Printable kit · 19 worksheets
The First Instrument Practice Planner
- 19 fill-in worksheets, 52 print pages
- A 32-week leveled practice plan with instrument tracks for 6 instrument families
- Rhythm, scale and ear-training drill libraries
- Weekly log with a streak that sets next week's plan, plus a spreadsheet that does it automatically
- 3 filled-in examples and an online buyer guide
30-day money-back guarantee. Every dollar back if it doesn't help.
A structured way to actually get better at a first instrument: a level check, a 15-30 minute daily session with four blocks, 32 week-numbered weeks across three levels, tracks for keyboard, guitar, ukulele, violin and cello, drums and band instruments, three drill libraries, and a weekly log whose streak and checkpoint decide next week's plan. Plus the decisions that come first: which instrument, teacher or app, and rent or buy, worked from this site's own numbers.
Replaces "just practice for 20 minutes", the method book that sits closed between lessons, and the practice chart that stops after two weeks.
Look inside
Real pages from the PDF downloaded after checkout, including filled-in examples.
What's in it
See all 19 worksheet titles
- Practice Plan At A Glance
- Instrument Choice Decision Sheet
- Teacher vs Self-Taught vs App
- Rent or Buy Decision
- Starting Level Check
- Daily Practice Session
- Level 1 Practice Plan: Weeks 1-10
- Level 2 Practice Plan: Weeks 11-20
- Level 3 Practice Plan: Weeks 21-32
- Instrument Tracks: Keyboard, Guitar, Ukulele
- Instrument Tracks: Violin & Cello, Drums, Band Winds & Brass
- Drill Library: Rhythm & Metronome
- Drill Library: Scales & Technique
- Drill Library: Ear Training
- Weekly Practice Log & Streak
- Motivation & Plateau Plan
- Parent Guide: Supporting Practice
- Instrument Care & Maintenance Schedule
- Starter Gear & First-Year Budget
Also included
- 3 filled-in example worksheets. Weekly Practice Log & Streak and Rent or Buy Decision and Instrument Choice Decision Sheet, each clearly labeled hypothetical, so a finished page is visible before starting one.
- 1 bonus printable. Quick Reference: The Daily Session & Tempo Ladder: The four blocks and the metronome rules on one card for the music stand
- 1 companion spreadsheet. An editable workbook: a daily practice log that adds up minutes and keeps the streak, a 32-week summary that reads the log and says whether to move on or repeat the week, a tempo tracker, a rent vs buy break-even table with this site's prices, and a first-year budget. Tabs: Practice log, Weekly plan, Tempo tracker, Rent or buy, First-year budget.
- 1 start-here page. The four sheets to fill in the first 20 minutes, and which sheet to reach for when.
Plus the online buyer guide
The five starter kits from this site's /setups page, plus every tuner, metronome, method book and practice tool the worksheets name, with current prices, kept current on this site.
Who it's for
- Parents of a child starting keyboard, guitar, ukulele, violin, cello, drums or a band instrument
- Adult beginners who want a plan instead of random videos
- Families using an app or method book who want structure between lessons
- Players with a teacher who want the days between lessons to count
- Anyone restarting an instrument after a long break
- Parents still deciding which instrument, which teacher, and whether to rent or buy
Who made this
Built by the FirstInstrumentGuide team from the same difficulty, starting-age, noise, cost and rental numbers the free site publishes, and the practice methods its guides recommend, laid out as a plan to follow rather than an article to read.
30-day money-back guarantee
Use the whole kit. If it doesn't help, fill in the refund form within 30 days and you get every dollar back. No questions asked. Refund form.
Questions
Is this coaching or lessons?
No. It is a self-guided practice plan, drill library and set of decision sheets, not personalized instruction. It works with a teacher, an app or a method book. Results depend on regular practice, and a teacher is the best check on posture and technique.
Which instruments does it cover?
The session, levels, drills and logs work for any instrument. The instrument tracks spell out each level for keyboard and piano, guitar, ukulele, violin, viola and cello, drums, and band winds and brass (flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet).
Is it for kids or adults?
Both. The practice plan is the same; the parent guide and the practice-minutes-by-age table are there for families, and adults can skip them.
Does it follow ABRSM or RCM grades?
No. The kit explains what those exam systems are, in plain words, and points to their own websites. Its three levels are informal practice stages for the first 32 weeks, not exam grades.
We have not bought an instrument yet. Is it too early?
No, that is a good time. The first sheets are the decisions: which instrument using this site's difficulty, age, noise and cost numbers, teacher or app, and the rent vs buy break-even month.
What if it does not help?
Use the whole kit for 30 days. If it does not help, the refund form on the contact page gets every dollar back, no questions asked. Refund form.
Printable or fillable on screen?
Both. Print the sheets you reuse (the weekly log is one page per week), or use the companion spreadsheet, which adds up minutes and tracks the streak for you.
The First Instrument Practice Planner
19 worksheets · 52 pages · examples, workbook and online buyer guide