The right age to start piano lessons
So many parents wonder about the right age to start piano lessons is and quite honestly I’m not sure there is a firm answer on this one. Hopefully parents want their child to start piano because of a healthy need to expose the child to something new, to develop a talent or to follow the child’s dream - not the parents. Too often I have had parents who wanted lessons for their children and the child hated it so much that it was obviously turning the student off to music lessons in general. At this point in time I always tell the parent they need to find a new teacher.
While all children are not alike and have very different needs and abilities there are some good indicators that lessons may be appropriate.
1. Can the child sit still for 30 minutes? This needs to be a firm “yes” or most teachers will send you packing. I have seen some four year olds who when engaged in music are thrilled to sit with their teacher for 30 minutes. On the other hand I have seen 7 and 8 year old kids who can’t physically stay seated for 30 minutes. Be considerate of the child and the teacher. Piano teachers are not baby sitters and should your child be unable to sit still it is extremely frustrating. It does no one any good to start lessons before this is in place.
2. Can the child understand the concept that a finger is associated with a number? Most children at about 3 or 4 years old can get this if someone really works with them to grasp the concept for about a week. If you are going to see if this works for your child you teach them that thumbs are number one and pinkies are number five.
3. Can your child count from one to ten, recognize those numbers and recognize the letters of the alphabet? As you may know the musical alphabet is A,B,C,D,E,F, and G. It is imperative that your child know these letters by sight and their numbers one through ten.
4. Can your child not only sit still for 30 minutes but remain focused for 30 minutes? If not, this will lead to the same frustration discussed in number 1.
5. Have you asked yourself why you want lessons for your child? If the answer has more to do with the child than it does with you, this is a good thing.
Keep in mind that when children are not ready, do not want lessons or are being forced it creates a very big negative atmosphere for both the teacher and the student. Have you tried to sit with a child you do not know well that is restless and won’t listen to you for 30 minutes straight while trying to be kind and coaxing them to do what you would like? No matter what a teacher charges it is not okay to expect them to babysit unless that is what was offered.
You may find in your quest for a teacher that you will find many that will not take students below a certain age unless there is some phenomenal show of talent at an early age. I tried to get my daughter in with another teacher that wouldn’t even consider anyone under the age of eight. As a teacher I totally understand this woman’s point of view. However, I started at age four and it went great. I firmly believe that there are those children that can do it and it does take a special type of teacher for younger ages. I think most of us understand that children learn new things best as early as we can do it but that we have to show caution and not put too much on a child.