetted practice) every day, rather than an hour once a week. Or practice a couple of bits until they are good rather than meander through a lot of things .

I'm sure if a practice seesion was looked on as nearly an hour at a time we'd never fit it in.

I just wondered what everyone else thought. A couple of long sessions a week vs lots of short ones?

Lots of shorter ones, on the whole. And I discourage clock-watching (ie time-based practice) - filling the 'half-hour' or however much can easily become the focus. Like you, I prefer target based practice sessions.

'Play those two bars until you can't get them wrong' for example.

On the other hand, a panic hour or half hour the night before the lesson is likely to be counter-productive, and risks cementing the mistakes that were half-learnt in the previous week.

Emsoboe practices Piano for about half an hour before school. It usually has a purpose, either getting a particular part correct or pushing the speed.

During holidays she's been doing about 45 minutes a session on three wind instruments per day. Now school has returned that will probably drop down to two wind instruments. They generally get rotated as it's the only way they can all be kept going.

Yes, termtime is a real challenge. We leave for school at 7.30 and they don't get in til about 5pm, add in homework, sports and music lessons and it can be a challenge keeping all the instruments going. Pre school practise is pretty much a thing of the past.

I much prefer 3/4 15 minute sessions rather than 45 mins/1hr in 1 go. I don't do pre college/school practice as I value my sleep and don't want to get up before 7am.

I can just about fit in when I start college next week. Obviously not on orchestra evenings which are monday and thursday.

Definitely (almost) every day is preferable to once a week.

I guess how long, when and how often you practise completely depends on the person and instrument. I can't practise recorder for less than about an hour because it feels that I have to put it away as soon as I get it out and, if you're doing proper focussed practising, an hour goes past really quickly. So, for recorder, I pretty much aim at a big at-least-two-hour practice per day, although I might miss out a day or two in the week and just play random stuff on those (or nothing). I generally practise fiddle in the holes that it doesn't seem worthwhile getting my recorders out in, so that will get about a half-hour chunk per day. For piano, I don't really have any set ideas about how to go about practise, some days, I'll play for hours, some days for several lots of ten minutes, some days just when lunch is cooking, some days no practice at all - it all evens itself out in the end.

Little and often is the secret.

Big and often creates a virtuoso, but that is another story.

When my daughter stared playing at aged 6 we worked on 10 minis a day and built it up to two 15 minis sessions and continue to build on it, she is now 12 and plays for about an hour a day split with a brake. She focuses on scales playing ones she knows and then focusing on ones she has difficulty with and giving more time to them. Then it’s on to pieces and working on problem the areas in these. Unfortunately she is a little time focused, but mainly due to home work commitments. Daughter practices better after eating so weekends is after lunch and week days in after tea. Son has built up is oboe practice to two half hour secessions a day from 10 minutes twice a day , he practices best in the morning before school so we fit one in at 7 :30 and then one later in the day.
Both children are now taking up the piano and practise will be after school or later in the evening for both, as this is the only time my youngest is not around, he still believes if Mr Joe (piano) is awake (lid up) its his time to play, and as mush as he can play and sing a lovely song it does hinder practice.

... Lamborghinis?

When I work at home during the day, I often practise in 5-10 min bursts here and there. I find this really does help as subconsciously my brain must be processing what I have learnt, then when I go back and practise the same piece it has improved. So probably more productive than practicing the same bit for half an hour non stop.

However this method wouldn't work alone. I also sit and practise for hours.

Yes - that sounds like me! On the other instruments though, I might do half an hour, 3 or 4 times a week. I do play in ensembles and things too, which helps me get more playing in.

Even now, I won't do more than 75 minutes in one practice session, without a really good rest inbetween. After 75 minutes, I find I'm starting to tire, and my playing won't be as good, and practising when weary is just as bad as not practising at all...