Student practice is more efficient when they know exactly what they’re working towards. Setting piano practice targets can help make that clearer.

We don’t want our students to be wandering aimlessly during their practice time. We want them focussed on the end result.
This is one of the reasons why I don’t advocate minimum practice times or minimum repetitions. I think those get in the way of students developing good practice skills.
Practice targets, on the other hand, keep them focussed on getting better. And that’s the whole point, right?
The content in this article was originally written in October and November of 2017. It was edited and updated in October 2024.
Start With the Overarching View
Before we decide what and how to practise, we need to talk about goals first.
“Goals” are what I call the big things you and your student want to achieve: the long-term purpose of piano studies. Knowing these goals informs everything else you do.
This is about you knowing what you want for your students generally, and listening to what each of your students wants specifically.
Your Studio-Wide Goals
For example, maybe you want all your students:
- To play music for their whole lives
- To feel confident collaborating with other musicians
- To have a great appreciation for the music they listen to because of their understanding of music theory
Maybe that’s way off base for you! But whatever your own overarching “whys” are, make sure you know them and can articulate them to yourself.
Based on these goals, you might make smaller specific objectives for all your students for the next 2 years, 6 months or 3 weeks.
Not sure where to start? This article can help you work out what you want those smaller, specific objectives to be.
Your Student’s Goals
On top of your ideas for your studio, you need to know what each student wants, too. Piano is an elective – an “extra” – so there must be a reason that they’re there. Something they want from their lessons.

How you will go about discovering this will depend on age, of course. For your very young students, this might mean simply giving them some input on some of the piece selections.
But as students get older, I believe they should have more and more control over what they’re learning. Teen and adult students should decide their destinations.
You know best which routes will get them there, and what extra tools they’ll need along the way. But it’s their journey.
Setting Weekly Piano Practice Targets
Now that we have that out of the way, we can get back to our immediate need of helping our older students focus their practice time better. One of the ways I do this is by setting practice targets with my piano students.
Did you notice that I said WITH my students? That part is important. These should be collaborative goals and targets, and students should be involved in the process.
Now…if you’re at all familiar with this blog and/or me, you won’t be surprised to learn that I advocate turning this endeavour into a fun game. 😉
What’s even better is that I’ve already done the heavy lifting for you!

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My ‘30 Practice Bullseyes Challenge’ helps students find that practice focus while also encouraging them to read their targets mid-week.
To complete this challenge, students must successfully achieve 30 practice targets during a set period of time.
Challenge Rules
The rules for this challenge are pretty simple:
- All bullseyes must be completed within the timeframe set by the teacher.
- The teacher has final say on the exact bullseye targets.
- Bullseyes will be clearly detailed (e.g. on the student’s music or in their practice app, notebook, folder, etc.) and it’s up to the student to keep them top of mind during the week.
- The teacher will test the bullseyes from the previous week at each lesson, and mark the chart for the ones that were successfully achieved.
I haven’t detailed a timeframe in the printable itself, as I wanted to give teachers the flexibility to set this to suit their students.
I suggest going with somewhere between 10 – 15 weeks. This would mean students need to successfully achieve 2 – 3 targets per week, which is a good number: tough but fair.

Note: This practice challenge is included in the challenge board I use in my studio. If you aren’t familiar with the idea of a “challenge board”, check out this article to learn more.
Bullseye Examples
All targets must be specific and measurable. If a student comes back the next week and you can’t say for certain whether the target was achieved or not, then you need to tighten up the parameters.
Here are some examples of good targets that will enhance practice focus:
- Play the complete piece without stopping at 60bpm.
- Play page 1 with all dynamics and articulation.
- Play very slowly, hands separately, with no wrong notes or rhythms.
- Play bars 4 – 12 while counting out loud.
- Sing in the correct rhythm while playing the LH.
Get your student’s input and chat about the target with them during the lesson. Remember: Think collaboration.
Reap the Rewards
The real reward of setting and achieving these targets is, of course, that your student’s piano practice time will be more effective and efficient, leading them closer to their overarching goals.
But if you want a way to reward students when they complete this challenge, check out this post about how to use a challenge board in your studio. Glory really is the best prize!
Want more help motivating your students to practise? Visit our centralised hub page devoted to teaching practice skills.
Are you excited by the idea of greater practice focus among your students?
What age do you think YOU were when your mindset shifted to achievement rather than just putting in the practice time?

Subscribe to updates and get the 30 Practice BullsEyes Challenge
Enter your details to subscribe to the newsletter for piano teachers with information, tips and offers.
I hate spam as much as you do! I’ll only send you information that’s directly relevant to music teachers and you can unsubscribe at any time.
VMT members can download the ’30 Practice Bullseyes Challenge’ instantly from the Printable Library. Not a member? Visit vibrantmusicteaching.com to learn more and join today.