The 3 M’s: The Real Secret to Making Piano Learning Stick (Even When They Don’t Practice)
Have you ever had this moment?
A student sits down at the piano.
You worked carefully on something last week.
You ask them to play…
And it’s as if none of it ever happened.
No memory.
No connection.
Just a slightly apologetic, “I only practised last night…”
If you’ve ever sighed internally when this happens, you’re not alone.
For many piano teachers, the gap between lessons and practice has become one of the most frustrating parts of teaching… because we care deeply about our students’ progress.
The real question isn’t, “How do I get them to practise more?”
The real question becomes:
How do we help students remember what to do when there’s a gap between the previous lesson and the moment they finally practice?
Why Piano Practice Isn’t the Full Answer Anymore
For years, piano teachers have been given a simple solution:
“They just need to practise more.”
But the reality of modern life doesn’t align with this expectation.
Kids are busy.
Families are stretched.
Schedules are packed.
And for many students, practice doesn’t happen daily - sometimes it happens the night before, or even minutes before the lesson.
We can’t always control how often students practise.
But we can control how learning is encoded during the lesson.
That’s where the 3 M’s come in.
The 3 M’s: The Foundation of Whole Body Learning
The 3 M’s are the foundation model of Whole Body Learning:
- Music
- Multisensory
- Multimodal
Individually, each one supports learning.
But when they’re mixed together — even in small ways — something truly powerful happens.
Students don’t rely on one fragile memory of what the notes looked like.
They build multiple memory pathways — a knowledge bank they can draw on when they finally sit down to practise.
Let’s Break Down the 3M Foundation of Whole Body Learning
M #1: Music — Using Music to Teach Music
This first M is often overlooked.
Many students learn piano by listening only to a one-dimensional piano demo — or worse, no sound reference at all.
But when students learn with real music — full, rich sound recordings or orchestral backing tracks — their bodies respond differently. (Plus, they get time to actually start playing!)
They begin to:
- Feel the beat
- Understand the style
- Embody the tempo
- Recognise patterns and structure
They’re no longer decoding dots on a page. They’re learning music.
And when students practise at home with the same music they used in the lesson, something remarkable happens.
The memory returns. The movement returns. The feeling returns.
Music becomes the anchor.
M #2: Multisensory — When the Whole Brain Lights Up
Multisensory learning intentionally engages more than one of the senses at a time.
In piano lessons, that might look like:
- Singing
- Tapping
- Moving
- Clapping
- Preparing fingers away from the keyboard
This is all happening with the music.
When students see it, hear it, move it, say it, and play it, the learning becomes unforgettable.
You may already be doing some of these things.
But when they’re structured and purposeful — aligned with the piece — the impact multiplies.
These small actions anchor information far more deeply than a simple:
“Look at the notes and play.”
M #3: Multimodal — More Than One Way In
If multisensory learning is about how many senses we use, multimodal learning is about how many different ways students experience the same idea.
We no longer rely on one mode (Sit down. Read the music. Play.)
Multimodal teaching might include:
- Floor activities
- Movement spaces
- Percussion instruments
- Flashcards
- Props or puppets
- Floor staves or keyboards
- Games and technology
- Singing while tapping the body
When students encounter the same concept in multiple modes, the brain builds flexibility.
And flexible learning sticks.
Why the 3 M’s Work (Even When Practice Is Limited)
When Music, Multisensory, and Multimodal learning are combined, students don’t just remember intellectually.
They remember in their bodies.
In the same way you remember the route you drive every day — without consciously thinking about it — students remember what to do because their bodies remember.
This is why Whole Body Learning works so beautifully, especially for today’s distracted, digitally-native, busy kids.
Want to Try This With Your Students?
If you’d like to put this into action, start small.
We’ve created a free 3 M’s Handout to help you apply this framework straight away.
- PTS Members: Grab it inside your account
- New here: Download it for free
Listen or Watch
And if you’d like to see the 3 M’s in action, Episode 3 of the Piano Teaching Success Podcast walks through real studio examples — with reassurance, practical ideas, and a few giggles along the way.
🎧 Listen / Watch on:
Spotify | Apple | YouTube Video | YouTube Audio | iHeart | Amazon | Goodpods | Pocket Casts
Want More Done-For-You Whole Body Learning Resources?
Inside The Studio, you’ll find:
- A huge library of lesson-ready resources (including essential backing tracks)
- Practical Whole Body Learning strategies
- Monthly masterclasses (live + replay)
- Downloadable handouts
- Up-to-date teaching insights
- A supportive, nurturing community of piano teachers around the world
