Playing a Musical Instrument

Its really up to you. Suzuki-style lessons can start as young as 2 or 3. Most other styles will start after 5. Progress is much slower when you start younger, of course, and not all kids will have the patience to sit and practice. I myself started violin at age 9, but I started my son on cello shortly before he turned 4. My son has always had both a strong interest in music and an unusual ability to sit still and concentrate for his age, otherwise I wouldn't have tried this early. Its a pretty big commitment as a parent to start early like this. I'm involved in my son's daily practice, and we drive 25 minutes to find a good teacher who specializes in young kids. Overall, I'm glad I've started my son young, but if you have any doubt about his patience or how much effort you are willing to put in, I'd recommend waiting a while.

Some children are prodigies and pick up music skills at a very early age. I feel if your child can follow directions and listen well within a lesson (I'd plan on at least 30 minutes) then they are ready to start music lessons. I was 5 when my mom first put me in piano lessons. I picked up on it very easily but I was miserable having someone sit right next to me feeling like they were yelling at me to do it over. I cried so many times that my mom finally pulled me out and waited for me to mature a bit more and put me back in at age 9 and I did MUCH better. It all depends on your child and how much you think they can handle. I'd start off looking up local college music departments and see if any students are teaching, they usually have better prices. But, any music store in the area will have a list of teachers, just go in and ask. I see you are in Allen, there is a music store right next to Stacy's furniture off McDermott (in between Acute Kids Care and Stacy's), they'd be a great starting point for you.

A good rule of thumb is whether or not your son can read simple words and sentences yet. Learning to read music is like learning another language and it helps if he already demonstrates an ability to read. Generally speaking, 5-6 years old is a good age to start because by that age most kids have a strong reading foundation.

I know the Suzuki Method takes their kids from a very young age.
http://www.suzukidallas.com/public/home.aspx
If your son hasn't had any preschool music, here is a good place to start too: http://musictogether.com/